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Zhang P, Gardini AT, Xu X, Parrinello M. Intramolecular and Water Mediated Tautomerism of Solvated Glycine. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:3599-3604. [PMID: 38620066 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.4c00273] [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: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Understanding tautomerism and characterizing solvent effects on the dynamic processes pose significant challenges. Using enhanced-sampling molecular dynamics based on state-of-the-art deep learning potentials, we investigated the tautomeric equilibria of glycine in water. We observed that the tautomerism between neutral and zwitterionic glycine can occur through both intramolecular and intermolecular proton transfers. The latter proceeds involving a contact anionic-glycine-hydronium ion pair or separate cationic-glycine-hydroxide ion pair. These pathways with comparable barriers contribute almost equally to the reaction flux.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengchao Zhang
- Center for Combustion Energy, Department of Energy and Power Engineering, and Key Laboratory for Thermal Science and Power Engineering of Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Atomistic Simulations, Italian Institute of Technology, Genova 16152, Italy
| | - Axel Tosello Gardini
- Atomistic Simulations, Italian Institute of Technology, Genova 16152, Italy
- Department of Materials Science, Università di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Xuefei Xu
- Center for Combustion Energy, Department of Energy and Power Engineering, and Key Laboratory for Thermal Science and Power Engineering of Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Michele Parrinello
- Atomistic Simulations, Italian Institute of Technology, Genova 16152, Italy
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Adasme-Carreño F, Ochoa-Calle A, Galván M, Ireta J. Conformational preference of dipeptide zwitterions in aqueous solvents. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:8210-8218. [PMID: 38384231 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp05742a] [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: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Proper description of solvent effects is challenging for theoretical methods, particularly if the solute is a zwitterion. Here, a series of theoretical procedures are used to determine the preferred solvated conformations of twelve hydrophobic dipeptides (Leu-Leu, Leu-Phe, Phe-Leu, Ile-Leu, Phe-Phe, Ala-Val, Val-Ala, Ala-Ile, Ile-Ala, Ile-Val, Val-Ile and Val-Val) in the zwitterionic state. First, the accuracy of density functional theory (DFT), combined with different implicit solvent models, for describing zwitterions in aqueous solvent is assessed by comparing the predicted against the experimental glycine tautomerization energy, i.e., the energetic difference between canonical and zwitterionic glycine in aqueous solvents. It is found that among the tested solvation schemes, the charge-asymmetric nonlocally determined local-electric solvation model (CANDLE) predicts an energetic difference in excellent agreement with the experimental value. Next, DFT-CANDLE is used to determine the most favorable solvated conformation for each of the investigated dipeptide zwitterions. The CANDLE-solvated structures are obtained by exploring the conformational space of each dipeptide zwitterion concatenating DFT calculations, in vacuum, with classical molecular dynamics simulations, in explicit solvents, and DFT calculations including explicit water molecules. It is found that the energetically most favorable conformations are similar to those of the dipeptide zwitterions in their respective crystal structures. Such structural agreement is indicative of the DFT-CANDLE accomplishment of the description of solvated zwitterions, and suggests that these biomolecules self-assemble as quasi-rigid objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Adasme-Carreño
- Centro de Investigación de Estudios Avanzados del Maule (CIEAM), Vicerrectorá de Investigación y Postgrado Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3480112, Chile.
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática y Química Computacional (LBQC), Departamento de Medicina Traslacional, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3480112, Chile
| | - Alvaro Ochoa-Calle
- Departamento de Química, División de Ciencias Básicas e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Ciudad de México 09340, Mexico.
| | - Marcelo Galván
- Departamento de Química, División de Ciencias Básicas e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Ciudad de México 09340, Mexico.
| | - Joel Ireta
- Departamento de Química, División de Ciencias Básicas e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Ciudad de México 09340, Mexico.
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Yusef-Buey M, Mineva T, Talbi D, Rapacioli M. Temperature driven transformations of glycine molecules embedded in interstellar ice. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:2414-2425. [PMID: 38168973 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp03575a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
The formation of glycine amino acid on ice grains in space raises fundamental questions about glycine chemistry in interstellar media. In this work, we studied glycine conformational space and the related tautomerization mechanisms in water media by means of QM/MM molecular dynamics simulations of four glycine conformational isomers (cc, ct, tc, and tt). Interstellar low density amorphous (LDA) ice and T = 20 K were considered as representative for a cold interstellar ice environment, while temperatures of 250 and 450 K were included to model rapid local heating in the ice. In addition to the LDA environment, water clusters with 4, 17, and 27 H2O molecules were subjected to QM/MM dynamics simulations that allowed glycine tautomerization behaviour to be evaluated in water surface-like environments. The tautomerization processes were found to be strongly dependent on the number of water molecules and specific isomer structure. All the glycine isomers mostly preserve their canonical "neutral" conformations under interstellar conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maysa Yusef-Buey
- Laboratoire de Chimie et Physique Quantique (LCPQ/FERMI), UMR5626, Université de Toulouse (UPS) and CNRS, 118 Route de Narbonne, F-31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Tzonka Mineva
- ICGM, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, Montpellier, France.
| | - Dahbia Talbi
- LUPM, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France.
| | - Mathias Rapacioli
- Laboratoire de Chimie et Physique Quantique (LCPQ/FERMI), UMR5626, Université de Toulouse (UPS) and CNRS, 118 Route de Narbonne, F-31062 Toulouse, France.
