PvuII-endonuclease induces structural alterations at the scissile phosphate group of its cognate DNA.

We investigated the PvuII endonuclease with its cognate DNA by means of molecular dynamics simulations. Comparing the complexed DNA with a reference simulation of free DNA, we saw structural changes at the scissile phosphodiester bond. At this GpC step, the enzyme induces the highest twist and axial rise, inclination is increased and the minor groove widened.

Indirect readout of the trp-repressor-operator complex by B-DNA's backbone conformation transitions.

Although the trp-repressor-operator complex is one of the best studied transcriptional controlling systems, some questions regarding the specific recognition of the operator by the repressor remain. We performed a 2.35 ns long molecular dynamics simulation to clarify the influence of the two B-DNA backbone conformational substates B(I) and B(II) on complexation.

Towards the experimental decomposition rate of carbonic acid (H2CO3) in aqueous solution.

Dry carbonic acid has recently been shown to be kinetically stable even at room temperature. Addition of water molecules reduces this stability significantly, and the decomposition (H2CO3 + nH2O --> (n+1)H2O + CO2) is extremely accelerated for n = 1, 2, 3. By including two water molecules, a reaction rate that is a factor of 3000 below the experimental one (10 s(-1)) at room temperature was found.

Why Are Copper(II) Amino Acid Complexes Not Planar in Their Crystal Structures? An ab Initio and Molecular Mechanics Study.

This paper presents geometries of copper(II) chelates with L-alanine, L-leucine, and L-N,N-dimethylvaline optimized by the hybrid density functional method B3LYP. According to the molecular quantum mechanics results, a square-planar copper(II) coordination geometry is electronically favored in vacuo. Deviations from the planar configuration observed in the crystal state should be attributed to sterical intramolecular and/or intermolecular effects.