SAHBNET, an accessible surface-based elastic network: an application to membrane protein

Int J Mol Sci. 2013 May 30;14(6):11510-26. doi: 10.3390/ijms140611510.

Abstract

Molecular Dynamics is a method of choice for membrane simulations and the rising of coarse-grained forcefields has opened the way to longer simulations with reduced calculations times. Here, we present an elastic network, SAHBNET (Surface Accessibility Hydrogen-Bonds elastic NETwork), that will maintain the structure of soluble or membrane proteins based on the hydrogen bonds present in the atomistic structure and the proximity between buried residues. This network is applied on the coarse-grained beads defined by the MARTINI model, and was designed to be more physics-based than a simple elastic network. The SAHBNET model is evaluated against atomistic simulations, and compared with ELNEDYN models. The SAHBNET is then used to simulate two membrane proteins inserted in complex lipid bilayers. These bilayers are formed by self-assembly and the use of a modified version of the GROMACS tool genbox (which is accessible through the gcgs.gembloux.ulg.ac.be website). The results show that SAHBNET keeps the structure close to the atomistic one and is successfully used for the simulation of membrane proteins.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / chemistry
  • Calibration
  • Computer Simulation
  • DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / chemistry
  • Elasticity*
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / chemistry
  • Hydrogen Bonding
  • Membrane Proteins / chemistry*
  • Microfilament Proteins / chemistry
  • Models, Molecular
  • Penicillin-Binding Proteins / chemistry
  • Peptidoglycan Glycosyltransferase / chemistry
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Rhinovirus / enzymology
  • Serine-Type D-Ala-D-Ala Carboxypeptidase / chemistry
  • Solubility
  • Solvents
  • Surface Properties
  • Water / chemistry

Substances

  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins
  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Microfilament Proteins
  • Penicillin-Binding Proteins
  • Solvents
  • Wza protein, E coli
  • villin
  • Water
  • Peptidoglycan Glycosyltransferase
  • penicillin-binding protein 1B, E coli
  • DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases
  • Serine-Type D-Ala-D-Ala Carboxypeptidase