TY - THES A1 - Götze, Jan Philipp T1 - Influence of protein and solvent environments on quantum chemical properties of photosynthesis enzymes and photoreceptors T1 - Einfluss von Protein- und Lösungsmittelumgebungen auf quantenchemische Eigenschaften von Photosynthese-Enzymen und -Photorezeptoren N2 - This thesis contains quantum chemical models and force field calculations for the RuBisCO isotope effect, the spectral characteristics of the blue-light sensor BLUF and the light harvesting complex II. The work focuses on the influence of the environment on the corresponding systems. For RuBisCO, it was found that the isotopic effect is almost unaffected by the environment. In case of the BLUF domain, an amino acid was found to be important for the UV/vis spectrum, but unaccounted for in experiments so far (Ser41). The residue was shown to be highly mobile and with a systematic influence on the spectral shift of the BLUF domain chromophore (flavin). Finally, for LHCII it was found that small changes in the geometry of a Chlorophyll b/Violaxanthin chromophore pair can have strong influences regarding the light harvesting mechanism. Especially here it was seen that the proper description of the environment can be critical. In conclusion, the environment was observed to be of often unexpected importance for the molecular properties, and it seems not possible to give a reliable estimate on the changes created by the presence of the environment. N2 - Diese Arbeit beinhaltet quantenchemische und molekularmechanische Modelle zum Isotopeneffekt des Enzyms RuBisCO, der spektralen Charakterisierung des Blaulicht-Rezeptors BLUF und dem Lichtsammelkomplex II (LHCII). Es wurden vor allem die Einflüsse der Umgebung auf die entsprechenden Systeme untersucht. Für RuBisCO wurde gefunden, dass der Isotopeneffekt nur marginal von der Umgebung abhängt. Im Falle der BLUF Domäne wurde eine Aminosäure charakterisiert (Ser41), die bis dato experimentell noch nicht beschrieben war. Es wurde festgestellt, dass Ser41 hochmobil ist und einen systematischen Einfluss auf die spektrale Verschiebung des BLUF Chromophors (Flavin) hat. Schließlich wurde bei LHCII festgestellt, dass kleine Veränderungen in der Geometrie eines Chlorophyll b/Violaxanthin Chromophorenpaares bereits massive Einflüsse auf den Mechanismus des Lichtsammelprozesses haben können. Insbesondere hier zeigt sich, wie kritisch die genaue Beschreibung der Umgebung ist. Zusammenfassend wurde beobachtet, dass sich die Umgebung in oft unerwarteter Weise auf die molekularen Eigenschaften auswirken kann und es daher nicht möglich zu sein scheint, die entsprechenden Effekte vorher abzuschätzen. KW - Photosynthese KW - Molekülmodelle KW - RuBisCO KW - LHCII KW - Blaulichtsensoren KW - Photosynthesis KW - molecular modeling KW - RuBisCO KW - LHCII KW - Blue-light sensors Y1 - 2010 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-51135 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ghobadi, Ehsan A1 - Heuchel, Matthias A1 - Kratz, Karl A1 - Lendlein, Andreas T1 - Simulating the shape-Memory behavior of amorphous switching domains of Poly(L-lactide) by molecular dynamics JF - Macromolecular chemistry and physics N2 - The thermally induced shape-memory effect of polymers is typically characterized by cyclic uniaxial thermomechanical tests. Here, a molecular-dynamics (MD) simulation approach of such a cyclic uniaxial thermomechanical test is presented for amorphous switching domains of poly(L-lactide) (PLLA). Uniaxial deformation of the constructed PLLA models is simulated with a Parinello-Rahman scheme, as well as a pragmatic geometrical approach. We are able to describe two subsequent test cycles using the presented simulation approach. The obtained simulated shape-memory properties in both test cycles are similar and independent of the applied deformation protocols. The simulated PLLA shows high shape fixity ratios (Rf 94%), but only a moderate shape recovery ratio is obtained (Rr 30%). Finally, the structural changes during the simulated test are characterized by analysis of the changes in the dihedral angle distributions. KW - molecular modeling KW - polyesters KW - shape-memory properties KW - stimuli-sensitive polymers KW - thermomechanical