PubMed Health⌕ Search

PubMed · 7937735

Spatial optimization of electrostatic interactions between the ionized groups in globular proteins.

Abstract

A model approach is suggested to estimate the degree of spatial optimization of the electrostatic interactions in protein molecules. The method is tested on a set of 44 globular proteins, representative of the available crystallographic data. The theoretical model is based on macroscopic computation of the contribution of charge-charge interactions to the electrostatic term of the free energy for the native proteins and for a big number of virtual structures with randomly distributed on protein surface charge constellations (generated by a Monte-Carlo technique). The statistical probability of occurrence of random structures with electrostatic energies lower than the energy of the native protein is suggested as a criterion for spatial optimization of the electrostatic interactions. The results support the hypothesis that the folding process optimizes the stabilizing effect of electrostatic interactions, but to very different degree for different proteins. A parallel analysis of ion pairs shows that the optimization of the electrostatic term in globular proteins has increasingly gone in the direction of rejecting the repulsive short contacts between charges of equal sign than of creating of more salt bridges (in comparison with the statistically expected number of short-range ion pairs in the simulated random structures). It is observed that the decrease in the spatial optimization of the electrostatic interactions is usually compensated for by an appearance of disulfide bridges in the covalent structure of the examined proteins.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

V Z Spassov, B P Atanasov. 1994. Spatial optimization of electrostatic interactions between the ionized groups in globular proteins.. https://doi.org/10.1002/prot.340190306

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related citations

Comparison of basis set effects and the performance of ab initio and DFT methods for probing equilibrium fluctuations.

The electronic absorption and emission spectra of large molecules reflect the extent and timescale of electron-vibration coupling and therefore the extent and timescale of relaxation/reorganization in response to a perturbation. In this paper, we present a comparison of the calculated absorption and emission spectra of NADH in liver alcohol dehydrogenase (LADH), using quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical methods, in which we vary the QM component. Specifically, we have looked at the influence of basis set (STO-3G, 3-21G*, 6-31G*, CC-pVDZ, and 6-311G**), as well as the influence of applying the DFT TD-B3LYP and ab initio TD-HF and CIS methods to the calculation of absorption/emission spectra and the reorganization energy (Stokes shift). The ab initio TD-HF and CIS methods reproduce the experimentally determined Stokes shift and spectral profiles to a high level of agreement, while the TD-B3LYP method significantly underestimates the Stokes shift, by 45%. We comment on the origin of this problem and suggest that ab initio methods may be naturally more suited to predicting molecular behavior away from equilibrium geometries.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗

Temperature-dependent structure of the E x S complex of Bacillus stearothermophilus alcohol dehydrogenase.

The catalytic chemistry of the thermophilic Bacillus stearothermophilus alcohol dehydrogenase (HtADH) closely resembles that of mesophilic horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase (HLADH). Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the htADH x NAD+ x EtO- complex at 298, 323, and 348 K show that the structure of the ligated Zn2+...EtO- complex varies slightly with change in temperature. The MD-created Boltzmann distribution of htADH x NAD+ x EtO- structures establishes the formation of multiple states which increase in number with a decrease in temperature. The motions of the cofactor domain are highly correlated with the motions of NAD+ at the optimal growth temperature (348 K), with NAD+ being pushed toward the substrate by Val260. With a decrease in temperature, the motion together of the cofactor and substrate is reversed, and at 298 K, the nicotinamide ring of the cofactor moves away from the substrate. Both the distance between and the angle of approach of C4 of NAD+ and HD of EtO- become distorted from those of the reactive conformation. The percentages of ground state present as the reactive conformation at different temperatures are approximately correlated with the kcat for the htADH enzymatic reaction. The rate constant for the htADH x NAD+ x EtOH --> htADH x NAD+ x EtO- proton dissociation, which is mediated by Thr40-OH, becomes slower at lower temperatures. The time-dependent distance between EtO- and Thr40-OH reveals that the Thr40 hydroxyl group sways between the substrate and NAD+ ribose 2'-hydroxyl group at the optimal enzyme growth temperature, and this movement is effectively frozen out as the temperature decreases. The temperature dependence of active site conformations is due to the change in both long-range and short-range motions of the E x S complex.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗

Detection of NADH and ethanol based on catalytic activity of soluble carbon nanofiber with low overpotential.

The excellent catalytic activity of a novel carbon nanomaterial, soluble carbon nanofiber (CNF) with good dispersion and wettability, to the oxidation of dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) was described for biosensing application. The edge plane sites and oxygen-rich groups presented on the CNF surface could be partially responsible for its electrocatalytic behavior, which induced a substantial decrease by 573 mV in the overpotential of NADH oxidation reaction (compared to a bare electrode). The CNF-coated electrode thus allowed highly sensitive amperometric detection of NADH with a low limit of detection (0.11 muM), low applied potential (+0.06 V), and minimization of surface fouling. Such ability of CNF to promote the electron transfer between NADH and the electrode suggested a new, promising biocompatible platform for development of dehydrogenase-based amperometric biosensors. With alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) as a model, the ADH/CNF-modified electrode could be constructed by a simple casting process. The proposed biosensor showed rapid and highly sensitive amperometric response to ethanol with acceptable preparation reproducibility and excellent stability.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