Hydrogen-bonding Contacts Research Articles

Substituent Effects on Drug-Receptor H-bond Interactions: Correlations Useful for the Design of Kinase Inhibitors.

Investigation of troponin I-interacting kinase (TNNI3K) as a potential target for the treatment of heart failure has produced a series of substituted N-methyl-3-(pyrimidin-4-ylamino)benzenesulfonamide inhibitors that display excellent potency and selectivity against a broad spectrum of protein kinases. Crystal structures of prototypical members bound to the ATP-binding site of TNNI3K reveal two anchoring hydrogen bond contacts: (1) from the hinge region amide N-H to the pyrimidine nitrogen and (2) from the sulfonamide N-H to the gatekeeper threonine. Evaluation of various para-substituted benzenesulfonamides defined a substituent effect on binding affinity resulting from modulation of the sulfonamide H-bond donor strength. An opposite electronic effect emerged for the hinge NH-pyrimidine H-bond interaction, which is further illuminated in the correlation of calculated H-bond acceptor strength and TNNI3K affinity for a variety of hinge binding heterocycles. These fundamental correlations on drug-receptor H-bond interactions may be generally useful tools for the optimization of potency and selectivity in the design of kinase inhibitors.

Energetics of Glutathione Binding to Human Eukaryotic Elongation Factor 1 Gamma: Isothermal Titration Calorimetry and Molecular Dynamics Studies.

The energetics of ligand binding to human eukaryotic elongation factor 1 gamma (heEF1γ) was investigated using reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidised glutathione (GSSG), glutathione sulfonate and S-hexylglutathione as ligands. The experiments were conducted using isothermal titration calorimetry, and the findings were supported using computational studies. The data show that the binding of these ligands to heEF1γ is enthalpically favourable and entropically driven (except for the binding of GSSG). The full length heEF1γ binds GSSG with lower affinity (K d=115μM), with more hydrogen-bond contacts (ΔH=-73.8kJ/mol) and unfavourable entropy (-TΔS=51.7kJ/mol) compared to the glutathione transferase-like N-terminus domain of heEF1γ, which did not show preference to any specific ligand. Computational free binding energy calculations from the 10 ligand poses show that GSSG and GSH consistently bind heEF1γ, and that both ligands bind at the same site with a folded bioactive conformation. This study reveals the possibility that heEF1γ is a glutathione-binding protein.

Investigating the Interaction of Fe Nanoparticles with Lysozyme by Biophysical and Molecular Docking Studies.

Herein, the interaction of hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) with iron nanoparticle (Fe NP) was investigated by spectroscopic and docking studies. The zeta potential analysis revealed that addition of Fe NP (6.45±1.03 mV) to HEWL (8.57±0.54 mV) can cause to greater charge distribution of nanoparticle-protein system (17.33±1.84 mV). In addition, dynamic light scattering (DLS) study revealed that addition of Fe NP (92.95±6.11 nm) to HEWL (2.68±0.37 nm) increases suspension potential of protein/nanoparticle system (51.17±3.19 nm). Fluorescence quenching studies reveled that both static and dynamic quenching mechanism occur and hydrogen bond and van der Waals interaction give rise to protein-NP system. Synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy of HEWL in the presence of Fe NP showed that the emission maximum wavelength of tryptophan (Trp) residues undergoes a red-shift. ANS fluorescence data indicated a dramatic exposure of hydrophobic residues to the solvent. The considerable reduction in melting temperature (T(m)) of HEWL after addition of Fe NP determines an unfavorable interaction system. Furthermore circular dichoroism (CD) experiments demonstrated that, the secondary structure of HEWL has not changed with increasing Fe NP concentrations; however, some conformational changes occur in tertiary structure of HEWL. Moreover, protein–ligand docking study confirmed that the Fe NP forms hydrogen bond contacts with HEWL.

Protein secondary structure prediction using a small training set (compact model) combined with a Complex-valued neural network approach.

