Baumketner A, Melnyk R, Holovko MF, Cai W, Costa D, Caccamo C. Softness and non-spherical shape define the phase behavior and the structural properties of lysozyme in aqueous solutions.
J Chem Phys 2016;
144:015103. [PMID:
26747821 DOI:
10.1063/1.4939637]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, Boltzmann inversion is applied in conjunction with molecular dynamics simulations to derive inter-molecular potential for protein lysozyme in aqueous solution directly from experimental static structure factor. The potential has a soft repulsion at short distances and an attraction well at intermediate distances that give rise to the liquid-liquid phase separation. Moreover, Gibbs ensemble Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate that a non-spherical description of lysozyme is better suited to correctly reproduce the experimentally observed properties of such a phase separation. Our findings shed new light on the common problem in molecular and cell biology: "How to model proteins in their natural aqueous environments?"
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