Protein unfolding from free-energy calculations: integration of the Gaussian network model with bond binding energies

Sufficient minimal model for DNA denaturation: Integration of harmonic scalar elasticity and bond energies

We study DNA denaturation by integrating elasticity - as described by the Gaussian network model - with bond binding energies, distinguishing between different base pairs and stacking energies. We use exact calculation, within the model, of the Helmholtz free-energy of any partial denaturation state, which implies that the entropy of all formed "bubbles" ("loops") is accounted for. Considering base pair bond removal single events, the bond designated for opening is chosen by minimizing the free-energy difference for the process, over all remaining base pair bonds. Despite of its great simplicity, for several known DNA sequences our results are in accord with available theoretical and experimental studies. Moreover, we report free-energy profiles along the denaturation pathway, which allow to detect stable or meta-stable partial denaturation states, composed of bubble, as local free-energy minima separated by barriers. Our approach allows to study very long DNA strands with commonly available computational power, as we demonstrate for a few random sequences in the range 200-800 base-pairs. For the latter, we also elucidate the self-averaging property of the system. Implications for the well known breathing dynamics of DNA are elucidated.

The Intrinsic Dynamics and Unfolding Process of an Antibody Fab Fragment Revealed by Elastic Network Model

Antibodies have been increasingly used as pharmaceuticals in clinical treatment. Thermal stability and unfolding process are important properties that must be considered in antibody design. In this paper, the structure-encoded dynamical properties and the unfolding process of the Fab fragment of the phosphocholine-binding antibody McPC603 are investigated by use of the normal mode analysis of Gaussian network model (GNM). Firstly, the temperature factors for the residues of the protein were calculated with GNM and then compared with the experimental measurements. A good result was obtained, which provides the validity for the use of GNM to study the dynamical properties of the protein. Then, with this approach, the mean-square fluctuation (MSF) of the residues, as well as the MSF in the internal distance (MSFID) between all pairwise residues, was calculated to investigate the mobility and flexibility of the protein, respectively. It is found that the mobility and flexibility of the constant regions are higher than those of the variable regions, and the six complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) in the variable regions also exhibit relative large mobility and flexibility. The large amplitude motions of the CDRs are considered to be associated with the immune function of the antibody. In addition, the unfolding process of the protein was simulated by iterative use of the GNM. In our method, only the topology of protein native structure is taken into account, and the protein unfolding process is simulated through breaking the native contacts one by one according to the MSFID values between the residues. It is found that the flexible regions tend to unfold earlier. The sequence of the unfolding events obtained by our method is consistent with the hydrogen-deuterium exchange experimental results. Our studies imply that the unfolding behavior of the Fab fragment of antibody McPc603 is largely determined by the intrinsic dynamics of the protein.