Sudipta Kumar Sinha

Differential flexibility of the secondary structures of lysozyme and the structure and ordering of surrounding water molecules

We have performed an atomistic molecular dynamics simulation of an aqueous solution of hen egg-white lysozyme at room temperature with explicit water molecules. Several analyses have been carried out to explore the differential flexibility of the secondary structural segments of the protein and the structure and ordering of water around them. It is found that the overall flexibility of the protein molecule is primarily controlled by few large-amplitude bistable motions exhibited by two coils; one connecting two α-helical segments in domain-1 and the other connecting a 3(10) helix and a β-sheet in domain-2 of the protein. The heterogeneous structuring of water around the segments of the protein has been found to depend on the degree of exposure of the segments to water. The ordering of water molecules around the protein segments and their tagged potential energies have been found to be anticorrelated with each other. Some of these findings can be verified by suitable experimental studies.

Dynamic properties of water around a protein–DNA complex from molecular dynamics simulations

Formation of protein-DNA complex is an important step in regulation of genes in living organisms. One important issue in this problem is the role played by water in mediating the protein-DNA interactions. In this work, we have carried out atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to explore the heterogeneous dynamics of water molecules present in different regions around a complex formed between the DNA binding domain of human TRF1 protein and a telomeric DNA. It is demonstrated that such heterogeneous water motions around the complex are correlated with the relaxation time scales of hydrogen bonds formed by those water molecules with the protein and DNA. The calculations reveal the existence of a fraction of extraordinarily restricted water molecules forming a highly rigid thin layer in between the binding motifs of the protein and DNA. It is further proved that higher rigidity of water layers around the complex originates from more frequent reformations of broken water-water hydrogen bonds. Importantly, it is found that the formation of the complex affects the transverse and longitudinal degrees of freedom of surrounding water molecules in a nonuniform manner.

Investigating Hydrophilic Pores in Model Lipid Bilayers Using Molecular Simulations: Correlating Bilayer Properties with Pore-Formation Thermodynamics.

Cell-penetrating and antimicrobial peptides show a remarkable ability to translocate across physiological membranes. Along with factors such as electric-potential-induced perturbations of membrane structure and surface tension effects, experiments invoke porelike membrane configurations during the solute transfer process into vesicles and cells. The initiation and formation of pores are associated with a nontrivial free-energy cost, thus necessitating a consideration of the factors associated with pore formation and the attendant free energies. Because of experimental and modeling challenges related to the long time scales of the translocation process, we use umbrella sampling molecular dynamics simulations with a lipid-density-based order parameter to investigate membrane-pore-formation free energy employing Martini coarse-grained models. We investigate structure and thermodynamic features of the pore in 18 lipids spanning a range of headgroups, charge states, acyl chain lengths, and saturation. We probe the dependence of pore-formation barriers on the area per lipid, lipid bilayer thickness, and membrane bending rigidities in three different lipid classes. The pore-formation free energy in pure bilayers and peptide translocating scenarios are significantly coupled with bilayer thickness. Thicker bilayers require more reversible work to create pores. The pore-formation free energy is higher in peptide-lipid systems than in peptide-free lipid systems due to penalties to maintain the solvation of charged hydrophilic solutes within the membrane environment.

Translocation thermodynamics of linear and cyclic nonaarginine into model DPPC bilayer via coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation: implications of pore formation and nonadditivity.

