The nature of the ion binding interactions in EF-hand peptide analogs: free energy simulation of Asp to Asn mutations

The binding of the La³⁺ ion to a tridecapeptide, which is amodel for the EF-hand in calcium-binding proteins, is studiedhi solution by free energy simulations. The calculations analyzethe effect on the La³⁺ ion binding of the mutation of Asp toAsn for side chains that interact directly with the ion. Theresults are compared with the measurements of Marsden.B.J.,Hodges, R.S. and Sykes, B.D. (1989) Biochemistry, 28,8839, onthe same system. They found that the Asp to Asn mutation hasonly a small effect on the binding; the observed differencesin the free energies on changing one Asp to an Asn are between-0.3 and 1.8 kcal/ mol. This result is analyzed by alchemicalsimulations for the tridecapeptide in the bound Qoop) structureand free (extended) form. The free energy changes due to themutation of an Asp to an Asn are large and positive for boththe bound and free forms. However, since the values of the freeenergy changes are calculated to be similar hi the two forms,the difference in the binding free energy of Asp and Asn peptidesis found to be small, in agreement with experiment. By use ofthermodynamic integration, the various contributions to thefree energy changes are estimated. In the com-plexed form, theAsp to Asn mutation is favored by the reduction in the repulsiveinteraction with other charged residues of the peptide; it isdisfavored by the reduction of the stabilization of the ionand the surrounding water has a small effect. When the peptideadopts an extended conformation in the absence of the ion, themutation Asp to Asn is strongly disfavored by the interactionswith the water and is favored by the interactions within thepeptide. The results demonstrate the essential role of contributionsto the binding of EF-hands from interactions other than thosebetween the ion and the charged amino acid side chains. Theresults obtained from the simulations suggest, in accord withcrystal structures of La³⁺ bound to various ligands, that thecalcium-binding loop complexed with La³⁺ in solution has a significantlydifferent structure from that observed hi proteins.