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Understanding membrane charge transport processes, including the actions of ion channels, pumps, carriers, and membrane-active peptides, requires a description of the electrostatics of the lipid bilayer. We have simulated a library of different lipid chemistries to reveal the impact of the headgroup, glycerol backbone, and hydrocarbon chains on the membrane dipole potential. We found a strong dependence of the potential on lipid packing, but this was not caused by the packing of lipid polar components, due to cancellation of their electric fields by electrolyte. In contrast, lipid tail contributions were determined by area per lipid, arising from two countering effects. Increased area per lipid leads to chain tilting that increases methylene dipole projections to strengthen the electric field within the bilayer, while at the same time decreasing the electric field from terminal methyl groups. Moreover, electric fields from some nonterminal groups and the terminal methyl group can extend beyond the bilayer center and be canceled by the opposing leaflet. This interleaflet field annulment explains the experimental reduction in dipole potential for unsaturated and branched lipid bilayers, by as much as ∼200 mV, as well as experiments that substitute chain carbons with sulfur. Replacing ester with ether groups (eliminating two carbonyl groups) causes a significant reduction in potential, also by ∼200 mV, in agreement with experiment. We show that the effect can be largely attributed to the loss of aligned water molecules in the glycerol backbone region, lowering the potential inside the bilayer core. When only one of the two carbonyls is removed (using a hybrid ester-ether lipid or a single-chain lipid), most of this reduction in potential was lost, with the single carbonyl group able to maintain full hydration in the interfacial region. While headgroup chemistry can have a major effect (by as much as ±100 mV relative to phosphatidylcholine), anionic headgroups either decrease or increase the dipole potential, with the variation involving perturbation in hydrogen-bonded water molecules and changes in packing of lipid tails. Overall, these results suggest that membrane electrostatics are dominated by aligned water molecules at the polar-hydrocarbon interface and, surprisingly, by the charge distribution of the nonpolar lipid tails, and not the packing of headgroup and glycerol carbonyl dipoles.

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Atomic-level studies of protein activity represent a significant challenge as a result of the complexity of conformational changes occurring on wide-ranging timescales, often greatly exceeding that of even the longest simulations. A prime example is the elucidation of protein allosteric mechanisms, where localized perturbations transmit throughout a large macromolecule to generate a response signal. For example, the conversion of chemical to electrical signals during synaptic neurotransmission in the brain is achieved by specialized membrane proteins called pentameric ligand-gated ion channels. Here, the binding of a neurotransmitter results in a global conformational change to open an ion-conducting pore across the nerve cell membrane. X-ray crystallography has produced static structures of the open and closed states of the proton-gated GLIC pentameric ligand-gated ion channel protein, allowing for atomistic simulations that can uncover changes related to activation. We discuss a range of enhanced sampling approaches that could be used to explore activation mechanisms. In particular, we describe recent application of an atomistic string method, based on Roux's "swarms of trajectories" approach, to elucidate the sequence and interdependence of conformational changes during activation. We illustrate how this can be combined with transition analysis and Brownian dynamics to extract thermodynamic and kinetic information, leading to understanding of what controls ion channel function. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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Membrane ion channels are the fundamental electrical components in the nervous system. Recent developments in X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM microscopy have revealed what these proteins look like in atomic detail but do not tell us how they function. Molecular dynamics simulations have progressed to the point that we can now simulate realistic molecular assemblies to produce quantitative calculations of the thermodynamic and kinetic quantities that control function. In this review, we summarize the state of atomistic simulation methods for ion channels to understand their conduction, activation, and drug modulation mechanisms. We are at a crossroads in atomistic simulation, where long time scale observation can provide unbiased exploration of mechanisms, supplemented by biased free energy methodologies. We illustrate the use of these approaches to describe ion conduction and selectivity in voltage-gated sodium and acid-sensing ion channels. Studies of channel gating present a significant challenge, as activation occurs on longer time scales. Enhanced sampling approaches can ensure convergence on minimum free energy pathways for activation, as illustrated here for pentameric ligand-gated ion channels that are principal to nervous system function and the actions of general anesthetics. We also examine recent studies of local anesthetic and antiepileptic drug binding to a sodium channel, revealing sites and pathways that may offer new targets for drug development. Modern simulations thus offer a range of molecular-level insights into ion channel function and modulation as a learning platform for mechanistic discovery and drug development.

