Effect of mutation on the stabilization energy of HIV-1 zinc fingers: a hybrid local self-consistent field/molecular mechanics investigation.

Metal-ligand interactions give rise to a wide variety of metal complexes with various physical properties and chemical behaviours and numerous practical applications. The ability of the zinc ion to enhance the structural stability of many proteins by electrostatic interactions or by co-ordination with surrounding amino acids makes it the most important metal ion found in biological systems. In this paper, we highlight the importance of non-covalent interaction established between a metal ion and its environment in stabilizing biomolecules.