Theoretical studies on the conformation of saccharides. VIII. Solvent effect on the stability of β-cellobiose conformers

The conformational equilibria of five β-cellobiose conformers have been studied theoretically in 10 solvents. The stability of the conformers in dilute solution has been compared by using the method that has already been tested for 2-methoxytetrahydropyran, β-maltose, and D -glucose. The solvation energy consists of electrostatic, dispersion, and cavity terms which have been determined from the properties of the solute calculated by the PCILO quantum-chemical method and physicochemical properties of the solvents. The calculated abundance of conformers depends on the solvent (e.g., in dioxane C1:C2:C3:C4:C5 = 60.0:34.1:2.9:2.0:1.0; in dimethylsulfoxide, 75.5:22.1:1.8:0.5:0.2; and in water, 82.2:16.2:1.3:0.2:0.1). The results obtained indicate that the preponderant conformer in the aqueous solution is similar to the one adopted by β-cellobiose in the crystalline form. The role of individual contributions to the solvation energy have been analyzed. Based on the determined abundance of conformers, averaged residual optical activity and nmr parameters have been calculated and compared with observable properties. The marked differences observed between solvent-induced conformational changes for β-cellobiose and β-maltose have been discussed from the viewpoint of the solubility of the cellulose.     

Theoretical studies on the conformation of saccharides. IV. Solvent effect on the stability of β-maltose conformers

The conformational equilibria of four β-maltose conformers have been studied theoretically in 12 solvents. The stability of the conformers in dilute solution has been compared by using the continuum reaction field method. The solvation energy consists of electrostatic, dispersion, and cavity terms, which have been determined from the calculated properties of β-maltose and physicochemical properties of solvents. The calculated population of four conformers significantly depends on the solvent (e.g., in dioxane, M1:M2:M3:M4 = 53.3: 20.3:17.7:8.7; in dimethyl sulfoxide, 40.1:21.8:22.8:15.3; and in water, 25.7:17.5:26.3:30.5) and was found to correlate with experimentally observed data. The results obtained indicate that the conformation adopted by β-maltose in the crystalline form is not the one preferred in solution. The roles of the individual contributions to the solvation energy have been analyzed. Based on the determined abundance of conformers, averaged residual optical activity and vicinal carbon–proton coupling constants have been calculated and discussed from the point of view of the solution behavior of β-maltose.     

Circular dichroism eigenspectra of polyproline II and β-strand conformers of trialanine in water: Singular value decomposition analysis

Despite that a number of experimental and theoretical investigations have been carried out to determine the structure of trialanine in water, the reported populations of polyproline II (PPII) and β-strand conformers vary and were found to be dependent on which spectroscopic method was used. Such discrepancies are due to limitations of different spectroscopic methods used. Here, the temperature- and pH-dependent circular dichroism (CD) and NMR experiments have been carried out to develop a self-consistent singular value decomposition procedure. The temperature-dependent CD spectra indicate the presence of two conformers, but due to the two peptide bonds in a trialanine, one should take into consideration of four different conformers to fully interpret the NMR results. From the pH-dependent NMR coupling constant measurements, the conformation of zwitterionic trialanine is little different from that of cationic one. The strong pH dependency of CD spectrum is likely due to charge transfer transitions between carboxylate and nearby peptide groups or internal field effects not to pH-dependent conformational change. To simultaneously analyze the temperature-dependent CD and NMR data, a self-consistent procedure was used to newly determine the reference NMR coupling constants required to estimate one of the peptide dihedral angles. From the estimated enthalpy and entropy changes associated with the transition from enthalpically favorable PPII conformer to entropically favorable β-strand conformer, the relative populations of the four possible conformers of trialanine were determined and compared with the previous experimental findings. We anticipate that the present experimental results and interpretation procedure would be of use in determining the solution structures of small oligopeptides in the future.     

