Torsion Angles Phi Research Articles

Reconciling MA'AT and molecular dynamics models of linkage conformation in oligosaccharides.

MA'AT conformational models of the phi torsion angles of O-glycosidic linkages differ from those obtained from MD simulation. To determine the source of the discrepancy, MA'AT analyses were performed using DFT-derived equations obtained with and without psi constraints. The resulting phi models were essentially the same, indicating a force-field problem. Circular standard deviations (CSDs) were found to provide reliable estimates of torsional averaging.

Conformational analysis of the disaccharide methyl α-D-mannopyranosyl-(1→3)-2-O-acetyl-β-D-mannopyranoside monohydrate.

The crystal structure of methyl α-D-mannopyranosyl-(1→3)-2-O-acetyl-β-D-mannopyranoside monohydrate, C15H26O12·H2O, (II), has been determined and the structural parameters for its constituent α-D-mannopyranosyl residue compared with those for methyl α-D-mannopyranoside. Mono-O-acetylation appears to promote the crystallization of (II), inferred from the difficulty in crystallizing methyl α-D-mannopyranosyl-(1→3)-β-D-mannopyranoside despite repeated attempts. The conformational properties of the O-acetyl side chain in (II) are similar to those observed in recent studies of peracetylated mannose-containing oligosaccharides, having a preferred geometry in which the C2-H2 bond eclipses the C=O bond of the acetyl group. The C2-O2 bond in (II) elongates by ∼0.02 Å upon O-acetylation. The phi (φ) and psi (ψ) torsion angles that dictate the conformation of the internal O-glycosidic linkage in (II) are similar to those determined recently in aqueous solution by NMR spectroscopy for unacetylated (II) using the statistical program MA'AT, with a greater disparity found for ψ (Δ = ∼16°) than for φ (Δ = ∼6°).

Effect of Electronegative Substituents and Angular Dependence on the Heteronuclear Spin−Spin Coupling Constant3JC−H: An Empirical Prediction Equation Derived by Density Functional Theory Calculations

A general carbon-proton vicinal coupling constant ((3)J(C-H)) prediction equation has been empirically derived by a coupling constant database of 2157 (3)J(C-H) calculations (at the hybrid DFT MPW1PW91/6-31G(d,p) level). The equation includes the electronegativity effect of the substituents attached to the (13)C-C-C-(1)H fragment and the dihedral (Phi) dependence of the heteronuclear spin-coupling. A set of butane and pentane models were built, systematically varying both the Phi torsion angle in 30 degree steps and the substitution pattern with several electronegative substituents (Br, NH(2), F, Cl, SH, OH) in order to obtain the coupling constant database. The here reported (3)J(C-H) equation is a quantitative prediction tool, particularly useful as a support in the analysis of NMR data for the structural elucidation of organic compounds characterized by specific substitution patterns. To confirm the accuracy of our equation in the prediction of the experimental (3)J(C-H) couplings, we tested the equation, comparing 114 experimental (3)J(C-H) values obtained from 29 polysubstituted benchmark organic compounds with the predicted data. In addition, a set of (3)J(C-H) coupling bidimensional Karplus-type curves correlating the calculated (3)J(C-H) values to the specific dihedral angle for every substitution pattern considered were built in order to evaluate the magnitude of the electronegativity effect.

