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PubMed2005

Molecular dynamics simulation of cocaine binding with human butyrylcholinesterase and its mutants.

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out to study cocaine binding with wild-type human butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and its mutants based on a recently reported X-ray crystal structure of human BChE. For each BChE-cocaine system, we simulated both the nonprereactive and prereactive complexes in water. Despite the significant difference found at the acyl binding pocket, the simulated structures confirm the fundamental structural and mechanistic insights obtained from earlier computational studies of wild-type BChE with cocaine based on a homology model, e.g. the rate-determining step for BChE-catalyzed hydrolysis of biologically active (-)-cocaine is the (-)-cocaine rotation in the active site from the nonprereactive BChE-(-)-cocaine complex to the prereactive complex. It has been demonstrated that the MD simulations on both the nonprereactive and prereactive BChE-cocaine complexes can clearly reveal whether specific mutations produce the desired BChE-(-)-cocaine binding structures in which the (-)-cocaine rotation is less hindered while the required prereactive BChE-(-)-cocaine binding is maintained. Based on the MD simulations, both A328W/Y332A and A328W/Y332G BChE's are expected to have catalytic activity for (-)-cocaine hydrolysis higher than that of wild-type BChE and the activity of A328W/Y332G BChE should be slightly higher than that of A328W/Y332A BChE due to the less-hindered (-)-cocaine rotation in the mutant BChE's. However, the less-hindered (-)-cocaine rotation is only a necessary condition for a higher activity mutant BChE. The (-)-cocaine rotation is also less hindered in A328W/Y332A/Y419S BChE, but (-)-cocaine binds with A328W/Y332A/Y419S BChE in a way that is not suitable for the catalysis. Thus, A328W/Y332A/Y419S BChE is expected to lose the catalytic activity. The computational predictions were confirmed by our experimental kinetic data, demonstrating that the MD simulation-based computational protocol used in this study is reliable in prediction of the catalytic activity of BChE mutants for (-)-cocaine hydrolysis.

Butyrylcholinesterase↗
PubMed1999

Defining the transmembrane helix of M2 protein from influenza A by molecular dynamics simulations in a lipid bilayer.

Integral membrane proteins containing at least one transmembrane (TM) alpha-helix are believed to account for between 20% and 30% of most genomes. There are several algorithms that accurately predict the number and position of TM helices within a membrane protein sequence. However, these methods tend to disagree over the beginning and end residues of TM helices, posing problems for subsequent modeling and simulation studies. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in an explicit lipid and water environment are used to help define the TM helix of the M2 protein from influenza A virus. Based on a comparison of the results of five different secondary structure prediction algorithms, three different helix lengths (an 18mer, a 26mer, and a 34mer) were simulated. Each simulation system contained 127 POPC molecules plus approximately 3500-4700 waters, giving a total of approximately 18,000-21,000 atoms. Two simulations, each of 2 ns duration, were run for the 18mer and 26mer, and five separate simulations were run for the 34mer, using different starting models generated by restrained in vacuo MD simulations. The total simulation time amounted to 11 ns. Analysis of the time-dependent secondary structure of the TM segments was used to define the regions that adopted a stable alpha-helical conformation throughout the simulation. This analysis indicates a core TM region of approximately 20 residues (from residue 22 to residue 43) that remained in an alpha-helical conformation. Analysis of atomic density profiles suggested that the 18mer helix revealed a local perturbation of the lipid bilayer. Polar side chains on either side of this region form relatively long-lived H-bonds to lipid headgroups and water molecules.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

An efficient mean solvation force model for use in molecular dynamics simulations of proteins in aqueous solution.

An empirical solvation model that allows for the elimination of solvent degrees of freedom in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of biomolecules is proposed. The potential of mean force due to the first solvation shell is approximated by means of a simple, easily derivable analytic function of the solvent-accessible surface area of the molecule. The solvent contribution to the free energy is evaluated by means of only two atomic solvation parameters. This approach requires about 30% more computational effort than an in vacuo simulation, but a factor of 10 to 50 less than a MD simulation involving solvation by explicit water molecules. The implicit solvation model is assessed by application to proteins of different size. Average structural properties are calculated and compared to values obtained from X-ray structures and from MD simulations using explicit water molecules. The complementarity of the implicit solvation force and the intra-solute force field has been checked. The artefacts induced by the use of a vacuum boundary condition without solvation force in a MD simulation are considerably reduced.

