1
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Blanco PM, Narambuena CF, Madurga S, Mas F, Garcés JL. Unusual Aspects of Charge Regulation in Flexible Weak Polyelectrolytes. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:2680. [PMID: 37376324 DOI: 10.3390/polym15122680] [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: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
This article reviews the state of the art of the studies on charge regulation (CR) effects in flexible weak polyelectrolytes (FWPE). The characteristic of FWPE is the strong coupling of ionization and conformational degrees of freedom. After introducing the necessary fundamental concepts, some unconventional aspects of the the physical chemistry of FWPE are discussed. These aspects are: (i) the extension of statistical mechanics techniques to include ionization equilibria and, in particular, the use of the recently proposed Site Binding-Rotational Isomeric State (SBRIS) model, which allows the calculation of ionization and conformational properties on the same foot; (ii) the recent progresses in the inclusion of proton equilibria in computer simulations; (iii) the possibility of mechanically induced CR in the stretching of FWPE; (iv) the non-trivial adsorption of FWPE on ionized surfaces with the same charge sign as the PE (the so-called "wrong side" of the isoelectric point); (v) the influence of macromolecular crowding on CR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo M Blanco
- Physical Chemistry Unit, Materials Science and Physical Chemistry Department & Research Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTCUB), Barcelona University (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Claudio F Narambuena
- Grupo de Bionanotecnologia y Sistemas Complejos, Infap-CONICET & Facultad Regional San Rafael, Universidad Tecnológica Nacional, San Rafael 5600, Argentina
| | - Sergio Madurga
- Physical Chemistry Unit, Materials Science and Physical Chemistry Department & Research Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTCUB), Barcelona University (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Francesc Mas
- Physical Chemistry Unit, Materials Science and Physical Chemistry Department & Research Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTCUB), Barcelona University (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Josep L Garcés
- Chemistry Department, Technical School of Agricultural Engineering & AGROTECNIO, Lleida University (UdL), 25003 Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
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2
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Panigrahy S, Sahu R, Reddy SK, Nayar D. Structure, energetics and dynamics in crowded amino acid solutions: a molecular dynamics study. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:5430-5442. [PMID: 36744506 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp04238j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
A comprehensive understanding of crowding effects on biomolecular processes necessitates investigating the bulk thermodynamic and kinetic properties of the solutions with an accurate molecular representation of the crowded milieu. Recent studies have reparameterized the non-bonded dispersion interaction of solutes to precisely model intermolecular interactions, which would circumvent artificial aggregation as shown by the original force-fields. However, the performance of this reparameterization is yet to be assessed for concentrated crowded solutions in terms of investigating the hydration shell structure, energetics and dynamics. In this study, we perform molecular dynamics simulations of crowded aqueous solutions of five zwitterionic neutral amino acids (Gly, Ala, Thr, Pro, and Ser), mimicking the molecular crowding environment, using a modified AMBER ff99SB-ILDN force-field. We systematically examine and show that the reproducibility of the osmotic coefficients, density, viscosity and self-diffusivity of amino acids improves using the modified force-field in crowded concentrations. The modified force-field also improves the structuring of the solute solvation shells, solute interaction energy and convergence of tails of radial distribution functions, indicating reduction in the artificial aggregation. Our results also indicate that the hydrogen bonding network of water weakens and water molecules anomalously diffuse at small time scales in the crowded solutions. These results underscore the significance of examining the solution properties and anomalous hydration behaviour of water in crowded solutions, which have implications in shaping the structure and dynamics of biomolecules. The findings also illustrate the improvement in predicting bulk solution properties using the modified force-field, thereby providing an approach towards accurate modeling of crowded molecular solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sibasankar Panigrahy
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India.
| | - Rahul Sahu
- Center for Computational and Data Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India
| | - Sandeep K Reddy
- Center for Computational and Data Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India
| | - Divya Nayar
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India.
