1
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Keever JM, Banzon PD, Hales MK, Sargent AL, Allen WE. Association between N-Terminal Pyrenes Stabilizes the Collagen Triple Helix. J Org Chem 2023; 88:11885-11894. [PMID: 37531574 DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.3c01175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Collagen model peptides featuring the fluorophore pyrene at their N-termini have been synthesized, and their thermal denaturation has been examined using circular dichroism (CD) and fluorescence spectroscopies. Flanking the (Pro-Hyp-Gly)7 core of the peptide monomers at positions 1 and/or 23 in the primary sequence, Lys residues were introduced to ensure water solubility. Triple helices derived from such peptides show a broad excimer emission at ∼480 nm, indicative of interaction between the pyrene units. CD experiments show that the fluorophores enhance helix stability primarily through entropic effects. Unfolding temperatures (Tm) increase by up to 7 °C for systems with N-terminal lysine residues and by up to 21 °C for systems in which the first-position Lys is replaced by Ala. Tm values derived from fluorescence measurements (at 50 μM) typically lie within ∼1 °C of those obtained using CD (at 200 μM). Computational modeling in a water continuum using B3LYP-GD3 and M06-2X functionals predicts that face-to-face association of fluorophores can occur while H-bonding within the [(POG)n]3 assembly is retained. Such parallel stacking is consistent with hydrophobically driven stabilization. Labeling collagen peptides with pyrene is a synthetically simple way to promote triple helicity while providing a means to obtain Tm data on relatively dilute samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared M Keever
- Department of Chemistry, Science and Technology Building, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina 27858-4353, United States
| | - Patrick D Banzon
- Department of Chemistry, Science and Technology Building, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina 27858-4353, United States
| | - Megan K Hales
- Department of Chemistry, Science and Technology Building, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina 27858-4353, United States
| | - Andrew L Sargent
- Department of Chemistry, Science and Technology Building, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina 27858-4353, United States
| | - William E Allen
- Department of Chemistry, Science and Technology Building, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina 27858-4353, United States
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2
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Pantaleone S, Sodupe M, Ugliengo P, Rimola A. On the stability of peptide secondary structures on the TiO 2 (101) anatase surface: a computational insight. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 25:392-401. [PMID: 36477070 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp04395e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
The biological activity of proteins is partly due to their secondary structures and conformational states. Peptide chains are rather flexible so that finding ways inducing protein folding in a well-defined state is of great importance. Among the different constraint techniques, the interaction of proteins with inorganic surfaces is a fruitful strategy to stabilize selected folded states. Surface-induced peptide folding can have potential applications in different biomedicine areas, but it can also be of fundamental interest in prebiotic chemistry since the biological activity of a peptide can turn-on when folded in a given state. In this work, periodic quantum mechanical simulations (including implicit solvation effects) at the PBE-D2* level have been carried out to study the adsorption and the stability of the secondary structures (α-helix and β-sheet) of polypeptides with different chemical composition (i.e., polyglycine, polyalanine, polyglutamic acid, polylysine, and polyarginine) on the TiO2 (101) anatase surface. The computational cost is reduced by applying periodic boundary conditions to both the surface and the peptides, thus obtaining full periodic polypeptide/TiO2 surface systems. At variance with polyglycine, the interaction of the other polypeptides with the surface takes place with the lateral chain functionalities, leaving the secondary structures almost undistorted. Results indicate that the preferred conformation upon adsorption is the α-helix over the β-sheet, with the exception of the polyglutamic acid. According to the calculated adsorption energies, the affinity trend of the polypeptides with the (101) anatase surface is: polyarginine ≈ polylysine > polyglutamic acid > polyglycine ≈ polyalanine, both when adsorbed in gas phase and in presence of the implicit water solvent, which is very similar to the trend for the single amino acids. A set of implications related to the areas of surface-induced peptide folding, biomedicine and prebiotic chemistry are finally discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Pantaleone
- Departament de Química, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Catalonia, Spain. .,Dipartimento di Chimica and Nanostructured Interfaces and Surfaces (NIS) Inter-Departmental Centre, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via P. Giuria 7, 10125, Torino, Italy
| | - Mariona Sodupe
- Departament de Química, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Piero Ugliengo
- Dipartimento di Chimica and Nanostructured Interfaces and Surfaces (NIS) Inter-Departmental Centre, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via P. Giuria 7, 10125, Torino, Italy
| | - Albert Rimola
- Departament de Química, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Catalonia, Spain.
