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In Gram-negative bacteria, TonB-dependent outer-membrane transporters bind large, scarce organometallic substrates with high affinity preceding active transport. The cobalamin transporter BtuB requires the additional binding of two Ca(2+) ions before substrate binding can occur, but the underlying molecular mechanism is unknown. Using the crystallographic structures available for different bound states of BtuB, we have carried out extended molecular dynamics simulations of multiple functional states of BtuB to address the role of Ca(2+) in substrate recruitment. We find that Ca(2+) binding both stabilizes and repositions key extracellular loops of BtuB, optimizing interactions with the substrate. Interestingly, replacement by Mg(2+) abolishes this effect, in accordance with experiments. Using a set of new force-field parameters developed for cyanocobalamin, we also simulated the substrate-bound form of BtuB, where we observed interactions not seen in the crystal structure between the substrate and loops previously found to be important for binding and transport. Based on our results, we suggest that the large size of cobalamin compared to other TonB-dependent transporter substrates explains the requirement of Ca(2+) binding for high-affinity substrate recruitment in BtuB.

Major facilitators represent the largest superfamily of secondary active transporter proteins and catalyze the transport of an enormous variety of small solute molecules across biological membranes. However, individual superfamily members, although they may be architecturally similar, exhibit strict specificity toward the substrates they transport. The structural basis of this specificity is poorly understood. A member of the major facilitator superfamily is the glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) transporter (GlpT) from the Escherichia coli inner membrane. GlpT is an antiporter that transports G3P into the cell in exchange for inorganic phosphate (P(i)). By combining large-scale molecular-dynamics simulations, mutagenesis, substrate-binding affinity, and transport activity assays on GlpT, we were able to identify key amino acid residues that confer substrate specificity upon this protein. Our studies suggest that only a few amino acid residues that line the transporter lumen act as specificity determinants. Whereas R45, K80, H165, and, to a lesser extent Y38, Y42, and Y76 contribute to recognition of both free P(i) and the phosphate moiety of G3P, the residues N162, Y266, and Y393 function in recognition of only the glycerol moiety of G3P. It is the latter interactions that give the transporter a higher affinity to G3P over P(i).

The clotting cascade requires the assembly of protease-cofactor complexes on membranes with exposed anionic phospholipids. Despite their importance, protein-membrane interactions in clotting remain relatively poorly understood. Calcium ions are known to induce anionic phospholipids to cluster, and we propose that clotting proteins assemble preferentially on such anionic lipid-rich microdomains. Until recently, there was no way to control the partitioning of clotting proteins into or out of specific membrane microdomains, so experimenters only knew the average contributions of phospholipids to blood clotting. The development of nanoscale membrane bilayers (Nanodiscs) has now allowed us to probe, with nanometer resolution, how local variations in phospholipid composition regulate the activity of key protease-cofactor complexes in blood clotting. Furthermore, exciting new progress in solid-state NMR and large-scale molecular dynamics simulations allow structural insights into interactions between proteins and membrane surfaces with atomic resolution.

Detailed insight into the interplay between antimicrobial peptides and biological membranes is fundamental to our understanding of the mechanism of bacterial ion channels and the action of these in biological host-defense systems. To explore this interplay, we have studied the incorporation, membrane-bound structure, and conformation of the antimicrobial peptide alamethicin in lipid bilayers using a combination of 1H liquid-state NMR spectroscopy and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. On the basis of experimental NMR data, we evaluate simple in-plane and transmembrane incorporation models as well as pore formation for alamethicin in DMPC/DHPC (1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine/1,2-dihexanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine) bicelles. Peptide-lipid nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) and paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) data support a transmembrane configuration of the peptide in the bilayers, but they also reveal that the system cannot be described by a single simple conformational model because there is a very high degree of dynamics and heterogeneity in the three-component system. To explore the origin of this heterogeneity and dynamics, we have compared the NOE and PRE data with MD simulations of an ensemble of alamethicin peptides in a DMPC bilayer. From all-atom MD simulations, the contacts between peptide, lipid, and water protons are quantified over a time interval up to 95 ns. The MD simulations provide a statistical base that reflects our NMR data and even can explain some initially surprising NMR results concerning specific interactions between alamethicin and the lipids.

Plant plasma membrane aquaporins facilitate water flux into and out of plant cells, thus coupling their cellular function to basic aspects of plant physiology. Posttranslational modifications of conserved phosphorylation sites, changes in cytoplasmic pH and the binding of Ca(2+) can regulate water transport activity by gating the plasma membrane aquaporins. A structural mechanism unifying these diverse biochemical signals has emerged for the spinach aquaporin SoPIP2;1, although several questions concerning the opening mechanism remain. Here, we describe the X-ray structures of the S115E and S274E single SoPIP2;1 mutants and the corresponding double mutant. Phosphorylation of these serines is believed to increase water transport activity of SoPIP2;1 by opening the channel. However, all mutants crystallised in a closed conformation, as confirmed by water transport assays, implying that neither substitution fully mimics the phosphorylated state. Nevertheless, a half-turn extension of transmembrane helix 1 occurs upon the substitution of Ser115, which draws the C(alpha) atom of Glu31 10 A away from its wild-type conformation, thereby disrupting the divalent cation binding site involved in the gating mechanism. Mutation of Ser274 disorders the C-terminus but no other significant conformational changes are observed. Inspection of the hydrogen-bond interactions within loop D suggested that the phosphorylation of Ser188 may also produce an open channel, and this was supported by an increased water transport activity for the S188E mutant and molecular dynamics simulations. These findings add additional insight into the general mechanism of plant aquaporin gating.

Membrane transport constitutes one of the most fundamental processes in all living cells with proteins as major players. Proteins as channels provide highly selective diffusive pathways gated by environmental factors, and as transporters furnish directed, energetically uphill transport consuming energy. X-ray crystallography of channels and transporters furnishes a rapidly growing number of atomic resolution structures, permitting molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to reveal the physical mechanisms underlying channel and transporter function. Ever increasing computational power today permits simulations stretching up to 1 micros, that is, to physiologically relevant time scales. Membrane protein simulations presently focus on ion channels, on aquaporins, on protein-conducting channels, as well as on various transporters. In this review we summarize recent developments in this rapidly evolving field.