Calculation of conformational energies and optical rotation of the most simple chiral alkane

Quantum chemical calculations have been performed to investigate the conformer distribution of 4-ethyl-4-methyloctane and its optical rotation. With the reference methods MP2 and SCS-MP2, the energies of seven conformers are found within a range of about 1.5 kcal mol(-1). It is demonstrated that the relative energies cannot be reliably predicted with conventional GGA or hybrid density functionals, Hartree-Fock, semiempirical AM1, and classical force field (MM3) calculations. An empirical dispersion correction to GGA (PBE-D), hybrid (B3LYP-D), or double hybrid (B2PLYP-D) functionals corrects these errors and results in very good agreement with the reference energies. Optical rotations have been calculated for all seven conformers at the TDDFT(BHLYP/aTZV2P) level. The computed macroscopic rotation is derived from a classical Boltzmann average. The result (1.9-3.2 deg dm(-1) (g/mL)(-1)) is very close to the experimental value of 0.2 deg dm(-1) (g/mL)(-1) for the (R)-enantiomer and has the right sign. Because six conformers are significantly populated at room temperature and the rotations of individual conformers differ in sign and magnitude, the calculated average rotation is rather sensitive to the conformer population used. From the electronic structure point of view, this example emphasizes the effect of long-range dispersion effects for the evaluation of population averaged quantities in large molecules. Computations based on free enthalpies are in worse agreement with experiment that is attributed to artefacts of the harmonic approximation used to compute the vibrational entropy terms.     

Conformational analysis of methyl 6-O-[(R)- and (S)-1-carboxyethyl]-α-D-galactopyranoside by MM and Langevin dynamics simulations

The conformational space of methyl 6-O-[(R)- and (S)- 1-carboxyethyl]-α-D-galactopyranoside has been investigated. A grid search employing energy minimization at each grid point over the three major degrees of freedom, namely φ, ψ and ω, identified low energy regions. The R-isomer shows five low energy conformers within ca. 1 kcal mol−1 of the global energy minimum. The S-isomer has two conformers within a few tenths of a kcal mol−1 of the global energy minimum. Langevin dynamics simulations have been have been performed at 300 K for 30 ns of each isomer. The φ dihedral angle has as its major conformer (g−1) for the R-isomer whereas it is the (g+) conformer for the S-isomer. For the ψ dihedral angle the (t) conformer has the highest population for both isomers. The dihedral angle ω has the (g+) conformer most highly populated, both for the R- and S-isomer. The above five and two conformational states for the R- and S-isomers, respectively, make up 90% in each case of the populated states during the Langevin dynamics (LD) simulations. Rate constants for the ω dihedral angle have been calculated based on a number correlation function. Three bond homo- and heteronuclear, i.e. proton and carbon-13, coupling constants have been calculated from the dynamics trajectories for comparison to experimental values. The heteronuclear coupling constant H2′,C6 has been measured for the S-isomer and found to be 3.3 Hz. The J value calculated from the LD simulations, namely 2.6 Hz, is in fair agreement with experiment. A comparison to the X-ray structure of the R-isomer shows that the conformation of the crystalline compound occupies the low energy region most highly populated as a single R-conformer (30%) during the LD simulations. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Structure-activity relationships on adrenoceptors and imidazoline-preferring binding sites (I(1,2)-PBSs). Part 1: Weak intramolecular H-bond and conformational flexibility in a new I1-PBS-selective imidazoline analogue, trans1-(4',5'-dihydro-1'H-imidazol-2'-yl)methyl-2-hydroxyindane (PMS 952)

The highly selective I1-PBS imidazoline analogue PMS 952 has been selected to study the incidence of intramolecular hydrogen bond and molecular flexibility on its biological activity. On one hand, the weak energy difference between three calculated conformers does not support the stabilization of one conformer by an internal hydrogen bond. The 3-D electrostatic map confirms this feature and the solvent effect does not significantly modify the relative energy of these conformers. On the other hand, the conformational spaces of the neutral and ionized forms present a great number of equilibrium structures, in a short energetic range (20 Kcal). The results are representative of an exceptional conformational flexibility due to a cooperative effect between several parts of the molecule.     

Investigating the role of the geminal dimethyl groups of coenzyme A: synthesis and studies of a didemethyl analogue

An analogue 2 of coenzyme A (CoA) has been prepared in which the geminal methyl groups are replaced with hydrogens. An NMR titration study was conducted and shifts in frequency of protons in the pantetheine portion of the molecule upon titration of the adenine base were observed as has been previously reported with CoA. These studies indicate that the geminal dimethyl groups are not essential for adoption of a partially folded conformation in solution. Based on 1H-1H coupling constants, the distribution of conformations about the carbon-carbon bonds in the region of the methyl deletion were estimated. The results suggest that the conformer distribution is similar to that of CoA, but with small increases in population of the anti conformers. A simple model compound containing the didemethyl pantoamide moiety was prepared and subjected to similar conformational analysis. The coupling constants and predicted conformer distribution were almost identical to that of the CoA analogue, indicating that the conformer distribution is controlled by local interactions and not influenced by interactions between distant parts of the CoA molecule. The acetyl derivative of 2 was a fairly good substrate for the acetyl-CoA utilizing enzymes carnitine acetyltransferase, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, and citrate synthase, with 1.3- to 10-fold increased Km values and 2.5- to 11-fold decreases in Vmax. The combined results indicate that the geminal dimethyl groups of CoA have modest effects on function and minimal effects on conformation.     

