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At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Unfolding and extraction of a transmembrane alpha-helical peptide: dynamic force spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations.

An atomic force microscope (AFM) was used to visualize CWALP(19)23 peptides ((+)H(3)N-ACAGAWWLALALALALALALWWA-COO(-)) inserted in gel-phase DPPC and DSPC bilayers. The peptides assemble in stable linear structures and domains. A model for the organization of the peptides is given from AFM images and a 20 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Gold-coated AFM cantilevers were used to extract single peptides from the bilayer through covalent bonding to the cystein residue. Experimental and simulated force curves show two distinct force maxima. In the simulations these two maxima correspond to the extraction of the two pairs of tryptophan residues from the membrane. Unfolding of the peptide precedes extraction of the second distal set of tryptophans. To probe the energies involved, AFM force curves were obtained from 10 to 10(4) nm/s and MD force curves were simulated with 10(8)-10(11) nm/s pulling velocities (V). The velocity relationship with the force, F, was fitted to two fluctuation adhesive potential models. The first assumes the pulling produces a constant bias in the potential and predicts an F approximately ln (V) relationship. The second takes into account the ramped bias that the linker feels as it is being driven out of the adhesion complex and scales as F approximately (ln V)2/3.

1,2-Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine↗
PubMed2006

Molecular dynamics study of the molecular weight dependence of surface tensions of normal alkanes and methyl methacrylate oligomers.

Surface tensions (gamma) of normal alkanes and methyl methacrylate (MMA) oligomers at various molecular weights in the low molecular weight range were computed using a newly proposed molecular dynamics (MD) simulation strategy which was developed based on the definition of gamma = ( partial differential U/ partial differential sigma)n,V,S. The MD simulations, even with the use of a generic force field, reproduced the experimentally observed molecular weight dependence of gamma (i.e., gamma proportional Mn(-2/3), where Mn is the number-average molecular weight) for both series of oligomers. Analysis of the data reveals that solvent accessible surface area, one of the key input variables used for the calculation of gamma, exhibits an Mn(2/3) (rather than Mn(1)) dependence. The reason for such dependence is that solvent accessible surface area formed by the chainlike small molecules depends, to a larger extent, on their orientations rather than their size. However, this is not the case for high molecular weight molecules as solvent accessible surface area of such surfaces are determined by the orientations of their segments which are determined by the conformations of the molecules. This may explain why surface tension of polymers experimentally exhibits an Mn(-1) dependence. It is inferred that the corresponding molecular weight dependence of the entropy changes associated with molecules in the low and high molecular weight ranges would be different.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

Diffusion of hard sphere fluids in disordered media: a molecular dynamics simulation study.

Molecular dynamic simulations are reported for the static and dynamic properties of hard sphere fluids in matrices (or media) composed of quenched hard spheres. The effect of fluid and matrix density, matrix structure, and fluid to matrix sphere size ratio on the static and dynamic properties is studied using discontinuous molecular dynamics. The matrix density has a stronger effect on the self-diffusion coefficient than the fluid density, especially at high matrix densities where the geometric constraints due to the quenched spheres are significant. When the ratio of the size of the fluid spheres to that of the matrix spheres is equal to or greater than one, the diffusion increases as the fluid density is increased, at constant total volume fraction. This trend is however reversed if the ratio is smaller than one. Different methods of generating the matrix have a very strong effect on the dynamic properties even though the static correlations are similar. An analysis of the single-chain structure factor of the particle trajectories shows a change in the particle diffusive behavior at different time scales, suggestive of a hopping mechanism, although normal diffusion is recovered at long times. At high matrix densities, there is considerable heterogeneity in the diffusion of the fluid particles. The simulations demonstrate that the correlations in the matrix play a significant role on the diffusion of fluid spheres. For example, the diffusion constant in matrices constructed by different methods can be an order of magnitude different even though the pair correlation functions are almost identical.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1992

Molecular dynamics studies of a DNA-binding protein: 2. An evaluation of implicit and explicit solvent models for the molecular dynamics simulation of the Escherichia coli trp repressor.

