Search results for "molecular dynamics"

VCD studies on cyclic peptides assembled from L-α-amino acids and a trans-2-aminocyclopentane- or trans-2-aminocyclohexane carboxylic acid.

2010

The increasing interest in peptidomimetics of biological relevance prompted us to synthesize a series of cyclic peptides comprising trans-2-aminocyclohexane carboxylic acid (Achc) or trans-2-aminocyclopentane carboxylic acid (Acpc). NMR experiments in combination with MD calculations were performed to investigate the three-dimensional structure of the cyclic peptides. These data were compared to the conformational information obtained by electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectroscopy. Experimental VCD spectra were compared to theoretical VCD spectra computed quantum chemically at B3LYP/6-31G(d) density functional theory (DFT) level. The good agreem…

Combined spectroscopic and theoretical analysis of the binding of a water-soluble perylene diimide to DNA/RNA polynucleotides and G-quadruplexes.

2021

We present here a combined spectroscopic and theoretical analysis of the binding of N,N’-bis(2-(1-piperazino)ethyl)-3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic acid diimide dichloride (PZPERY) to different biosubstrates. Absorbance titrations and circular dichroism experiments, melting studies and isothermal calorimetry (ITC) titrations reveal a picture where the binding to natural double-stranded DNA is very different from that to double and triple-stranded RNAs (poly(A)∙poly(U) and poly(U)∙poly(A)⁎poly(U)). As confirmed also by the structural and energetic details clarified by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, intercalation occurs for DNA, with a process driven by the combination of aggr…

Experimental and theoretical characterization of the strong effects on DNA stability caused by half-sandwich Ru(II) and Ir(III) bearing thiabendazole…

2020

Abstract: The synthesis and characterization of two half-sandwich complexes of Ru(II) and Ir(III) with thiabendazole as ancillary ligand and their DNA binding ability were investigated using experimental and computational methods. 1H NMR and acid–base studies have shown that aquo-complexes are the reactive species. Kinetic studies show that both complexes bind covalently to DNA through the metal site and non covalently through the ancillary ligand. Thermal stability studies, viscosity, circular dichroism measurements and quantum chemical calculations have shown that the covalent binding causes breaking of the H-bonding between base pairs, bringing about DNA denaturation and compaction. Addi…

Carnosine Inhibits Aβ42Aggregation by Perturbing the H-Bond Network in and around the Central Hydrophobic Cluster

2013

Aggregation of the amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) into fibrillar structures is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Thus, preventing self-assembly of the Aβ peptide is an attractive therapeutic strategy. Here, we used experimental techniques and atomistic simulations to investigate the influence of carnosine, a dipeptide naturally occurring in the brain, on Aβ aggregation. Scanning force microscopy, circular dichroism and thioflavin T fluorescence experiments showed that carnosine does not modify the conformational features of Aβ42 but nonetheless inhibits amyloid growth. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations indicated that carnosine interacts transiently with monomeric Aβ42 by salt bridges with charge…

Novel atrazine-binding biomimetics inspired to the D1 protein from the photosystem II of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

2020

Biomimetic design represents an emerging field for improving knowledge of natural molecules, as well as to project novel artificial tools with specific functions for biosensing. Effective strategies have been exploited to design artificial bioreceptors, taking inspiration from complex supramolecular assemblies. Among them, size-minimization strategy sounds promising to provide bioreceptors with tuned sensitivity, stability, and selectivity, through the ad hoc manipulation of chemical species at the molecular scale. Herein, a novel biomimetic peptide enabling herbicide binding was designed bioinspired to the D1 protein of the Photosystem II of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The D1…

Forever Young: Structural Stability of Telomeric Guanine Quadruplexes in the Presence of Oxidative DNA Lesions**

2021

International audience; Human telomeric DNA, in G-quadruplex (G4) conformation, is characterized by a remarkable structural stability that confers it the capacity to resist to oxidative stress producing one or even clustered 8-oxoguanine (8oxoG) lesions. We present a combined experimental/computational investigation, by using circular dichroism in aqueous solutions, cellular immunofluorescence assays and molecular dynamics simulations, that identifies the crucial role of the stability of G4s to oxidative lesions, related also to their biological role as inhibitors of telomerase, an enzyme overexpressed in most cancers associated to oxidative stress.

Nickel(II), copper(II) and zinc(II) metallo-intercalators: structural details of the DNA-binding by a combined experimental and computational investi…

2014

We present a thorough characterization of the interaction of novel nickel(II) (1), copper(II) (2) and zinc(II) (3) Schiff base complexes with native calf thymus DNA (ct-DNA), in buffered aqueous solution at pH 7.5. UV-vis absorption, circular dichroism (CD) and viscometry titrations provided clear evidence of the intercalative mechanism of the three square-planar metal complexes, allowing us to determine the intrinsic DNA-binding constants (K(b)), equal to 1.3 × 10(7), 2.9 × 10(6), and 6.2 × 10(5) M(-1) for 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Preferential affinity, of one order of magnitude, toward AT compared to GC base pair sequences was detected by UV-vis absorption titrations of 1 with [poly(dG-d…

Modeling ?-lactam interactions in aqueous solution through combined quantum mechanics-molecular mechanics methods

1999

A method for detecting vacancy diffusion in molecular dynamics

1992

Computational Approaches: Drug Discovery and Design in Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics

2021

To date, computational approaches have been recognized as a key component in drug design and discovery workflows. Developed to help researchers save time and reduce costs, several computational tools have been developed and implemented in the last twenty years. At present, they are routinely used to identify a therapeutic target, understand ligand–protein and protein–protein interactions, and identify orthosteric and allosteric binding sites, but their primary use remains the identification of hits through ligand-based and structure-based virtual screening and the optimization of lead compounds, followed by the estimation of the binding free energy. The repurposing of an old drug for the tr…