Entropic contributions and the influence of the hydrophobic environment in promiscuous protein-protein association (original) (raw)

Configurational Entropy in Protein–Peptide Binding

Journal of Molecular Biology, 2009

Configurational entropy is thought to influence biomolecular processes, but there are still many open questions about this quantity, including its magnitude, its relationship to molecular structure, and the importance of correlation. The mutual information expansion (MIE) provides a novel and systematic approach to computing configurational entropy changes due to correlated motions from molecular simulations. Here, we present the first application of the MIE method to protein-ligand binding, using multiple molecular dynamics simulations (MMDSs) to study association of the UEV domain of the protein Tsg101 and an HIV-derived nonapeptide. The current investigation utilizes the second-order MIE approximation, which treats correlations between all pairs of degrees of freedom. The computed change in configurational entropy is large and is found to have a major contribution from changes in pairwise correlation. The results also reveal intricate structure-entropy relationships. Thus, the present analysis suggests that, in order for a model of binding to be accurate, it must include a careful accounting of configurational entropy changes.

Computation of entropy contribution to protein-ligand binding free energy

Biochemistry (Moscow), 2007

One of the most important factors limiting the for mation of intermolecular protein-ligand (PL) complexes is the restriction of rotational, translational, and internal degrees of freedom both for ligand and protein. The cor responding contribution to the PL binding free energy ∆G b is mainly due to the change in configurational entropy ∆S config . Computation of ∆S config is a complicated task because the full investigation of available configura tional space is needed. Different simplified approaches are used for computation of ∆S config for real systems.

Vibrational entropy estimation can improve binding affinity prediction for non-obligatory protein complexes

Proteins, 2018

Predicting the binding affinity between protein monomers is of paramount importance for the understanding of thermodynamical and structural factors that guide the formation of a complex. Several numerical techniques have been developed for the calculation of binding affinities with different levels of accuracy. Approaches such as thermodynamic integration and Molecular Mechanics/Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area (MM/PBSA) methodologies which account for well defined physical interactions offer good accuracy but are computationally demanding. Methods based on the statistical analysis of experimental structures are much cheaper but good performances have only been obtained throughout consensus energy functions based on many different molecular descriptors. In this study we investigate the importance of the contribution to the binding free energy of the entropic term due to the fluctuations around the equilibrium structures. This term, which we estimated employing an elastic network model, is usually neglected in most statistical approaches. Our method crucially relies on a novel calibration procedure of the elastic network force constant. The residue mobility profile is fitted to the one obtained through a short all-atom molecular dynamics simulation on a subset of residues only. Our results show how the proper consideration of vibrational entropic contributions can improve the quality of the prediction on a set of non-obligatory protein complexes whose binding affinity is known. 2

Interplay between Conformational Entropy and Solvation Entropy in Protein–Ligand Binding

Journal of the American Chemical Society

Understanding the driving forces underlying molecular recognition is of fundamental importance in chemistry and biology. The challenge is to unravel the binding thermodynamics into separate contributions and to interpret these in molecular terms. Entropic contributions to the free energy of binding are particularly difficult to assess in this regard. Here we pinpoint the molecular determinants underlying differences in ligand affinity to the carbohydrate recognition domain of galectin-3, using a combination of isothermal titration calorimetry, X-ray crystallography, NMR relaxation, and molecular dynamics simulations followed by conformational entropy and grid inhomogeneous solvation theory (GIST) analyses. Using a pair of diastereomeric ligands that have essentially identical chemical potential in the unbound state, we reduced the problem of dissecting the thermodynamics to a comparison of the two protein−ligand complexes. While the free energies of binding are nearly equal for the R and S diastereomers, greater differences are observed for the enthalpy and entropy, which consequently exhibit compensatory behavior, ΔΔH°(R − S) = −5 ± 1 kJ/mol and −TΔΔS°(R − S) = 3 ± 1 kJ/mol. NMR relaxation experiments and molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the protein in complex with the S-stereoisomer has greater conformational entropy than in the R-complex. GIST calculations reveal additional, but smaller, contributions from solvation entropy, again in favor of the S-complex. Thus, conformational entropy apparently dominates over solvation entropy in dictating the difference in the overall entropy of binding. This case highlights an interplay between conformational entropy and solvation entropy, pointing to both opportunities and challenges in drug design.

