Yoshiharu Mori

Enhanced sampling algorithms.

In biomolecular systems (especially all-atom models) with many degrees of freedom such as proteins and nucleic acids, there exist an astronomically large number of local-minimum-energy states. Conventional simulations in the canonical ensemble are of little use, because they tend to get trapped in states of these energy local minima. Enhanced conformational sampling techniques are thus in great demand. A simulation in generalized ensemble performs a random walk in potential energy space and can overcome this difficulty. From only one simulation run, one can obtain canonical-ensemble averages of physical quantities as functions of temperature by the single-histogram and/or multiple-histogram reweighting techniques. In this article we review uses of the generalized-ensemble algorithms in biomolecular systems. Three well-known methods, namely, multicanonical algorithm, simulated tempering, and replica-exchange method, are described first. Both Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics versions of the algorithms are given. We then present various extensions of these three generalized-ensemble algorithms. The effectiveness of the methods is tested with short peptide and protein systems.

Replica-Exchange Molecular Dynamics Simulations for Various Constant Temperature Algorithms

In the replica-exchange molecular dynamics method, where constant-temperature molecular dynamics simulations are performed in each replica, one usually rescales the momentum of each particle after replica exchange. This rescaling method had previously been worked out only for the Gaussian constraint method. In this article, we present momentum rescaling formulae for four other commonly used constant-temperature algorithms, namely, Langevin dynamics, Andersen algorithm, Nose–Hoover thermostat, and Nose–Poincare thermostat. The effectiveness of these rescaling methods is tested with a small biomolecular system, and it is shown that proper momentum rescaling is necessary to obtain correct results in the canonical ensemble.

Generalized-Ensemble Algorithms for the Isobaric–Isothermal Ensemble

We present generalized-ensemble algorithms for isobaric–isothermal molecular simulations. In addition to the multibaric–multithermal algorithm and replica-exchange method for the isobaric–isothermal ensemble, which have already been proposed, we propose a simulated tempering method for this ensemble. We performed molecular dynamics simulations with these algorithms for an alanine dipeptide system in explicit water molecules to test the effectiveness of the algorithms. We found that these generalized-ensemble algorithms are all useful for conformational sampling of biomolecular systems in the isobaric–isothermal ensemble.

Pressure-Induced Helical Structure of a Peptide Studied by Simulated Tempering Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

It is known experimentally that an AK16 peptide forms more α-helix structures with increasing pressure while proteins unfold in general. In order to understand this abnormality, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with the simulated tempering method for the isobaric-isothermal ensemble were performed in a wide pressure range from 1.0 × 10(-4) GPa to 1.4 GPa. From the results of the simulations, it is found that the fraction of the folded state decreases once and increases after that with increasing pressure. The partial molar volume change from the folded state to unfolded state increases monotonically from a negative value to a positive value with pressure. The behavior under high pressure conditions is consistent with the experimental results. The radius of gyration of highly helical structures decreases with increasing pressure, which indicates that the helix structure shrinks with pressure. This is the reason why the fraction of the folded state increases as pressure increases.

Molecular mechanism of long-range synergetic color tuning between multiple amino acid residues in conger rhodopsin

The synergetic effects of multiple rhodopsin mutations on color tuning need to be completely elucidated. Systematic genetic studies and spectroscopy have demonstrated an interesting example of synergetic color tuning between two amino acid residues in conger rhodopsin’s ancestral pigment (p501): — a double mutation at one nearby and one distant residue led to a significant λmax blue shift of 13 nm, whereas neither of the single mutations at these two sites led to meaningful shifts. To analyze the molecular mechanisms of this synergetic color tuning, we performed homology modeling, molecular simulations, and electronic state calculations. For the double mutant, N195A/A292S, in silico mutation analysis demonstrated conspicuous structural changes in the retinal chromophore, whereas that of the single mutant, A292S, was almost unchanged. Using statistical ensembles of QM/MM optimized structures, the excitation energy of retinal chromophore was evaluated for the three visual pigments. As a result, the λmax shift of double mutant (DM) from p501 was −8 nm, while that of single mutant (SM) from p501 was +1 nm. Molecular dynamics simulation for DM demonstrated frequent isomerization between 6-s-cis and 6-s-trans conformers. Unexpectedly, however, the two conformers exhibited almost identical excitation energy, whereas principal component analysis (PCA) identified the retinal-counterion cooperative change of BLA (bond length alternation) and retinal-counterion interaction lead to the shift.

Molecular dynamics of the structural changes of helical peptides induced by pressure.