Although aqueous simulations with periodic boundary conditions more accurately describe protein dynamics than in vacuo simulations, these are computationally intensive for most proteins. Trp repressor dynamic simulations with a small water shell surrounding the starting model yield protein trajectories that are markedly improved over gas phase, yet computationally efficient. Explicit water in molecular dynamics simulations maintains surface exposure of protein hydrophilic atoms and burial of hydrophobic atoms by opposing the otherwise asymmetric protein-protein forces. This properly orients protein surface side chains, reduces protein fluctuations, and lowers the overall root mean square deviation from the crystal structure. For simulations with crystallographic waters only, a linear or sigmoidal distance-dependent dielectric yields a much better trajectory than does a constant dielectric model. As more water is added to the starting model, the differences between using distance-dependent and constant dielectric models becomes smaller, although the linear distance-dependent dielectric yields an average structure closer to the crystal structure than does a constant dielectric model. Multiplicative constants greater than one, for the linear distance-dependent dielectric simulations, produced trajectories that are progressively worse in describing trp repressor dynamics. Simulations of bovine pancreatic trypsin were used to ensure that the trp repressor results were not protein dependent and to explore the effect of the nonbonded cutoff on the distance-dependent and constant dielectric simulation models. The nonbonded cutoff markedly affected the constant but not distance-dependent dielectric bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor simulations. As with trp repressor, the distance-dependent dielectric model with a shell of water surrounding the protein produced a trajectory in better agreement with the crystal structure than a constant dielectric model, and the physical properties of the trajectory average structure, both with and without a nonbonded cutoff, were comparable.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2003

A molecular dynamics method for calculating molecular volume changes appropriate for biomolecular simulation.

Photothermal methods permit measurement of molecular volume changes of solvated molecules over nanosecond timescales. Such experiments are an important tool in investigating complex biophysical phenomena including identifying transient species in solution. Developing a microscopic understanding of the origin of volume changes in the condensed phase is needed to complement the experimental measurements. A molecular dynamics (MD) method exploiting available simulation methodology is demonstrated here that both mimics experimental measurements and provides microscopic resolution to the thermodynamic measurements. To calculate thermodynamic volume changes over time, isothermal-isobaric (NPT) MD is performed on a solution for a chosen length of time and the volume of the system is thus established. A further simulation is then performed by "plucking" out a solute molecule of interest to determine the volume of the system in its absence. The difference between these volumes is the thermodynamic volume of the solute molecule. NPT MD allows the volume of the system to fluctuate over time and this results in a statistical uncertainty in volumes that are calculated. It is found in the systems investigated here that simulations lasting a few nanoseconds can discern volume changes of approximately 1.0 ml/mole. This precision is comparable to that achieved empirically, making the experimental and theoretical techniques synergistic. The technique is demonstrated here on model systems including neat water, both charged and neutral aqueous methane, and an aqueous beta-sheet peptide.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2006

Local density inhomogeneities and dynamics in supercritical water: A molecular dynamics simulation approach.

Molecular dynamics atomistic simulations in the canonical ensemble (NVT-MD) have been used to investigate the "Local Density Inhomogeneities and their Dynamics" in pure supercritical water. The simulations were carried out along a near-critical isotherm (Tr = T/Tc = 1.03) and for a wide range of densities below and above the critical one (0.2 rho(c) - 2.0 rho(c)). The results obtained reveal the existence of significant local density augmentation effects, which are found to be sufficiently larger in comparison to those reported for nonassociated fluids. The time evolution of the local density distribution around each molecule was studied in terms of the appropriate time correlation functions C(Delta)rhol(t). It is found that the shape of these functions changes significantly by increasing the density of the fluid. Finally, the local density reorganization times for the first and second coordination shell derived from these correlations exhibit a decreasing behavior by increasing the density of the system, signifying the density effect upon the dynamics of the local environment around each molecule.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Dynamics of the Hck-SH3 domain: comparison of experiment with multiple molecular dynamics simulations.

