Use of essential and molecular dynamics to study gammaB-crystallin unfolding after non-enzymic post-translational modifications

Comput Biol Chem. 2003 Oct;27(4-5):507-10. doi: 10.1016/s1476-9271(03)00048-3.

Abstract

Essential and Molecular Dynamics (ED/MD) have been used to model the conformational changes of a protein implicated in a conformational disease--cataract, the largest cause of blindness in the world-after non-enzymic post-translational modification. Cyanate modification did not significantly alter flexibility, while the Schiff's base adduct produced a more flexible N-terminal domain, and intra-secondary structure regions, than either the cyanate adduct or the native structure. Glycation also increased linker flexibility and disrupted the charge network. A number of post-translational adducts showed structural disruption around Cys15 and increased linker flexibility; this may be important in subsequent protein aggregation. Our modelling results are in accord with experimental evidence, and show that ED/MD is a useful tool in modelling conformational changes in proteins implicated in disease processes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Computer Simulation*
  • Models, Molecular
  • Protein Folding*
  • Protein Processing, Post-Translational*
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • gamma-Crystallins / chemistry*
  • gamma-Crystallins / metabolism

Substances

  • gamma-Crystallins