Toward the semiquantitative estimation of binding constants. Guides for peptide-peptide binding in aqueous solution

Journal of the American Chemical Society, 1991

An expression is presented for the estimation of approximate binding constants for bimolecular associations in solution. The consequences of the approach have been examined for the bimolecular association of two peptide components in aqueous solution: specifically for the binding of two vancomycin group antibiotics, vancomycin itself and ristocetin A, to the peptide cell wall analogue N-Ac-D-Ala-D-Ala and related ligands. Uncertainties in the treatment are relatively large, but the physical insights gained into the binding process (in part with the aid of calorimetric data obtained by others) are enlightening. We conclude that for amide-amide hydrogen bond formation in aqueous solution at room temperature, the intrinsic binding energy is ca. 24 kJ mol-' (an intrinsic binding constant of ca. lo4); this process is almost completely driven by a favorable entropy change associated with the release of water molecules from the amide NH and CO groups involved in hydrogen bond formation. The bimolecular association of N-Ac-D-Ala-D-Ala with ristocetin A has a remarkably small entropy change at 298 K (TAS = 3 f 1.5 kJ mol-'). We conclude that the release of water from polar and hydrocarbon groups involved in the binding almost exactly compensates for (i) the unfavorable entropy change due to the freezing out of four rotors of N-Ac-DAla-D-Ala upon binding and (ii) the unfavorable entropy change of a bimolecular association. A crude quantitation of these effects is presented. We also present an estimate of the increase in translational plus rotational free energy, as a function of the ligand mass, occurring when a ligand binds to a larger receptor. This quantity, fundamental to all binding processes, is relatively insensitive to the shape of the ligand. Extension of the approach will allow, in those cases where there is good complementarity between ligand and receptor, the prediction of approximate peptide-peptide binding constants in aqueous solution. 'Cambridge Centre for Molecular Recognition. $Smith Kline Beecham Pharmaceuticals.

Protein–Ligand Interaction Energy-Based Entropy Calculations: Fundamental Challenges For Flexible Systems

Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2018

Entropy calculations represent one of the most challenging steps in obtaining the binding free energy in biomolecular systems. A novel computationally effective approach (IE) was recently proposed to calculate the entropy based on the computation of protein-ligand interaction energy directly from molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. We present a study focused on the application of this method to flexible molecular systems and compare its performance with well-established normal mode (NM) and quasiharmonic (QH) entropy calculation approaches. Our results raise substantial concerns on the general applicability of IE in terms of reproducibility, reasonable absolute values of the entropy and agreement with NM and QM approaches. IE shows significant variation in the computed entropy values depending on the MD frames chosen for calculations. These deviations render reproducibility of IE calculations to be far from sufficient. We conclude that IE is recommended to be used after substantial modifications with respect to its sampling methodology.

Methods for Calculating the Entropy and Free Energy and their Application to Problems Involving Protein Flexibility and Ligand Binding

Current Protein & Peptide Science, 2009

The Helmholtz free energy, F and the entropy, S are related thermodynamic quantities with a special importance in structural biology. We describe the difficulties in calculating these quantities and review recent methodological developments. Because protein flexibility is essential for function and ligand binding, we discuss the related problems involved in the definition, simulation, and free energy calculation of microstates (such as the -helical region of a peptide). While the review is broad, a special emphasize is given to methods for calculating the absolute F (S), where our HSMC(D) method is described in some detail.

ProteinPeptide Binding Energetics under Crowded Conditions

Nearly all biological processes, including strictly regulated protein-protein interactions fundamental in cell signaling, occur inside living cells where the concentration of macromolecules can exceed g/L. One such interaction is between a 7 kDa SH3 domain and a 25 kDa intrinsically disordered region of Son of Sevenless (SOS). Despite its key role in the mitogen activated protein kinase signaling pathway of all eukaryotes, most biophysical characterizations of this complex are performed in dilute buffered solutions where cosolute concentrations rarely exceed 10 g/L. Here, we investigate the effects of proteins, sugars, and urea, at high g/L concentrations, on the kinetics and equilibrium thermodynamics of binding between SH3 and two SOS-derived peptides using 19 F NMR lineshape analysis. We also analyze the temperature-dependence, which enables quantification of the enthalpic and entropic contributions. The energetics of SH3-peptide binding in proteins differs from those in the small molecules we used as control cosolutes, demonstrating the importance of using proteins as physiologically-relevant cosolutes. Although most of the protein cosolutes destabilize the SH3-peptide complexes, the effects are non-generalizable and there are subtle differences, which are likely from weak nonspecific interactions between the test proteins and the protein crowders. We also quantify the effects of cosolutes on SH3 translational and rotational diffusion to rationalize the effects on association rate constants. The absence of a correlation between the SH3 diffusion data and the kinetic data in certain cosolutes suggests that the properties of the peptide in crowded conditions must be considered when interpreting energetic effects. These studies have implications for understanding protein-protein interactions in cells and show the importance of using physiologically-relevant cosolutes for investigating macromolecular crowding effects.