New Insights into the Role of Water in Biological Function: Studying Solvated Biomolecules Using Terahertz Absorption Spectroscopy in Conjunction with Molecular Dynamics Simulations

In life science, water is the ubiquitous solvent, sometimes even called the matrix of life. There is increasing experimental and theoretical evidence that solvation water is not a passive spectator in biomolecular processes. New experimental techniques can quantify how water interacts with biomolecules and, in doing so, differs from bulk water. Terahertz (THz) absorption spectroscopy has turned out to be a powerful tool to study (bio)molecular hydration. The main concepts that have been developed in the recent years to describe the underlying solute-induced sub-picosecond dynamics of the hydration shell are discussed herein. Moreover, we highlight recent findings that show the significance of hydrogen bond dynamics for the function of antifreeze proteins and for molecular recognition. In all of these examples, a gradient of water motion toward functional sites of proteins is observed, the so-called hydration funnel. By means of molecular dynamics simulations, we provide new evidence for a specific water-protein coupling as the cause of the observed dynamical heterogeneity. The efficiency of the coupling at THz frequencies is explained in terms of a two-tier (short- and long-range) solute-solvent interaction.