| Abstract: | The changes in optical activity that accompany and characterize the coil-helix and helix-coil transitions of agarose in aqueous solutions and gels have been investigated by combined quantitative analysis of data from vacuum ultraviolet circular dichroism (VUCD) and optical rotary dispersion (ORD). VUCD of agarose in the high-temperature coil state shows a single accessible Gaussian band centered at ～183 nm. In the helix state this band is blue-shifted by ～9 nm, and the intensity is increased by a factor of ～2.6. Spectra at intermediate temperatures can be fitted to within experimental error by linear combination of coil and helix spectra, the relative proportions required providing an index of the extent of conformational ordering. ORD spectra throughout the conformational transition have a common form and differ only in absolute magnitude. The temperature course of conformational ordering derived from ORD intensity is in close agreement with the values obtained from VUCD. In both the coil and helix states the accessible VUCD band is positive, while the overall ORD is negative, indicating strong negative CD activity at lower wavelength. The ORD contribution corresponding to the positive VUCD band was calculated by Kronig–Kramers transform, and it was subtracted from the total ORD to give the residual ORD from all other optically active transitions of the molecule. In both the coil and helix states, this residual ORD could be fitted to within experimental error by a single Gaussian CD band at ～149 nm. A negative band at this wavelength has been reported previously for agarose films, but the observed intensity, relative to that of the lower energy positive band, is substantially smaller than the fitted value under hydrated conditions. In both the coil and helix states the total optical activity of agarose, characterized by observed ORD spectra, can be matched to within experimental error by Kronig-Kramers transform of the 149-nm negative band and the smaller positive band at higher wavelength, with no necessary involvement of deeper-lying transitions. The significance of this conclusion for fundamental understanding of carbohydrate optical activity is discussed. |