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3
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Marquis E, Cutini M, Anasori B, Rosenkranz A, Righi MC. Nanoscale MXene Interlayer and Substrate Adhesion for Lubrication: A Density Functional Theory Study. ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS 2022; 5:10516-10527. [PMID: 36062064 PMCID: PMC9425433 DOI: 10.1021/acsanm.2c01847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the interlayer interaction at the nanoscale in two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) is important to improve their exfoliation/delamination process and application in (nano)-tribology. The layer-substrate interaction is also essential in (nano)-tribology as effective solid lubricants should be resistant against peeling-off during rubbing. Previous computational studies considered MXenes' interlayer coupling with oversimplified, homogeneous terminations while neglecting the interaction with underlying substrates. In our study, Ti-based MXenes with both homogeneous and mixed terminations are modeled using density functional theory (DFT). An ad hoc modified dispersion correction scheme is used, capable of reproducing the results obtained from a higher level of theory. The nature of the interlayer interactions, comprising van der Waals, dipole-dipole, and hydrogen bonding, is discussed along with the effects of MXene sheet's thickness and C/N ratio. Our results demonstrate that terminations play a major role in regulating MXenes' interlayer and substrate adhesion to iron and iron oxide and, therefore, lubrication, which is also affected by an external load. Using graphene and MoS2 as established references, we verify that MXenes' tribological performance as solid lubricants can be significantly improved by avoiding -OH and -F terminations, which can be done by controlling terminations via post-synthesis processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Marquis
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, Alma Mater Studiorum
− University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 6/2, Bologna 40127, Italy
| | - Michele Cutini
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, Alma Mater Studiorum
− University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 6/2, Bologna 40127, Italy
| | - Babak Anasori
- Department
of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, and Integrated Nanosystems Development
Institute, Indiana University-Purdue University
Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | - Andreas Rosenkranz
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology and Materials, University of Chile, Avenida Beaucheff 851, Santiago de Chile 8370456, Chile
| | - Maria Clelia Righi
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, Alma Mater Studiorum
− University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 6/2, Bologna 40127, Italy
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Prasad VK, Otero-de-la-Roza A, DiLabio GA. Fast and Accurate Quantum Mechanical Modeling of Large Molecular Systems Using Small Basis Set Hartree-Fock Methods Corrected with Atom-Centered Potentials. J Chem Theory Comput 2022; 18:2208-2232. [PMID: 35313106 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.1c01128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
There has been significant interest in developing fast and accurate quantum mechanical methods for modeling large molecular systems. In this work, by utilizing a machine learning regression technique, we have developed new low-cost quantum mechanical approaches to model large molecular systems. The developed approaches rely on using one-electron Gaussian-type functions called atom-centered potentials (ACPs) to correct for the basis set incompleteness and the lack of correlation effects in the underlying minimal or small basis set Hartree-Fock (HF) methods. In particular, ACPs are proposed for ten elements common in organic and bioorganic chemistry (H, B, C, N, O, F, Si, P, S, and Cl) and four different base methods: two minimal basis sets (MINIs and MINIX) plus a double-ζ basis set (6-31G*) in combination with dispersion-corrected HF (HF-D3/MINIs, HF-D3/MINIX, HF-D3/6-31G*) and the HF-3c method. The new ACPs are trained on a very large set (73 832 data points) of noncovalent properties (interaction and conformational energies) and validated additionally on a set of 32 048 data points. All reference data are of complete basis set coupled-cluster quality, mostly CCSD(T)/CBS. The proposed ACP-corrected methods are shown to give errors in the tenths of a kcal/mol range for noncovalent interaction energies and up to 2 kcal/mol for molecular conformational energies. More importantly, the average errors are similar in the training and validation sets, confirming the robustness and applicability of these methods outside the boundaries of the training set. In addition, the performance of the new ACP-corrected methods is similar to complete basis set density functional theory (DFT) but at a cost that is orders of magnitude lower, and the proposed ACPs can be used in any computational chemistry program that supports effective-core potentials without modification. It is also shown that ACPs improve the description of covalent and noncovalent bond geometries of the underlying methods and that the improvement brought about by the application of the ACPs is directly related to the number of atoms to which they are applied, allowing the treatment of systems containing some atoms for which ACPs are not available. Overall, the ACP-corrected methods proposed in this work constitute an alternative accurate, economical, and reliable quantum mechanical approach to describe the geometries, interaction energies, and conformational energies of systems with hundreds to thousands of atoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viki Kumar Prasad
