Hydration and its Hydrogen Bonding State on a Protein Surface in the Crystalline State as Revealed by Molecular Dynamics Simulation

Abstract

Protein hydration is crucial for the stability and molecular recognition of a protein. Water molecules form a hydration water network on a protein surface via hydrogen bonds. This study examined the hydration structure and hydrogen bonding state of a protein, staphylococcal nuclease, at various hydration levels in its crystalline state by all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Hydrophilic residues were more hydrated than hydrophobic residues. As the water content increases, both types of residues were uniformly more hydrated. The number of hydrogen bonds per single water asymptotically approaches 4, the same as bulk water. The distances and angles of hydrogen bonds in hydration water in the protein crystal were almost the same as those in the tetrahedral structure of bulk water regardless of the hydration level. The hydrogen bond structure of hydration water observed by MD simulations of the protein crystalline state was compared to the Hydrogen and Hydration Database for Biomolecule from experimental protein crystals.