Absolute protein-protein association rate constants from flexible, coarse-grained Brownian dynamics simulations: the role of intermolecular hydrodynamic interactions in barnase-barstar association.
Theory and computation have long been used to rationalize the experimental association rate constants of protein-protein complexes, and Brownian dynamics (BD) simulations, in particular, have been successful in reproducing the relative rate constants of wild-type and mutant protein pairs. Missing from previous BD studies of association kinetics, however, has been the description of hydrodynamic interactions (HIs) between, and within, the diffusing proteins. Here we address this issue by rigorously including HIs in BD simulations of the barnase-barstar association reaction. We first show that even very simplified representations of the proteins--involving approximately one pseudoatom for every three residues in the protein--can provide excellent reproduction of the absolute association rate constants of wild-type and mutant protein pairs. We then show that simulations that include intermolecular HIs also produce excellent estimates of association rate constants, but, for a given reaction criterion, yield values that are decreased by ∼35-80% relative to those obtained in the absence of intermolecular HIs. The neglect of intermolecular HIs in previous BD simulation studies, therefore, is likely to have contributed to the somewhat overestimated absolute rate constants previously obtained. Consequently, intermolecular HIs could be an important component to include in accurate modeling of the kinetics of macromolecular association events.
Department of Biochemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
Tamara
T
Frembgen-Kesner
Adrian H
AH
Elcock
D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D057446:Hydrodynamics; D007700:Kinetics; D008958:Models, Molecular; D056004:Molecular Dynamics Simulation; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D050505:Mutant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D054730:Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs; D012260:Ribonucleases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D050505:Mutant Proteins; C057438:barstar protein, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens; D012260:Ribonucleases; C019760:Bacillus amyloliquefaciens ribonuclease