Poster Session II
Project Type
Poster
Project Funding and Affiliations
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Asia Riel
Faculty Mentor’s Department
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Additional Mentor
Daniel Decato daniel.decato@mso.umt.edu
Abstract / Artist's Statement
α,α-trehalose is a naturally occurring molecule comprised of two glucose molecules linked together, is biologically active. Immunomodulatory compounds have used α,α-trehalose as a core structure to activate an immune response in proteins such as the Macrophate-Inducible C-type Lectin receptor. Activation of this receptor is hypothesized to occur through ligand-induced oligomerization, driven by small-molecule (pathogen-derived or endogenous) aggregation and self-assembly. However, this has not been fully investigated. This work set out to evaluate reported α,α-trehalose crystal structures from the Cambridge Crystal Structure Database. We evaluated 41 different α,α-trehalose supramolecular structures, understanding their application and categorizing their self-assembly through hydrogen bonding and other intramolecular forces. Our overall goal is to establish design principles for future molecules, thereby tuning its properties for pharmaceutical applications and immunological outcomes.
Category
Physical Sciences
Crystallographic Insights into the Biological Roles of α,α- Trehalose
UC South Ballroom
α,α-trehalose is a naturally occurring molecule comprised of two glucose molecules linked together, is biologically active. Immunomodulatory compounds have used α,α-trehalose as a core structure to activate an immune response in proteins such as the Macrophate-Inducible C-type Lectin receptor. Activation of this receptor is hypothesized to occur through ligand-induced oligomerization, driven by small-molecule (pathogen-derived or endogenous) aggregation and self-assembly. However, this has not been fully investigated. This work set out to evaluate reported α,α-trehalose crystal structures from the Cambridge Crystal Structure Database. We evaluated 41 different α,α-trehalose supramolecular structures, understanding their application and categorizing their self-assembly through hydrogen bonding and other intramolecular forces. Our overall goal is to establish design principles for future molecules, thereby tuning its properties for pharmaceutical applications and immunological outcomes.