An AK16 peptide and a C‐peptide analog are experimentally known to form more helical structures under high‐pressure conditions than those at atmospheric pressure, even though most proteins usually unfold at high pressure. To understand the pressure‐induced structural changes of the two peptides, molecular dynamics simulations with the simulated tempering method for the isobaric‐isothermal ensemble were performed in a wide pressure range from 0.1 MPa to 1.4 GPa. We found that the fraction of the folded state decreases once and then increases with increasing pressure for both peptides. The partial molar volume change of both peptides from the folded state to the unfolded state increases monotonically from a negative value to a positive value as pressure increases. By calculating the radius of gyration and interatomic distances of the AK16 peptide and the C‐peptide analog, we found that these peptides are compressed under high‐pressure conditions, which causes the folded state to be more stable at high pressure. Furthermore, we found that the salt bridge of the C‐peptide analog is broken under high pressure. Proteins 2014; 82:2970–2981.

Structural basis of TRPA1 inhibition by HC-030031 utilizing species-specific differences

Pain is a harmful sensation that arises from noxious stimuli. Transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) is one target for studying pain mechanisms. TRPA1 is activated by various stimuli such as noxious cold, pungent natural products and environmental irritants. Since TRPA1 is an attractive target for pain therapy, a few TRPA1 antagonists have been developed and some function as analgesic agents. The responses of TRPA1 to agonists and antagonists vary among species and these species differences have been utilized to identify the structural basis of activation and inhibition mechanisms. The TRPA1 antagonist HC-030031 (HC) failed to inhibit frog TRPA1 (fTRPA1) and zebrafish TRPA1 activity induced by cinnamaldehyde (CA), but did inhibit human TRPA1 (hTRPA1) in a heterologous expression system. Chimeric studies between fTRPA1 and hTRPA1, as well as analyses using point mutants, revealed that a single amino acid residue (N855 in hTRPA1) significantly contributes to the inhibitory action of HC. Moreover, the N855 residue and the C-terminus region exhibited synergistic effects on the inhibition by HC. Molecular dynamics simulation suggested that HC stably binds to hTRPA1-N855. These findings provide novel insights into the structure-function relationship of TRPA1 and could lead to the development of more effective analgesics targeted to TRPA1.

Modeling 15N NMR chemical shift changes in protein backbone with pressure

Nitrogen chemical shift is a useful parameter for determining the backbone three-dimensional structure of proteins. Empirical models for fast calculation of N chemical shift are improving their reliability, but there are subtle effects that cannot be easily interpreted. Among these, the effects of slight changes in hydrogen bonds, both intramolecular and with water molecules in the solvent, are particularly difficult to predict. On the other hand, these hydrogen bonds are sensitive to changes in protein environment. In this work, the change of N chemical shift with pressure for backbone segments in the protein ubiquitin is correlated with the change in the population of hydrogen bonds involving the backbone amide group. The different extent of interaction of protein backbone with the water molecules in the solvent is put in evidence.

Conformational changes of ubiquitin under high pressure conditions: A pressure simulated tempering molecular dynamics study

Molecular dynamics simulations for the system of ubiquitin were performed with pressure simulated tempering to study pressure‐induced conformational changes of ubiquitin. The pressure dependence of ubiquitin was analyzed in a wide range of pressure from atmospheric pressure (0.1 MPa) to 1.0 GPa. The fluctuation of the distance between amino‐acid residues and the distribution of a largely fluctuating distance were calculated. The large fluctuation of the L8‐E34 distance induced by pressure means that the conformation of ubiquitin changes under high pressure conditions. There were more water molecules near the largely fluctuating region at high pressure than at low pressure. The pressure dependence of interaction energies among ubiquitin and water was also calculated to investigate the role of water for the pressure‐induced conformational changes of ubiquitin. The protein–water interaction is important when the conformation of ubiquitin changes at high pressure.

Simulated tempering based on global balance or detailed balance conditions: Suwa-Todo, heat bath, and Metropolis algorithms.

Simulated tempering (ST) is a useful method to enhance sampling of molecular simulations. When ST is used, the Metropolis algorithm, which satisfies the detailed balance condition, is usually applied to calculate the transition probability. Recently, an alternative method that satisfies the global balance condition instead of the detailed balance condition has been proposed by Suwa and Todo. In this study, ST method with the Suwa–Todo algorithm is proposed. Molecular dynamics simulations with ST are performed with three algorithms (the Metropolis, heat bath, and Suwa–Todo algorithms) to calculate the transition probability. Among the three algorithms, the Suwa–Todo algorithm yields the highest acceptance ratio and the shortest autocorrelation time. These suggest that sampling by a ST simulation with the Suwa–Todo algorithm is most efficient. In addition, because the acceptance ratio of the Suwa–Todo algorithm is higher than that of the Metropolis algorithm, the number of temperature states can be reduced by 25% for the Suwa–Todo algorithm when compared with the Metropolis algorithm.