Two pentadehydropeptides with different configurations of the ΔPhe residues

Comparison of the crystal structures of two pentadehydropeptides containing DeltaPhe residues, namely (Z,Z)-N-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)glycyl-alpha,beta-phenylalanylglycyl-alpha,beta-phenylalanylglycine (or Boc(0)-Gly(1)-Delta(Z)Phe(2)-Gly(3)-Delta(Z)Phe(4)-Gly(5)-OH) methanol solvate, C(29)H(33)N(5)O(8) x CH(4)O, (I), and (E,E)-N-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)glycyl-alpha,beta-phenylalanylglycyl-alpha,beta-phenylalanylglycine (or Boc(0)-Gly(1)-Delta(E)Phe(2)-Gly(3)-Delta(E)Phe(4)-Gly(5)-OH), C(29)H(33)N(5)O(8), (II), indicates that the Delta(Z)Phe residue is a more effective inducer of folded structures than the Delta(E)Phe residue. The values of the torsion angles phi and psi show the presence of two type-III' beta-turns at the Delta(Z)Phe residues and one type-II beta-turn at the Delta(E)Phe residue. All amino acids are linked trans to each other in both peptides. Beta-turns present in the peptides are stabilized by intramolecular 4-->1 hydrogen bonds. Molecules in both structures form two-dimensional hydrogen-bond networks parallel to the (100) plane.

Influence of Conformation on Conductance of Biphenyl-Dithiol Single-Molecule Contacts

The conductance of a family of biphenyl-dithiol derivatives with conformationally fixed torsion angle was measured using the scanning tunneling microscopy (STM)-break-junction method. We found that it depends on the torsion angle phi between two phenyl rings; twisting the biphenyl system from flat (phi = 0 degrees ) to perpendicular (phi = 90 degrees ) decreased the conductance by a factor of 30. Detailed calculations of transport based on density functional theory and a two level model (TLM) support the experimentally obtained cos(2) phi correlation between the junction conductance G and the torsion angle phi. The TLM describes the pair of hybridizing highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) states on the phenyl rings and illustrates that the pi-pi coupling dominates the transport under "off-resonance" conditions where the HOMO levels are well separated from the Femi energy.

Side chain: backbone projections in aromatic and ASX residues from NMR cross-correlated relaxation

The measurements of cross-correlated relaxation rates between H(N)-N and C(beta)-C(gamma) intraresidual and sequential dipolar interactions is demonstrated in ASN, ASP and aromatic residues. The experiment can be used for deuterated samples and no additional knowledge such as Karplus parametrizations is required for the analysis. The data constitutes a new type of information since no other method relates the C(beta)-C(gamma) bond to H(N)-N. Using this method the dominant populations of rotamer states of chi 1 can be readily cross checked provided that phi or psi are known. In addition, dynamics on all timescales can be probed. As opposed to standard dynamics analysis of isolated bonds, the presented observables depend on relative dynamics with an interesting prospect to analyze correlated fluctuations of the two torsion angles phi or psi with chi 1. Experimental rates are compared to single conformer and ensemble representations of GB3 and ubiquitin. In particular, it is found that the recently published ubiquitin ensemble 2k39 improves the agreement obtained for 1UBQ. In general, however, input data restricting ASX and aromatic side chains in structure calculation is sparse highlighting the need for new NMR observables.

Conformational Flexibility and Dynamics of Two (1→6)‐Linked Disaccharides Related to an Oligosaccharide Epitope Expressed on Malignant Tumour Cells

The conformational flexibility and dynamics of two (1-->6)-linked disaccharides that are related to the action of the glycosyl transferase GnT-V have been investigated. NMR NOE and T-ROE spectroscopy experiments, conformation-dependent coupling constants and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used in the analyses. To facilitate these studies, the compounds were synthesised as alpha-d-[6-(13)C]-Manp-OMe derivatives, which reduced the (1)H NMR spectral overlap and facilitated the determination of two- and three-bond (1)H,(1)H, (1)H,(13)C and (13)C,(13)C-coupling constants. The population distribution for the glycosidic omega torsion angle in alpha-d-Manp-(1-->6)-alpha-d-Manp-OMe for gt/gg/tg was equal to 45:50:5, whereas in alpha-d-Manp-OMe it was determined to be 56:36:8. The dynamic model that was generated for beta-d-GlcpNAc-(1-->6)-alpha-d-Manp-OMe by MD simulations employing the PARM22/SU01 CHARMM-based force field was in very good agreement with experimental observations. beta-d-GlcpNAc-(1-->6)-alpha-d-Manp-OMe is described by an equilibrium of populated states in which the phi torsion angle has the exo-anomeric conformation, the psi torsion angle an extended antiperiplanar conformation and the omega torsion angle a distribution of populations predominantly between the gauche-trans and the gauche-gauche conformational states (i.e., gt/gg/tg) is equal to 60:35:5, respectively. The use of site-specific (13)C labelling in these disaccharides leads to increased spectral dispersion, thereby making NMR spectroscopy based conformational analysis possible that otherwise might be difficult to attain.