Models, Chemical↗
PubMed2004

"Cooperativity blockage" in the mixed alkali effect as revealed by molecular-dynamics simulations of alkali metasilicate glass.

The relaxation dynamics of a complex interacting system can be drastically changed when mixing with another component having different dynamics. In this work, we elucidate the effect of the less mobile guest ions on the dynamics of the more mobile host ions in mixed alkali glasses by molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations. One MD simulation was carried out on lithium metasilicate glass with the guest ions created by freezing some randomly chosen lithium ions at their initial locations at 700 K. A remarkable slowing down of the dynamics of the majority mobile Li ions was observed both in the self-part of the density-density correlation function, Fs(k,t), and in the mean-squared displacements. On the other hand, there is no significant change in the structure. The motion of the Li ions in the unadulterated Li metasilicate glass is dynamically heterogeneous. In the present work, the fast and slow ions were divided into two groups. The number of fast ions, which shows faster dynamics (Levy flight) facilitated by cooperative jumps, decreases considerably when small amount of Li ions are frozen. Consequently there is a large overall reduction of the mobility of the Li ions. The result is also in accordance with the experimental finding in mixed alkali silicate glasses that the most dramatic reduction of ionic conductivity occurs in the dilute foreign alkali limit. Similar suppression of the cooperative jumps is observed in the MD simulation data of mixed alkali system, LiKSiO3. Naturally, the effect found here is appropriately described as "cooperativity blockage." Slowing down of the motion of Li ions also was observed when a small number of oxygen atoms chosen at random were frozen. The effect is smaller than the case of freezing some the Li ions, but it is not negligible. The cooperativity blockage is also implemented by confining the Li metasilicate glass inside two parallel walls formed by freezing Li ions in the same metasilicate glass. Molecular-dynamics simulations were performed on the dynamics of the Li ions in the confined glass. Slowing down of the dynamics is largest near the wall and decreases monotonically with distance away from the wall.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1993

Computer simulations of the flexibility of a series of synthetic cyclic peptide analogues.

The flexibility of a series of cyclic peptides derived from the epitope of a snake toxin is investigated using computer simulation techniques. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and vibrational analyses are performed on chemically constrained peptides modeled on the parent protein loop. In the 50 ps MD simulations, large variations in the atomic fluctuations are seen between the peptides, and can be related to the nature of the chemical constraints present in the molecules. Normal mode analyses are performed on energy-minimized configurations derived from the dynamics trajectories. The atomic fluctuations calculated from the normal modes are about 30% of those of the molecular dynamics for the more flexible peptides and 70% for the more constrained molecules. The calculated differences in flexibility between the molecules are much less significant in the harmonic approximation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2004

Molecular dynamics simulations of structural changes during procaspase 3 activation.

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the structural rearrangements on the pathway leading to procaspase 3 activation are presented. A retrostructural approach is used to build procaspase 3 from mature caspase 3. The peptide bond that is cleaved during enzyme maturation is gradually reformed during the MD simulation and the most relevant structural changes that occur as a consequence are analyzed. The main structural features that characterize this procaspase 3 model are compared with the available X-ray structure of procaspase 7 as the only zymogen structure that has been crystallised so far. The MD simulations indicate that in the free caspase 3, the flexible selectivity loop is already preorganized to accomodate the substrate. Such a preorganization is not present in either monomeric caspase 3 or in the procaspase 3 dimer, indicating that the structure of the selectivity loop is highly sensitive to perturbations.

Caspase 3↗
PubMed2004

Simulation of the substrate cavity dynamics of quercetinase.

