Macromolecular dynamics in red blood cells investigated using neutron spectroscopy

We present neutron scattering measurements on the dynamics of haemoglobin (Hb) in human red blood cells (RBCs) in vivo. Global and internal Hb dynamics were measured in the ps to ns time and angstrom length scales using quasi-elastic neutron backscattering spectroscopy. We observed the cross over from global Hb short-time to long-time self-diffusion. Both short-and long-time diffusion coefficients agree quantitatively with predicted values from the hydrodynamic theory of non-charged hard-sphere suspensions when a bound water fraction of around 0.23 gram H2O per gram Hb is taken into account. The higher amount of water in the cells facilitates internal protein fluctuations in the ps time scale when compared with fully hydrated Hb powder. Slower internal dynamics of Hb in RBCs in the ns time range were found to be rather similar to results obtained with fully hydrated protein powders, solutions and Escherichia coli cells.