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3
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Muñiz‐Chicharro A, Votapka LW, Amaro RE, Wade RC. Brownian dynamics simulations of biomolecular diffusional association processes. WIRES COMPUTATIONAL MOLECULAR SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wcms.1649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Abraham Muñiz‐Chicharro
- Molecular and Cellular Modeling Group Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS) Heidelberg Germany
- Faculty of Biosciences and Heidelberg Graduate School of Mathematical and Computational Methods for the Sciences (HGS MathComp) Heidelberg University Heidelberg Germany
| | | | | | - Rebecca C. Wade
- Molecular and Cellular Modeling Group Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS) Heidelberg Germany
- Center for Molecular Biology (ZMBH), DKFZ‐ZMBH Alliance, and Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR) Heidelberg University Heidelberg Germany
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4
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Słyk E, Skóra T, Kondrat S. How macromolecules softness affects diffusion under crowding. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:5366-5370. [PMID: 35833511 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm00357k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Diffusion in a macromolecularly crowded environment is essential for many intracellular processes, from metabolism and catalysis to gene transcription and translation. So far, theoretical and experimental work has focused on anomalous subdiffusion, and the effects of interactions, shapes, and composition, while the compactness or softness of macromolecules has received less attention. Herein, we use Brownian dynamics simulations to study how the softness of crowders affects macromolecular diffusion. We find that in most cases, soft crowders slow down the diffusion less effectively than hard crowders like Ficoll. For instance, at a 30% occupied volume fraction, the diffusion in Ficoll70 is about 20% slower than in soft crowders of the same size. However, our simulations indicate that elongated macromolecules, such as double-stranded DNA pieces, can diffuse comparably or even faster in hard crowders. We relate these effects to the volume excluded by soft and hard crowders to different tracers. Our results show that the softness and shape of macromolecules are crucial factors determining diffusion under crowding, relevant to diverse intracellular environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edyta Słyk
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
- Department of Theoretical Chemistry, Institute of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Chemistry, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, 20-031 Lublin, Poland
| | - Tomasz Skóra
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Svyatoslav Kondrat
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
- Max-Planck-Institut für Intelligente Systeme, Heisenbergstraße 3, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
- IV. Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
- Institut für Computerphysik, Universität Stuttgart, Allmandring 3, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
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5
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Moud AA. Fluorescence Recovery after Photobleaching in Colloidal Science: Introduction and Application. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2022; 8:1028-1048. [PMID: 35201752 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c01422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
FRAP (fluorescence recovery after photo bleaching) is a method for determining diffusion in material science. In industrial applications such as medications, foods, Medtech, hygiene, and textiles, the diffusion process has a substantial influence on the overall qualities of goods. All these complex and heterogeneous systems have diffusion-based processes at the local level. FRAP is a fluorescence-based approach for detecting diffusion; in this method, a high-intensity laser is made for a brief period and then applied to the samples, bleaching the fluorescent chemical inside the region, which is subsequently filled up by natural diffusion. This brief Review will focus on the existing research on employing FRAP to measure colloidal system heterogeneity and explore diffusion into complicated structures. This description of FRAP will be followed by a discussion of how FRAP is intended to be used in colloidal science. When constructing the current Review, the most recent publications were reviewed for this assessment. Because of the large number of FRAP articles in colloidal research, there is currently a dearth of knowledge regarding the growth of FRAP's significance to colloidal science. Colloids make up only 2% of FRAP papers, according to ISI Web of Knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aref Abbasi Moud
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
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6
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An enzymatic membrane reactor for oligodextran production: Effects of enzyme immobilization strategies on dextranase activity. Carbohydr Polym 2021; 271:118430. [PMID: 34364570 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.118430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
An enzymatic membrane reactor (EMR) with immobilized dextranase provides an excellent opportunity for tailoring the molecular weight (Mw) of oligodextran to significantly improve product quality. However, a highly efficient EMR for oligodextran production is still lacking and the effect of enzyme immobilization strategy on dextranase hydrolysis behavior has not been studied yet. In this work, a functional layer of polydopamine (PDA) or nanoparticles made of tannic acid (TA) and hydrolysable 3-amino-propyltriethoxysilane (APTES) was first coated on commercial membranes. Then cross-linked dextranase or non-cross-linked dextranase was loaded onto the modified membranes using incubation mode or fouling-induced mode. The fouling-induced mode was a promising enzyme immobilization strategy on the membrane surface due to its higher enzyme loading and activity. Moreover, unlike the non-cross-linked dextranase that exhibited a normal endo-hydrolysis pattern, we surprisingly found that the cross-linked dextranase loaded on the PDA modified surface exerted an exo-hydrolysis pattern, possibly due to mass transfer limitations. Such alteration of hydrolysis pattern has rarely been reported before. Based on the hydrolysis behavior of the immobilized dextranase in different EMRs, we propose potential applications for the oligodextran products. This study presents a unique perspective on the relation between the enzyme immobilization process and the immobilized enzyme hydrolysis behavior, and thus opens up a variety of possibilities for the design of a high-performance EMR.