Conformational preferences and binding to neurophysins of oxytocin analogs with sarcosine or N-methylalanine in position 7

The 600 MHz proton n.m.r. spectra of (sarcosyl7)-oxytocin and (N-methylalanyl7) oxytocin in 2H2O solution have been recorded and completely assigned. In each case the spectrum indicates the presence of two slowly interconverting conformers, which are the cis-trans isomers about the peptide bond between residues six and seven. The trans isomer is energetically favored in both cases. When neurophysin is added to a solution of (N-methylalanyl7) oxytocin or (sacrosyl7)-oxytocin at pH 3.0, the proportion of minor conformer remains constant, indicating that the cis and trans conformers are equally tightly bound to the protein.     

Studies on the molecular recognition of synthetic methyl beta-lactoside analogs by ricin, a cytotoxic plant lectin

The binding of methyl beta-lactoside and of all possible monodeoxy derivatives of methyl beta-lactoside to the galactose-specific highly cytotoxin lectin ricin, has been investigated. The distribution of low-energy conformers of the disaccharide structures has been first determined using molecular-mechanics calculations and high-resolution NMR spectroscopy. The nuclear Overhauser enhancements and specific deshieldings observed are in agreement with a similar distribution of low-energy conformers for all studied compounds which may be described by a major conformer defined by phi (H1'-C1'-O1'-C4) and psi (C1'-O1'-C4-H4) torsion angles of 49 degrees and 5 degrees, respectively, with contribution of conformers with angles phi/psi 24 degrees/-59 degrees, 22 degrees/-32 degrees and 6 degrees/-44 degrees. Assuming that the disaccharides bind to the lectin in these preferred conformations, the apparent dissociation constants for the ricin-disaccharide complexes have been interpreted in terms of specific polar and nonpolar interactions. In agreement with X-ray data, the hydroxyl groups at positions 3, 4 and 6 of the beta-D-galactopyranose moiety appear as key polar groups in the interaction with ricin. These results are in contrast to previous results which have established that position 6 is not involved in lectin binding. An important nonpolar interaction involving position 3 of the beta-D-glucopyranose moiety, seems to be operative. The distribution of low-energy conformers of these disaccharide structures permits this interaction to take place with the hydroxyl group at this position intramolecularly bonded, thus rendering this region of the molecule more lipophylic in character for acceptance into nonpolar regions of the combining site.     

Conformational investigation of alpha,beta-dehydropeptides. XV: N-acetyl-alpha,beta-dehydroamino acid N 'N '-dimethylamides: conformational properties from infrared and theoretical studies.

