Instantaneous normal modes and the protein glass transition.

ABSTRACT: In the instantaneous normal mode method, normal mode analysis is performed at instantaneous configurations of a condensed-phase system, leading to modes with negative eigenvalues. These negative modes provide a means of characterizing local anharmonicities of the potential energy surface. Here, we apply instantaneous normal mode to analyze temperature-dependent diffusive dynamics in molecular dynamics simulations of a small protein (a scorpion toxin). Those characteristics of the negative modes are determined that correlate with the dynamical (or glass) transition behavior of the protein, as manifested as an increase in the gradient with T of the average atomic mean-square displacement at approximately 220 K. The number of negative eigenvalues shows no transition with temperature. Further,

SUBMITTER: Schulz R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2716477 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature