Relation between the NMR data and the pseudorotational free-energy profile for oxolane

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (02) ◽  
pp. 1950012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wojciech Plazinski ◽  
Karolina Gaweda ◽  
Anita Plazinska

The conformation of five-membered furanose rings is a crucial issue for the structural analysis of many biologically-relevant molecules, including DNA and RNA. Oxolane can be treated as a prototypical furanose, composed only of saturated unsubstituted ring. In spite of its structural simplicity, providing the accurate quantitative description of the oxolane conformational features remains a great challenge for both the experimental and theoretical techniques. Here we show the method of recovering the free-energy profiles describing the conformational equilibrium in the oxolane ring (i.e. pseudorotation) based on the experimentally-inferred NMR data ([Formula: see text] coupling constants). The results remain in agreement with the quantum-mechanical-based molecular dynamics simulations and emphasize the large contributions of all ring conformers, even those located at the free-energy barriers. This includes the significant populations of limiting 3T2/2T3 and OE/EO shapes. Our findings provide another example of a poor applicability of the two-state model, which is routinely applied to analyze the NMR data in terms of population of different ring conformers.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 4052
Author(s):  
Alice Romeo ◽  
Mattia Falconi ◽  
Alessandro Desideri ◽  
Federico Iacovelli

The pH-responsive behavior of six triple-helix DNA nanoswitches, differing in the number of protonation centers (two or four) and in the length of the linker (5, 15 or 25 bases), connecting the double-helical region to the single-strand triplex-forming region, was characterized at the atomistic level through Adaptively Biased Molecular Dynamics simulations. The reconstruction of the free energy profiles of triplex-forming oligonucleotide unbinding from the double helix identified a different minimum energy path for the three diprotic nanoswitches, depending on the length of the connecting linker and leading to a different per-base unbinding profile. The same analyses carried out on the tetraprotic switches indicated that, in the presence of four protonation centers, the unbinding process occurs independently of the linker length. The simulation data provide an atomistic explanation for previously published experimental results showing, only in the diprotic switch, a two unit increase in the pKa switching mechanism decreasing the linker length from 25 to 5 bases, endorsing the validity of computational methods for the design and refinement of functional DNA nanodevices.


2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 1604-1613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Li ◽  
Chad Priest ◽  
De-en Jiang

Classical molecular dynamics simulations coupled with umbrella sampling reveal the atomistic processes and free-energy profiles of the displacement of carbonate groups in the Ca2UO2(CO3)3 complex by amidoxime-based ligands in a 0.5 M NaCl solution.


1977 ◽  
Vol 32 (11) ◽  
pp. 1296-1303 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Runge

A comparison between calculated and observed values demonstrates that “ansätze” derived from an algebraic model in connection with appropriate boundary conditions are able to account for a quantitative description of the proton chemical shifts of allenes.Correlations of the proton chemical shifts with other NMR data, such as 13C-chemical shifts and one-bond carbon-proton coupling constants, reveal some insigths into the nature of the 1H substituent chemical shifts of alienes.


2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (23) ◽  
pp. 5924-5929 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruibin Liang ◽  
Jessica M. J. Swanson ◽  
Mårten Wikström ◽  
Gregory A. Voth

Cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) catalyzes the reduction of oxygen to water and uses the released free energy to pump protons against the transmembrane proton gradient. To better understand the proton-pumping mechanism of the wild-type (WT) CcO, much attention has been given to the mutation of amino acid residues along the proton translocating D-channel that impair, and sometimes decouple, proton pumping from the chemical catalysis. Although their influence has been clearly demonstrated experimentally, the underlying molecular mechanisms of these mutants remain unknown. In this work, we report multiscale reactive molecular dynamics simulations that characterize the free-energy profiles of explicit proton transport through several important D-channel mutants. Our results elucidate the mechanisms by which proton pumping is impaired, thus revealing key kinetic gating features in CcO. In the N139T and N139C mutants, proton back leakage through the D-channel is kinetically favored over proton pumping due to the loss of a kinetic gate in the N139 region. In the N139L mutant, the bulky L139 side chain inhibits timely reprotonation of E286 through the D-channel, which impairs both proton pumping and the chemical reaction. In the S200V/S201V double mutant, the proton affinity of E286 is increased, which slows down both proton pumping and the chemical catalysis. This work thus not only provides insight into the decoupling mechanisms of CcO mutants, but also explains how kinetic gating in the D-channel is imperative to achieving high proton-pumping efficiency in the WT CcO.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irfan Alibay ◽  
Richard Bryce