The FTIR spectra were analysed in the region of the nu(s)(N-H), AI(C=O) and nu(s)(Calpha=Cbeta) bands for a series of Ac-DeltaXaa-NMe2, where DeltaXaa = DeltaAla, (Z)-DeltaAbu, (Z)-DeltaLeu, (Z)-DeltaPhe and DeltaVal, to determine a predominant solution conformation of these alpha,beta-dehydropeptide-related molecules. Measurements were taken in CCl4, DCM and MeCN solutions. In the same way, spectra of saturated analogues Ac-Xaa-NMe2, where Xaa = Ala, Abu, Leu, Phe and Val, were investigated. To help interpret the spectroscopic results, conformational maps were calculated by the B3LYP/6-31+G** method. Also, the relative energies of all conformers of the dehydro compounds in vacuo as well as in the studied solvents in addition to the theoretical IR frequencies of these conformers were calculated. For comparison, molecules of two saturated analogues, Ac-L-Ala-NMe2 and Ac-L-Phe-NMe2, were calculated in a similar way. Both unsaturated and saturated compounds, which have an aliphatic side chain, occur in CCl4 and DCM mainly as a mixture of extended conformers with the C5 H-bond and open conformers. As solvent polarity increases, participation of the open conformers also increases, and in MeCN, the model amides are almost exclusively in the open form, except Ac-DeltaAla-NMe2, which shows a small amount of the H-bonded conformer. Ac-DeltaAla-NMe2 and Ac-DeltaAbu-NMe2 have stronger C5 hydrogen bonds than those of their saturated counterparts. As the calculations indicate, the open conformation of the unsaturated amides is conformer H/F with phi, psi -44 +/- 5 degrees, 127 +/- 4 degrees. This is the second lowest in energy conformer in vacuo and in CCl4 and the lowest one in more polar solvents. The open conformation of Ac-L-Ala-NMe2 constitutes conformer C with phi, psi -101.5 degrees, 112.7 degrees. For Ac-DeltaAla-NMe2 and Ac-DeltaAbu-NMe2, FTIR also reveals the presence of a third conformer. Calculations indicate that is the semiextended conformer D with the N1-H1...N2 hydrogen bond/contact. In all solvents, Ac-L-Phe-NMe2 and Ac-(Z)-DeltaPhe-NMe2 show only the extended E and the open H/F, respectively. In both there is an amide/pi(Ph) interaction.     

Theoretical studies on the conformation of saccharides. XIV. Structure and conformational properties of the glycosylamines

The 2-methylaminotetrahydropyran was used as a model to study conformational properties of the N-glycosidic linkage in glycosylamines. Relaxed two-dimensional conformational (phi, psi) maps in 20 solvents were calculated by a method in which the total energy is divided into the energy of the isolated molecule and the solvation energy. Molecular geometry optimization has been carried out for each conformer using the quantum chemical method PCILO. The calculated variations of the geometry are consistent with the results obtained by the statistical analysis of available experimental data retrieved from the Cambridge Structural Database. The calculated abundances of conformers show that the polarity of the solvent has little effect on the anomeric ratio, and the form having the methylamino group equatorial is favored in all considered solvents.     

Efficient conformational sampling of multiconformational cyclic molecules: application to 1,4,7,10,13-Pentaoxacyclopentadecane

The result of an exhaustive search of low-energy conformers of 1,4,7,10,13-Pentaoxacyclopentadecane is presented. The search method combines the generation of large number of trial conformers using local nonstochastic deformations known as the Conflex method, which is coupled to AMBER force field as the minimizer. The extent of the conformational space sampled was evaluated from the view point of the number of duplicates of each conformer, generation of inclusion type structures without considering the substrate and the spread of the allowed torsion angles visited during the search. It is shown that the conformational search is exhaustive and efficient as conformers, which the metal coordinated crown ether complexes adopt, were generated. Free energies using the AMBER structures were calculated using the model of Cramer and Truhlar. The study suggests that 1,4,7,10,13-Pentaoxacyclopentadecane exists as a mixture of conformers in solution. The results show the efficiency of the method and could be the method of choice in the design of synthetic macrocyclic receptors.     

The potential energy surface of methyl 3-O-(α-D-mannopyranosyl)-α-D-mannopyranoside in aqueous solution: Conclusions derived from optical rotation

The optical rotation of methyl 3-O -(α-D -mannopyranosyl)-α-D -mannopyranoside is calculated semiempirically as a function of the linkage dihedral angles ? (H1-C1-O1-C3′) and ψ (C1-O1-C3′-H3′). Comparison with the observed optical rotation in aqueous solution indicates the existence of at least two conformers in solution, which implies a degree of linkage flexibility. The result is in agreement with some, but not all, calculated potential energy surfaces, and with recently published nmr data. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A study of conformational states of substrates of cytochrome P450 3A4

A multiconformational study of substrates of cytochrome P450 3A4 has been carried out within the BiS/MC algorithm. The method allowed one to create a pseudoatomic model of the cytochrome and to find the substrate conformers responsible for the interaction with the cytochrome. It has been found that, in most cases, the geometry of the acting conformer is much different from the geometry of the global minimum conformer. It has been shown that the mirror conformational antipodes ("enantioconformers") are characterized as a rule by different Michaelis constants. A quantitative relationship between the Michaelis constants and the parameters of interactions in "model 3A4 isoform-substrate" complexes has been determined. The relationship describes the experimental value of Michaelis constant with the squared cross-validation correlation coefficient of 0.88.     