properties Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/macp.201200450 SN - 1022-1352 VL - 214 IS - 11 SP - 1273 EP - 1283 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Peng, Lei A1 - Utesch, Tillmann A1 - Yarman, Aysu A1 - Jeoung, Jae-Hun A1 - Steinborn, Silke A1 - Dobbek, Holger A1 - Mroginski, Maria Andrea A1 - Tanne, Johannes A1 - Wollenberger, Ursula A1 - Scheller, Frieder W. T1 - Surface-Tuned Electron Transfer and Electrocatalysis of Hexameric Tyrosine-Coordinated Heme Protein JF - Chemistry - a European journal N2 - Molecular modeling, electrochemical methods, and quartz crystal microbalance were used to characterize immobilized hexameric tyrosine-coordinated heme protein (HTHP) on bare carbon or on gold electrodes modified with positively and negatively charged self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), respectively. HTHP binds to the positively charged surface but no direct electron transfer (DET) is found due to the long distance of the active sites from the electrode surfaces. At carboxyl-terminated surfaces, the neutrally charged bottom of HTHP can bind to the SAM. For this "disc" orientation all six hemes are close to the electrode and their direct electron transfer should be efficient. HTHP on all negatively charged SAMs showed a quasi-reversible redox behavior with rate constant k(s) values between 0.93 and 2.86 s(-1) and apparent formal potentials E-app(0)' between -131.1 and -249.1 mV. On the MUA/MU-modified electrode, the maximum surface concentration corresponds to a complete monolayer of the hexameric HTHP in the disc orientation. HTHP electrostatically immobilized on negatively charged SAMs shows electrocatalysis of peroxide reduction and enzymatic oxidation of NADH. KW - electrochemistry KW - electron transfer KW - heme proteins KW - molecular modeling KW - monolayers Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.201405932 SN - 0947-6539 SN - 1521-3765 VL - 21 IS - 20 SP - 7596 EP - 7602 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rakers, Christin A1 - Schumacher, Fabian A1 - Meinl, Walter A1 - Glatt, Hansruedi A1 - Kleuser, Burkhard A1 - Wolber, Gerhard T1 - In Silico Prediction of Human Sulfotransferase 1E1 Activity Guided by Pharmacophores from Molecular Dynamics Simulations JF - The journal of biological chemistry N2 - Acting during phase II metabolism, sulfotransferases (SULTs) serve detoxification by transforming a broad spectrum of compounds from pharmaceutical, nutritional, or environmental sources into more easily excretable metabolites. However, SULT activity has also been shown to promote formation of reactive metabolites that may have genotoxic effects. SULT subtype 1E1 (SULT1E1) was identified as a key player in estrogen homeostasis, which is involved in many physiological processes and the pathogenesis of breast and endometrial cancer. The development of an in silico prediction model for SULT1E1 ligands would therefore support the development of metabolically inert drugs and help to assess health risks related to hormonal imbalances. Here, we report on a novel approach to develop a model that enables prediction of substrates and inhibitors of SULT1E1. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate enzyme flexibility and sample protein conformations. Pharmacophores were developed that served as a cornerstone of the model, and machine learning techniques were applied for prediction refinement. The prediction model was used to screen the DrugBank (a database of experimental and approved drugs): 28% of the predicted hits were reported in literature as ligands of SULT1E1. From the remaining hits, a selection of nine molecules was subjected to biochemical assay validation and experimental results were in accordance with the in silico prediction of SULT1E1 inhibitors and substrates, thus affirming our prediction hypotheses. KW - drug design KW - drug metabolism KW - liver metabolism KW - molecular dynamics KW - molecular modeling KW - sulfotransferase Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M115.685610 SN - 0021-9258 SN - 1083-351X VL - 291 SP - 58 EP - 71 PB - American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology CY - Bethesda ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wolff, Martin A1 - Gast, Klaus