Issue June 2004

category image Volume 21
No. 6 (p. 725-854)
June 2004
ISSN 0739-110

Thermophilicity of Wild Type and Mutant Cold Shock Proteins by Molecular Dynamics Simulation (p. 771-780)

In the attempt to clarify possible mechanisms underlying thermal stability of proteins, we study through molecular dynamics thermophile Bc-Csp, mesophile Bs-CspB, and selected mutants. These proteins have been extensively characterized experimentally; researchers showed that differential thermostability among the wild type proteins is fundamentally linked to one or two mutated amino acids, and that the nature of the effect is electrostatic. They also inferred an atomistic mechanism related to removal of unfavorable interactions, rather than to the formation of salt bridges. Molecular dynamics allows us to confirm and support both hypotheses. Several other collective parameters have also been monitored in relation to thermophilicity, such as global and local rigidity, permanence and number of hydrogen bonds, or of salt links. None of these clearly correlates with the thermal stability of the presently studied proteins.

Stefano Garofoli1*
Mattia Falconi2
Alessandro Desideri2

1University of Rome, ?La Sapienza?
Department of Physics
Gruppo GCI
P.le Aldo Moro 2
00185 Rome, Italy
2University of Rome, ?Tor Vergata?
Department of Biology
Via della Ricerca Scientifica
00133 Rome, Italy
*stefano.garofoli@roma1.infn.it

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