Is the Backbone Conformation of Cα‐Methyl Proline Restricted to a Single Region?

C(alpha)-methyl-L-proline, or L-(alphaMe)Pro, is probably the most conformationally constrained alpha-amino acid. In particular, its omega and phi torsion angles are restricted to about 180 and -60 degrees, respectively, and only three ranges of values are theoretically available for psi in mono- or longer peptides, namely, about -30 degrees (cis', 3(10)/alpha-helical structure), 60 degrees (inverse gamma turn), or 140 degrees (trans', poly(L-Pro)(n) II structure). In this work, we examined the tendency of a number of N(alpha)-acyl dipeptide N'-alkylamides of the type RCO-(alphaMe)Pro-Xxx-NHR' or RCO-Xxx-(alphaMe)Pro-NHR', in which Xxx is L (or D)-Ala, Aib (alpha-aminoisoburyric acid), or L (or D)-(alphaMe)Pro, long enough to fold into intramolecularly hydrogen-bonded gamma or beta turns. The results are compared with those obtained for the corresponding dipeptides based on Pro, a well-known turn-forming residue. For the crystal-state 3D-structural analysis we used X-ray diffraction, whereas our solution conformational analysis was heavily based on the FTIR absorption and (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy techniques. We conclude that (alphaMe)Pro is able to explore both trans' and cis' psi areas of the conformational space, but in (alphaMe)Pro the latter is overwhelmingly more populated, in marked contrast to the Pro preference. This finding is a clear indication that in (alphaMe)Pro the major 3D-structural determinant is the C(alpha)-methyl group. The circular dichroism (CD) signature of a peptide type III' beta-turn conformation is also proposed.

Umbrella integration in two or more reaction coordinates

Umbrella integration is a method to analyze umbrella sampling simulations by calculating and integrating the mean force. Here, the method is extended to multidimensional reaction coordinates. Approximation of the probability distribution obtained from sampling by a multivariate normal distribution allows to calculate the mean force from the average and the covariance matrix of the reaction coordinate. Integration schemes of the free-energy gradient field are discussed. Integration on a real-space grid is compared to expansion of the gradient in a series of analytic functions (such as a Fourier analysis), which can be integrated, and the expansion of the gradient only at the window means in a series of analytic functions. The Fourier analysis was found particularly useful for periodic reaction coordinates, such as torsion angles. An expression is provided to calculate the Hessian of the free energy with respect to the reaction coordinates from sampling data. The utility of the method is demonstrated at the example of the free-energy surface of the alanine dipeptide in vacuum calculated with respect to the backbone torsion angles Phi and Psi. Relevance of the Jacobian term for non-Cartesian reaction coordinates is discussed.

Force-field parameters of the Ψ and Φ around glycosidic bonds to oxygen and sulfur atoms

The Psi and Phi torsion angles around glycosidic bonds in a glycoside chain are the most important determinants of the conformation of a glycoside chain. We determined force-field parameters for Psi and Phi torsion angles around a glycosidic bond bridged by a sulfur atom, as well as a bond bridged by an oxygen atom as a preparation for the next study, i.e., molecular dynamics free energy calculations for protein-sugar and protein-inhibitor complexes. First, we extracted the Psi or Phi torsion energy component from a quantum mechanics (QM) total energy by subtracting all the molecular mechanics (MM) force-field components except for the Psi or Phi torsion angle. The Psi and Phi energy components extracted (hereafter called "the remaining energy components") were calculated for simple sugar models and plotted as functions of the Psi and Phi angles. The remaining energy component curves of Psi and Phi were well represented by the torsion force-field functions consisting of four and three cosine functions, respectively. To confirm the reliability of the force-field parameters and to confirm its compatibility with other force-fields, we calculated adiabatic potential curves as functions of Psi and Phi for the model glycosides by adopting the Psi and Phi force-field parameters obtained and by energetically optimizing other degrees of freedom. The MM potential energy curves obtained for Psi and Phi well represented the QM adiabatic curves and also these curves' differences with regard to the glycosidic oxygen and sulfur atoms. Our Psi and Phi force-fields of glycosidic oxygen gave MM potential energy curves that more closely represented the respective QM curves than did those of the recently developed GLYCAM force-field.