A1 - Evers, Andreas A1 - Kurz, Michael A1 - Pfeiffer-Marek, Stefania A1 - Schüler, Anja A1 - Seckler, Robert A1 - Thalhammer, Anja T1 - A Conserved Hydrophobic Moiety and Helix-Helix Interactions Drive the Self-Assembly of the Incretin Analog Exendin-4 JF - Biomolecules N2 - Exendin-4 is a pharmaceutical peptide used in the control of insulin secretion. Structural information on exendin-4 and related peptides especially on the level of quaternary structure is scarce. We present the first published association equilibria of exendin-4 directly measured by static and dynamic light scattering. We show that exendin-4 oligomerization is pH dependent and that these oligomers are of low compactness. We relate our experimental results to a structural hypothesis to describe molecular details of exendin-4 oligomers. Discussion of the validity of this hypothesis is based on NMR, circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy, and light scattering data on exendin-4 and a set of exendin-4 derived peptides. The essential forces driving oligomerization of exendin-4 are helix–helix interactions and interactions of a conserved hydrophobic moiety. Our structural hypothesis suggests that key interactions of exendin-4 monomers in the experimentally supported trimer take place between a defined helical segment and a hydrophobic triangle constituted by the Phe22 residues of the three monomeric subunits. Our data rationalize that Val19 might function as an anchor in the N-terminus of the interacting helix-region and that Trp25 is partially shielded in the oligomer by C-terminal amino acids of the same monomer. Our structural hypothesis suggests that the Trp25 residues do not interact with each other, but with C-terminal Pro residues of their own monomers. KW - biophysics KW - diabetes KW - peptides KW - oligomerization KW - conformational change KW - molecular modeling KW - static and dynamic light scattering KW - spectroscopy Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/biom11091305 SN - 2218-273X VL - 11 IS - 9 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - GEN A1 - Wolff, Martin A1 - Gast, Klaus A1 - Evers, Andreas A1 - Kurz, Michael A1 - Pfeiffer-Marek, Stefania A1 - Schüler, Anja A1 - Seckler, Robert A1 - Thalhammer, Anja T1 - A Conserved Hydrophobic Moiety and Helix-Helix Interactions Drive the Self-Assembly of the Incretin Analog Exendin-4 T2 - Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe N2 - Exendin-4 is a pharmaceutical peptide used in the control of insulin secretion. Structural information on exendin-4 and related peptides especially on the level of quaternary structure is scarce. We present the first published association equilibria of exendin-4 directly measured by static and dynamic light scattering. We show that exendin-4 oligomerization is pH dependent and that these oligomers are of low compactness. We relate our experimental results to a structural hypothesis to describe molecular details of exendin-4 oligomers. Discussion of the validity of this hypothesis is based on NMR, circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy, and light scattering data on exendin-4 and a set of exendin-4 derived peptides. The essential forces driving oligomerization of exendin-4 are helix–helix interactions and interactions of a conserved hydrophobic moiety. Our structural hypothesis suggests that key interactions of exendin-4 monomers in the experimentally supported trimer take place between a defined helical segment and a hydrophobic triangle constituted by the Phe22 residues of the three monomeric subunits. Our data rationalize that Val19 might function as an anchor in the N-terminus of the interacting helix-region and that Trp25 is partially shielded in the oligomer by C-terminal amino acids of the same monomer. Our structural hypothesis suggests that the Trp25 residues do not interact with each other, but with C-terminal Pro residues of their own monomers. T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe - 1161 KW - biophysics KW - diabetes KW - peptides KW - oligomerization KW - conformational change KW - molecular modeling KW - static and dynamic light scattering KW - spectroscopy Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-522081 SN - 1866-8372 IS - 9 ER -