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Cholesterol's effects on Na+,K+-ATPase reconstituted in phospholipid vesicles have been extensively studied. However, previous studies have reported both cholesterol-mediated stimulation and inhibition of Na+,K+-ATPase activity. Here, using partial reaction kinetics determined via stopped-flow experiments, we studied cholesterol's effect on Na+,K+-ATPase in a near-native environment in which purified membrane fragments were depleted of cholesterol with methyl-ß-cyclodextrin (mßCD). The mßCD-treated Na+,K+-ATPase had significantly reduced overall activity and exhibited decreased observed rate constants for ATP phosphorylation (ENa3+ → E2P, i.e. phosphorylation by ATP and Na+ occlusion from the cytoplasm) and K+ deocclusion with subsequent intracellular Na+ binding (E2K2+ → E1Na3+). However, cholesterol depletion did not affect the observed rate constant for K+ occlusion by phosphorylated Na+,K+-ATPase on the extracellular face and subsequent dephosphorylation (E2P → E2K2+). Thus, partial reactions involving cation binding and release at the protein's intracellular side were most dependent on cholesterol. Fluorescence measurements with the probe eosin indicated that cholesterol depletion stabilizes the unphosphorylated E2 state relative to E1, and the cholesterol depletion-induced slowing of ATP phosphorylation kinetics was consistent with partial conversion of Na+,K+-ATPase into the E2 state, requiring a slow E2 → E1 transition before the phosphorylation. Molecular dynamics simulations of Na+,K+-ATPase in membranes with 40 mol % cholesterol revealed cholesterol interaction sites that differ markedly among protein conformations. They further indicated state-dependent effects on membrane shape, with the E2 state being likely disfavored in cholesterol-rich bilayers relative to the E1P state because of a greater hydrophobic mismatch. In summary, cholesterol extraction from membranes significantly decreases Na+,K+-ATPase steady-state activity.

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Pentameric ligand-gated ion channels control synaptic neurotransmission by converting chemical signals into electrical signals. Agonist binding leads to rapid signal transduction via an allosteric mechanism, where global protein conformational changes open a pore across the nerve cell membrane. We use all-atom molecular dynamics with a swarm-based string method to solve for the minimum free-energy gating pathways of the proton-activated bacterial GLIC channel. We describe stable wetted/open and dewetted/closed states, and uncover conformational changes in the agonist-binding extracellular domain, ion-conducting transmembrane domain, and gating interface that control communication between these domains. Transition analysis is used to compute free-energy surfaces that suggest allosteric pathways; stabilization with pH; and intermediates, including states that facilitate channel closing in the presence of an agonist. We describe a switching mechanism that senses proton binding by marked reorganization of subunit interface, altering the packing of ß-sheets to induce changes that lead to asynchronous pore-lining M2 helix movements. These results provide molecular details of GLIC gating and insight into the allosteric mechanisms for the superfamily of pentameric ligand-gated channels.

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RH421 is a voltage-sensitive fluorescent styrylpyridinium dye which has often been used to probe the kinetics of Na+,K+-ATPase partial reactions. The origin of the dye's response has up to now been unclear. Here we show that RH421 responds to phosphorylation of the Na+,K+-ATPase by inorganic phosphate with a fluorescence increase. Analysis of the kinetics of the fluorescence response indicates that the probe is not detecting phosphorylation itself but rather a shift in the protein's E1/E2 conformational equilibrium induced by preferential phosphate binding to and phosphorylation of enzyme in the E2 conformation. Molecular dynamics simulations of crystal structures in lipid bilayers indicate some change in the protein's hydrophobic thickness during the E1-E2 transition, which may influence the dye response. However, the transition is known to involve significant rearrangement of the protein's highly charged lysine-rich cytoplasmic N-terminal sequence. Using poly-l-lysine as a model of the N-terminus, we show that an analogous response of RH421 to the E1→E2P conformational change is produced by poly-l-lysine binding to the surface of the Na+,K+-ATPase-containing membrane fragments. Thus, it seems that the prime origin of the RH421 fluorescence response is a change in the interaction of the protein's N-terminus with the surrounding membrane. Quantum mechanical calculations of the dye's visible absorption spectrum give further support to this conclusion. The results obtained indicate that membrane binding and release of the N-terminus of the Na+,K+-ATPase α-subunit are intimately involved in the protein's catalytic cycle and could represent an effective site of regulation.

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Many enzymes require a specific monovalent cation (M(+)), that is either Na(+) or K(+), for optimal activity. While high selectivity M(+) sites in transport proteins have been extensively studied, enzyme M(+) binding sites generally have lower selectivity and are less characterized. Here we study the M(+) binding site of the model enzyme E. coli ß-galactosidase, which is about 10 fold selective for Na(+) over K(+). Combining data from X-ray crystallography and computational models, we find the electrostatic environment predominates in defining the Na(+) selectivity. In this lower selectivity site rather subtle influences on the electrostatic environment become significant, including the induced polarization effects of the M(+) on the coordinating ligands and the effect of second coordination shell residues on the charge distribution of the primary ligands. This work expands the knowledge of ion selectivity in proteins to denote novel mechanisms important for the selectivity of M(+) sites in enzymes.