The photoisomerization reaction dynamics of a retinal chromophore in the visual receptor rhodopsin was investigated by means of hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The photoisomerization reaction of retinal constitutes the primary step of vision and is known as one of the fastest reactions in nature. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of the high efficiency of the reaction, we carried out hybrid ab initio QM/MM MD simulations of the complete reaction process from the vertically excited state to the photoproduct via electronic transition in the entire chromophore-protein complex. An ensemble of reaction trajectories reveal that the excited-state dynamics is dynamically homogeneous and synchronous even in the presence of thermal fluctuation of the protein, giving rise to the very fast formation of the photoproduct. The synchronous nature of the reaction dynamics in rhodopsin is found to originate from weak perturbation of the protein surroundings and from dynamic regulation of volume-conserving motions of the chromophore. The simulations also provide a detailed view of time-dependent modulations of hydrogen-out-of-plane vibrations during the reaction process, and identify molecular motions underlying the experimentally observed dynamic spectral modulations.

ABC transporters constitute one of the most abundant membrane transporter families. The most common feature shared in the family is the highly conserved nucleotide binding domains (NBDs) that drive the transport process through binding and hydrolysis of ATP. Molecular dynamics simulations are used to investigate the effect of ATP hydrolysis in the NBDs. Starting with the ATP-bound, closed dimer of MalK, four simulation systems with all possible combinations of ATP or ADP-P(i) bound to the two nucleotide binding sites are constructed and simulated with equilibrium molecular dynamics for approximately 70 ns each. The results suggest that the closed form of the NBD dimer can only be maintained with two bound ATP molecules; in other words, hydrolysis of one ATP can lead to the opening of the dimer interface of the NBD dimer. Furthermore, we observed that the opening is an immediate effect of hydrolysis of ATP into ADP and P(i) rather than the dissociation of hydrolysis products. In addition, the opening is mechanistically triggered by the dissociation of the LSGGQ motif from the bound nucleotide. A metastable ADP-P(i) bound conformational state is consistently observed before the dimer opening in all the simulation systems.

Acid sensing ion channels (ASICs) are cation-selective membrane channels activated by H(+) binding upon decrease in extracellular pH. It is known that Ca(2+) plays an important modulatory role in ASIC gating, competing with the ligand (H(+)) for its binding site(s). However, the H(+) or Ca(2+) binding sites involved in gating and the gating mechanism are not fully known. We carried out a computational study to investigate potential cation and H(+) binding sites for ASIC1 via all-atom molecular dynamics simulations on five systems. The systems were designed to test the candidacy of some acid sensing residues proposed from experiment and to determine yet unknown ligand binding sites. The ion binding patterns reveal sites of cation (Na(+) and Ca(2+)) localization where they may compete with protons and influence channel gating. The highest incidence of Ca(2+) and Na(+) binding is observed at a highly acidic pocket on the protein surface. Also, Na(+) ions fill in an inner chamber that contains a ring of acidic residues and that is near the channel entrance; this site could possibly be a temporary reservoir involved in ion permeation. Some acidic residues were observed to orient and move significantly close together to bind Ca(2+), indicating the structural consequences of Ca(2+) release from these sites. Local structural changes in the protein due to cation binding or ligand binding (protonation) are examined at the binding sites and discussed. This study provides structural and dynamic details to test hypotheses for the role of Ca(2+) and Na(+) ions in the channel gating mechanism.

We present a simulation study where different resolutions, namely coarse-grained (CG) and all-atom (AA) molecular dynamics simulations, are used sequentially to combine the long timescale reachable by CG simulations with the high resolution of AA simulations, to describe the complete processes of peptide aggregation and pore formation by alamethicin peptides in a hydrated lipid bilayer. In the 1-micros CG simulations the peptides spontaneously aggregate in the lipid bilayer and exhibit occasional transitions between the membrane-spanning and the surface-bound configurations. One of the CG systems at t = 1 micros is reverted to an AA representation and subjected to AA simulation for 50 ns, during which water molecules penetrate the lipid bilayer through interactions with the peptide aggregates, and the membrane starts leaking water. During the AA simulation significant deviations from the alpha-helical structure of the peptides are observed, however, the size and arrangement of the clusters are not affected within the studied time frame. Solid-state NMR experiments designed to match closely the setup used in the molecular dynamics simulations provide strong support for our finding that alamethicin peptides adopt a diverse set of configurations in a lipid bilayer, which is in sharp contrast to the prevailing view of alamethicin oligomers formed by perfectly aligned helical alamethicin peptides in a lipid bilayer.

Glutamate transporters (GluTs) are the primary regulators of extracellular concentration of the neurotransmitter glutamate in the central nervous system. In this study, we have investigated the dynamics and coupling of the substrate and Na(+) binding sites, and the mechanism of cotransport of Na(+) ions, using molecular dynamics simulations of a membrane-embedded model of GluT in its apo (empty form) and various Na(+)- and/or substrate-bound states. The results shed light on the mechanism of the extracellular gate and on the sequence of binding of the substrate and Na(+) ions to GluT during the transport cycle. The results suggest that the helical hairpin HP2 plays the key role of the extracellular gate for the substrate binding site, and that the opening and closure of the gate is controlled by substrate binding. GluT adopts an open conformation in the absence of the substrate exposing the binding sites of the substrate and Na(+) ions to the extracellular solution. Based on the calculated trajectories, we propose that Na1 is the first element to bind GluT, as it is found to be important for the completion of the substrate binding site. The subsequent binding of the substrate, in turn, is shown to result in an almost complete closure of the extracellular gate and the formation of the Na2 binding site. Finally, binding of Na2 locks the extracellular gate and completes the formation of the occluded state of GluT.