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been performed on quercetin 2,3 dioxygenase (2,3QD) to study the mobility and flexibility of the substrate cavity. 2,3QD is the only firmly established Cu-containing dioxygenase known so far. It catalyses the breakage of the O-heterocycle of flavonols. The substrates occupy a shallow and overall hydrophobic cavity proximal to the metal centre of the homo-dimeric enzyme. The linker connecting the C-terminal and N-terminal domains in the monomer is partly disordered in the crystal structure and part of it forms a flexible lid at the entrance of the substrate cavity. This loop has been tentatively assigned a role in the enzyme mechanism: it helps lock the substrate into place. The dynamics of this loop has been investigated by MD simulation. The initial coordinates were taken from the crystal structure of 2,3QD in the presence of the substrate kaempferol (KMP). After equilibration and simulation over 7.2ns the substrate was removed and another equilibration and simulation of 7.2ns was performed. The results show that the structures of the free enzyme as well as of the enzyme-substrate complex are stable in MD simulation. The linker shows strongly enhanced mobility in the loop region that is close to the entrance to the substrate cavity (residues 154-169). Movement of the loop takes place on a timescale of 5-10ns. To confirm the conclusions about the loop dynamics drawn from the 7.2ns simulation, the simulation was extended with another 8ns. When substrate binds into the cavity the loop orders remarkably, although mobility is retained by residues 155-158. Some regions of the loop (residues 154-160 and 164-176) move over a considerable distance and approach the substrate closely, reinforcing the idea that they lock the substrate in the substrate cavity. The enthalpic component of the interaction of the loop with the protein and the KMP appears to favour the locking of the substrate. Two water molecules were found immobilised in the cavity, one of which exhibited rotation on the picosecond timescale. When the substrate is removed, the empty cavity fills up with water within 200ps.

Copper↗
PubMed2005

Molecular dynamics simulations of complexes between wild-type and mutant anthrax protective antigen variants and a model anthrax toxin receptor.

Bacillus anthracis, a spore-forming infectious bacterium, produces a toxin consisting of three proteins: lethal factor (LF), edema factor (EF), and protective antigen (PA). LF and EF possess intracellular enzymatic functions, the net effect of which is to severely compromise host innate immunity. During an anthrax infection PA plays the critical role of facilitating entry of both EF and LF toxins into host cell cytoplasm. Crystal structures of all three of the anthrax toxins have been determined, as well as the crystal structure of the (human) von Willebrand factor A (integrin VWA/I domain) -- an anthrax toxin receptor. A theoretical structure of the complex between VWA/I and PA has also been reported. Here we report on the results of 1,000 psec molecular dynamics (MD) simulations carried out on complexes between the Anthrax Protective Antigen Domain 4 (PA-D4) and the von Willebrand Factor A (VWA/I). MD simulations (using Insight II software) were carried out for complexes containing wild-type (WT) PA-D4, as well as for complexes containing three different mutants of PA-D4, one containing three substitutions in the PA-D4 "small loop" (residues 679-693) (D683A/L685E/Y688C), one containing a single substitution at a key site at the PA-D4 -- receptor interface (K679A) and another containing a deletion of eleven residues at the C-terminus of PA (Delta724-735). All three sets of PA mutations have been shown experimentally to result in serious deficiencies in PA function. Our MD results are consistent with these findings. Major disruptions in interactions were observed between the mutant PA-D4 domains and the anthrax receptor during the MD simulations. Many secondary structural features in PA-D4 are also severely compromised when VWA complexes with mutant variants of PA-D4 are subjected to MD simulations. These MD simulation results clearly indicate the importance of the mutated PA-D4 residues in both the "small loop" and at the carboxyl terminus in maintaining a PA conformation that is capable of effective interaction with the anthrax toxin receptor.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed2006

Mesoscale modeling of complex binary fluid mixtures: towards an atomistic foundation of effective potentials.

This paper is devoted to equilibrium molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations of a fully atomistic model of binary mixtures of water (component 1) and ethanol (component 2). We investigate ways to extract from these simulations effective, pairwise additive potentials suitable to describe the interactions between coarse-grained molecules (i.e., beads) in corresponding mesoscale dissipative particle-dynamics simulations. The fully atomistic model employed in MD simulations is mapped onto an implicit water model, where the internal degrees of freedom of ethanol and all the degrees of freedom of water are integrated out. This gives us an effective one-component system consisting only of ethanol beads. The effective interaction potential between a pair of ethanol beads, Phi(R), is approximated at three levels of sophistication. At the lowest one, we approximate Phi(R) by the potential of mean force between the centers of mass of two ethanol beads calculated in the fully atomistic MD simulations; at the second level, we take Phi(R) to be the potential linked to total and direct correlation functions in the hypernetted-chain closure of the Ornstein-Zernike equation. At the third level we approximate Phi(R) numerically by improving it iteratively through the Boltzmann inversion scheme. Our results indicate that the level-one approach works only at the lowest (8 wt %) concentration; the level-two approach works only up to intermediate ethanol concentrations (ca. 50 wt %). Only the Boltzmann inversion scheme works for all, up to the highest concentration considered (70 wt %).