Determination of Peptide Backbone Torsion Angles Using Double-Quantum Dipolar Recoupling Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy

Several approaches for utilizing dipolar recoupling solid-state NMR (ssNMR) techniques to determine local structure at high resolution in peptides and proteins have been developed. However, many of these techniques measure only one torsion angle or are accurate for only certain classes of secondary structure. Additionally, the efficiency with which these dipolar recoupling experiments suppress the deleterious effects of chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) at high magnetic field strengths varies. Dipolar recoupling with a windowless sequence (DRAWS) has proven to be an effective pulse sequence for exciting double-quantum (DQ) coherences between adjacent carbonyl carbons along the peptide backbone. By allowing this DQ coherence to evolve, it is possible to measure the relative orientations of the CSA tensors and subsequently use this information to determine the Ramachandran torsion angles phi and psi. Here, we explore the accuracies of the assumptions made in interpreting DQ-DRAWS data and demonstrate their fidelity in measuring torsion angles corresponding to a variety of secondary structures irrespective of hydrogen-bonding patterns. It is shown how a simple choice of isotopic labels and experimental conditions allows accurate measurement of backbone secondary structures without any prior knowledge. This approach is considerably more sensitive for determining structure in helices and has comparable accuracy for beta-sheet and extended conformations relative to other methods. We also illustrate the ability of DQ-DRAWS to distinguish between structures in heterogeneous samples.

Methyl 2-O-β-L-fucopyranosyl α-D-glucopyranoside monohydrate: a synchrotron study

The structure of the title compound, C(13)H(24)O(10).H(2)O, is stabilized by hydrogen bonds situated adjacent to the glycoside linkage. A direct intramolecular hydrogen bond is present between the fucopyranosyl ring O atom and a glucopyranoside OH group, and a bridging water molecule mediates a hydrogen-bond-based interaction from a fucopyranosyl OH group to the methoxy O atom. The conformation of the disaccharide is described by the glycosidic torsion angles phi(H) = -41 degrees and psi(H) = -2 degrees .

Conformations of β‐amino acid residues in peptides: X‐ray diffraction studies of peptides containing the achiral residue 1‐aminocyclohexaneacetic acid, β3,3Ac6c

The conformational preferences of the 3,3-disubstituted beta-amino acid residue, 1-aminocyclohexaneacetic acid (beta3,3Ac6c) have been investigated by determining the crystal structures of the parent amino acid, the hydrochloride derivative, 10 protected derivatives and di and tripeptides. The symmetrical cyclohexyl substituent at the beta-position restricts the values of the torsion angles phi (N--C(beta)) and theta (C(beta)--C(alpha)) to approximately gauche values (+/-60 degrees ). Relatively few intramolecularly hydrogen bonded conformations are observed. In the dipeptide Boc-beta(3,3)Ac6c-beta(3,3)Ac6c-NHMe a C6 hydrogen bond is observed. In Piv-Pro-beta(3,3)Ac6c-NHMe a C11 hydrogen bonded hybrid alphabeta turn is characterized. In a majority of cases the amino group occupies the axial position in the cyclohexane ring. The conformations observed are compared with crystallographically observed structures for other beta-residues, including beta(2,2)Ac6c.