Exchange of ATP and ADP across mitochondrial membrane replenishes the cytoplasm with newly synthesized ATP and provides the mitochondria with the substrate ADP for oxidative phosphorylation. The sole means of this exchange is the mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier (AAC), a membrane protein that is suggested to cycle between two conformationally distinct states, cytosolic-open (c-state) and matrix-open (m-state), thereby shuttling nucleotides across the inner mitochondrial membrane. However, the c-state is the only structurally resolved state, and the binding site of ADP remains elusive. Here, we present approximately 0.3 mus of all-atom MD simulations of the c-state revealing rapid, spontaneous binding of ADP to deeply positioned binding sites within the AAC lumen. To our knowledge, a complete ligand-binding event has heretofore not been described in full atomic detail in unbiased simulations. The identified ADP-bound state and additional simulations shed light on key structural elements and the initial steps involved in conversion to the m-state. Electrostatic analysis of trajectories reveals the presence of an unusually strong positive electrostatic potential in the lumen of AAC that appears to be the main driving force for the observed spontaneous binding of ADP. We provide evidence that the positive electrostatic potential is likely a common attribute among the entire family of mitochondrial carriers. In addition to playing a key role in substrate recruitment and translocation, the electropositivity of mitochondrial carriers might also be critical for their binding to the negatively charged environment of the inner mitochondrial membrane.

As one of the best studied members of the pharmaceutically relevant family of G-protein-coupled receptors, rhodopsin serves as a prototype for understanding the mechanism of G-protein-coupled receptor activation. Here, we aim at exploring functionally relevant conformational changes and signal transmission mechanisms involved in its photoactivation brought about through a cis-trans photoisomerization of retinal. For this exploration, we propose a molecular dynamics simulation protocol that utilizes normal modes derived from the anisotropic network model for proteins. Deformations along multiple low-frequency modes of motion are used to efficiently sample collective conformational changes in the presence of explicit membrane and water environment, consistent with interresidue interactions. We identify two highly stable regions in rhodopsin, one clustered near the chromophore, the other near the cytoplasmic ends of transmembrane helices H1, H2, and H7. Due to redistribution of interactions in the neighborhood of retinal upon stabilization of the trans form, local structural rearrangements in the adjoining H3-H6 residues are efficiently propagated to the cytoplasmic end of these particular helices. In the structures obtained by our simulations, all-trans retinal interacts with Cys(167) on H4 and Phe(203) on H5, which were not accessible in the dark state, and exhibits stronger interactions with H5, while some of the contacts made (in the cis form) with H6 are lost.

We have investigated through molecular dynamics the binding properties at the interface between the C-type lectin subdomain (CLD) of aggrecan and the fibronectin type III domains ((4-5)FnIII) of tenasin, in particular the mechanistically unknown, but essential role of Ca(2+) in the binding. The binding between the CLD and (4-5)FnIII is critical in cross-linking aggrecan, hyaluronan, and tenascin to form extended protein networks found in tissues such as cartilage. None of the structurally resolved Ca(2+) ions in the complex of the CLD and (4-5)FnIII is directly bridging the two proteins. However, one of the Ca(2+) ions (Ca2) is found to play the role of maintaining the structure of the L4 loop at the CLD binding surface, thus facilitating a high affinity binding between the CLD and (4-5)FnIII. Removal of this Ca(2+) ion causes a drastic structural change in the L4 loop, which presumably hinders the binding of the CLD to the (4-5)FnIII. The other bound Ca(2+) ions (Ca1 and Ca3) have no significant effect on the structure of the CLD binding surface, and thus are not expected to affect the binding. Our results might also suggest that the role of Ca2 in maintaining the structure of the L4 loop is most important during the binding process. Once the complex is formed, the dependence of the complex on the structuring role of Ca2 is reduced. In response to tensile force, the CLD and (4-5)FnIII separate by breaking first the electrostatic interactions at the interface, followed by the hydrophobic ones. The sequence of the unbinding events and the maximum force required to separate the two proteins are independent of the presence of the Ca(2+) ions, underlying the indirect role of Ca(2+) in the binding.

We demonstrate that a significant improvement in the spectral resolution may be achieved in solid-state NMR experiments of proteins in inhomogeneously disordered oriented lipid bilayers. Using 1H homonuclear decoupling instead of standard 1H heteronuclear decoupling, the 15N line widths may be reduced by up to seven times for such samples. For large oriented membrane proteins, such resolution enhancements may be crucial for assignment and structural interpretation.

Translocation through the extracellular vestibule and binding of leucine in the leucine transporter (LeuT) have been studied with molecular dynamics simulations. More than 0.1 mus of all-atom molecular dynamics simulations have been performed on different combinations of LeuT, bound substrate, and bound structural Na(+) ions to describe molecular events involved in substrate binding and in the formation of the occluded state and to investigate the dynamics of this state. Three structural features are found to be directly involved in the initial steps of leucine transport: a Na(+) ion directly coordinated to leucine (Na-1), two aromatic residues closing the binding site toward the extracellular vestibule (Tyr-108 and Phe-253), and a salt bridge in the extracellular vestibule (Arg-30 and Asp-404). These features account for observed differences between simulations of LeuT with and without bound substrate and for a possible pathway for leucine binding and thereby formation of the occluded LeuT binding site.

The glycerol uptake facilitator, GlpF, a major intrinsic protein found in Escherichia coli, selectively conducts water and glycerol across the inner membrane. The free energy landscape characterizing the assisted transport of glycerol by this homotetrameric aquaglyceroporin has been explored by means of equilibrium molecular dynamics over a timescale spanning 0.12 micros. To overcome the free energy barriers of the conduction pathway, an adaptive biasing force is applied to the glycerol molecule confined in each of the four channels. The results illuminate the critical role played by intramolecular relaxation on the diffusion properties of the permeant. These free energy calculations reveal that glycerol tumbles and isomerizes on a timescale comparable to that spanned by its adaptive-biasing-force-assisted conduction in GlpF. As a result, reorientation and conformational equilibrium of glycerol in GlpF constitute a bottleneck in the molecular simulations of the permeation event. A profile characterizing the position-dependent diffusion of the permeant has been determined, allowing reaction rate theory to be applied for investigating conduction kinetics based on the measured free energy landscape.