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7
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Kim E, Hahn J, Ban C, Jo Y, Han H, Lim S, Choi YJ. Visible on-site detection of Ara h 1 by the switchable-linker-mediated precipitation of gold nanoparticles. Food Chem 2021; 352:129354. [PMID: 33677209 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.129354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Biosensors have been widely applied in tests for allergens, but on-site detection remains a challenge. Herein, we proposed a detection procedure for peanut Ara h 1 as a representative allergen, which was extracted from a cookie, thereby minimising the need for any complex pretreatment that was difficult to perform, and enabling the visual detection of the target without the use of analytical equipment. The extraction procedure was performed in less than 30 min using a syringe and filter (0.45 μm). The detection method for Ara h 1 was based on the aggregation of switchable linkers (SL) and gold nanoparticles (AuNP), and the presence of 0.19 mg peanut protein per 30 g of cookie could be confirmed within 30 min based on the AuNP/SL concentration ratio by the precipitation. This proposed procedure could be successfully applied to the detection of a wide range of food allergens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunghee Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanakro, Gwanakgu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jungwoo Hahn
- Center for Food and Bioconvergence, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanakro, Gwanakgu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Choongjin Ban
- Department of Environmental Horticulture, University of Seoul, 163 Seoulsiripdaero, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02504, Republic of Korea
| | - Youngje Jo
- Crop Post-harvest Technology Division, Department of Central Area Crop Science, National Institute of Crop Science, Rural Development Administration, Suwon 16429, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyebin Han
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanakro, Gwanakgu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Seokwon Lim
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, College of BioNano Technology, Gachon University, Seongnam-Si, Gyeonggi-Do 13120, Republic of Korea.
| | - Young Jin Choi
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanakro, Gwanakgu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea; Center for Food and Bioconvergence, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanakro, Gwanakgu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea; Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanakro, Gwanakgu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
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8
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Blanco PM, Madurga S, Garcés JL, Mas F, Dias RS. Influence of macromolecular crowding on the charge regulation of intrinsically disordered proteins. SOFT MATTER 2021; 17:655-669. [PMID: 33215185 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm01475c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In this work we study the coupling between ionization and conformational properties of two IDPs, histatin-5 and β-amyloid 42, in the presence of neutral and charged crowders. The latter is modeled to resemble bovine serum albumin (BSA). With this aim, semi-grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations are performed, so that the IDP charge is a dynamic property, undergoing protonation/deprotonation processes. Both ionization properties (global and specific amino acid charge and binding capacitance) and radius of gyration are analyzed in a large range of pH values and salt concentrations. Without crowder agents, the titration curve of histatin-5, a polycation, is salt-dependent while that of β-amyloid 42, a polyampholyte, is almost unaffected. The salt concentration is found to be particularly relevant at pH values where the protein binding capacitance (directly linked with charge fluctuation) is larger. Upon addition of neutral crowders, charge regulation is observed in histatin-5, while for β-amyloid 42 this effect is very small. The main mechanism for charge regulation is found to be the effective increase in the ionic strength due to the excluded volume. In the presence of charged crowders, a significant increase in the charge of both IDPs is observed in almost all the pH range. In this case, the IDP charge is altered not only by the increase in the effective ionic strength but also by its direct electrostatic interaction with the charged crowders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo M Blanco
- Physical Chemistry Unit, Materials Science and Physical Chemistry Department & Research Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTCUB) of Barcelona University (UB), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Sergio Madurga
- Physical Chemistry Unit, Materials Science and Physical Chemistry Department & Research Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTCUB) of Barcelona University (UB), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Josep L Garcés
- Chemistry Department, Technical School of Agricultural Engineering & AGROTECNIO of Lleida University (UdL), Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Francesc Mas
- Physical Chemistry Unit, Materials Science and Physical Chemistry Department & Research Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTCUB) of Barcelona University (UB), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Rita S Dias
- Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.
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9
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Quesada-Pérez M, Martín-Molina A. Solute diffusion in gels: Thirty years of simulations. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2021; 287:102320. [PMID: 33296722 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2020.102320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we present a summary of computer simulation studies on solute diffusion in gels carried out in the last three decades. Special attention is paid to coarse-grained simulations in which the role of steric and electrostatic interactions on the particle diffusion can be evaluated. In addition, other important characteristics of particle diffusion in gels, such as the stiffness of the gel structure and hydrodynamic interactions, can be taken into account through coarse-grained simulations. Emphasis is placed on how simulation results help to test phenomenological models and to improve the interpretation interof experimental results. Finally, coarse-grained simulations have also been employed to study the diffusion controlled release of drugs from gels. We believe that scientific advances in this line will be useful to better understand the mechanisms that control the diffusive transport of molecules in a wide variety of biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Quesada-Pérez
- Departamento de Física, Escuela Politécnica Superior de Linares, Universidad de Jaén, Linares, 23700 Jaén, Spain
| | - Alberto Martín-Molina
- Departamento de Física Aplicada, Universidad de Granada, Campus de Fuentenueva sn, 18071 Granada, Spain; Instituto Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Universidad de Granada, Campus de Fuentenueva sn, 18071 Granada, Spain.