<p>The conformational flexibility of the glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are known to be key in their binding and biological function, for example in regulating coagulation and cell growth. In this work, we employ enhanced sampling molecular dynamics simulations to probe the ring conformations of GAG-related monosaccharides, including a range of acetylated and sulfated GAG residues. We first perform unbiased MD simulations of glucose anomers and the epimers glucoronate and iduronate. These calculations indicate that in some cases, an excess of 15 microseconds are required for adequate sampling of ring pucker due to the high energy barriers between states. However, by applying our recently developed msesMD simulation method (multidimensional swarm enhanced sampling molecular dynamics), we were able to quantitatively and rapidly reproduce these ring pucker landscapes. From msesMD simulations, the puckering free energy profiles were then compared for eleven monosaccharides found in GAGs; this includes to our knowledge the first simulation study of sulfation effects on GalNAc ring puckering. For the force field employed, we find that in general the calculated pucker free energy profiles for sulfated sugars were similar to the corresponding unsulfated profiles. This accords with recent experimental studies suggesting that variation in ring pucker of sulfated GAG residues is primarily dictated by interactions with surrounding residues rather than by intrinsic conformational preference. As an exception to this, however, we predict that 4-O-sulfation of GalNAc leads to reduced ring rigidity, with a significant lowering in energy of the <sup>1</sup>C<sub>4</sub> ring conformation; this observation may have implications for understanding the structural basis of the biological function of GalNAc-containing glycosaminoglycans such as dermatan sulfate.</p>


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana R. B. Batista ◽  
Anthony Watts ◽  
Antonio J. Costa-Filho

AbstractProteins involved in peptide uptake and transport belong to the proton-coupled oligopeptide transporter (POT) family. Crystal structures of POT family members reveal a common fold consisting of two domains of six transmembrane α helices that come together to form a “V” shaped transporter with a central substrate binding site. Proton coupled oligopeptide transporters operate through an alternate access mechanism, where the membrane transporter undergoes global conformational changes, alternating between inward-facing (IF), outward-facing (OF) and occluded (OC) states. Conformational transitions are promoted by proton and ligand binding, however, due to the absence of crystallographic models of the outward-open state, the role of H+ and ligands are still not fully understood. To provide a comprehensive picture of the POT conformational equilibrium, conventional and enhanced sampling molecular dynamics simulations of PepTst in the presence or absence of ligand and protonation were performed. Free energy profiles of the conformational variability of PepTst were obtained from microseconds of adaptive biasing force (ABF) simulations. Our results reveal that both, proton and ligand, significantly change the conformational free energy landscape. In the absence of ligand and protonation, only transitions involving IF and OC states are allowed. After protonation of the residue Glu300, the wider free energy well for Glu300 protonated PepTst indicates a greater conformational variability relative to the apo system, and OF conformations becames accessible. For the Glu300 Holo-PepTst, the presence of a second free energy minimum suggests that OF conformations are not only accessible, but also, stable. The differences in the free energy profiles demonstrate that transitions toward outward facing conformation occur only after protonation and, probably, this should be the first step in the mechanism of peptide transport. Our extensive ABF simulations provide a fully atomic description of all states of the transport process, offering a model for the alternating access mechanism and how protonation and ligand control the conformational changes.Graphical TOC Entry


2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (40) ◽  
pp. e2105507118
Author(s):  
Chigusa Kobayashi ◽  
Yasuhiro Matsunaga ◽  
Jaewoon Jung ◽  
Yuji Sugita

Sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+-ATPase transports two Ca2+ ions from the cytoplasm to the SR lumen against a large concentration gradient. X-ray crystallography has revealed the atomic structures of the protein before and after the dissociation of Ca2+, while biochemical studies have suggested the existence of intermediate states in the transition between E1P⋅ADP⋅2Ca2+ and E2P. Here, we explore the pathway and free energy profile of the transition using atomistic molecular dynamics simulations with the mean-force string method and umbrella sampling. The simulations suggest that a series of structural changes accompany the ordered dissociation of ADP, the A-domain rotation, and the rearrangement of the transmembrane (TM) helices. The luminal gate then opens to release Ca2+ ions toward the SR lumen. Intermediate structures on the pathway are stabilized by transient sidechain interactions between the A- and P-domains. Lipid molecules between TM helices play a key role in the stabilization. Free energy profiles of the transition assuming different protonation states suggest rapid exchanges between Ca2+ ions and protons when the Ca2+ ions are released toward the SR lumen.


2019 ◽  
Vol 205 ◽  
pp. 05022
Author(s):  
Malik Muhammad Abdullah ◽  
Zoltan Jurek ◽  
Sang-Kil Son ◽  
Robin Santra

We investigate the radiation damage dynamics of nanocrystals at high x-ray intensity, by using time-resolved scattering patterns. We present dynamics simulations for biologically relevant molecules using XMDYN extended to nanocrystals and scattering simulation with XSINC.


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