A computer modelling approach to study the mode of binding of L-lyxoflavin-5'-monophosphate to flavodoxin

The mode of binding of L-lyxoflavin-5'-monophosphate has been studied by a computer modelling method. Energetically preferred conformers of L-lyxoflavin-5'-monophosphate have been obtained using empirical potential energy functions. These minimum energy conformers were used to study the mode of their binding to flavodoxin. The study indicates that L-lyxoflavin-5'-monophosphate can also have coenzymatic activity similar to flavin mononucleotide. But its lower activity compared to flavin mononucleotide is due to the lower conformer population that initiates the binding process. It is also concluded from this study that the inability of L-lyxoflavin to promote growth in some cases is at the phosphorylation level and not at the coenzyme level.     

Conformation of beta-methylmelibiose bound to the ricin B-chain as determined from transferred nuclear Overhauser effects.

Transferred nuclear Overhauser effect (TRNOE) experiments have revealed a change in the torsion angles about the alpha-1-6 glycosidic bond of methyl beta-melibioside upon binding of the melibioside to the ricin B-chain (Rb). A full relaxation rate matrix simulation of experimental buildup curves aided in quantitative interpretation of 1D selective inversion recovery TRNOE experiments. The data are consistent with a model in which both major (omega approximately 170 degrees) and minor (omega approximately -60 degrees) conformers for methyl beta-melibioside are significantly populated in solution while the Rb/methyl beta-melibioside complex has little of the minor conformer populated. The results indicate that the ricin B-chain excludes binding of certain ligand conformations on the basis of unfavorable interactions between the protein surface and remote portions of the disaccharide system.     

Conformational analysis of flephedrone using quantum mechanical models

Flephedrone is an analogue of cathinone - chemically similar to ephedrine, cathine and other amphetamines. Conformations of all isomers of flephedrone have been studied at the quantum-chemical level. Calculations have been performed using DFT and MP2 methods with two basis sets - 6-31G and 6-31G(d,p). Results show that there are low energy conformers for the ortho, meta, and para isomers that are connected by way of low-barrier transition states. Boltzmann distribution of population predicts the highest population for the 1-meta conformer with a 10 % increase in solution. The molecular electrostatic potential surface data for each molecule has been calculated revealing likely reaction sites.     

A conformational approach to the study of the dynamics of enzyme inhibition: studies on thermolysin

The preferred conformations of β-phenylpropionyl-l-phenylalanine (β-PPP) and $\text{N-}\text{carbobenzoxy-}\text{l}\text{-phenylalanine}$ (Cb_z-Phe), two inhibitors of thermolysin, have been determined by computing potential energy using empirial potential energy functions. Of the 15 to 20 conformations that are favoured for each of these inhibitors only a few have the right conformation to reach the active site of the enzyme. The conformer of β-PPP that initiates binding with the enzyme is different from the bound one, while for Cb_z-Phe the bound and initiating conformers are quite similar. Thus, β-PPP favours the ‘induced fit’ model while Cb_z-Phe follows the ‘lock and key’ model of binding. The inhibitors differ in their alignment at the active site.     

Basic folded and low-populated locally disordered conformers of SUMO-2 characterized by NMR spectroscopy at varying pressures

SUMO proteins, a group of post-translational ubiquitin-like modifiers, have target enzymes (E1 and E2) like other ubiquitin-like modifiers, e.g., ubiquitin and NEDD8, but their physiological roles are quite different. In an effort to determine the characteristic molecular design of ubiquitin-like modifiers, we have investigated the structure of human SUMO-2 in solution not only in its basic folded state but also in its higher-energy state by utilizing standard and variable-pressure NMR spectroscopy, respectively. We have determined average coordinates of the basic folded conformer at ambient pressure, which gives a backbone structure almost identical with those of ubiquitin and NEDD8. We have further investigated conformational fluctuations in a wide conformational space using variable-pressure NMR spectroscopy in the range of 30-3 kbar, by which we find a low-populated ( approximately 2.5%) alternative conformer preferentially disordered in the enzyme-binding segment. The alternative conformer is structurally very close to but markedly different in equilibrium population from those for ubiquitin and NEDD8. These results support our notion that post-translational ubiquitin-like modifiers are evolutionarily designed for function both structurally and thermodynamically in their low-populated, high-energy conformers rather than in their basic folded conformers.