Résumé
Small Angle Scattering techniques are regularly used to probe the structure of proteins and proteins assemblies in a solvent. X-rays enable fast and localized measurements thanks to the high flux and the small beam size, but there is a risk of protein degradation that is prevented with neutron scattering. In order to increase the contrast between proteins and the solvent, deuterated solvents are usually used for SANS measurements. Normally, if the contrast is due to scattering density differences between proteins and the solvent, SAXS and SANS profiles are identical. In this talk, we will present the study of gluten protein gels that display radically different SAXS and SANS profiles when the solvent is deuterated. The shape of the high q signal is identical for both measurements, whereas totally different features are measured at low q (figure). The SAXS profile can be successfully described with a model combining a Lorentzian and a q-2 power law [1]. This model was previously used to describe polymeric gels under good solvent conditions and relates the random coil Gaussian chain conformation of proteins and large-scale concentration heterogeneities. For the range of q where a q-2 power law regime is measured for SAXS, SANS profile displays instead a scattered intensity that scales as q-4 and a shoulder at even smaller q from which a characteristic size can be extracted. Measurements with various levels of solvent deuteration were performed to understand these surprising scattering profiles. Quantitative analysis of the contrast with deuteration indicates a progressive H-D exchange of protein chains. Moreover, an increase of the low q q-4 contribution is observed with solvent deuteration. Results were rationalized considering a heterogeneous H-D exchange of protein protons that would be due to local high concentration of proteins where hydrogen would be involved in hydrogen bonds, preventing thus H-D exchange. In particular, the q-4 behavior would originate from the sharp interfaces between protein rich regions which are more hydrogenated and protein diluted regions which are more deuterated. The cross-over between the q-4 and the quasi-plateau at smaller q correspond to a distance of 60 nm, similar to the size of the protein assemblies measured in the dilute regime, reflecting the characteristic size over which H-D exchange can take place.