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

Fluorescence quenching of dyes by tryptophan: interactions at atomic detail from combination of experiment and computer simulation.

Fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation are combined to characterize the interaction of two organic fluorescent dyes, rhodamine 6G (R6G) and an oxazine derivative (MR121), with the amino acid tryptophan in aqueous solution. Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence quenching experiments reveal the formation of essentially nonfluorescent ground-state dye/Trp complexes. The MD simulations are used to elucidate the molecular interaction geometries involved. The MD-derived probability distribution of the distance r between the centers of geometry of the dye and quencher ring systems, P(r), extends to higher distances for R6G than for MR121 due to population in the R6G/Trp system of fluorescent interaction geometries between Trp and the phenyl ring and ester group of the dye. The consequence of this is the experimental finding that under the conditions used in the simulations about 25% of the R6G dye is fluorescent in comparison with 10% of the MR121. Combining the above findings allows determination of the "quenching distance", r, above which no quenching occurs. r is found to be very similar (approximately 5.5 A) for both dye/Trp systems, corresponding to close to van der Waals contact. Both experimental dynamic Stern-Volmer analysis and the MD trajectories demonstrate that the main determinant of the fluorescence intensity is static quenching. The approach presented is likely to be useful in the structural interpretation of data obtained from fluorescent conjugates commonly used for monitoring the binding and dynamics of biomolecular systems.

Computer Simulation↗
PubMed2006

Optical absorption of methoxy and carboethoxy derivatives of 1,3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]quinoline.

Paper deals with experimental investigations and quantum chemical calculations of the optical absorption spectra of methoxy and carboethoxy 1,3-diphenyl derivatives of the pyrazoloquinoline ([PQ]): 6-methoxy-1,3-dyphenil-[PQ], 6-methoxy-1,3-(p-methoxyphenyl)-[PQ], 6-methoxy-1-(p-methoxyphenyl)-[PQ] and 6-carboethoxy-1,3-diphenyl-[PQ]. The quantum chemical calculations are performed by means of the semiempirical quantum chemical methods (AM1 or PM3) applied to: (a) the equilibrium molecular conformation in vacuo (T=0 K); (b) the molecular dynamic (MD) trajectory (T=300 K) which includes the dynamics of a certain molecular fragment (moiety) only (fragmental MD simulations); or (c) the MD trajectory obtained for most general case within the total MD simulations at T=300 K. The results of these calculations are compared with the measured spectra of the optical absorption. The quantum chemical simulations show that the dynamics of the methoxy or carboethoxy groups practically does not influence the absorption spectrum whereas the strongest its modification (300<lambda< or =360 nm) is found to be related with dynamics of phenyl(II) [Ph2] or phenyl(II)-methoxy [Ph2-MeO] moieties which are characterized by large libration amplitudes. At the same time, the total MD reproduces evidently much better the halfwidth of most absorption bands compared to ones observed in the measured spectra. Comparing the measured and calculated spectral positions of the absorption threshold the quantum chemical method PM3 gives the best agreement for all compounds.

Absorption↗
PubMed2005

Multi-scale modeling of phase separation in mixed lipid bilayers.

An approach to bridging the phenomenological field theory description of phase separation in binary mixed lipid bilayers with coarse-grained (CG) molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is presented. CG MD simulation is carried out for a 1:1 dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine/dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine lipid mixture at the liquid-gel phase coexistence condition. The liquid-gel phase separation can be characterized by the bilayer thickness, area per lipid molecule, and orientation parameter of the lipid tails. After a local order parameter is defined using the lipid tail bond orientation parameter, the CG MD data are bridged to a mesoscopic model based on the phenomenological Landau-Ginzberg free-energy functional. All parameters in this mesoscopic model are defined from the information of the phase boundary structure and the distributions of the order parameter in the liquid and gel phases. It is found that the mesoscopic model reproduces the equilibrium properties of the system very well, including collective fluctuations in both phases, spatial correlation functions of the order parameter, and the line tension. The possibility of using a time-dependent Landau-Ginzberg model to mimic the phase-separation dynamics is also investigated, using the relaxation time constant obtained by fitting the time-dependent correlation functions of the order parameter.

