Accuracy of Molecular Simulation-Based Predictions of koff Values: A Metadynamics Study

J Phys Chem Lett. 2020 Aug 6;11(15):6373-6381. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c00999. Epub 2020 Jul 24.

Abstract

The koff values of ligands unbinding to proteins are key parameters for drug discovery. Their predictions based on molecular simulation may under- or overestimate experiment in a system- and/or technique-dependent way. Here we use an established method-infrequent metadynamics, based on the AMBER force field-to compute the koff of the ligand iperoxo (in clinical use) targeting the muscarinic receptor M2. The ligand charges are calculated by either (i) the Amber standard procedure or (ii) B3LYP-DFT. The calculations using (i) turn out not to provide a reasonable estimation of the transition-state free energy. Those using (ii) differ from experiment by 2 orders of magnitude. On the basis of B3LYP DFT QM/MM simulations, we suggest that the observed discrepancy in (ii) arises, at least in part, from the lack of electronic polarization and/or charge transfer in biomolecular force fields. These issues might be present in other systems, such as DNA-protein complexes.

MeSH terms

  • Chlorides / chemistry
  • Density Functional Theory
  • Entropy
  • Isoxazoles / chemistry*
  • Ligands
  • Molecular Dynamics Simulation
  • Protein Conformation
  • Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / chemistry*
  • Receptors, Muscarinic / chemistry*
  • Sodium / chemistry
  • Solvents / chemistry
  • Static Electricity
  • Water

Substances

  • Chlorides
  • Isoxazoles
  • Ligands
  • Quaternary Ammonium Compounds
  • Receptors, Muscarinic
  • Solvents
  • iperoxo
  • Water
  • Sodium