Conformational Analysis of C‐Trehaloses Using Molecular Mechanics Calculations

Abstract

Relaxed‐residue energy maps based on the MM3 force field were computed for the three C‐linked (1‐1) d‐glucosyl disaccharides, C‐trehaloses: the axial–axial linked α,α‐trehalose, the axial–equatorial α,β‐trehalose and the equatorial–equatorial linked β,β‐trehalose. Optimized structures were calculated on a 20°‐grid spacing of the torsional angles about the C‐glycosidic bonds. Boltzman weighted 3J coupling constants were calculated and compared to the experimental values; they are satisfactory. The general shape of the energy maps indicates that α,α‐trehalose is a quite rigid molecule adopting only one conformation around the C‐glycosidic linkage, whereas the other two isomers are rather flexible. Compared to the corresponding O‐disaccharides α,β‐ and β,β‐trehaloses exhibit a larger number of low energy conformers and a larger area of the map energy < 8 kcal/mol. The preferred conformations of the axial C‐glycosidic bond are in agreement with the exo‐anomeric effect. Equatorial C‐ glycosidic bonds are rather flexible, influenced by the polarity of the milieu and the formation of interresidue hydrogen bonds. #Associated with the Université Faurier, Grenoble, France.