BackgroundProtein secondary structure prediction (SSP) has been an area of intense research interest. Despite advances in recent methods conducted on large datasets, the estimated upper limit accuracy is yet to be reached. Since the predictions of SSP methods are applied as input to higher-level structure prediction pipelines, even small errors may have large perturbations in final models. Previous works relied on cross validation as an estimate of classifier accuracy. However, training on large numbers of protein chains compromises the classifier ability to generalize to new sequences. This prompts a novel approach to training and an investigation into the possible structural factors that lead to poor predictions.Here, a small group of 55 proteins termed the compact model is selected from the CB513 dataset using a heuristics-based approach. In a prior work, all sequences were represented as probability matrices of residues adopting each of Helix, Sheet and Coil states, based on energy calculations using the C-Alpha, C-Beta, Side-chain (CABS) algorithm. The functional relationship between the conformational energies computed with CABS force-field and residue states is approximated using a classifier termed the Fully Complex-valued Relaxation Network (FCRN). The FCRN is trained with the compact model proteins.ResultsThe performance of the compact model is compared with traditional cross-validated accuracies and blind-tested on a dataset of G Switch proteins, obtaining accuracies of ∼81 %. The model demonstrates better results when compared to several techniques in the literature. A comparative case study of the worst performing chain identifies hydrogen bond contacts that lead to Coil ⇔ Sheet misclassifications. Overall, mispredicted Coil residues have a higher propensity to participate in backbone hydrogen bonding than correctly predicted Coils.ConclusionsThe implications of these findings are: (i) the choice of training proteins is important in preserving the generalization of a classifier to predict new sequences accurately and (ii) SSP techniques sensitive in distinguishing between backbone hydrogen bonding and side-chain or water-mediated hydrogen bonding might be needed in the reduction of Coil ⇔ Sheet misclassifications.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12859-016-1209-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Helical Foldamers Incorporating Photoswitchable Residues for Light-Mediated Modulation of Conformational Preference

An E unsaturated fumaramide linkage may be introduced into Aib peptide foldamer structures by standard coupling methods and photoisomerized to its Z (maleamide) isomer by irradiation with UV light. As a result of the photoisomerization, a new hydrogen-bonded contact becomes possible between the peptide domains located on either side of the unsaturated linkage. Using the fumaramide/maleamide linker to couple a chiral and an achiral fragment allows the change in hydrogen bond network to communicate a conformational preference, inducing a screw sense preference in the achiral domain of the maleamide-linked foldamers that is absent from the fumaramides. Evidence for the induced screw sense preference is provided by NMR and CD, and also by the turning on by light of the diastereoselectivity of a peptide chain extension reaction. The fumaramide/maleamide linker thus acts as a "conformational photodiode" that conducts stereochemical information as a result of irradiation by UV light.

A molecular modelling approach to understand the effect of co-evolutionary mutations (V344M, I354L) identified in the PB2 subunit of influenza A 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus on m7GTP ligand binding.

The cap binding domain of the polymerase basic 2 (PB2) subunit of influenza polymerases plays a critical role in mediating the 'cap-snatching' mechanism by binding the 5' cap of host pre-mRNAs during viral mRNA transcription. Monitoring variations in the PB2 protein is thus vital for evaluating the pathogenic potential of the virus. Based on selection pressure analysis of PB2 gene sequences of the pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) viruses of the period 2009-2014, we identified a site, 344V/M, in the vicinity of the cap binding pocket showing evidence of adaptive evolution and another co-evolving residue, 354I/L, in close vicinity. Modelling of the three-dimensional structure of the pH1N1 PB2 cap binding domain, docking of the pre-mRNA cap analogue m7GTP and molecular dynamics simulation studies of the docked complexes performed for four PB2 variants observed showed that the complex possessing V344M with I354L possessed better ligand binding affinity due to additional hydrogen bond contacts between m7GTP and the key residues His432 and Arg355 that was attributed to a displacement of the 424 loop and a flip of the side chain of Arg355, respectively. The co-evolutionary mutations identified (V344M, I354L) were found to be established in the PB2 gene of the pH1N1 viral population over the period 2010-2014. The study demonstrates the molecular basis for the enhanced m7GTP ligand binding affinity with the 344M-354L synergistic combination in PB2. Furthermore, the insight gained into understanding the molecular mechanism of cap binding in pH1N1 viruses may be useful for designing novel drugs targeting the PB2 cap binding domain.

