Scientists study how water lubes proteins

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 26 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists have, for the first time, directly observed how water lubricates the movements of protein molecules.

Ohio State University researchers used ultra-fast light pulses to reveal how water molecules link with proteins, enabling them to move and function. The researchers said the finding might lead to new treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, cataracts and diabetes.

Proteins are complex molecules that form the main support structure for plant and animal cells, and also regulate biochemical reactions, Associate Professor Dongping Zhong said. The shape and movements of a protein molecule determine its function, and scientists have long known proteins can't function unless immersed in water.

"Protein-water interactions are a central, long-standing, unsolved problem in protein science," Zhong said. "We believe we are making a major step to answer these fundamental questions, and the final results will be very important for many biological applications."

Zhong said the study marks the first time scientists have been able to map the movements of water molecules at different sites on a much larger protein molecule, and see how such movements influence the form and function of the protein.

The research appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.