Blood clotting reactions, such as those catalyzed by the tissue factor:factor VIIa complex (TF:FVIIa), assemble on membrane surfaces containing anionic phospholipids such as phosphatidylserine (PS). In fact, membrane binding is critical for the function of most of the steps in the blood clotting cascade. In spite of this, our understanding of how the membrane contributes to catalysis, or even how these proteins interact with phospholipids, is incomplete. Making matters more complicated, membranes containing mixtures of PS and neutral phospholipids are known to spontaneously form PS-rich membrane microdomains in the presence of plasma concentrations of calcium ions, and it is likely that blood-clotting proteases such as TF:FVIIa partition into these PS-rich microdomains. Unfortunately, little is known about how membrane microdomain composition influences the activity of blood-clotting proteases, which is typically not under experimental control even in "simple" model membranes. Our laboratories have developed and applied new technologies for studying membrane proteins to gain insights into how blood-clotting protease-cofactor pairs assemble and function on membrane surfaces. This includes using a novel, nanoscale bilayer system (Nanodiscs) that permits assembling blood-clotting protease-cofactor pairs on stable bilayers containing from 65 to 250 phospholipid molecules per leaflet. We have used this system to investigate how local (nanometer-scale) changes in phospholipid bilayer composition modulate TF:FVIIa activity. We have also used detailed molecular-dynamics simulations of nanoscale bilayers to provide atomic-scale predictions of how the membrane-binding domain of factor VIIa interacts with PS in membranes.

The GLA domain, a common membrane-anchoring domain of several serine protease coagulation factors, is a key element in membrane association and activation of these factors in a highly Ca2+-dependent manner. However, the critical role of Ca2+ ions in binding is only poorly understood. Here, we present the atomic model of a membrane-bound GLA domain by using MD simulations of the GLA domain of human factor VIIa and an anionic lipid bilayer. The binding is furnished through a complete insertion of the omega-loop into the membrane and through direct interactions of structurally bound Ca2+ ions and protein side chains with negative lipids. The model suggests that Ca2+ ions play two distinct roles in the process: the four inner Ca2+ ions are primarily responsible for optimal folding of the GLA domain for membrane insertion, whereas the outer Ca2+ ions anchor the protein to the membrane through direct contacts with lipids.

For the uptake of scarce yet essential organometallic compounds, outer membrane transporters of Gram-negative bacteria work in concert with an energy-generating inner membrane complex, thus spanning the periplasmic space to drive active transport. Here, we examine the interaction of TonB, an inner membrane protein, with an outer membrane transporter based upon a recent crystal structure of a TonB-transporter complex to characterize two largely unknown steps of the transport cycle: how energy is transmitted from TonB to the transporter and how energy transduction initiates transport. Simulations of TonB in complex with BtuB reveal that force applied to TonB is transmitted to BtuB without disruption of the very small connection between the two, supporting a mechanical mode of coupling. Based on the results of different pulling simulations, we propose that the force transduction instigates a partial unfolding of the pore-occluding luminal domain of the transporter, a potential step in the transport cycle. Furthermore, analysis of the electrostatic potentials and salt bridge interactions between the two proteins during the simulations hints at involvement of electrostatic forces in long-range interaction and binding of TonB and BtuB.

Escherichia coli lactose permease (LacY) transports sugar across the inner membrane of the bacterium using the proton motive force to accumulate sugar in the cytosol. We have probed lactose conduction across LacY using steered molecular dynamics, permitting us to follow molecular and energetic details of lactose interaction with the lumen of LacY during its permeation. Lactose induces a widening of the narrowest parts of the channel during permeation, the widening being largest within the periplasmic half-channel. During permeation, the water-filled lumen of LacY only partially hydrates lactose, forcing it to interact with channel lining residues. Lactose forms a multitude of direct sugar-channel hydrogen bonds, predominantly with residues of the flexible N-domain, which is known to contribute a major part of LacY's affinity for lactose. In the periplasmic half-channel lactose predominantly interacts with hydrophobic channel lining residues, whereas in the cytoplasmic half-channel key protein-substrate interactions are mediated by ionic residues. A major energy barrier against transport is found within a tight segment of the periplasmic half-channel where sugar hydration is minimal and protein-sugar interaction maximal. Upon unbinding from the binding pocket, lactose undergoes a rotation to permeate either half-channel with its long axis aligned parallel to the channel axis. The results hint at the possibility of a transport mechanism, in which lactose permeates LacY through a narrow periplasmic half-channel and a wide cytoplasmic half-channel, the opening of which is controlled by changes in protonation states of key protein side groups.

Aquaporins (AQP) are a family of membrane channels primarily responsible for conducting water across cellular membranes. The availability of a large body of high resolution structural data along with numerous atomic-scale simulation studies have resulted in an unprecedented level of understanding of the mechanism of function and selectivity in AQP. In this article, after summarizing major highlights of structure-functional studies of AQP, we will report on some of our recent large-scale molecular dynamics simulations investigating the mechanisms of permeation of various substances through pure lipid bilayers and through multiple pathways provided by tetrameric structures of different AQP. Comparison of the results obtained for structurally highly homologous, but functionally distinct, AQP allowed us to identify novel mechanisms of gating and selectivity of these channels and to design mutants with experimentally verified, altered properties. When applicable, special attention will be given to specific aromatic amino acids and their involvement in various functional aspects of AQP.

Aquaporins are a family of membrane proteins specialized in rapid water conduction across biological membranes. Whether these channels also conduct gas molecules and the physiological significance of this potential function have not been well understood. Here we report 140 ns of molecular dynamics simulations of membrane-embedded AQP1 and of a pure POPE bilayer addressing these questions. The permeability of AQP1 to two types of gas molecules, O2 and CO2, was investigated using two complementary methods, namely, explicit gas diffusion simulation and implicit ligand sampling. The simulations show that the central (tetrameric) pore of AQP1 can be readily used by either gas molecule to permeate the channel. The two approaches produced similar free energy profiles associated with gas permeation through the central pore: a -0.4 to -1.7 kcal/mol energy well in the middle, and a 3.6-4.6 kcal/mol energy barrier in the periplasmic vestibule. The barrier appears to be mainly due to a dense cluster of water molecules anchored in the periplasmic mouth of the central pore by four aspartate residues. Water pores show a very low permeability to O2, but may contribute to the overall permeation of CO2 due to its more hydrophilic nature. Although the central pore of AQP1 is found to be gas permeable, the pure POPE bilayer provides a much larger cross-sectional area, thus exhibiting a much lower free energy barrier for CO2 and O2 permeation. As such, gas conduction through AQP1 may only be physiologically relevant either in membranes of low gas permeability, or in cells where a major fraction of the cellular membrane is occupied by AQPs.

