Elsevier, Chemical Physics Letters, 4-6(477), p. 365-368
DOI: 10.1016/j.cplett.2009.07.006
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a b s t r a c t The conformation of the Lewis x antigen has been determined, free of environmental perturbation, at low temperature in the gas phase to reveal a global minimum energy structure lying below the rigid stacked conformations adopted in aqueous solution, in the crystalline hydrate or when bound to proteins. The result suggests that water plays a key structural role in controlling the conformation of Lewis x and in con-sequence, its biological function.