Computational Amide I 2D IR Spectroscopy as a Probe of Protein Structure and Dynamics.

Two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy of amide I vibrations is increasingly being used to study the structure and dynamics of proteins and peptides. Amide I, a primarily carbonyl stretching vibration of the protein backbone, provides information on secondary structures as a result of vibrational couplings and on hydrogen-bonding contacts when isotope labeling is used to isolate specific sites. In parallel with experiments, computational models of amide I spectra that use atomistic structures from molecular dynamics simulations have evolved to calculate experimental spectra. Mixed quantum-classical models use spectroscopic maps to translate the structural information into a quantum-mechanical Hamiltonian for the spectroscopically observed vibrations. This allows one to model the spectroscopy of large proteins, disordered states, and protein conformational dynamics. With improvements in amide I models, quantitative modeling of time-dependent structural ensembles and of direct feedback between experiments and simulations is possible. We review the advances in developing these models, their theoretical basis, and current and future applications.

Structural basis for human PRDM9 action at recombination hot spots.

The multidomain zinc finger (ZnF) protein PRDM9 (PRD1-BF1-RIZ1 homologous domain-containing 9) is thought to influence the locations of recombination hot spots during meiosis by sequence-specific DNA binding and trimethylation of histone H3 Lys4. The most common variant of human PRDM9, allele A (hPRDM9A), recognizes the consensus sequence 5'-NCCNCCNTNNCCNCN-3'. We cocrystallized ZnF8-12 of hPRDM9A with an oligonucleotide representing a known hot spot sequence and report the structure here. ZnF12 was not visible, but ZnF8-11, like other ZnF arrays, follows the right-handed twist of the DNA, with the α helices occupying the major groove. Each α helix makes hydrogen-bond (H-bond) contacts with up to four adjacent bases, most of which are purines of the complementary DNA strand. The consensus C:G base pairs H-bond with conserved His or Arg residues in ZnF8, ZnF9, and ZnF11, and the consensus T:A base pair H-bonds with an Asn that replaces His in ZnF10. Most of the variable base pairs (N) also engage in H bonds with the protein. These interactions appear to compensate to some extent for changes from the consensus sequence, implying an adaptability of PRDM9 to sequence variations. We investigated the binding of various alleles of hPRDM9 to different hot spot sequences. Allele C was found to bind a C-specific hot spot with higher affinity than allele A bound A-specific hot spots, perhaps explaining why the former is dominant in A/C heterozygotes. Allele L13 displayed higher affinity for several A-specific sequences, allele L9/L24 displayed lower affinity, and allele L20 displayed an altered sequence preference. These differences can be rationalized structurally and might contribute to the variation observed in the locations and activities of meiotic recombination hot spots.

Electronic structures of intermolecular hydrogen bond contacts with solute in aqueous solution: glycine as a working prototype.

The intermolecular hydrogen bond (H-bond) interactions play vital roles in many biological systems. Despite continued interest, the nature of their electronic structures has remained elusive. Based on the unique features of aqueous solution, a simple model depicting the H-bond electronic states by orbital hybridizations is developed. The model is demonstrated by reproducing the experimental IR data and yielding favorable solute-solvent interactions for the prototype glycine. The H-bond state for solute H, O and N atoms is found to be characterized by sp(1), sp(2), and sp(3) hybridizations, respectively. The model provides a new way for probing the intricate solute-solvent contacts.

