Extremely precise free energy calculations of amino acid side chain analogs: Comparison of common molecular mechanics force fields for proteins Computational techniques see widespread use in pharmaceutical drug discovery, but typically prove unreliable in predicting trends in protein-ligand binding. Alchemical free energy calculations seek to change that by providing rigorous binding free energies from molecular simulations. Given adequate sampling and an accurate enough force field, these techniques yield accurate free energy estimates. Recent innovations in alchemical techniques have sparked a resurgence of interest in these calculations. Still, many obstacles stand in the way of their routine application in a drug discovery context, including the one we focus on here, sampling. Sampling of binding modes poses a particular challenge as binding modes are often separated by large energy barriers, leading to slow transitions. Binding modes are difficult to predict, and in some cases multiple binding modes may contribute to binding. In view of these hurdles, we present a framework for dealing carefully with uncertainty in binding mode or conformation in the context of free energy calculations. With careful sampling, free energy techniques show considerable promise for aiding drug discovery.

A re-parameterization of the standard TIP4P water model for use with Ewald techniques is introduced, providing an overall global improvement in water properties relative to several popular nonpolarizable and polarizable water potentials. Using high precision simulations, and careful application of standard analytical corrections, we show that the new TIP4P-Ew potential has a density maximum at approximately 1 degrees C, and reproduces experimental bulk-densities and the enthalpy of vaporization, DeltaH(vap), from -37.5 to 127 degrees C at 1 atm with an absolute average error of less than 1%. Structural properties are in very good agreement with x-ray scattering intensities at temperatures between 0 and 77 degrees C and dynamical properties such as self-diffusion coefficient are in excellent agreement with experiment. The parameterization approach used can be easily generalized to rehabilitate any water force field using available experimental data over a range of thermodynamic points.

Optimized intermolecular potential functions have been determined for hydrocarbons through Monte Carlo simulations of 15 liquids: methane, ethane, propane, n-butane, isobutane, n-pentane, isopentane, neopentane, cyclopentane, n-hexane, 1 -butene, cis-and trans-2-butene, isobutene, and benzene. To achieve high accuracy, 12 unique group types were identified and their associated Lennard-Jones parameters were established. The average deviation from experiment for the computed densities and heats of vaporization is 2% and trends for isomeric series are reproduced. Conformational results were also obtained for five liquids and revealed no condensed-phase effects on the conformer populations. Structural analyses focus on trends as a function of chain length and branching of the monomers.

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Monte Carlo statistical mechanics simulations have been carried out for a dilute solution of methanol in water at 25 OC and 1 atm. The water-water interactions were described with the TIP4P potential, while the methanol-water interactions were represented by a modified TIPS potential that incorporates the methyl hydrogens explicitly. The latter feature allowed the internal rotation for the methyl group to be included in the simulation. Statistics for the conformational process were enhanced by umbrella sampling over chopped rotational barriers. The computed heat of solution (-17 f 5 kcal/mol) is in better accord with experiment (-10.8 kcal/mol) than earlier theoretical results. Furthermore, the preferred conformation of methanol in water is demonstrated to be staggered in contrast to the computed findings of Bolis, Corongiu, and Clementi. Detailed structural results have also been obtained and are discussed. Water molecules form a cage around the methyl group, while two to three water molecules are hydrogen bonded to the hydroxyl end of methanol. Further analyses of the hydrogen bonding reveal that the hydrogen bonds for the cage molecules have normal strengths. The exothermic heat of solution is due to favorable solute-solvent interactions and not enhanced solvent-solvent hydrogen bonding.

We investigate the solution and fibril conformations and structural transitions of the polyglutamine (polyQ) peptide, DQK (Q10), by synergistically using UV resonance Raman (UVRR) spectroscopy and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. We show that Q10 adopts two distinct, monomeric solution conformational states: a collapsed β-strand and a PPII-like structure that do not readily interconvert. This clearly indicates a high activation barrier in solution that prevents equilibration between these structures. Using metadynamics, we explore the conformational energy landscape of Q10 to investigate the physical origins of this high activation barrier. We develop new insights into the conformations and hydrogen bonding environments of the glutamine side chains in the PPII and β-strand-like conformations in solution. We also use the secondary structure-inducing cosolvent, acetonitrile, to investigate the conformations present in low dielectric constant solutions with decreased solvent-peptide hydrogen bonding. As the mole fraction of acetonitrile increases, Q10 converts from PPII-like structures into α-helix-like structures and β-sheet aggregates. Electron microscopy indicates that the aggregates prepared from these acetonitrile-rich solutions show morphologies similar to our previously observed polyQ fibrils. These aggregates redissolve upon the addition of water! These are the first examples of reversible fibril formation. Our monomeric Q10 peptides clearly sample broad regions of their available conformational energy landscape. The work here develops molecular-level insight into monomeric Q10 conformations and investigates the activation barriers between different monomer states and their evolution into fibrils.