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Okanagan, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada V1V 1V7
| | - Alberto Otero-de-la-Roza
- MALTA Consolider Team, Departamento de Química Física y Analítica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de Oviedo, E-33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Gino A DiLabio
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Okanagan, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada V1V 1V7
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Pantaleone S, Rimola A, Ugliengo P, Sodupe M. First-Principles Modeling of Protein/Surface Interactions. Polyglycine Secondary Structure Adsorption on the TiO 2 (101) Anatase Surface Adopting a Full Periodic Approach. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:5484-5498. [PMID: 34752107 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c00689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Computational modeling of protein/surface systems is challenging since the conformational variations of the protein and its interactions with the surface need to be considered at once. Adoption of first-principles methods to this purpose is overwhelming and computationally extremely expensive so that, in many cases, dramatically simplified systems (e.g., small peptides or amino acids) are used at the expenses of modeling nonrealistic systems. In this work, we propose a cost-effective strategy for the modeling of peptide/surface interactions at a full quantum mechanical level, taking the adsorption of polyglycine on the TiO2 (101) anatase surface as a test case. Our approach is based on applying the periodic boundary conditions for both the surface model and the polyglycine peptide, giving rise to full periodic polyglycine/TiO2 surface systems. By proceeding this way, the considered complexes are modeled with a drastically reduced number of atoms compared with the finite-analogous systems, modeling the polypeptide structures at the same time in a realistic way. Within our modeling approach, full periodic density functional theory calculations (including implicit solvation effects) and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations at the PBE-D2* theory level have been carried out to investigate the adsorption and relative stability of the different polyglycine structures (i.e., extended primary, β-sheet, and α-helix) on the TiO2 surface. It has been found that, upon adsorption, secondary structures become partially denatured because the peptide C═O groups form Ti-O═C dative bonds. AIMD simulations have been fundamental to identify these phenomena because thermal and entropic effects are of paramount importance. Irrespective of the simulated environments (gas phase and implicit solvent), adsorption of the α-helix is more favorable than that of the β-sheet because in the former, more Ti-O═C bonds are formed and the adsorbed secondary structure results less distorted with respect to the isolated state. Under the implicit water solvent, additionally, adsorbed β-sheet structures weaken with respect to their isolated states as the H-bonds between the strands are longer due to solvation effects. Accordingly, the results indicate that the preferred conformation upon adsorption is the α-helix over the β-sheet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Pantaleone
- Departament de Química, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra 08193, Catalonia, Spain.,Dipartimento di Chimica and Nanostructured Interfaces and Surfaces (NIS) Inter-Departmental Centre, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via P. Giuria 7, Torino 10125, Italy.,Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8, Perugia I-06123, Italy
| | - Albert Rimola
- Departament de Química, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra 08193, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Piero Ugliengo
- Dipartimento di Chimica and Nanostructured Interfaces and Surfaces (NIS) Inter-Departmental Centre, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via P. Giuria 7, Torino 10125, Italy
| | - Mariona Sodupe
- Departament de Química, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra 08193, Catalonia, Spain
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6
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Cutini M, Ugliengo P. Infrared harmonic features of collagen models at B3LYP-D3: From amide bands to the THz region. J Chem Phys 2021; 155:075102. [PMID: 34418922 DOI: 10.1063/5.0056422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper, we have studied the vibrational spectral features for the collagen triple helix using a dispersion corrected hybrid density functional theory (DFT-D) approach. The protein is simulated by an infinite extended polymer both in the gas phase and in a water micro-solvated environment. We have adopted proline-rich collagen models in line with the high content of proline in natural collagens. Our scaled harmonic vibrational spectra are in very good agreement with the experiments and allow for the peak assignment of the collagen amide I and III bands, supporting or questioning the experimental interpretation by means of vibrational normal modes analysis. Furthermore, we demonstrated that IR spectroscopy in the THz region can detect the small variations inherent to the triple helix helicity (10/3 over 7/2), thus elucidating the packing state of the collagen. So far, identifying the collagen helicity is only possible by means of crystal x-ray diffraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Cutini
- Department of Chemistry and NIS (Nanostructured Interfaces and Surfaces) Center, University of Torino, Via P. Giuria 7, 10125 Turin, Italy
| | - Piero Ugliengo
- Department of Chemistry and NIS (Nanostructured Interfaces and Surfaces) Center, University of Torino, Via P. Giuria 7, 10125 Turin, Italy
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