Drug–protein hydrogen bonds govern the inhibition of the ATP hydrolysis of the multidrug transporter P-glycoprotein

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is a member of the ATP-binding cassette transporter superfamily. This multidrug transporter utilizes energy from ATP hydrolysis for the efflux of a variety of hydrophobic and amphipathic compounds including anticancer drugs. Most of the substrates and modulators of P-gp stimulate its basal ATPase activity, although some inhibit it. The molecular mechanisms that are in play in either case are unknown. In this report, mutagenesis and molecular modeling studies of P-gp led to the identification of a pair of phenylalanine-tyrosine structural motifs in the transmembrane region that mediate the inhibition of ATP hydrolysis by certain drugs (zosuquidar, elacridar and tariquidar), with high affinity (IC50’s ranging from 10 to 30nM). Upon mutation of any of these residues, drugs that inhibit the ATPase activity of P-gp switch to stimulation of the activity. Molecular modeling revealed that the phenylalanine residues F978 and F728 interact with tyrosine residues Y953 and Y310, respectively, in an edge-to-face conformation, which orients the tyrosines in such a way that they establish hydrogen-bond contacts with the inhibitor. Biochemical investigations along with transport studies in intact cells showed that the inhibitors bind at a high affinity site to produce inhibition of ATP hydrolysis and transport function. Upon mutation, they bind at lower affinity sites, stimulating ATP hydrolysis and only poorly inhibiting transport. These results also reveal that screening chemical compounds for their ability to inhibit the basal ATP hydrolysis can be a reliable tool to identify modulators with high affinity for P-gp.

Global RNA Fold and Molecular Recognition for a pfl Riboswitch Bound to ZMP, a Master Regulator of One-Carbon Metabolism

ZTP, the pyrophosphorylated analog of ZMP (5-amino-4-imidazole carboxamide ribose-5'-monophosphate), was identified as an alarmone that senses 10-formyl-tetrahydroflate deficiency in bacteria. Recently, a pfl riboswitch was identified that selectively binds ZMP and regulates genes associated with purine biosynthesis and one-carbon metabolism. We report on the structure of the ZMP-bound Thermosinus carboxydivorans pfl riboswitch sensing domain, thereby defining the pseudoknot-based tertiary RNA fold, the binding-pocket architecture, and principles underlying ligand recognition specificity. Molecular recognition involves shape complementarity, with the ZMP 5-amino and carboxamide groups paired with the Watson-Crick edge of an invariant uracil, and the imidazole ring sandwiched between guanines, while the sugar hydroxyls form intermolecular hydrogen bond contacts. The burial of the ZMP base and ribose moieties, together with unanticipated coordination of the carboxamide by Mg(2+), contrasts with exposure of the 5'-phosphate to solvent. Our studies highlight the principles underlying RNA-based recognition of ZMP, a master regulator of one-carbon metabolism.

GRID and docking analyses reveal a molecular basis for flavonoid inhibition of Src family kinase activity

Flavonoids reduce cardiovascular disease risk through anti-inflammatory, anti-coagulant and anti-platelet actions. One key flavonoid inhibitory mechanism is blocking kinase activity that drives these processes. Flavonoids attenuate activities of kinases including phosphoinositide-3-kinase, Fyn, Lyn, Src, Syk, PKC, PIM1/2, ERK, JNK and PKA. X-ray crystallographic analyses of kinase–flavonoid complexes show that flavonoid ring systems and their hydroxyl substitutions are important structural features for their binding to kinases. A clearer understanding of structural interactions of flavonoids with kinases is necessary to allow construction of more potent and selective counterparts.We examined flavonoid (quercetin, apigenin and catechin) interactions with Src family kinases (Lyn, Fyn and Hck) applying the Sybyl docking algorithm and GRID. A homology model (Lyn) was used in our analyses to demonstrate that high-quality predicted kinase structures are suitable for flavonoid computational studies. Our docking results revealed potential hydrogen bond contacts between flavonoid hydroxyls and kinase catalytic site residues. Identification of plausible contacts indicated that quercetin formed the most energetically stable interactions, apigenin lacked hydroxyl groups necessary for important contacts and the non-planar structure of catechin could not support predicted hydrogen bonding patterns. GRID analysis using a hydroxyl functional group supported docking results. Based on these findings, we predicted that quercetin would inhibit activities of Src family kinases with greater potency than apigenin and catechin. We validated this prediction using in vitro kinase assays.We conclude that our study can be used as a basis to construct virtual flavonoid interaction libraries to guide drug discovery using these compounds as molecular templates.