Cell Membrane↗
PubMed2001

Direct comparison of experimental and calculated folding free energies for hydrophobic deletion mutants of chymotrypsin inhibitor 2: free energy perturbation calculations using transition and denatured states from molecular dynamics simulations of unfolding.

Previous molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of thermal denaturation of chymotrypsin inhibitor 2 (CI2) have provided transition-state models in good agreement with experiment. Unfortunately, however, the comparisons have been necessarily indirect. The simulations have provided detailed structural information but not energetics, while from experiment, structure is inferred from a ratio of free energy changes upon mutation (Phi values). Here, direct comparison with experimental free energies is obtained by performing free energy perturbation calculations of hydrophobic deletion mutants of CI2 using transition- and denatured-state structures from various denaturation MD simulations. The agreement between the calculated and experimental DeltaDeltaG and Phi values is quite good (R = 0.8-0.9). In addition, given the availability of realistic atomic models for the denatured protein, the common approach of using small peptides to represent the denatured state in stability calculations can now be evaluated. To this end, two different extended tripeptide models were used: one using the sequence from the protein with the residue to be mutated in the center and the other with this residue surrounded by Ala residues. The results for the two peptides agree neither with one another nor with the different full-length denatured-state models, which do provide results in good agreement with experiment. This finding is noteworthy because the denatured state of CI2 is very disrupted with little residual structure, such that the peptides might have been expected to serve as reasonable models. Overall the calculations presented here validate our previous MD-generated transition- and denatured-state models and therefore the simulated unfolding pathways and their relevance to refolding.

Alanine↗
PubMed2004

Computational simulations of interactions of scorpion toxins with the voltage-gated potassium ion channel.

Based on a homology model of the Kv1.3 potassium channel, the recognitions of the six scorpion toxins, viz. agitoxin2, charybdotoxin, kaliotoxin, margatoxin, noxiustoxin, and Pandinus toxin, to the human Kv1.3 potassium channel have been investigated by using an approach of the Brownian dynamics (BD) simulation integrating molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Reasonable three-dimensional structures of the toxin-channel complexes have been obtained employing BD simulations and triplet contact analyses. All of the available structures of the six scorpion toxins in the Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank determined by NMR were considered during the simulation, which indicated that the conformations of the toxin significantly affect both the molecular recognition and binding energy between the two proteins. BD simulations predicted that all the six scorpion toxins in this study use their beta-sheets to bind to the extracellular entryway of the Kv1.3 channel, which is in line with the primary clues from the electrostatic interaction calculations and mutagenesis results. Additionally, the electrostatic interaction energies between the toxins and Kv1.3 channel correlate well with the binding affinities (-logK(d)s), R(2) = 0.603, suggesting that the electrostatic interaction is a dominant component for toxin-channel binding specificity. Most importantly, recognition residues and interaction contacts for the binding were identified. Lys-27 or Lys-28, residues Arg-24 or Arg-25 in the separate six toxins, and residues Tyr-400, Asp-402, His-404, Asp-386, and Gly-380 in each subunit of the Kv1.3 potassium channel, are the key residues for the toxin-channel recognitions. This is in agreement with the mutation results. MD simulations lasting 5 ns for the individual proteins and the toxin-channel complexes in a solvated lipid bilayer environment confirmed that the toxins are flexible and the channel is not flexible in the binding. The consistency between the results of the simulations and the experimental data indicated that our three-dimensional models of the toxin-channel complex are reasonable and can be used as a guide for future biological studies, such as the rational design of the blocking agents of the Kv1.3 channel and mutagenesis in both toxins and the Kv1.3 channel. Moreover, the simulation result demonstrates that the electrostatic interaction energies combined with the distribution frequencies from BD simulations might be used as criteria in ranking the binding configuration of a scorpion toxin to the Kv1.3 channel.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2006

Nanometer-scale ion aggregates in aqueous electrolyte solutions: guanidinium carbonate.