Lactose permease is an integral membrane protein that uses the cell membrane's proton gradient for import of lactose. Based on extensive biochemical data and a substrate-bound crystal structure, intermediates involved in lactose/H(+) co-transport have been suggested. Yet, the transport mechanism, especially the coupling of protonation states of essential residues and protein conformational changes involved in the transport, is not understood. Here we report molecular-dynamics simulations of membrane-embedded lactose permease in different protonation states, both in the presence and in the absence of lactose. The results analyzed in terms of pore diameter, salt-bridge formation, and substrate motion, strongly implicate Glu(269) as one of the main proton translocation sites, whose protonation state controls several key steps of the transport process. A critical ion pair (Glu(269) and Arg(144)) was found to keep the cytoplasmic entrance open, but via a different mechanism than the currently accepted model. After protonation of Glu(269), the salt bridge between Glu(269) and Arg(144) was found to break, and Arg(144) to move away from Glu(269), establishing a new salt bridge with Glu(126); furthermore, neutralization of Glu(269) and the displacement of Arg(144) and consequently of water molecules from the interdomain region was seen to initiate the closing of the cytoplasmic half channel (2.6-4.0 A reduction in diameter in the cytoplasmic constriction region in 10 ns) by allowing hydrophobic surfaces of the N- and C-domains to fuse. Charged Glu(269) was found to strongly bind the lactose permeant, indicating that proton transfer from water or another residue to Glu(269) is a prerequisite for unbinding of lactose from the binding pocket.

The crystallographic structure of a potassium channel, Kv1.2, in an open state makes it feasible to simulate entire K(+) ion permeation events driven by a voltage bias and, thereby, elucidate the mechanism underlying ion conduction and selectivity of this type of channel. This Letter demonstrates that molecular dynamics simulations can provide movies of the overall conduction of K(+) ions through Kv1.2. As suggested earlier, the conduction is concerted in the selectivity filter, involving 2-3 ions residing mainly at sites identified previously by crystallography and modeling. The simulations reveal, however, the jumps of ions between these sites and identify the sequence of multi-ion configurations involved in permeation.

While substrate permeation through monomeric pores of aquaporins is well characterized, little is known about the possible tetrameric pore. AQP1 has been suggested to function as an ion channel upon cGMP activation, although this idea has been controversial. Taking a theoretical and experimental approach, we demonstrate that the current might arise through the tetrameric pore and propose a plausible mechanism for conduction and gating. In response to simulated ion permeation, immediate hydration of the putative central pore was facilitated by moderate conformational changes of pore-lining residues. cGMP is found to interact with an unusually arginine-rich, cytoplasmic loop (loop D) facilitating its outward motion, which is hypothesized to trigger the opening of a cytoplasmic gate. Physiological analyses of wild-type AQP1 and a designed mutant in which two arginines of the gating loop are replaced by alanine provide experimental support for identifying a key component of the proposed mechanism.

The mechanism of color tuning in the rhodopsin family of proteins has been studied by comparing the optical properties of the light-driven proton pump bacteriorhodopsin (bR) and the light detector sensory rhodopsin II (sRII). Despite a high structural similarity, the maximal absorption is blue-shifted from 568 nm in bR to 497 nm in sRII. The molecular mechanism of this shift is still a matter of debate, and its clarification sheds light onto the general mechanisms of color tuning in retinal proteins. The calculations employ a combined quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) technique, using a DFT-based method for ground state properties and the semiempirical OM2/MRCI method and ab initio SORCI method for excited state calculations. The high efficiency of the methodology has allowed us to study a wide variety of aspects including dynamical effects. The absorption shift as well as various mutation experiments and vibrational properties have been successfully reproduced. Our results indicate that several sources contribute to the spectral shift between bR and sRII. The main factors are the counterion region at the extracellular side of retinal and the amino acid composition of the binding pocket. Our analysis allows a distinction and identification of the different effects in detail and leads to a clear picture of the mechanism of color tuning, which is in good agreement with available experimental data.

Plants counteract fluctuations in water supply by regulating all aquaporins in the cell plasma membrane. Channel closure results either from the dephosphorylation of two conserved serine residues under conditions of drought stress, or from the protonation of a conserved histidine residue following a drop in cytoplasmic pH due to anoxia during flooding. Here we report the X-ray structure of the spinach plasma membrane aquaporin SoPIP2;1 in its closed conformation at 2.1 A resolution and in its open conformation at 3.9 A resolution, and molecular dynamics simulations of the initial events governing gating. In the closed conformation loop D caps the channel from the cytoplasm and thereby occludes the pore. In the open conformation loop D is displaced up to 16 A and this movement opens a hydrophobic gate blocking the channel entrance from the cytoplasm. These results reveal a molecular gating mechanism which appears conserved throughout all plant plasma membrane aquaporins.