Structural mechanisms and underlying thermodynamic determinants of efficient internalization of charged cationic peptides (cell-penetrating peptides, CPPs) such as TAT, polyarginine, and their variants, into cells, cellular constructs, and model membrane/lipid bilayers (large and giant unilamellar or multilamelar vesicles) continue to garner significant attention. Two widely held views on the translocation mechanism center on endocytotic and nonendocytotic (diffusive) processes. Espousing the view of a purely diffusive internalization process (supported by recent experimental evidence, [Säälik, P.; et al. J. Controlled Release2011, 153, 117–125]), we consider the underlying free energetics of the translocation of a nonaarginine peptide (Arg9) into a model DPPC bilayer. In the case of the Arg9 cationic peptide, recent experiments indicate a higher internalization efficiency of the cyclic structure (cyclic Arg9) relative to the linear conformer. Furthermore, recent all-atom resolution molecular dynamics simulations of cyclic Arg9 [Huang, K.; et al. Biophys. J., 2013, 104, 412–420] suggested a critical stabilizing role of water- and lipid-constituted pores that form within the bilayer as the charged Arg9 translocates deep into the bilayer center. Herein, we use umbrella sampling molecular dynamics simulations with coarse-grained Martini lipids, polarizable coarse-grained water, and peptide to explore the dependence of translocation free energetics on peptide structure and conformation via calculation of potentials of mean force along preselected reaction paths allowing and preventing membrane deformations that lead to pore formation. Within the context of the coarse-grained force fields we employ, we observe significant barriers for Arg9 translocation from bulk aqueous solution to bilayer center. Moreover, we do not find free-energy minima in the headgroup–water interfacial region, as observed in simulations using all-atom force fields. The pore-forming paths systematically predict lower free-energy barriers (ca. 90 kJ/mol lower) than the non pore-forming paths, again consistent with all-atom force field simulations. The current force field suggests no preference for the more compact or covalently cyclic structures upon entering the bilayer. Decomposition of the PMF into the system’s components indicates that the dominant stabilizing contribution along the pore-forming path originates from the membrane as both layers of it deformed due to the formation of pore. Furthermore, our analysis revealed that although there is significant entropic stabilization arising from the enhanced configurational entropy exposing more states as the peptide moves through the bilayer, the enthalpic loss (as predicted by the interactions of this coarse-grained model) far outweighs any former stabilization, thus leading to significant barrier to translocation. Finally, we observe reduction in the translocation free-energy barrier for a second Arg9 entering the bilayer in the presence of an initial peptide restrained at the center, again, in qualitative agreement with all-atom force fields.

Insights into Thiol–Aromatic Interactions: A Stereoelectronic Basis for S–H/π Interactions

Thiols can engage favorably with aromatic rings in S-H/π interactions, within abiological systems and within proteins. However, the underlying bases for S-H/π interactions are not well understood. The crystal structure of Boc-l-4-thiolphenylalanine tert-butyl ester revealed crystal organization centered on the interaction of the thiol S-H with the aromatic ring of an adjacent molecule, with a through-space Hthiol···Caromatic distance of 2.71 Å, below the 2.90 Å sum of the van der Waals radii of H and C. The nature of this interaction was further examined by DFT calculations, IR spectroscopy, solid-state NMR spectroscopy, and analysis of the Cambridge Structural Database. The S-H/π interaction was found to be driven significantly by favorable molecular orbital interactions, between an aromatic π donor orbital and the S-H σ* acceptor orbital (a π → σ* interaction). For comparison, a structural analysis of O-H/π interactions and of cation/π interactions of alkali metal cations with aromatic rings was conducted. Na+ and K+ exhibit a significant preference for the centroid of the aromatic ring and distances near the sum of the van der Waals and ionic radii, as expected for predominantly electrostatic interactions. Li+ deviates substantially from Na+ and K+. The S-H/π interaction differs from classical cation/π interactions by the preferential alignment of the S-H σ* toward the ring carbons and an aromatic π orbital rather than toward the aromatic centroid. These results describe a potentially broadly applicable approach to understanding the interactions of weakly polar bonds with π systems.

Conformational fluctuations of a protein–DNA complex and the structure and ordering of water around it

Protein-DNA binding is an important process responsible for the regulation of genetic activities in living organisms. The most crucial issue in this problem is how the protein recognizes the DNA and identifies its target base sequences. Water molecules present around the protein and DNA are also expected to play an important role in mediating the recognition process and controlling the structure of the complex. We have performed atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of an aqueous solution of the protein-DNA complex formed between the DNA binding domain of human TRF1 protein and a telomeric DNA. The conformational fluctuations of the protein and DNA and the microscopic structure and ordering of water around them in the complex have been explored. In agreement with experimental studies, the calculations reveal conformational immobilization of the terminal segments of the protein on complexation. Importantly, it is discovered that both structural adaptations of the protein and DNA, and the subsequent correlation between them to bind, contribute to the net entropy loss associated with the complex formation. Further, it is found that water molecules around the DNA are more structured with significantly higher density and ordering than that around the protein in the complex.

Reconciling structural and thermodynamic predictions using all-atom and coarse-grain force fields: the case of charged oligo-arginine translocation into DMPC bilayers.