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Harold SE, Warf SL, Shields GC. Prebiotic dimer and trimer peptide formation in gas-phase atmospheric nanoclusters of water. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:28517-28532. [PMID: 37847315 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp02915h] [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: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
Insight into the origin of prebiotic molecules is key to our understanding of how living systems evolved into the complex network of biological processes on Earth. By modelling diglycine and triglycine peptide formation in the prebiotic atmosphere, we provide a plausible pathway for peptide growth. By examining different transition states (TSs), we conclude that the formation of diglycine and triglycine in atmospheric nanoclusters of water in the prebiotic atmosphere kinetically favors peptide growth by an N-to-C synthesis of glycines through a trans conformation. Addition of water stabilizes the TS structures and lowers the Gibbs free activation energies. At temperatures that model the prebiotic atmosphere, the free energies of activation with a six water nanocluster as part of the TS are predicted to be 16 kcal mol-1 relative to the prereactive complex. Examination of the trans vs. cis six water transition states reveals that a homodromic water network that maximizes the acceptor/donor nature of the six waters is responsible for enhanced kinetic favorability of the trans N-to-C pathway. Compared to the non-hydrated trans TS, the trans six-water TS accelerates the reaction of diglycine and glycine to form triglycine by 13 orders of magnitude at 217 K. Nature uses the trans N-to-C pathway to synthesize proteins in the ribosome, and we note the similarities in hydrogen bond stabilization between the transition state for peptide synthesis in the ribosome and the transition states formed in nanoclusters of water in the same pathway. These results support the hypothesis that small oligomers formed in the prebiotic atmosphere and rained onto earth's surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon E Harold
- Department of Chemistry, Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina 29613, USA.
| | - Skyler L Warf
- Department of Chemistry, Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina 29613, USA.
| | - George C Shields
- Department of Chemistry, Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina 29613, USA.
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Li YY, Li RZ, Wang XY. Interaction of glycine with Li + in the (H 2O) n (n = 0-8) clusters. J Mol Model 2023; 29:254. [PMID: 37464061 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-023-05663-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT We investigated the interaction between glycine and Li+ in water environment based on the Gly·Li+(H2O)n (n = 0-8) cluster. Our study shows that for Gly·Li+, Li+ binds to both carbonyl oxygen and amino nitrogen to form a bidentate structure, and the first three water molecules preferentially interact with Li+. For n = 0-5, the complexes of Gly·Li+(H2O)n exist in neutral form, and when the water number reached 6, the complex can coexist in neutral and zwitterionic form, then zwitterionic structures are dominant for n = 7, 8. The analyses by RDG, AIM, and ESP in conjunction with the calculated interaction energies show that the interaction between Li+ and Gly decreases gradually with the water molecules involved successively from n = 1 to 6 and then increases for n = 7-8. Additionally, the infrared spectra of Gly·Li+(H2O)n (n = 0-8) are also calculated. METHODS The initial structures were optimized using Gaussian 09 program package in B3LYP-D3 (BJ)/6-311G(d, p) method, and the frequency was calculated with 6-311 + G(2d, p) basis set. GaussView5.0.9 was used to view simulation infrared spectra. The noncovalent interaction method (NCl), energy decomposition (EDA), atoms in molecules (AIM) analysis, and electrostatic potential (ESP) analyses were conducted using Multiwfn software to gain a deeper understanding of the interaction properties of Gly, Li+, and water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Yi Li
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Xi'an Polytechnic University, Xi'an, 710048, People's Republic of China
| | - Ren-Zhong Li
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Xi'an Polytechnic University, Xi'an, 710048, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xin-Yu Wang
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Xi'an Polytechnic University, Xi'an, 710048, People's Republic of China
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Ball BT, Vanovac S, Odbadrakh TT, Shields GC. Monomers of Glycine and Serine Have a Limited Ability to Hydrate in the Atmosphere. J Phys Chem A 2021; 125:8454-8467. [PMID: 34529444 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.1c05466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The role of atmospheric aerosols on climate change is one of the biggest uncertainties in most global climate models. Organic aerosols have been identified as potential cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), and amino acids are organic molecules that could serve as CCN. Amino acids make up a significant portion of the total organic material in the atmosphere, and herein we present a systematic study of hydration for two of the most common atmospheric amino acids, glycine and serine. We compute DLPNO/CCSD(T)//M08-HX/MG3S thermodynamic properties and atmospheric concentrations of Gly(H2O)n and Ser(H2O)n, where n = 1-5. We predict that serine-water clusters have higher concentrations at n = 1 and 5, while glycine-water clusters have higher concentrations at n = 2-4. However, both glycine and serine are inferred to exist primarily in their nonhydrated monomer forms in the absence of other species such as sulfuric acid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin T Ball
- Department of Chemistry, Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina 29613, United States
| | - Sara Vanovac
- Department of Chemistry, Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina 29613, United States
| | - Tuguldur T Odbadrakh
- Department of Chemistry, Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina 29613, United States
| | - George C Shields
- Department of Chemistry, Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina 29613, United States
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