Motivated by the long-term goal of theoretically analyzing long-range proton transfer (PT) kinetics in biomolecular pumps, researchers made a number of technical developments in the framework of quantum mechanics-molecular mechanics (QM/MM) simulations. A set of collective reaction coordinates is proposed for characterizing the progress of long-range proton transfers; unlike previous suggestions, the new coordinates can describe PT along highly nonlinear three-dimensional pathways. Calculations using a realistic model of carbonic anhydrase demonstrated that adiabatic mapping using these collective coordinates gives reliable energetics and critical geometrical parameters as compared to minimum energy path calculations, which suggests that the new coordinates can be effectively used as reaction coordinate in potential of mean force calculations for long-range PT in complex systems. In addition, the generalized solvent boundary potential was implemented in the QM/MM framework for rectangular geometries, which is useful for studying reactions in membrane systems. The resulting protocol was found to produce water structure in the interior of aquaporin consistent with previous studies including a much larger number of explicit solvent and lipid molecules. The effect of electrostatics for PT through a membrane protein was also illustrated with a simple model channel embedded in different dielectric continuum environments. The encouraging results observed so far suggest that robust theoretical analysis of long-range PT kinetics in biomolecular pumps can soon be realized in a QM/MM framework.

NAMD is a parallel molecular dynamics code designed for high-performance simulation of large biomolecular systems. NAMD scales to hundreds of processors on high-end parallel platforms, as well as tens of processors on low-cost commodity clusters, and also runs on individual desktop and laptop computers. NAMD works with AMBER and CHARMM potential functions, parameters, and file formats. This article, directed to novices as well as experts, first introduces concepts and methods used in the NAMD program, describing the classical molecular dynamics force field, equations of motion, and integration methods along with the efficient electrostatics evaluation algorithms employed and temperature and pressure controls used. Features for steering the simulation across barriers and for calculating both alchemical and conformational free energy differences are presented. The motivations for and a roadmap to the internal design of NAMD, implemented in C++ and based on Charm++ parallel objects, are outlined. The factors affecting the serial and parallel performance of a simulation are discussed. Finally, typical NAMD use is illustrated with representative applications to a small, a medium, and a large biomolecular system, highlighting particular features of NAMD, for example, the Tcl scripting language. The article also provides a list of the key features of NAMD and discusses the benefits of combining NAMD with the molecular graphics/sequence analysis software VMD and the grid computing/collaboratory software BioCoRE. NAMD is distributed free of charge with source code at www.ks.uiuc.edu., ((c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

With recent advances in X-ray crystallography of membrane proteins promising many new high-resolution structures, molecular dynamics simulations will become increasingly valuable for understanding membrane protein function, as they can reveal the dynamic behavior concealed in the static structures. Dramatic increases in computational power, in synergy with more efficient computational methodologies, now allow us to carry out molecular dynamics simulations of any structurally known membrane protein in its native environment, covering timescales of up to 0.1 micros. At the frontiers of membrane protein simulations are ion channels, aquaporins, passive and active transporters, and bioenergetic proteins.

The recent availability of high-resolution structures of two structurally highly homologous, but functionally distinct aquaporins from the same species, namely Escherichia coli AqpZ, a pure water channel, and GlpF, a glycerol channel, presents a unique opportunity to understand the mechanism of substrate selectivity in these channels. Comparison of the free energy profile of glycerol conduction through AqpZ and GlpF reveals a much larger barrier in AqpZ (22.8 kcal/mol) than in GlpF (7.3 kcal/mol). In either channel, the highest barrier is located at the selectivity filter. Analysis of substrate-protein interactions suggests that steric restriction of AqpZ is the main contribution to this large barrier. Another important difference is the presence of a deep energy well at the periplasmic vestibule of GlpF, which was not found in AqpZ. The latter difference can be attributed to the more pronounced structural asymmetry of GlpF, which may play a role in attracting glycerol.

The growth-regulatory interplay between ganglioside GM1 on human SK-N-MC neuroblastoma cells and an endogenous lectin provides a telling example for glycan (polysaccharide) functionality. Galectin-1 is the essential link between the sugar signal and the intracellular response. The emerging intrafamily complexity of galectins raises the question on defining extent of their structural and functional overlap/divergence. We address this problem for proto-type galectins in this system: ganglioside GM1 as ligand, neuroblastoma cells as target. Using the way human galectin-1 interacts with this complex natural ligand as template, we first defined equivalent positioning for distinct substitutions in the other tested proto-type galectins, e.g., Lys63 vs. Leu60/Gln72 in galectins-2 and -5. As predicted from our in silico work, the tested proto-type galectins have affinity for the pentasaccharide of ganglioside GM1. In contrast to solid-phase assays, cell surface presentation of the ganglioside did not support binding of galectin-5, revealing the first level of regulation. Next, a monomeric proto-type galectin (CG-14) can impair galectin-1-dependent negative growth control by competitively blocking access to the shared ligand without acting as effector. Thus, the quaternary structure of proto-type galectins is an efficient means to give rise to functional divergence. The identification of this second level of regulation is relevant for diagnostic monitoring. It might be exploited therapeutically by producing galectin variants tailored to interfere with galectin activities associated with the malignant phenotype. Moreover, the given strategy for comparative computational analysis of extended binding sites has implications for the rational design of galectin-type-specific ligands.

Water permeation through nanometric channels, generally a coupled many-body process, is described in this study by a single collective coordinate. A collective diffusion model is proposed in which water movement at equilibrium is characterized as an unbiased diffusion along this coordinate and water transport in the presence of a chemical potential difference is described as one-dimensional diffusion in a linear potential. The model allows one to determine the osmotic permeability of a water channel from equilibrium simulations.

Accurate force fields are essential for describing biological systems in a molecular dynamics simulation. To analyze the docking of the small redox protein cytochrome c (cyt c) requires simulation parameters for the heme in both the reduced and oxidized states. This work presents parameters for the partial charges and geometries for the heme in both redox states with ligands appropriate to cyt c. The parameters are based on both protein X-ray structures and ab initio density functional theory (DFT) geometry optimizations at the B3LYP/6-31G* level. The simulations with the new parameter set reproduce the geometries of the X-ray structures and the interaction energies between water and heme prosthetic group obtained from B3LYP/6-31G* calculations. The parameter set developed here will provide new insights into docking processes of heme containing redox proteins., (Copyright 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Vibrational modes of the hydrogen-bond network in the binding site of bacteriorhodopsin (bR), a protein in halobacteria functioning as a light-driven proton pump, were investigated by an ab initio quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) method. Normal-mode analysis calculations for O-D and N-D stretching modes of internal water molecules and the Schiff base of the retinal chromophore in the early intermediate state, K, reproduced well experimentally observed vibrational spectra. Supported by agreement with observed spectra, the QM/MM calculation suggests that weakened hydrogen bonds upon photoisomerization of the chromophore are an important means of energy storage in bR.