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10
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Nogueira TPO, Frota HO, Piazza F, Bordin JR. Tracer diffusion in crowded solutions of sticky polymers. Phys Rev E 2020; 102:032618. [PMID: 33075900 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.102.032618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Macromolecular diffusion in strongly confined geometries and crowded environments is still to a large extent an open subject in soft matter physics and biology. In this paper, we employ large-scale Langevin dynamics simulations to investigate how the diffusion of a tracer is influenced by the combined action of excluded-volume and weak attractive crowder-tracer interactions. We consider two species of tracers, standard hard-core particles described by the Weeks-Chandler-Andersen (WCA) repulsive potential and core-softened (CS) particles, which model, e.g., globular proteins, charged colloids, and nanoparticles covered by polymeric brushes. These systems are characterized by the presence of two length scales in the interaction and can show waterlike anomalies in their diffusion, stemming from the inherent competition between different length scales. Here we report a comprehensive study of both diffusion and structure of these two tracer species in an environment crowded by quenched configurations of polymers at increasing density. We analyze in detail how the tracer-polymer affinity and the system density affect transport as compared to the emergence of specific static spatial correlations. In particular, we find that, while hardly any differences emerge in the diffusion properties of WCA and CS particles, the propensity to develop structural order for large crowding is strongly frustrated for CS particles. Surprisingly, for large enough affinity for the crowding matrix, the diffusion coefficient of WCA tracers display a nonmonotonic trend as their density is increased when compared to the zero affinity scenario. This waterlike anomaly turns out to be even larger than what observed for CS particle and appears to be rooted in a similar competition between excluded-volume and affinity effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- T P O Nogueira
- Departamento de Física, Instituto de Física e Matemática, Universidade Federal de Pelotas. Caixa Postal 354, 96001-970, Pelotas, Brazil
| | - H O Frota
- Department of Physics, Federal University of Amazonas, 69077-000 Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Francesco Piazza
- Université d'Orléans, Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire (CBM), CNRS UPR4301, Rue C. Sadron, 45071 Orléans, France
| | - José Rafael Bordin
- Departamento de Física, Instituto de Física e Matemática, Universidade Federal de Pelotas. Caixa Postal 354, 96001-970, Pelotas, Brazil
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11
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Blanco PM, Garcés JL, Madurga S, Mas F. Macromolecular diffusion in crowded media beyond the hard-sphere model. SOFT MATTER 2018; 14:3105-3114. [PMID: 29620120 DOI: 10.1039/c8sm00201k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The effect of macromolecular crowding on diffusion beyond the hard-core sphere model is studied. A new coarse-grained model is presented, the Chain Entanglement Softened Potential (CESP) model, which takes into account the macromolecular flexibility and chain entanglement. The CESP model uses a shoulder-shaped interaction potential that is implemented in the Brownian Dynamics (BD) computations. The interaction potential contains only one parameter associated with the chain entanglement energetic cost (Ur). The hydrodynamic interactions are included in the BD computations via Tokuyama mean-field equations. The model is used to analyze the diffusion of a streptavidin protein among different sized dextran obstacles. For this system, Ur is obtained by fitting the streptavidin experimental long-time diffusion coefficient Dlongversus the macromolecular concentration for D50 (indicating their molecular weight in kg mol-1) dextran obstacles. The obtained Dlong values show better quantitative agreement with experiments than those obtained with hard-core spheres. Moreover, once parametrized, the CESP model is also able to quantitatively predict Dlong and the anomalous exponent (α) for streptavidin diffusion among D10, D400 and D700 dextran obstacles. Dlong, the short-time diffusion coefficient (Dshort) and α are obtained from the BD simulations by using a new empirical expression, able to describe the full temporal evolution of the diffusion coefficient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo M Blanco
- Department of Material Science and Physical Chemistry, Barcelona University, 08028 Barcelona, Spain. and Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTC), Barcelona University, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Lluís Garcés
- Department of Chemistry, University of Lleida (UdL), 25003 Lleida, Spain.