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The density functional code deMon2k employs a fitted density throughout (Auxiliary Density Functional Theory), which offers a great speed advantage without sacrificing necessary accuracy. Powerful Quantum Mechanical/Molecular Mechanical (QM/MM) approaches are reviewed. Following an overview of the basic features of deMon2k that make it efficient while retaining accuracy, three QM/MM implementations are compared and contrasted. In the first, deMon2k is interfaced with the CHARMM MM code (CHARMM-deMon2k); in the second MM is coded directly within the deMon2k software; and in the third the Chemistry in Ruby (Cuby) wrapper is used to drive the calculations. Cuby is also used in the context of constrained-DFT/MM calculations. Each of these implementations is described briefly; pros and cons are discussed and a few recent applications are described briefly. Applications include solvated ions and biomolecules, polyglutamine peptides important in polyQ neurodegenerative diseases, copper monooxygenases and ultra-rapid electron transfer in cryptochromes.

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The charge-transporting activity of the Na(+),K(+)-ATPase depends on its surrounding electric field. To isolate which steps of the enzyme's reaction cycle involve charge movement, we have investigated the response of the voltage-sensitive fluorescent probe RH421 to interaction of the protein with BTEA (benzyltriethylammonium), which binds from the extracellular medium to the Na(+),K(+)-ATPase's transport sites in competition with Na(+) and K(+), but is not occluded within the protein. We find that only the occludable ions Na(+), K(+), Rb(+), and Cs(+) cause a drop in RH421 fluorescence. We conclude that RH421 detects intramembrane electric field strength changes arising from charge transport associated with conformational changes occluding the transported ions within the protein, not the electric fields of the bound ions themselves. This appears at first to conflict with electrophysiological studies suggesting extracellular Na(+) or K(+) binding in a high field access channel is a major electrogenic reaction of the Na(+),K(+)-ATPase. All results can be explained consistently if ion occlusion involves local deformations in the lipid membrane surrounding the protein occurring simultaneously with conformational changes necessary for ion occlusion. The most likely origin of the RH421 fluorescence response is a change in membrane dipole potential caused by membrane deformation.

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We have studied Li(+)/Na(+)/K(+) selectivity of the bacterial aspartate transporter Glt(Ph) using all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) and free energy simulations (FES) to evaluate the role of different factors that control ion preferences of the binding sites identified in the crystallographic structure. The role of the bound ions in stabilizing the hairpin loop (HP2) by acting as an extracellular gate is discussed. Free energy simulations with classical and polarizable force-fields were used to characterize the role of the protein matrix, the site composition and the induced polarization in the stabilization of native and non-native cations, such as Li(+) and K(+), in the ion-binding sites of the transporter. The role of different factors that control the selectivity of the binding sites was highlighted with a number of reduced models using a scheme recently developed by Yu et al. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A., 2010, 107, 20329-20334 and J. Phys. Chem. B, 2009, 113, 8725).

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Methods directly evaluating the hydration structure and thermodynamics of physiologically relevant cations (Na(+), K(+), Cl(-), etc.) have wide ranging applications in the fields of inorganic, physical, and biological chemistry. All-atom simulations based on accurate potential energy surfaces appear to offer a viable option for assessing the chemistry of ion solvation. Although MD and free energy simulations of ion solvation with classical force fields have proven their usefulness, a number of challenges still remain. One of them is the difficulty of force field benchmarking and validation against structural and thermodynamic data obtained for a condensed phase. Hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) models combined with sampling algorithms have the potential to provide an accurate solvation model and to incorporate the effects from the surrounding, which is often missing in gas-phase ab initio computations. Herein, we report the results from QM/MM free energy simulations of Na(+)/K(+) and Cl(-)/Br(-) hydration where we simultaneously characterized the relative thermodynamics of ion solvation and changes in the solvation structure. The Flexible Inner Region Ensemble Separator (FIRES) method was used to impose a spatial separation between QM region and the outer sphere of solvent molecules treated with the CHARMM27 force field. FEP calculations based on QM/MM simulations utilizing the CHARMM/deMon2k interface were performed with different basis set combinations for K(+)/Na(+) and Cl(-)/Br(-) perturbations to establish the dependence of the computed free energies on the basis set level. The dependence of the computed relative free energies on the size of the QM and MM regions is discussed. The current methodology offers an accurate description of structural and thermodynamic aspects of the hydration of alkali and halide ions in neat solvents and can be used to obtain thermodynamic data on ion solvation in condensed phase along with underlying structural properties of the ion-solvent system.

