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Abstract
Based on molecular dynamics simulations of four globular proteins in dilute aqueous solution, with three different water models, we examine several, essentially geometrical, aspects of the protein-water interface that remain controversial or incompletely understood. First, we compare different hydration shell definitions, based on spatial or topological proximity criteria. We find that the best method for constructing monolayer shells with nearly complete coverage is to use a 5 Å water-carbon cutoff and a 4 Å water-water cutoff. Using this method, we determine a mean interfacial water area of 11.1 Å2 which appears to be a universal property of the protein-water interface. We then analyze the local coordination and packing density of water molecules in the hydration shells and in subsets of the first shell. The mean polar water coordination number in the first shell remains within 1% of the bulk-water value, and it is 5% lower in the nonpolar part of the first shell. The local packing density is obtained from additively weighted Voronoi tessellation, arguably the most physically realistic method for allocating space between protein and water. We find that water in all parts of the first hydration shell, including the nonpolar part, is more densely packed than in the bulk, with a shell-averaged density excess of 6% for all four proteins. We suggest reasons why this value differs from previous experimental and computational results, emphasizing the importance of a realistic placement of the protein-water dividing surface and the distinction between spatial correlation and packing density. The protein-induced perturbation of water coordination and packing density is found to be short-ranged, with an exponential decay "length" of 0.6 shells. We also compute the protein partial volume, analyze its decomposition, and argue against the relevance of electrostriction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Persson
- Division of Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden
| | - Pär Söderhjelm
- Division of Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden
| | - Bertil Halle
- Division of Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden
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Kim HS, Martel A, Girard E, Moulin M, Härtlein M, Madern D, Blackledge M, Franzetti B, Gabel F. SAXS/SANS on Supercharged Proteins Reveals Residue-Specific Modifications of the Hydration Shell. Biophys J 2016; 110:2185-94. [PMID: 27224484 PMCID: PMC4880798 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2016.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Revised: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Water molecules in the immediate vicinity of biomacromolecules, including proteins, constitute a hydration layer characterized by physicochemical properties different from those of bulk water and play a vital role in the activity and stability of these structures, as well as in intermolecular interactions. Previous studies using solution scattering, crystallography, and molecular dynamics simulations have provided valuable information about the properties of these hydration shells, including modifications in density and ionic concentration. Small-angle scattering of x-rays (SAXS) and neutrons (SANS) are particularly useful and complementary techniques to study biomacromolecular hydration shells due to their sensitivity to electronic and nuclear scattering-length density fluctuations, respectively. Although several sophisticated SAXS/SANS programs have been developed recently, the impact of physicochemical surface properties on the hydration layer remains controversial, and systematic experimental data from individual biomacromolecular systems are scarce. Here, we address the impact of physicochemical surface properties on the hydration shell by a systematic SAXS/SANS study using three mutants of a single protein, green fluorescent protein (GFP), with highly variable net charge (+36, -6, and -29). The combined analysis of our data shows that the hydration shell is locally denser in the vicinity of acidic surface residues, whereas basic and hydrophilic/hydrophobic residues only mildly modify its density. Moreover, the data demonstrate that the density modifications result from the combined effect of residue-specific recruitment of ions from the bulk in combination with water structural rearrangements in their vicinity. Finally, we find that the specific surface-charge distributions of the different GFP mutants modulate the conformational space of flexible parts of the protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry S Kim
- University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France; CNRS, Grenoble, France; CEA, IBS, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Eric Girard
- University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France; CNRS, Grenoble, France; CEA, IBS, Grenoble, France
| | | | | | - Dominique Madern
- University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France; CNRS, Grenoble, France; CEA, IBS, Grenoble, France; Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble, France
| | - Martin Blackledge
- University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France; CNRS, Grenoble, France; CEA, IBS, Grenoble, France
| | - Bruno Franzetti
- University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France; CNRS, Grenoble, France; CEA, IBS, Grenoble, France; Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble, France
| | - Frank Gabel
- University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France; CNRS, Grenoble, France; CEA, IBS, Grenoble, France; Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble, France.
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Effects of chemical modifications in the partition behavior of proteins in aqueous two-phase systems: A case study with RNase A. Biotechnol Prog 2013; 29:378-85. [DOI: 10.1002/btpr.1684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2012] [Revised: 12/19/2012] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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5
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Danielewicz-Ferchmin I, Banachowicz EM, Ferchmin AR. Role of electromechanical and mechanoelectric effects in protein hydration under hydrostatic pressure. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2011; 13:17722-8. [DOI: 10.1039/c1cp21819k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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