Molecular dynamics calculations provide a method by which the dynamic properties of molecules can be explored over timescales and at a level of detail that cannot be obtained experimentally from NMR or X-ray analyses. Recent work (Philippopoulos M, Mandel AM, Palmer AG III, Lim C, 1997, Proteins 28:481-493) has indicated that the accuracy of these simulations is high, as measured by the correspondence of parameters extracted from these calculations to those determined through experimental means. Here, we investigate the dynamic behavior of the Src homology 3 (SH3) domain of hematopoietic cell kinase (Hck) via 5N backbone relaxation NMR studies and a set of four independent 4 ns solvated molecular dynamics calculations. We also find that molecular dynamics simulations accurately reproduce fast motion dynamics as estimated from generalized order parameter (S2) analysis for regions of the protein that have experimentally well-defined coordinates (i.e., stable secondary structural elements). However, for regions where the coordinates are not well defined, as indicated by high local root-mean-square deviations among NMR-determined structural family members or high B-factors/low electron density in X-ray crystallography determined structures, the parameters calculated from a short to moderate length (less than 5-10 ns) molecular dynamics trajectory are dependent on the particular coordinates chosen as a starting point for the simulation.

Crystallography, X-Ray↗
PubMed1990

Conformational sampling using high-temperature molecular dynamics.

High-temperature molecular dynamics as a method for conformational search was explored on the antigen combining site of McPC 603, a phosphorylcholine binding immunoglobulin. Simulations at temperatures of 500, 800, and 1500 K were run for 111.5, 101.7, and 76.3 ps, respectively. The effectiveness of the search was assessed using a variety of methods. For the shorter hypervariable loops, molecular dynamics explored an appreciable fraction of the conformational space as evidenced by a comparison to a simple theoretical model of the size of the conformational space. However, for the longer loops and the antigen combining site as a whole, the simulation times were too short for a complete search. The simulations at 500 and 800 K both generated conformations that minimized to energies 200 kcal/mole lower than the crystal structure. However, the 1500 K simulation produced higher energy structures, even after minimization; in addition, this highest temperature run had many cis-trans peptide isomerizations. This suggests that 1500 K is too high a temperature for unconstrained conformational sampling. Comparison of the results of high temperature molecular dynamics with a direct conformational search method, [R. E. Bruccoleri & M. Karplus (1987) Biopolymers 26, 137-168]. showed that the two methods did not overlap much in conformational space. Simple geometric measures of the conformational space indicated that the direct method covered more space than molecular dynamics at the lower temperature, but not at 1500 K. The results suggest that high-temperature molecular dynamics can aid in conformational searches.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2005

Convergence of replica exchange molecular dynamics.

Replica exchange molecular dynamics (REMD) method is one of the generalized-ensemble algorithms which performs random walk in energy space and helps a system to escape from local energy traps. In this work, we studied the accuracy and efficiency of REMD by examining its ability to reproduce the results of multiple extended conventional molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and to enhance conformational sampling. Two sets of REMD simulations with different initial configurations, one from the fully extended and the other from fully helical conformations, were conducted on a fast-folding 21-amino-acid peptide with a continuum solvent model. Remarkably, the two REMD simulation sets started to converge even within 1.0 ns, despite their dramatically different starting conformations. In contrast, the conventional MD within the same time and with identical starting conformations did not show obvious signs of convergence. Excellent convergence between the REMD sets for T>300 K was observed after 14.0 ns REMD simulations as measured by the average helicity and free-energy profiles. We also conducted a set of 45 MD simulations at nine different temperatures with each trajectory simulated to 100.0 and 200.0 ns. An excellent agreement between the REMD and the extended MD simulation results was observed for T>300 K, showing that REMD can accurately reproduce long-time MD results with high efficiency. The autocorrelation times of the calculated helicity demonstrate that REMD can significantly enhance the sampling efficiency by 14.3+/-6.4, 35.1+/-0.2, and 71.5+/-20.4 times at, respectively, approximately 360, approximately 300, and approximately 275 K in comparison to the regular MD. Convergence was less satisfactory at low temperatures (T<300 K) and a slow oscillatory behavior suggests that longer simulation time was needed to reach equilibrium. Other technical issues, including choice of exchange frequency, were also examined.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2006

Role of aspartic acid in collagen structure and stability: A molecular dynamics investigation.

A molecular dynamics (MD) simulation study has been carried out to understand the stability of the triple helical collagen models. The calculations show that the presence of the aspartic acid residue in different positions leads to the local variation in the structure. Analyses of root-mean-square deviation (RMSD), radial distribution function (RDF), puckering effect, dihedral angle variation, hydrogen bond (H-bond), and conformational changes during molecular dynamics simulation reveal that the local perturbation in the sequences, increase in chain flexibility due to removal of five membered rings in the collagen by aspartic acid, change of intermolecular H-bonding pattern, and differences in the association of water are mainly influencing the nature of stabilization of collagen by aspartic acid.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2005

What contributions to protein side-chain dynamics are probed by NMR experiments? A molecular dynamics simulation analysis.