Crystal structure of 1-[2-(2,6-di-chloro-phen-yl)-4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazol-1-yl]propan-2-ol.

The central imidazole ring of the title compound, C24H20Cl2N2O, is twisted with respect to with the planes of the 2,6-di­chloro­benzene and two phenyl rings, making dihedral angles of 74.06 (18), 28.52 (17) and 67.65 (18)°, respectively. The phenyl ring not adjacent to the N-bonded 2-hy­droxy­propyl group shows the greatest twist, presumably to minimize steric inter­actions. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked by O—H⋯N and C—H⋯O hydrogen-bond contacts into chains along the a-axis direction. The series of parallel chains form a two-dimensional sheet approximately parallel to the bc diagonal. In addition, C—H⋯π inter­actions are observed between the sheets. The atoms of the 2-hy­droxy­propyl group and the N atom of the 1H-imidazole ring to which it is bonded are disordered over two sets of sites, with an occupancy ratio of 0.722 (5):0.278 (5). The structure was refined as an inversion twin.

Structural Bioinformatics and Molecular Dynamics of p53 Tumor Suppressor Protein

In carrying out its tumor suppressor function, p53 binds to cognate DNA regulatory sites throughout the genome. While many of the binding sites contain a recognizable consensus, other binding sites exist which lack this, making this an interesting system for understanding the potential role of indirect readout in the binding event. In order to study this, we are constructing additive energy models based on hydrogen bond contacts and the presence of the TG DNA base pair step. The simplest model simply counts how many of the crystallographic bonds are available for a particular DNA sequence based on H‐bond donor and acceptor groups, and the model is made increasingly complex through refinements including distance dependence and angle of the H‐bonds. Based on the score from the additive model, clustering of experimentally determined DNA binding sites led to the identification of five distinct classes of binding sites, which we hypothesize represent distinct modes of binding. To further investigate this hypothesis, we have carried out molecular dynamics simulations of the p53 protein complexed with DNA representative of the different clusters, as well as engineered sequences expected to have interesting mechanical properties. Furthermore, we have examined molecular dynamics involving lys120, a key residue interacting with the DNA. Our results shed light on the dynamic interaction of p53 and its binding sites and suggest novel means by which the recognition process may occur. This mechanistic understanding lays groundwork that informs the development of more robust cancer therapeutics.Funding: Vassar College Spring 2014 Research Committee Award from the Emily Abbey Fund, the Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation, and the Elise Nichols and Margaret Sawyer Biochemistry Research Fellowship

Structural Disorder of Folded Proteins: Isotope-Edited 2D IR Spectroscopy and Markov State Modeling

The conformational heterogeneity of the N-terminal domain of the ribosomal protein L9 (NTL91-39) in its folded state is investigated using isotope-edited two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy. Backbone carbonyls are isotope-labeled (13C=18O) at five selected positions (V3, V9, V9G13, G16, and G24) to provide a set of localized spectroscopic probes of the structure and solvent exposure at these positions. Structural interpretation of the amide I line shapes is enabled by spectral simulations carried out on structures extracted from a recent Markov state model. The V3 label spectrum indicates that the β-sheet contacts between strands I and II are well folded with minimal disorder. The V9 and V9G13 label spectra, which directly probe the hydrogen-bond contacts across the β-turn, show significant disorder, indicating that molecular dynamics simulations tend to overstabilize ideally folded β-turn structures in NTL91-39. In addition, G24-label spectra provide evidence for a partially disordered α-helix backbone that participates in hydrogen bonding with the surrounding water.

