Comparison of Sucrose and Trehalose for Protein Stabilization Using Differential Scanning Calorimetry
Journal article, 2024

The disaccharide trehalose is generally acknowledged as a superior stabilizer of proteins and other biomolecules in aqueous environments. Despite many theories aiming to explain this, the stabilization mechanism is still far from being fully understood. This study compares the stabilizing properties of trehalose with those of the structurally similar disaccharide sucrose. The stability has been evaluated for the two proteins, lysozyme and myoglobin, at both low and high temperatures by determining the glass transition temperature, Tg, and the denaturation temperature, Tden. The results show that the sucrose-containing samples exhibit higher Tden than the corresponding trehalose-containing samples, particularly at low water contents. The better stabilizing effect of sucrose at high temperatures may be explained by the fact that sucrose, to a greater extent, binds directly to the protein surface compared to trehalose. Both sugars show Tden elevation with an increasing sugar-to-protein ratio, which allows for a more complete sugar shell around the protein molecules. Finally, no synergistic effects were found by combining trehalose and sucrose. Conclusively, the exact mechanism of protein stabilization may vary with the temperature, as influenced by temperature-dependent interactions between the protein, sugar, and water. This variability can make trehalose to a superior stabilizer under some conditions and sucrose under others.

Author

Olivia Jonsson

Chalmers, Physics, Nano and Biophysics

Agnes Lundell

Student at Chalmers

John Rosell

Chalmers, Physics, Nano and Biophysics

Sophie You

Chalmers, Physics, Nano and Biophysics

Kajsa Ahlgren

Chalmers, Physics, Nano and Biophysics

Jan Swenson

Chalmers, Physics, Nano and Biophysics

Journal of Physical Chemistry B

1520-6106 (ISSN) 1520-5207 (eISSN)

Vol. 128 20 4922-4930

Sockers roll för stabilisering och kryokonservering av proteiner

Swedish Research Council (VR) (2019-04020), 2020-01-01 -- 2023-12-31.

Subject Categories

Physical Chemistry

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Materials Chemistry

DOI

10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c00022

PubMed

38733344

More information

Latest update

7/1/2024 1