Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Vol.57, No.6, 741-745, 1998
Molecular-modeling calculations of enzymatic enantioselectivity taking hydration into account
A new molecular-modeling methodology has been applied to explain enzymatic enantioselectivity in water. This methodology, which combines vacuum molecular mechanics and the continuum solvation method, should provide a more realistic view of the solvent-enzyme and solvent-substrate interactions than the heretofore used approaches involving the vacuum molecular mechanics only. The methodology described herein has been validated using the experimental data on alpha-chymotrypsin's enantioselectivity in the hydrolysis of four chiral substrates. The reasons why the vacuum molecular mechanics, although not taking hydration into account, still in most cases provide a satisfactory approximation of reality are discussed.
Keywords:NUCLEIC-ACIDS;SUBSTRATE INTERACTIONS;ALPHA-CHYMOTRYPSIN;FORCE-FIELD;PROTEINS;ELECTROSTATICS;PREDICTION;ENERGIES