| | - Sergio Madurga
- Department of Material Science and Physical Chemistry, Barcelona University, 08028 Barcelona, Spain. and Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTC), Barcelona University, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francesc Mas
- Department of Material Science and Physical Chemistry, Barcelona University, 08028 Barcelona, Spain. and Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTC), Barcelona University, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
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12
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Trovato F, Fumagalli G. Molecular simulations of cellular processes. Biophys Rev 2017; 9:941-958. [PMID: 29185136 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-017-0363-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
It is, nowadays, possible to simulate biological processes in conditions that mimic the different cellular compartments. Several groups have performed these calculations using molecular models that vary in performance and accuracy. In many cases, the atomistic degrees of freedom have been eliminated, sacrificing both structural complexity and chemical specificity to be able to explore slow processes. In this review, we will discuss the insights gained from computer simulations on macromolecule diffusion, nuclear body formation, and processes involving the genetic material inside cell-mimicking spaces. We will also discuss the challenges to generate new models suitable for the simulations of biological processes on a cell scale and for cell-cycle-long times, including non-equilibrium events such as the co-translational folding, misfolding, and aggregation of proteins. A prominent role will be played by the wise choice of the structural simplifications and, simultaneously, of a relatively complex energetic description. These challenging tasks will rely on the integration of experimental and computational methods, achieved through the application of efficient algorithms. Graphical abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Trovato
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Giordano Fumagalli
- Nephrology and Dialysis Unit, USL Toscana Nord Ovest, 55041, Lido di Camaiore, Lucca, Italy
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13
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Acosta LC, Perez Goncalves GM, Pielak GJ, Gorensek-Benitez AH. Large cosolutes, small cosolutes, and dihydrofolate reductase activity. Protein Sci 2017; 26:2417-2425. [PMID: 28971539 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Revised: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Protein enzymes are the main catalysts in the crowded and complex cellular interior, but their activity is almost always studied in dilute buffered solutions. Studies that attempt to recreate the cellular interior in vitro often utilize synthetic polymers as crowding agents. Here, we report the effects of the synthetic polymer cosolutes Ficoll, dextran, and polyvinylpyrrolidone, and their respective monomers, sucrose, glucose, and 1-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone, on the activity of the 18-kDa monomeric enzyme, Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase. At low concentrations, reductase activity increases relative to buffer and monomers, suggesting a macromolecular effect. However, the effect decreases at higher concentrations, approaching, and, in some cases, falling below buffer values. We also assessed activity in terms of volume occupancy, viscosity, and the overlap concentration (where polymers form an interwoven mesh). The trends vary with polymer family, but changes in activity are within threefold of buffer values. We also compiled and analyzed results from previous studies and conclude that alterations of steady-state enzyme kinetics in solutions crowded with synthetic polymers are idiosyncratic with respect to the crowding agent and enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Gary J Pielak
- Department of Chemistry.,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.,Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
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15
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Feig M, Yu I, Wang PH, Nawrocki G, Sugita Y. Crowding in Cellular Environments at an Atomistic Level from Computer Simulations. J Phys Chem B 2017; 121:8009-8025. [PMID: 28666087 PMCID: PMC5582368 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b03570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
![]()
The
effects of crowding in biological environments on biomolecular
structure, dynamics, and function remain not well understood. Computer
simulations of atomistic models of concentrated peptide and protein
systems at different levels of complexity are beginning to provide
new insights. Crowding, weak interactions with other macromolecules
and metabolites, and altered solvent properties within cellular environments
appear to remodel the energy landscape of peptides and proteins in
significant ways including the possibility of native state destabilization.
Crowding is also seen to affect dynamic properties, both conformational
dynamics and diffusional properties of macromolecules. Recent simulations
that address these questions are reviewed here and discussed in the
context of relevant experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Feig
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University , East Lansing, Michigan, United States.,Quantitative Biology Center, RIKEN , Kobe, Japan
| | - Isseki Yu
- Theoretical Molecular Science Laboratory, RIKEN , Wako, Japan.,iTHES Research Group, RIKEN , Wako, Japan
| | - Po-Hung Wang
- Theoretical Molecular Science Laboratory, RIKEN , Wako, Japan
| | - Grzegorz Nawrocki
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University , East Lansing, Michigan, United States
| | - Yuji Sugita
- Quantitative Biology Center, RIKEN , Kobe, Japan.,Theoretical Molecular Science Laboratory, RIKEN , Wako, Japan.,iTHES Research Group, RIKEN , Wako, Japan.,Advanced Institute for Computational Science, RIKEN , Kobe, Japan
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