The mechanism of proton exclusion in aquaporin channels is elucidated through free energy calculations of the pathway of proton transport. The second generation multistate empirical valence bond (MS-EVB2) model was applied to simulate the interaction of an excess proton with the channel environment. Jarzynski's equality was employed for rapid convergence of the free energy profile. A barrier sufficiently high to block proton transport is located near the channel center at the NPA motif-a site involved in bi-orientational ordering of the embedded water-wire in absence of the excess proton. A second and lower barrier is observed at the selectivity filter near the periplasmic outlet where the channel is narrowest. This secondary barrier may be essential in filtering other large solutes and cations., (Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

We discuss the difference between osmotic permeability pf and diffusion permeability pd of single-file water channels and demonstrate that the pf/pd ratio corresponds to the number of effective steps a water molecule needs to take to permeate a channel. While pd can be directly obtained from equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations, pf can be best determined from simulations in which a chemical potential difference of water has been established on the two sides of the channel. In light of this, we suggest a method to induce in molecular dynamics simulations a hydrostatic pressure difference across the membrane, from which pf can be measured. Simulations using this method are performed on aquaporin-1 channels in a lipid bilayer, resulting in a calculated pf of 7.1 x 10(-14) cm(3)/s, which is in close agreement with observation. Using a previously determined pd value, we conclude that pf/pd for aquaporin-1 measures approximately 12. This number is explained in terms of channel architecture and conduction mechanism.

Water transport channels in membrane proteins of the aquaporin superfamily are impermeable to ions, including H+ and OH-. We examine the molecular basis for the blockage of proton translocation through the single-file water chain in the pore of a bacterial aquaporin, GlpF. We compute the reversible thermodynamic work for the two complementary steps of the Grotthuss "hop-and-turn" relay mechanism: consecutive transfers of H+ along the hydrogen-bonded chain (hop) and conformational reorganization of the chain (turn). In the absence of H+, the strong preference for the bipolar orientation of water around the two Asn-Pro-Ala (NPA) motifs lining the pore over both unidirectional polarization states of the chain precludes the reorganization of the hydrogen-bonded network. Inversely, translocation of an excess proton in either direction is opposed by a free-energy barrier centered at the NPA region. Both hop and turn steps of proton translocation are opposed by the electrostatic field of the channel.

Endogenous lectins induce effects on cell growth by binding to antennae of natural glycoconjugates. These complex carbohydrates often present more than one potential lectin-binding site in a single chain. Using the growth-regulatory interaction of the pentasaccharide of ganglioside GM(1) with homodimeric galectin-1 on neuroblastoma cell surfaces as a model, we present a suitable strategy for addressing this issue. The approach combines NMR spectroscopic and computational methods and does not require isotope-labeled glycans. It involves conformational analysis of the two building blocks of the GM(1) glycan, i.e., the disaccharide Galbeta1-3GalNAc and the trisaccharide Neu5Acalpha2-3Galbeta1-4Glc. Their bound-state conformations were determined by transferred nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy. Next, measurements on the lectin-pentasaccharide complex revealed differential conformer selection regarding the sialylgalactose linkage in the tri- versus pentasaccharide (Phi and Psi value of -70 degrees and 15 degrees vs 70 degrees and 15 degrees, respectively). To proceed in the structural analysis, the characteristic experimentally detected spatial vicinity of a galactose unit and Trp68 in the galectin's binding site offered a means, exploiting saturation transfer from protein to carbohydrate protons. Indeed, we detected two signals unambiguously assigned to the terminal Gal and the GalNAc residues. Computational docking and interaction energy analyses of the entire set of ligands supported and added to experimental results. The finding that the ganglioside's carbohydrate chain is subject to differential conformer selection at the sialylgalactose linkage by galectin-1 and GM(1)-binding cholera toxin (Phi and Psi values of -172 degrees and -26 degrees, respectively) is relevant for toxin-directed drug design. In principle, our methodology can be applied in studies aimed at blocking galectin functionality in malignancy and beyond glycosciences.

Water permeation and electrostatic interactions between water and channel are investigated in the Escherichia coli glycerol uptake facilitator GlpF, a member of the aquaporin water channel family, by molecular dynamics simulations. A tetrameric model of the channel embedded in a 16:0/18:1c9-palmitoyloleylphosphatidylethanolamine membrane was used for the simulations. During the simulations, water molecules pass through the channel in single file. The movement of the single file water molecules through the channel is concerted, and we show that it can be described by a continuous-time random-walk model. The integrity of the single file remains intact during the permeation, indicating that a disrupted water chain is unlikely to be the mechanism of proton exclusion in aquaporins. Specific hydrogen bonds between permeating water and protein at the channel center (at two conserved Asp-Pro-Ala "NPA" motifs), together with the protein electrostatic fields enforce a bipolar water configuration inside the channel with dipole inversion at the NPA motifs. At the NPA motifs water-protein electrostatic interactions facilitate this inversion. Furthermore, water-water electrostatic interactions are in all regions inside the channel stronger than water-protein interactions, except near a conserved, positively charged Arg residue. We find that variations of the protein electrostatic field through the channel, owing to preserved structural features, completely explain the bipolar orientation of water. This orientation persists despite water translocation in single file and blocks proton transport. Furthermore, we find that for permeation of a cation, ion-protein electrostatic interactions are more unfavorable at the conserved NPA motifs than at the conserved Arg, suggesting that the major barrier against proton transport in aquaporins is faced at the NPA motifs.