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The recent determination of high-resolution crystal structures of several transporters offers unprecedented insights into the structural mechanisms behind secondary transport. These proteins utilize the facilitated diffusion of the ions down their electrochemical gradients to transport the substrate against its concentration gradient. The structural studies revealed striking similarities in the structural organization of ion and solute binding sites and a well-conserved inverted-repeat topology between proteins from several gene families. In this paper we will overview recent atomistic simulations applied to study the mechanisms of selective binding of ion and substrate in LeuT, Glt, vSGLT and hSERT as well as its consequences for the transporter conformational dynamics. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Membrane protein structure and function.

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Excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) remove glutamate from synapses. They maintain an efficient synaptic transmission and prevent glutamate from reaching neurotoxic levels. Glutamate transporters couple the uptake of one glutamate to the cotransport of three sodium ions and one proton and the countertransport of one potassium ion. The molecular mechanism for this coupled uptake of glutamate and its co- and counter-transported ions is not known. In a crystal structure of the bacterial glutamate transporter homolog, GltPh, only two cations are bound to the transporter, and there is no indication of the location of the third sodium site. In experiments using voltage clamp fluorometry and simulations based on molecular dynamics combined with grand canonical Monte Carlo and free energy simulations performed on different isoforms of GltPh as well on a homology model of EAAT3, we sought to locate the third sodium-binding site in EAAT3. Both experiments and computer simulations suggest that T370 and N451 (T314 and N401 in GltPh) form part of the third sodium-binding site. Interestingly, the sodium bound at T370 forms part of the binding site for the amino acid substrate, perhaps explaining both the strict coupling of sodium transport to uptake of glutamate and the ion selectivity of the affinity for the transported amino acid in EAATs.

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The hydration of three different monovalent cations was studied with a number of theoretical approaches ranging from classical MD simulations to MD simulations with a polarizable force field and finally to QM/MM MD. A particular emphasis was put on the development of a novel polarizable potential function for studies of Tl(+) hydration enabling the ability to reproduce key features observed in QM/MM simulations. We extended the CHARMM-deMon interface developed previously to studies of ion hydration with QM/MM simulations. All simulations reproduce experimental data on the Radial Distribution Function (RDF) accurately. However, notable differences start to emerge in the description of probabilities for coordination states of an ion if explicit account of polarization is included.

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The partitioning of a substrate from one phase into another is a complex process with widespread applications: from chemical technology to the pharmaceutical industry. One particularly well-known and well-studied example is 2-bromo-2-chloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane (halothane) trafficking through the lipid bilayer. Halothane is a model volatile anesthetic known to impact functions of model lipid bilayers, altering the structure and thickness upon its partitioning from the bulk phase. A number of theoretical and experimental investigations suggest the importance of electronic polarizability, determining a preference for halothane to partition in the interfacial systems as in lipid bilayers or binary solvents. The recently published protocol for the development of polarizable force fields based on the classical Drude model has provided fresh impetus to efforts directed at understanding the molecular principles governing complex thermodynamics of the hydrophobic hydration. Here, molecular simulations were combined with free energy simulations to study solvation of halothane in polarizable water and methanol. The absolute free energy of halothane solvation in different solvents (water, methanol, and n-hexane) has been evaluated for additive and polarizable models. It was found that both additive and polarizable models provide an adequate description of the halothane solvation in high-dielectric (polar) solvents such as water, but explicit accounting for electronic polarization is imperative for a correct description of the solvation thermodynamics in nonpolar systems. To study halothane dynamics in binary mixtures, all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for halothane-methanol mixtures in a wide range of concentrations were performed alongside an analysis of structural organization, dynamics, and thermodynamic properties to dissect the molecular determinants of the halothane solvation in polar and amphiphilic liquids such as methanol. Additionally, a theoretical test of the hypothesis on the weak hydrogen bonding of halothane and methanol in the condensed phase is provided, which was presented on the basis of spectroscopic analysis of the C-H vibrations in different gas-phase complexes. The simulations performed in the condensed phase suggest that hydrophobic interactions between halothane and methanol play a dominant role in preferential solvation.

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We present a new QM/MM interface for fast and efficient simulations of organic and biological molecules. The CHARMM/deMon interface has been developed and tested to perform minimization and atomistic simulations for multi-particle systems. The current features of this QM/MM interface include readability for molecular dynamics, tested compatibility with Free Energy Perturbation simulations (FEP) using the dual topology/single coordinate method. The current coupling scheme uses link atoms, but further extensions of the code to incorporate other available schemes are planned. We report the performance of different levels of theory for the treatment of the QM region, while the MM region was represented by a classical force-field (CHARMM27) or a polarizable force-field based on a simple Drude model. The current QM/MM implementation can be coupled to the dual-thermostat method and the VV2 integrator to run molecular dynamics simulations.

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