Ion selectivity in the selectivity filters of acid-sensing ion channels.

Sodium-selective acid sensing ion channels (ASICs), which belong to the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) superfamily, are key players in many physiological processes (e.g. nociception, mechanosensation, cognition, and memory) and are potential therapeutic targets. Central to the ASIC's function is its ability to discriminate Na+ among cations, which is largely determined by its selectivity filter, the narrowest part of an open pore. However, it is unclear how the ASIC discriminates Na+ from rival cations such as K+ and Ca2+ and why its Na+/K+ selectivity is an order of magnitude lower than that of the ENaC. Here, we show that a well-tuned balance between electrostatic and solvation effects controls ion selectivity in the ASIC1a SF. The large, water-filled ASIC1a pore is selective for Na+ over K+ because its backbone ligands form more hydrogen-bond contacts and stronger electrostatic interactions with hydrated Na+ compared to hydrated K+. It is selective for Na+ over divalent Ca2+ due to its relatively high-dielectric environment, which favors solvated rather than filter-bound Ca2+. However, higher Na+-selectivity could be achieved in a narrow, rigid pore lined by three weak metal-ligating groups, as in the case of ENaC, which provides optimal fit and interactions for Na+ but not for non-native ions.

Understanding the Structural Changes of the Calcium Binding S100A1 Protein with Molecular Dynamics Simulations

The S100A1 protein is ubiquitous in the human body and is particularly localized to the heart and brain tissue, within which it may influence the onset of debilitating cardiomyopathy or Alzheimer's disease. S100A1 is a homodimer that binds four calcium ions to drive a conformational change, whereby two helices separate to expose target protein binding sites. However, the physiochemical drivers of this conformational transition between the apo (no bound ions) to the holo (bound ions) states remain unclear. To understand the atomistic basis of conformational changes in S100A1, we performed nanosecond-scale molecular dynamics simulations (MD) of the apo and holo states in explicit solvent. These MD studies reveal a variety of conformational trends including helical orientations, hydrogen bond contacts, and backbone fluctuations of the calcium binding regions. In response to previous studies demonstrating that the addition of polar functional groups to cysteine residue 85 (Cys85) increases the calcium ions’ binding affinity, we furthermore examined the influence of glutamic acid and glutamine mutations at site 85 (Cys85Glu/Cys85Gln) on the aforementioned conformational behavior. We finally relate structural differences between the apo and holo states for the wild-type and Cys85 mutant cases to alterations on S100A1's experimentally observed alterations in calcium handling. We speculate that similar trends may emerge in similar calcium-binding proteins.

Identification of Structural Motifs in P-Glycoprotein Responsible for the Drug-Mediated Inhibition of ATP Hydrolysis

P-glycoprotein (P-gp, ABCB1) is the most studied member of the ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) transporter superfamily. This transporter utilizes energy from ATP hydrolysis for the efflux of a great variety of compounds, including anticancer drugs. P-gp is expressed at the apical surface of epithelial cells in the intestines, kidney, liver, adrenal gland, blood-brain barrier, and placenta, and therefore affects the pharmacokinetics of many drugs. The expression of P-gp at the surface of tumor cells is also one of the mechanisms of multidrug resistance, which occurs in many cancers. The development of an effective inhibitor requires first the understanding of the mechanism of action of P-gp. In our recent work, mutagenesis and molecular modeling studies led to the identification of a pair of phenylalanine-tyrosine structural motifs that mediate the inhibition of ATP hydrolysis by drugs such as zosuquidar, tariquidar and elacridar. Upon mutation of any of these residues, drugs that inhibit the ATPase activity of P-gp switch to stimulation of the activity. Molecular modeling revealed that the phenylalanine residues interact with the tyrosines in an edge-to-face conformation, helping the tyrosines to adopt the proper orientation to effectively establish hydrogen-bond contact with the inhibitor. Biochemical investigations along with transport studies in intact cells showed that the inhibitors bind at a high affinity site to produce inhibition of ATP hydrolysis and transport function. Upon mutation of tyrosine or phenylalanine residues that disrupts the structural motifs, they bind at lower affinity sites, leading to stimulation of ATP hydrolysis and poor inhibition of transport.