Limits on Variations in Protein Backbone Dynamics from Precise Measurements of Scalar Couplings

3JHN,Halpha, 3JHN,Cbeta, and 3JHN,C' couplings, all related to the backbone torsion angle phi, were measured for the third immunoglobulin binding domain of protein G, or GB3. Measurements were carried out using both previously published methods and novel sequences based on the multiple-quantum principle, which limit attenuation of experimental couplings caused by finite lifetimes of the spin states of passive spins. High reproducibility between the multiple-quantum and conventional approaches confirms the accuracy of the measurements. With few exceptions, close agreement between 3JHN,Halpha, 3JHN,Cbeta, and 3JHN,C' and values predicted by their respective Karplus equations is observed. For the three types of couplings, up to 20% better agreement is obtained when fitting the experimental couplings to a dynamic ensemble NMR structure, which has a phi angle root-mean-square spread of 9 +/- 4 degrees and was previously calculated on the basis of a very extensive set of residual dipolar couplings, than for any single static NMR structure. Fits of 3J couplings to a 1.1-A X-ray structure, with hydrogens added in idealized positions, are 40-90% worse. Approximately half of the improvement when fitting to the NMR structures relates to the amide proton deviating from its idealized, in-peptide-plane position, indicating that the positioning of hydrogens relative to the backbone atoms is one of the factors limiting the accuracy at which the backbone torsion angle phi can be extracted from 3J couplings. Introducing an additional, residue-specific variable for the amplitude of phi angle fluctuations does not yield a statistically significant improvement when fitting to a set of dynamic Karplus curves, pointing to a homogeneous behavior of these amplitudes.

Computational Study of Thioflavin T Torsional Relaxation in the Excited State

Quantum-chemical calculations of the Thioflavin T (ThT) molecule in the ground S0 and first excited singlet S1 states were carried out. It has been established that ThT in the ground state has a noticeable nonplanar conformation: the torsion angle phi between the benzthiazole and the dimethylaminobenzene rings has been found to be approximately 37 degrees. The energy barriers of the intramolecular rotation appearing at phi = 0 and 90 degrees are quite low: semiempirical AM1 and PM3 methods predict values approximately 700 cm-1 and ab initio methods approximately 1000-2000 cm(-1). The INDO/S calculations of vertical transitions to the S1(abs) excited state have revealed that energy ES1(abs) is minimal for the twisted conformation with phi = 90 degrees and that the intramolecular charge-transfer takes place upon the ThT fragments' rotation from phi = 0 to 90 degrees. Ab initio CIS/RHF calculations were performed to find optimal geometries in the excited S1 state for a series of conformers having fixed phi values. The CIS calculations have predicted a minimum of the S1 state energy at phi approximately 21 degrees; however, the energy values are 1.5 times overestimated in comparison to experimental data. Excited state energy dependence on the torsion angle phi, obtained by the INDO/S method, reveals that ES1(fluor) is minimal at phi = approximately 80-100 degrees, and a plateau is clearly observed for torsion angles ranging from 20 to 50 degrees. On the basis of the calculation results, the following scheme of photophysical processes in the excited S1 state of the ThT is suggested. According to the model, a twisted internal charge-transfer (TICT) process takes place for the ThT molecule in the excited singlet state, resulting in a transition from the fluorescent locally excited (LE) state to the nonfluorescent TICT state, accompanied by torsion angle phi growth from 37 to 90 degrees. The TICT process effectively competes with radiative transition from the LE state and is responsible for significant quenching of the ThT fluorescence in low-viscosity solvents. For viscous solvents or when the ThT molecule is located in a rather rigid microenvironment, for example, when it is bound to amyloid fibrils, internal rotation in the dye molecule is blocked due to steric hindrance, which results in suppression of the LE --> TICT quenching process and in a high quantum yield of fluorescence.