Retinal proteins are photoreceptors found in many living organisms. They possess a common chromophore, retinal, that upon absorption of light isomerizes and thereby triggers biological functions ranging from light energy conversion to phototaxis and vision. The photoisomerization of retinal is extremely fast, highly selective inside the protein matrix, and characterized through optimal sensitivity to incoming light. This article describes the first report of an ab initio quantum mechanical description of the in situ isomerization dynamics of retinal in bacteriorhodopsin, a microbial retinal protein that functions as a light-driven proton pump. The description combines ab initio multi-electronic state molecular dynamics of a truncated retinal chromophore model (N-methyl-gamma-methylpenta-2,4-dieniminium cation fragment) with molecular mechanics of the protein motion and unveils in complete detail the photoisomerization process. The results illustrate the essential role of the protein for the characteristic kinetics and high selectivity of the photoisomerization: the protein arrests inhomogeneous photoisomerization paths and funnels them into a single path that initiates the functional process. Supported by comparison with dynamic spectral modulations observed in femtosecond spectroscopy, the results identify the principal molecular motion during photoisomerization.

Interactive molecular dynamics, a new modeling tool for rapid investigation of the physical mechanisms of biological processes at the atomic level, is applied to study selectivity and regulation of the membrane channel protein GlpF and the enzyme glycerol kinase. These proteins facilitate the first two steps of Escherichia coli glycerol metabolism. Despite their different function and architecture the proteins are found to employ common mechanisms for substrate selectivity: an induced geometrical fit by structurally homologous binding sites and an induced rapid dipole moment reversal. Competition for hydrogen bonding sites with water in both proteins is critical for substrate motion. In glycerol kinase, it is shown that the proposed domain motion prevents competition with water, in turn regulating the binding of glycerol.

HisH-hisF is a multidomain globular protein complex; hisH is a class I glutamine amidotransferase that hydrolyzes glutamine to form ammonia, and hisF is a (beta/alpha)8 barrel cyclase that completes the ring formation of imidizole glycerol phosphate synthase. Together, hisH and hisF form a glutamine amidotransferase that carries out the fifth step of the histidine biosynthetic pathway. Recently, it has been suggested that the (beta/alpha)8 barrel participates in a novel function: to channel ammonia from the active site of hisH to the active site of hisF. The present study presents a series of molecular dynamic simulations that investigate the channeling function of hisF. This article reconstructs potentials of mean force for the conduction of ammonia through the channel, and the entrance of ammonia through the strictly conserved channel gate, in both a closed and a hypothetical open conformation. The resulting energy landscape within the channel supports the idea that ammonia does indeed pass through the barrel, interacting with conserved hydrophilic residues along the way. The proposed open conformation, which involves an alternate rotamer state of one of the gate residues, presents only an approximately 2.5-kcal energy barrier to ammonia entry. Another alternate open-gate conformation, which may play a role in non-nitrogen-fixing organisms, is deduced through bioinformatics.

Retinal cis-trans isomerization and early relaxation steps have been studied in a 10-ns molecular dynamics simulation of a fully hydrated model of membrane-embedded rhodopsin. The isomerization, induced by transiently switching the potential energy function governing the C(11)==C(12) dihedral angle of retinal, completes within 150 fs and yields a strongly distorted retinal. The most significant conformational changes in the binding pocket are straightening of retinal's polyene chain and separation of its beta-ionone ring from Trp-265. In the following 500 ps, transition of 6s-cis to 6s-trans retinal and dramatic changes in the hydrogen bonding network of the binding pocket involving the counterion for the protonated Schiff base, Glu-113, occur. Furthermore, the energy initially stored internally in the distorted retinal is transformed into nonbonding interactions of retinal with its environment. During the following 10 ns, increased mobilities of some parts of the protein, such as the kinked regions of the helices, mainly helix VI, and the intracellular loop I2, were observed, as well as transient structural changes involving the conserved salt bridge between Glu-134 and Arg-135. These features prepare the protein for major structural transformations achieved later in the photocycle. Retinal's motion, in particular, can be compared to an opening turnstile freeing the way for the proposed rotation of helix VI. This was demonstrated by a steered molecular dynamics simulation in which an applied torque enforced the rotation of helix VI.

Early intermediates of bacteriorhodopsin's photocycle were modeled by means of ab initio quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical and molecular dynamics simulations. The photoisomerization of the retinal chromophore and the formation of photoproducts corresponding to the early intermediates were simulated by molecular dynamics simulations. By means of the quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical method, the resulting structures were refined and the respective excitation energies were calculated. Two sequential intermediates were found with absorption maxima that exhibit red shifts from the resting state. The intermediates were therefore assigned to the K and KL states. In K, the conformation of the retinal chromophore is strongly deformed, and the N--H bond of the Schiff base points almost perpendicular to the membrane normal toward Asp-212. The strongly deformed conformation of the chromophore and weakened interaction of the Schiff base with the surrounding polar groups are the means by which the absorbed energy is stored. During the K-to-KL transition, the chromophore undergoes further conformational changes that result in the formation of a hydrogen bond between the N--H group of the Schiff base and Thr-89 as well as other rearrangements of the hydrogen-bond network in the vicinity of the Schiff base, which are suggested to play a key role in the proton transfer process in the later phase of the photocycle.

A method is proposed to measure the water permeability of membrane channels by means of molecular dynamics simulations. By applying a constant force to the bulk water molecules and a counter force on the complementary system, a hydrostatic pressure difference across the membrane can be established, producing a net directional water flow. The hydraulic or osmotic permeability can then be determined by the ratio of the water flux and the pressure difference. The method is applied and tested on an aquaglyceroporin channel through a series of simulations totaling 5 ns in duration.

Aquaglyceroporin GlpF selectively conducts water and linear polyalcohols, such as glycerol, across the inner membrane of Escherichia coli. We report steered molecular dynamics simulations of glycerol conduction through GlpF, in which external forces accelerate the transchannel conduction in a manner that preserves the intrinsic conduction mechanism. The simulations reveal channel-glycerol hydrogen bonding interactions and the stereoselectivity of the channel. Employing Jarzynski's identity between free energy and irreversible work, we reconstruct the potential of mean force along the conduction pathway through a time series analysis of molecular dynamics trajectories. This potential locates binding sites and barriers inside the channel; it also reveals a low energy periplasmic vestibule suited for efficient uptake of glycerol from the environment.