Molecular dynamics simulations of the structurally homologous proteins TNfn3 and FNfn10 have been used to investigate the contributions to side-chain dynamics measured by NMR relaxation experiments. The results reproduce the variation in core side-chain dynamics observed by NMR and highlight the relevance of anharmonic motion and transitions between local minima for explaining NMR side-chain order parameters. A method is described for calculating converged order parameters by use of replica exchange molecular dynamics in conjunction with an implicit solvent model. These simulations allow the influence of various factors, such as the flexibility of side-chains and their free volume, on the mobility to be tested by perturbing the system. Deletion mutations are found to have the largest effect on the more densely packed FNfn10. Some counterintuitive effects are seen, such as an increase in order parameters close to deletion mutation sites, but these can be rationalized in terms of direct interactions with the modified side-chains. A statistical analysis of published order parameters supports the conclusions drawn from the simulations.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed2005

Conformational dynamics of RNA-peptide binding: a molecular dynamics simulation study.

Molecular dynamics simulations of the binding of the heterochiral tripeptide KkN to the transactivation responsive (TAR) RNA of HIV-1 is presented, using an all-atom force field with explicit water. To obtain starting structures for the TAR-KkN complex, semirigid docking calculations were performed that employ an NMR structure of free TAR RNA. The molecular dynamics simulations show that the starting structures in which KkN binds to the major groove of TAR (as it is the case for the Tat-TAR complex of HIV-1) are unstable. On the other hand, the minor-groove starting structures are found to lead to several binding modes, which are stabilized by a complex interplay of stacking, hydrogen bonding, and electrostatic interactions. Although the ligand does not occupy the binding position of Tat protein, it is shown to hinder the interhelical motion of free TAR RNA. The latter is presumably necessary to achieve the conformational change of TAR RNA to bind Tat protein. Considering the time evolution of the trajectories, the binding process is found to be ligand-induced and cooperative. That is, the conformational rearrangement only occurs in the presence of the ligand and the concerted motion of the ligand and a large part of the RNA binding site is necessary to achieve the final low-energy binding state.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed2005

Non-Fickian interdiffusion of dynamically asymmetric species: a molecular-dynamics study.

We use molecular dynamics combined with dissipative particle dynamics to construct a model of a binary mixture where the two species differ only in their dynamic properties (friction coefficients). For an asymmetric mixture of slow and fast particles we study the interdiffusion process. The relaxation of the composition profile is investigated in terms of its Fourier coefficients. While for weak asymmetry we observe Fickian behavior, a strongly asymmetric system exhibits clear indications of anomalous diffusion, which occurs in a crossover region between cases I (Fickian) and II (sharp front moving with constant velocity), and is close to the case II limit.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

Myoglobin-CO substate structures and dynamics: multidimensional vibrational echoes and molecular dynamics simulations.

Spectrally resolved infrared stimulated vibrational echo data were obtained for sperm whale carbonmonoxymyoglobin (MbCO) at 300 K. The measured dephasing dynamics of the CO ligand are in agreement with dephasing dynamics calculated with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for MbCO with the residue histidine-64 (His64) having its imidazole epsilon nitrogen protonated (N(epsilon)-H). The two conformational substate structures B(epsilon) and R(epsilon) observed in the MD simulations are assigned to the spectroscopic A(1) and A(3) conformational substates of MbCO, respectively, based on the agreement between the experimentally measured and calculated dephasing dynamics for these substates. In the A(1) substate, the N(epsilon)-H proton and N(delta) of His64 are approximately equidistant from the CO ligand, while in the A(3) substate, the N(epsilon)-H of His64 is oriented toward the CO, and the N(delta) is on the surface of the protein. The MD simulations show that dynamics of His64 represent the major source of vibrational dephasing of the CO ligand in the A(3) state on both femtosecond and picosecond time scales. Dephasing in the A(1) state is controlled by His64 on femtosecond time scales, and by the rest of the protein and the water solvent on longer time scales.

Animals↗