Evaluation of the iterative simulated annealing technique in conformational search of peptides

A random forest learning assisted "divide and conquer" approach for peptide conformation search

Computational determination of peptide conformations is challenging as it is a problem of finding minima in a high-dimensional space. The "divide and conquer" approach is promising for reliably reducing the search space size. A random forest learning model is proposed here to expand the scope of applicability of the "divide and conquer" approach. A random forest classification algorithm is used to characterize the distributions of the backbone φ-ψ units ("words"). A random forest supervised learning model is developed to analyze the combinations of the φ-ψ units ("grammar"). It is found that amino acid residues may be grouped as equivalent "words", while the φ-ψ combinations in low-energy peptide conformations follow a distinct "grammar". The finding of equivalent words empowers the "divide and conquer" method with the flexibility of fragment substitution. The learnt grammar is used to improve the efficiency of the "divide and conquer" method by removing unfavorable φ-ψ combinations without the need of dedicated human effort. The machine learning assisted search method is illustrated by efficiently searching the conformations of GGG/AAA/GGGG/AAAA/GGGGG through assembling the structures of GFG/GFGG. Moreover, the computational cost of the new method is shown to increase rather slowly with the peptide length.

Application of Monte Carlo-based receptor ensemble docking to virtual screening for GPCR ligands

Receptor ensemble docking (RED) is an effective strategy to account for receptor flexibility in the course of a docking-based virtual screening campaign. Such an approach can be applied when multiple crystal structures of a receptor have been solved, but it can also be applied when only a single crystal structure is available. In this case, alternative structures can be generated from the latter by computational means and subsequently applied to RED. Here, we illustrate how such conformers can be generated by subjecting a crystal structure to Monte Carlo conformational searches. Through a controlled virtual screening experiment, we then show the applicability of such a strategy to the identification of ligands of the β(2) adrenergic receptor, a G protein-coupled receptor activated by epinephrine. Requiring the availability of one crystal structure only, this strategy is applicable to all systems for which multiple experimentally elucidated structures are not available.

Comprehensive conformational studies of five tripeptides and a deduced method for efficient determinations of peptide structures

Thorough searches on the potential energy surfaces of five tripeptides, GGG, GYG, GWG, TGG, and MGG, were performed by considering all possible combinations of the bond rotational degrees of freedom with a semiempirical and ab initio combined computational approach. Structural characteristics of the obtained stable tripeptide conformers were carefully analyzed. Conformers of the five tripeptides were found to be closely connected with conformers of their constituting dipeptides and amino acids. A method for finding all important tripeptide conformers by optimizing a small number of trial structures generated by suitable superposition of the parent amino acid and dipeptide conformers is thus proposed. Applying the method to another five tripeptides, YGG, FGG, WGG, GFA, and GGF, studied before shows that the new approach is both efficient and reliable by providing the most complete ensembles of tripeptide conformers. The method is further generalized for application to larger peptides by introducing the breeding and mutation concepts in a genetic algorithm way. The generalized method is verified to be capable of finding tetrapeptide conformers with secondary structures of strands, helices, and turns, which are highly populated in larger peptides. This show some promise for the proposed method to be applied for the structural determination of larger peptides.

Conformational profile of bombesin assessed using different computational protocols

The present work involves the study of the conformational profile of bombesin using different computational procedures used to explore the configurational space based on molecular dynamics simulations. Specifically, the present study describes the effect of using Berendsen's versus Langevin's thermostat and on the other hand, the use of the multicanonical replica exchange molecular dynamics as compared to standard molecular dynamics. In these simulations the solvent was modeled using the Onufriev, Bashford and Case implementation of Generalized Born procedure. The detailed computational analysis agrees well with the aggregated information previously reported in the NMR study of the peptide in a mixture of trifluoroethanol/water. Present results show a clear preference for the peptide to attain a helical structure on the segment 6-14, with a tendency to adopt a α-helix at the C-terminus aligning the aromatic residues Trp8 and His12 together with Gln7, known to be important for peptide mediated activation. Finally, the three methodologies used in the present work yield similar structural results, although a detailed analysis reveals biases that need to be considered when performing this kind of studies.

14-Helical Folding in a Cyclobutane-Containing β-Tetrapeptide

The efficient synthesis of tetrapeptide 5 containing, in alternation, cyclobutane and beta-alanine residues is described. NMR experiments both at low temperature in CDCl(3) and at 298 K in DMSO-d(6) solutions show the contribution of a strong hydrogen bond in the folded major conformation of 5. Temperature coefficients and diffusion times point out a hydrogen bond involving the NH proton from the cyclobutane residue 1 whereas NOEs manifest the high rigidity of the central fragment of the molecule and are compatible with a 14-membered macrocycle. Theoretical calculations predict a most stable folded conformation corresponding to a 14-helix stabilized by a hydrogen bond between NH(10) in the first residue and OC(25) in the third residue. This structure remains unaltered during the molecular dynamics simulation at 298 K in chloroform. All these results provide evidence for a 14-helical folding and reveal the ability of cis-2-aminocyclobutane carboxylic acid residues to promote folded conformations when incorporated into beta-peptides.

Synthesis of 3-aminolactams as X-Gly constrained pseudodipeptides and conformational study of a Trp-Gly surrogate

3-Amino-delta-valerolactams trans-11a-c were synthesized through conjugate addition and Curtius rearrangement and converted into Fmoc-[Trp-Gly], Fmoc-[Ile-Gly], and Fmoc-[Phe-Gly] pseudodipeptides. Conformational analyses of tripeptide analogues Ac-[Trp-Gly]-Leu-NH(2) 17a and 17b by NMR experiments and molecular modeling calculations showed that diastereomer 17a adopted a gamma-turn/distorted type II beta-turn structure, whereas diastereomer 17b adopted mainly a gamma-turn structure.

Spirolactams as conformationally restricted pseudopeptides: synthesis and conformational analysis

The synthesis of 1-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-7-[1-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-3-methylbutyl]-6-oxo-1,7-diazaspiro[4.5]decanes (S,S)-1a and (S,R)-1b is described. Derivatives 17a,b and 19a are prepared for use in peptide synthesis as constrained surrogates of the Pro-Leu and Gly-Leu dipeptides. The Ac-[Gly-Leu]-Met-NH(2) derivatives (S,S,S)-2a and (S,R,S)-2b, with the tripeptidic C-terminal region present in tachykinins, are also synthesized. Conformational analyses of these tripetide analogues by NMR experiments and molecular modeling calculations show that both (S,S,S)-2a and (S,R,S)-2b epimers are gamma-turn/distorted type II beta-turn mimetics.