Exploring the binding site of the human muscarinic M3 receptor: Homology modeling and docking study

AbstractThe human muscarinic M3 receptor (hM3) and its interactions with selective agonists and antagonists were investigated by means of combined homology and docking approach. Also, two pharmacophoric models for the hM3 agonist and antagonist binding sites were proposed. The three‐dimensional (3D) structure of hM3 receptor was modeled based on the high‐resolution X‐ray structure of bovine rhodopsin from the Protein Data Bank (PDB). To validate the reliability of the model obtained, the main chain torsion angles phi (Ψ) and psi (Φ) were examined in a Ramachandran plot, and all omega angles were measured for peptidic bond planarity. The characteristics of the active site, the position, and the orientation of ligands in situ, as well as the binding modes of the representative agonists and antagonists, were analyzed by applying a molecular docking technique using the AutoDock 3.0.5 program. Specific interactions responsible for recognition of the hM3 receptor, like ionic bond formed between protonated amine of the ligands and the Asp3.6 side chain were identified. Structure–reactivity relationships have been explained by analyzing the 3D structure of the hM3 model and the ligand conformations resulted from molecular docking simulation. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007

Methyl 4‐O‐β‐L‐Galactopyranosyl‐β‐D‐glucopyranoside (Methyl β‐L‐Lactoside).

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Molecular conformations of a disaccharide investigated using NMR spectroscopy

The molecular structure of alpha-L-Rhap-(1--> 2)-alpha-L-Rhap-OMe has been investigated using conformation sensitive NMR parameters: cross-relaxation rates, scalar 3J(CH) couplings and residual dipolar couplings obtained in a dilute liquid crystalline phase. The order matrices of the two sugar residues are different, which indicates that the molecule cannot exist in a single conformation. The conformational distribution function, P(phi, psi) related to the two glycosidic linkage torsion angles phi and psi was constructed using the APME method, valid in the low orientational order limit. The APME approach is based on the additive potential (AP) and maximum entropy (ME) models. The analyses of the trajectories generated in molecular dynamics and Langevin dynamics (LD) computer simulations gave support to the distribution functions constructed from the experimental NMR parameters. It is shown that at least two conformational regions are populated on the Ramachandran map and that these regions exhibit very different molecular order.

Conformational properties of N-acetyl-N-methyl-alpha,beta-dehydroalanine N'-methylamide.

The conformational properties of Ac-Delta(Me)Ala-NHMe (N-acetyl-N-methyl-alpha,beta-dehydroalanine N'-methylamide), as the simplest model of N-methyl-alpha,beta-dehydroamino acids, was examined with theoretical methods and in comparison with Ac-DeltaAla-NHMe and Ac-DeltaAla-NMe(2). The N-terminal amide of the Delta(Me)Ala residue easily adopts the configuration cis and the torsion angles phi, psi are highly flexible. The Delta(Me)Ala residue is a conformational flexibilizer as compared to the parent DeltaAla, which is a conformational stiffener. This seems to be the reason why Delta(Me)Ala is found in small natural cyclic peptides, where it ensures the conformational flexibility necessary for biological action.

Methyl 4-O-β-L-galactopyranosyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (methyl β-L-lactoside)

Methyl beta-L-lactoside, C13H24O11, (II), is described by glycosidic torsion angles phi (O5Gal-C1Gal-O4Glc-C4Glc) and psi (C1Gal-O1Gal-C4Glc-C5Glc) of 93.89 (13) and -127.43 (13) degrees , respectively, where the ring atom numbering conforms to the convention in which C1 is the anomeric C atom and C6 is the exocyclic hydroxymethyl (CH2OH) C atom in both residues (Gal is galactose and Glc is glucose). Substitution of L-Gal for D-Gal in the biologically relevant disaccharide, methyl beta-lactoside [Stenutz, Shang & Serianni (1999). Acta Cryst. C55, 1719-1721], (I), significantly alters the glycosidic linkage interface. In the crystal structure of (I), one inter-residue (intramolecular) hydrogen bond is observed between atoms H3OGlc and O5Gal. In contrast, in the crystal structure of (II), inter-residue hydrogen bonds are observed between atoms H6OGlc and O5Gal, H6OGlc and O6Gal, and H3OGlc and O2Gal, with H6OGlc serving as a donor with two intramolecular acceptors.