Search results for "Molecular Dynamics Simulation"

Best Practices in Constant pH MD Simulations: Accuracy and Sampling

2022

Various approaches have been proposed to include the effect of pH in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Among these, the λ-dynamics approach proposed by Brooks and co-workers [Kong, X.; Brooks III, C. L. J. Chem. Phys.1996, 105, 2414−2423] can be performed with little computational overhead and hfor each typeence be used to routinely perform MD simulations at microsecond time scales, as shown in the accompanying paper [Aho, N. et al. J. Chem. Theory Comput.2022, DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.2c00516]. At such time scales, however, the accuracy of the molecular mechanics force field and the parametrization becomes critical. Here, we address these issues and provide the community with guidelines on…

Case-specific performance of MM-PBSA, MM-GBSA, and SIE in virtual screening.

2015

In drug discovery the reliable prediction of binding free energies is of crucial importance. Methods that combine molecular mechanics force fields with continuum solvent models have become popular because of their high accuracy and relatively good computational efficiency. In this research we studied the performance of molecular mechanics generalized Born surface area (MM-GBSA), molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA), and solvated interaction energy (SIE) both in their virtual screening efficiency and their ability to predict experimentally determined binding affinities for five different protein targets. The protein-ligand complexes were derived with two different app…

Multiphoton Absorption of Myoglobin Nitric-Oxide complex: Relaxation by D-NEMD of a Stationary State

2012

ABSTRACT: The photodissociation and geminate recombination of nitric oxide in myoglobin, under continuous illumination, is modeled computationally. The relaxation of the photon energy into the protein matrix is also considered in a single simulation scheme that mimics a complete experimental setup. The dynamic approach to non-equilibrium molecular dynamics is used, starting from a steady state, to compute its relaxation to equilibrium. Simulations are conducted for the native form of sperm whale myoglobin and for two other mutants, V68W and L29F, illustrating a fair diversity of spatial and temporal geminate recombination processes. Energy flow to the heme and immediate protein environment …

Structure‐ and Interaction‐Based Design of Anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 Aptamers

2022

Aptamer selection against novel infections is a complicated and time-consuming approach. Synergy can be achieved by using computational methods together with experimental procedures. This study aims to develop a reliable methodology for a rational aptamer in silico et vitro design. The new approach combines multiple steps: (1) Molecular design, based on screening in a DNA aptamer library and directed mutagenesis to fit the protein tertiary structure; (2) 3D molecular modeling of the target; (3) Molecular docking of an aptamer with the protein; (4) Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the complexes; (5) Quantum-mechanical (QM) evaluation of the interactions between aptamer and target with …

Explicit proton transfer in classical molecular dynamics simulations.

2014

We present Hydrogen Dynamics (HYDYN), a method that allows explicit proton transfer in classical force field molecular dynamics simulations at thermodynamic equilibrium. HYDYN reproduces the characteristic properties of the excess proton in water, from the special pair dance, to the continuous fluctuation between the limiting Eigen and Zundel complexes, and the water reorientation beyond the first solvation layer. Advantages of HYDYN with respect to existing methods are computational efficiency, microscopic reversibility, and easy parameterization for any force field peerReviewed

Cosolutes affect structure and dynamics of myoglobin-trehalose amorphous systems: a FTIR and MD study

2013

Synthesis and Structure-Affinity Relationships of Spirocyclic Benzopyrans with Exocyclic Amino Moiety

2019

σ1 and/or σ2 receptors play a crucial role in pathological conditions such as pain, neurodegenerative disorders, and cancer. A set of spirocyclic cyclohexanes with diverse O-heterocycles and amino moieties (general structure III) was prepared and pharmacologically evaluated. In structure-activity relationships studies, the σ1 receptor affinity and σ1:σ2 selectivity were correlated with the stereochemistry, the kind and substitution pattern of the O-heterocycle, and the substituents at the exocyclic amino moiety. cis-configured 2-benzopyran cis-11b bearing a methoxy group and a tertiary cyclohexylmethylamino moiety showed the highest σ1 affinity ( Ki = 1.9 nM) of this series of compounds. In…

Force Distribution Analysis of Mechanochemically Reactive Dimethylcyclobutene

2013

Internal molecular forces can guide chemical reactions, yet are not straightforwardly accessible within a quantum mechanical description of the reacting molecules. Here, we present a force-matching force distribution analysis (FM-FDA) to analyze internal forces in molecules. We simulated the ring opening of trans-3,4-dimethylcyclobutene (tDCB) with on-the-fly semiempirical molecular dynamics. The self-consistent density functional tight binding (SCC-DFTB) method accurately described the force-dependent ring-opening kinetics of tDCB, showing quantitative agreement with both experimental and computational data at higher levels. Mechanical force was applied in two different ways, namely, exter…

Molecular Basis of SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1-Induced Immune Translational Shutdown as Revealed by All-Atom Simulations.

2021

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic represents the most severe global health crisis in modern human history. One of the major SARS-CoV-2 virulence factors is nonstructural protein 1 (Nsp1), which, outcompeting with the binding of host mRNA to the human ribosome, triggers a translation shutdown of the host immune system. Here, microsecond-long all-atom simulations of the C-terminal portion of the SARS-CoV-2/SARS-CoV Nsp1 in complex with the 40S ribosome disclose that SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1 has evolved from its SARS-CoV ortholog to more effectively hijack the ribosome by undergoing a critical switch of Q/E158 and E/Q159 residues that perfects Nsp1's interactions…

Mechanisms of irreversible aquaporin-10 inhibition by organogold compounds studied by combined biophysical methods and atomistic simulations

2021

Abstract The inhibition of glycerol permeation via human aquaporin-10 (hAQP10) by organometallic gold complexes has been studied by stopped-flow fluorescence spectroscopy, and its mechanism has been described using molecular modelling and atomistic simulations. The most effective hAQP10 inhibitors are cyclometalated Au(III) C^N compounds known to efficiently react with cysteine residues leading to the formation of irreversible C–S bonds. Functional assays also demonstrate the irreversibility of the binding to hAQP10 by the organometallic complexes. The obtained computational results by metadynamics show that the local arylation of Cys209 in hAQP10 by one of the gold inhibitors is mapped int…