Neutron diffraction with isotopic substitution (NDIS) experiments and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been used to characterize the structure of aqueous guanidinium carbonate (Gdm2CO3) solutions. The MD simulations found very strong hetero-ion pairing in Gdm2CO3 solution and were used to determine the best structural experiment to demonstrate this ion pairing. The NDIS experiments confirm the most significant feature of the MD simulation, which is the existence of strong hetero-ion pairing between the Gdm+ and CO3(2-) ions. The neutron structural data also support the most interesting feature of the MD simulation, that the hetero-ion pairing is sufficiently strong as to lead to nanometer-scale aggregation of the ions. The presence of such clustering on the nanometer length scale was then confirmed using small-angle neutron scattering experiments. Taken together, the experiment and simulation suggest a molecular-level explanation for the contrasting denaturant properties of guanidinium salts in solution.

Electrolytes↗
PubMed2003

Conformational interconversion in compstatin probed with molecular dynamics simulations.

Compstatin is a 13-residue cyclic peptide that has the potential to become a therapeutic agent against unregulated complement activation. In our effort to understand the structural and dynamic characteristics of compstatin that form the basis for rational and combinatorial optimization of structure and activity, we performed 1-ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. We used as input in the MD simulations the ensemble of 21 lowest energy NMR structures, the average minimized structure, and a global optimization structure. At the end of the MD simulations we identified five conformations, with populations ranging between 9% and 44%. These conformations are as follows: 1) coil with alphaR-alphaR beta-turn, as was the conformation of the initial ensemble of NMR structures; 2) beta-hairpin with epsilon-alphaR beta-turn; 3) beta-hairpin with alphaR-alphaR beta-turn; 4) beta-hairpin with alphaR-beta beta-turn; and 5) alpha-helical. Conformational switch was possible with small amplitude backbone motions of the order of 0.1-0.4 A and free energy barrier crossing of 2-11 kcal/mol. All of the 21 MD structures corresponding to the NMR ensemble possessed a beta-turn, with 14 structures retaining the alphaR-alphaR beta-turn type, but the average minimized structure and the global optimization structures were converted to alpha-helical conformations. Overall, the MD simulations have aided to gain insight into the conformational space sampled by compstatin and have provided a measure of conformational interconversion. The calculated conformers will be useful as structural and possibly dynamic templates for optimization in the design of compstatin using structure-activity relations (SAR) or dynamics-activity relations (DAR).

Computer Simulation↗
PubMed2004

Molecular alignment in a liquid induced by a nonresonant laser field: Molecular dynamics simulation.

We carried out molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for a dilute aqueous solution of pyrimidine in order to investigate the mechanisms of field-induced molecular alignment in a liquid phase. An anisotopically polarizable molecule can be aligned in a liquid phase by the interaction with a nonresonant intense laser field. We derived the effective forces induced by a nonresonant field on the basis of the concept of the average of the total potential over one optical cycle. The results of MD simulations show that a pyrimidine molecule is aligned in an aqueous solution by a linearly polarized field of light intensity I approximately 10(13) W/cm2 and wavelength lambda = 800 nm. The temporal behavior of field-induced alignment is adequately reproduced by the solution of the Fokker-Planck equation for a model system in which environmental fluctuations are represented by Gaussian white noise. From this analysis, we have revealed that the time required for alignment in a liquid phase is in the order of the reciprocals of rotational diffusion coefficients of a solute molecule. The degree of alignment is determined by the anisotropy of the polarizability of a molecule, light intensity, and temperature. We also discuss differences between the mechanisms of optical alignment in a gas phase and a liquid phase.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

Locally accessible conformations of proteins: multiple molecular dynamics simulations of crambin.

Multiple molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of crambin with different initial atomic velocities are used to sample conformations in the vicinity of the native structure. Individual trajectories of length up to 5 ns sample only a fraction of the conformational distribution generated by ten independent 120 ps trajectories at 300 K. The backbone atom conformational space distribution is analyzed using principal components analysis (PCA). Four different major conformational regions are found. In general, a trajectory samples only one region and few transitions between the regions are observed. Consequently, the averages of structural and dynamic properties over the ten trajectories differ significantly from those obtained from individual trajectories. The nature of the conformational sampling has important consequences for the utilization of MD simulations for a wide range of problems, such as comparisons with X-ray or NMR data. The overall average structure is significantly closer to the X-ray structure than any of the individual trajectory average structures. The high frequency (less than 10 ps) atomic fluctuations from the ten trajectories tend to be similar, but the lower frequency (100 ps) motions are different. To improve conformational sampling in molecular dynamics simulations of proteins, as in nucleic acids, multiple trajectories with different initial conditions should be used rather than a single long trajectory.

Computer Simulation↗