Structural insights into the substrate specificity and transglycosylation activity of a fungal glycoside hydrolase family 5 β-mannosidase.

β-Mannosidases are exo-acting glycoside hydrolases (GHs) that catalyse the removal of the nonreducing end β-D-mannose from manno-oligosaccharides or mannoside-substituted molecules. They play important roles in fundamental biological processes and also have potential applications in various industries. In this study, the first fungal GH family 5 β-mannosidase (RmMan5B) from Rhizomucor miehei was functionally and structurally characterized. RmMan5B exhibited a much higher activity against manno-oligosaccharides than against p-nitrophenyl β-D-mannopyranoside (pNPM) and had a transglycosylation activity which transferred mannosyl residues to sugars such as fructose. To investigate its substrate specificity and transglycosylation activity, crystal structures of RmMan5B and of its inactive E202A mutant in complex with mannobiose, mannotriose and mannosyl-fructose were determined at resolutions of 1.3, 2.6, 2.0 and 2.4 Å, respectively. In addition, the crystal structure of R. miehei β-mannanase (RmMan5A) was determined at a resolution of 2.3 Å. Both RmMan5A and RmMan5B adopt the (β/α)8-barrel architecture, which is globally similar to the other members of GH family 5. However, RmMan5B shows several differences in the loop around the active site. The extended loop between strand β8 and helix α8 (residues 354-392) forms a `double' steric barrier to `block' the substrate-binding cleft at the end of the -1 subsite. Trp119, Asn260 and Glu380 in the β-mannosidase, which are involved in hydrogen-bond contacts with the -1 mannose, might be essential for exo catalytic activity. Moreover, the structure of RmMan5B in complex with mannosyl-fructose has provided evidence for the interactions between the β-mannosidase and D-fructofuranose. Overall, the present study not only helps in understanding the catalytic mechanism of GH family 5 β-mannosidases, but also provides a basis for further enzymatic engineering of β-mannosidases and β-mannanases.

All-atom crystal simulations of DNA and RNA duplexes

BackgroundMolecular dynamics simulations can complement experimental measures of structure and dynamics of biomolecules. The quality of such simulations can be tested by comparisons to models refined against experimental crystallographic data. MethodsWe report simulations of DNA and RNA duplexes in their crystalline environment. The calculations mimic the conditions for PDB entries 1D23 [d(CGATCGATCG)2] and 1RNA [(UUAUAUAUAUAUAA)2], and contain 8 unit cells, each with 4 copies of the Watson–Crick duplex; this yields in aggregate 64μs of duplex sampling for DNA and 16μs for RNA. ResultsThe duplex structures conform much more closely to the average structure seen in the crystal than do structures extracted from a solution simulation with the same force field. Sequence-dependent variations in helical parameters, and in groove widths, are largely maintained in the crystal structure, but are smoothed out in solution. However, the integrity of the crystal lattice is slowly degraded in both simulations, with the result that the interfaces between chains become heterogeneous. This problem is more severe for the DNA crystal, which has fewer inter-chain hydrogen bond contacts than does the RNA crystal. ConclusionsCrystal simulations using current force fields reproduce many features of observed crystal structures, but suffer from a gradual degradation of the integrity of the crystal lattice. General significanceThe results offer insights into force-field simulations that test their ability to preserve weak interactions between chains, which will be of importance also in non-crystalline applications that involve binding and recognition.This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Recent developments of molecular dynamics.