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QM/MM Free Energy Calculations of Long-Range Biological Protonation Dynamics by Adaptive and Focused Sampling
Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics.ORCID iD: 0000-0003-1868-2022
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2024 (English)In: Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation, ISSN 1549-9618, E-ISSN 1549-9626, Vol. 20, no 13, p. 5751-5762Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Water-mediated proton transfer reactions are central for catalytic processes in a wide range of biochemical systems, ranging from biological energy conversion to chemical transformations in the metabolism. Yet, the accurate computational treatment of such complex biochemical reactions is highly challenging and requires the application of multiscale methods, in particular hybrid quantum/classical (QM/MM) approaches combined with free energy simulations. Here, we combine the unique exploration power of new advanced sampling methods with density functional theory (DFT)-based QM/MM free energy methods for multiscale simulations of long-range protonation dynamics in biological systems. In this regard, we show that combining multiple walkers/well-tempered metadynamics with an extended system adaptive biasing force method (MWE) provides a powerful approach for exploration of water-mediated proton transfer reactions in complex biochemical systems. We compare and combine the MWE method also with QM/MM umbrella sampling and explore the sampling of the free energy landscape with both geometric (linear combination of proton transfer distances) and physical (center of excess charge) reaction coordinates and show how these affect the convergence of the potential of mean force (PMF) and the activation free energy. We find that the QM/MM-MWE method can efficiently explore both direct and water-mediated proton transfer pathways together with forward and reverse hole transfer mechanisms in the highly complex proton channel of respiratory Complex I, while the QM/MM-US approach shows a systematic convergence of selected long-range proton transfer pathways. In this regard, we show that the PMF along multiple proton transfer pathways is recovered by combining the strengths of both approaches in a QM/MM-MWE/focused US (FUS) scheme and reveals new mechanistic insight into the proton transfer principles of Complex I. Our findings provide a promising basis for the quantitative multiscale simulations of long-range proton transfer reactions in biological systems. 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2024. Vol. 20, no 13, p. 5751-5762
National Category
Theoretical Chemistry
Research subject
Biochemistry with Emphasis on Theoretical Chemistry
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:su:diva-231866DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.4c00199ISI: 001225139500001PubMedID: 38718352Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85193210581OAI: oai:DiVA.org:su-231866DiVA, id: diva2:1881025
Funder
Swedish Research CouncilGerman Research Foundation (DFG), SFB1078German Research Foundation (DFG), TRR235Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, 2019.0251Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, WASPDDLS22:025Available from: 2024-07-02 Created: 2024-07-02 Last updated: 2024-08-08Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. Unraveling Biological Energy Catalysis: Multi-Scale Simulations of Respiratory Complex I
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Unraveling Biological Energy Catalysis: Multi-Scale Simulations of Respiratory Complex I
2024 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Cellular function is powered by mitochondria through an energy conversion process known as oxidative phosphorylation. Central to this process is respiratory complex I, an enzyme that couples NADH oxidation with ubiquinone reduction and the pumping of protons across the inner mitochondrial membrane. In this thesis, the mechanistic principles of complex I were investigated using multi-scale simulations, including atomistic molecular dynamics simulations and hybrid quantum/classical mechanics (QM/MM) calculations. We found that complex I drives quinone reduction and proton pumping through a network of buried charged residues. These residues couple protonation changes to conformational shifts, electrostatic interactions, and modulations of the hydration dynamics. Additionally, we expanded the applicability of QM/MM to long-range protonation dynamics by developing a novel sampling scheme. This scheme combines advanced sampling methods with a general reaction coordinate to provide a quantitative description of hydration dynamics and conformational changes during proton transfer reactions, which are indispensable for understanding the function of the respiratory enzymes. We further investigated the molecular details of how and why respiratory complexes cluster together to form supercomplexes. Our findings indicate that membrane proteins alter the membrane properties and introduce strain, which could drive the formation of these assemblies. The combined mechanistic findings of this thesis enhance our understanding of respiratory complex I and supercomplexes and their underlying proton transfer reactions, conformational changes, and enzymatic activity.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Stockholm: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, 2024. p. 68
Keywords
Bioenergetics, Multi-scale Simulations, Proton Transfer, Respiration, Respiratory Complex I, Supercomplex
National Category
Biophysics Theoretical Chemistry
Research subject
Biophysics
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:su:diva-231869 (URN)978-91-8014-867-2 (ISBN)978-91-8014-868-9 (ISBN)
Public defence
2024-09-23, Hörsal 7, hus D, Frescativägen 10 and online via zoom, public link is available at the department website, Stockholm, 09:00 (English)
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Supervisors
Available from: 2024-08-29 Created: 2024-07-11 Last updated: 2025-02-20Bibliographically approved

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Pöverlein, Maximilian C.Kaila, Ville R. I.

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