V. Martorana et al., INTERACTION OF EXPLICIT SOLVENT WITH HYDROPHOBIC PHILIC/CHARGED RESIDUES OF A PROTEIN - RESIDUE CHARACTER VS. CONFORMATIONAL CONTEXT/, Proteins, 32(2), 1998, pp. 129-135
Molecular dynamics simulations of model solutes in explicit molecular
water have recently elicited novel aspects of the strong nonpair addit
ivity of the potential of mean force (PMF) and related solvent-induced
forces (SIFs) and hydration. Here we present the results of the same
type of work on SIFs acting on bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BP
TI) at single residue/sidechain resolution. In this system, nonpair ad
ditivity and the consequent dependence of SIFs on the protein conforma
tional context are sufficiently strong to overturn SIFs on some indivi
dual residues, relative to expectations based on their individual char
acters, This finding calls for a revisitation and offers a richer and
diversified understanding of the role of hydrophobic/philic/charged gr
oups in establishing the exquisite specificity of biomolecular folding
and functional conformation. Its relevance is appreciated by noting t
hat the work of a typical SIF acting on one residue, when displaced ac
ross a distance of 1 Angstrom, is the equivalent of up to a few kcal/m
ol, which is the range of the stability/function free energy of a prot
ein. Proteins 32:129-135, 1998 (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.