Using the translocation of short, charged cationic oligo-arginine peptides (mono-, di-, and triarginine) from bulk aqueous solution into model DMPC bilayers, we explore the question of the similarity of thermodynamic and structural predictions obtained from molecular dynamics simulations using all-atom and Martini coarse-grain force fields. Specifically, we estimate potentials of mean force associated with translocation using standard all-atom (CHARMM36 lipid) and polarizable and nonpolarizable Martini force fields, as well as a series of modified Martini-based parameter sets. We find that we are able to reproduce qualitative features of potentials of mean force of single amino acid side chain analogues into model bilayers. In particular, modifications of peptide–water and peptide–membrane interactions allow prediction of free energy minima at the bilayer–water interface as obtained with all-atom force fields. In the case of oligo-arginine peptides, the modified parameter sets predict interfacial free energy minima as well as free energy barriers in almost quantitative agreement with all-atom force field based simulations. Interfacial free energy minima predicted by a modified coarse-grained parameter set are −2.51, −4.28, and −5.42 for mono-, di-, and triarginine; corresponding values from all-atom simulations are −0.83, −3.33, and −3.29, respectively, all in units of kcal/mol. We found that a stronger interaction between oligo-arginine and the membrane components and a weaker interaction between oligo-arginine and water are crucial for producing such minima in PMFs using the polarizable CG model. The difference between bulk aqueous and bilayer center states predicted by the modified coarse-grain force field are 11.71, 14.14, and 16.53 kcal/mol, and those by the all-atom model are 6.94, 8.64, and 12.80 kcal/mol; those are of almost the same order of magnitude. Our simulations also demonstrate a remarkable similarity in the structural aspects of the ensemble of configurations generated using the all-atom and coarse-grain force fields. Both resolutions show that oligo-arginine peptides adopt preferential orientations as they translocate into the bilayer. The guiding theme centers on charged groups maintaining coordination with polar and charged bilayer components as well as local water. We also observe similar behaviors related with membrane deformations.

Secondary Structure Specific Entropy Change of a Partially Unfolded Protein Molecule

The conformational disorder of a protein in its partially unfolded molten globule (MG) form leads to an overall gain in the configurational entropy of the protein molecule. However, considering the differential degree of unfolding of different secondary structural segments of the protein, the entropy gained by them may be nonuniform. In this work, our attempt has been to explore whether any correlation exists between the degree of unfolding of different segments of a protein and their entropy gains. For that, we have carried out atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of the folded native and a partially unfolded structures of the protein villin headpiece subdomain or HP-36 in aqueous medium. It is found that among the three alpha-helical segments of the protein, the central alpha-helix (helix-2) underwent unfolding during the transition with a consequent entropy gain significantly higher than that of the other two helical segments. The calculations further revealed that the differential entropy gain by the segments of a protein can be used as an effective measure to identify the unfolded segments of the protein and hence to explore the folding pathways.

Size-Dependent Conformational Features of Aβ17–42 Protofilaments from Molecular Simulation Studies

Alzheimers disease is caused due to aggregation of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide into soluble oligomers and insoluble fibrils in the brain. In this study, we have performed room temperature molecular dynamics simulations to probe the size-dependent conformational features and thermodynamic stabilities of five Aβ17-42 protofilaments, namely, O5 (pentamer), O8 (octamer), O10 (decamer), O12 (dodecamer), and O14 (tetradecamer). Analysis of the free energy profiles of the aggregates showed that the higher order protofilaments (O10, O12, and O14) undergo conformational transitions between two minimum energy states separated by small energy barriers, while the smaller aggregates (O5 and O8) remain in single deep minima surrounded by high barriers. Importantly, it is demonstrated that O10 is the crossover point for which the twisting of the protofilament is maximum, beyond which the monomers tend to rearrange themselves in an intermediate state and eventually transform into more stable conformations. Our results suggest that the addition of monomers along the axis of an existing protofilament with a critical size (O10 according to the present study) proceeds via an intermediate step with relatively less stable twisted structure that allows the additional monomers to bind and form stable larger protofilaments with minor rearrangements among themselves. More importantly, it is demonstrated that a combination of twist angle and end-to-end distance can be used as a suitable reaction coordinate to describe the growth mechanism of Aβ protofilaments in simulation studies.

Polar solvation dynamics of lysozyme from molecular dynamics studies

The solvation dynamics of a protein are believed to be sensitive to its secondary structures. We have explored such sensitivity in this article by performing room temperature molecular dynamics simulation of an aqueous solution of lysozyme. Nonuniform long-time relaxation patterns of the solvation time correlation function for different segments of the protein have been observed. It is found that relatively slower long-time solvation components of the α-helices and β-sheets of the protein are correlated with lower exposure of their polar probe residues to bulk solvent and hence stronger interactions with the dynamically restricted surface water molecules. These findings can be verified by appropriate experimental studies.