Coarse-Grained Simulation Study of the Association of Selected Dipeptides

The association of 55 dipeptides extracted from aggregation-prone regions of selected proteins was studied by means of multiplexed replica-exchange molecular dynamics simulations with the coarse-grained UNRES model of polypeptide chains. Each simulation was carried out with 320 dipeptide molecules in a periodic box at 0.24 mol/dm³ concentration, in the 260-370 K temperature range. The temperature profiles of the degree of association, distributions of dipeptide cluster size, and structures of clusters were examined. It has been found that the dipeptides composed of strongly nonpolar (aromatic or aliphatic) residues associate nearly completely at all temperatures to form tight clusters, while those composed of charged or polar residues exhibited no or residual association. The dipeptides composed of nonpolar and small polar residues and those composed of less hydrophobic residues formed single clusters, gradually dissolving with increasing temperature, while those composed of phenylalanine or tryptophan and polar or charged residues formed multiple irregular clusters with room to accommodate water inside, suggesting the formation of liquid droplets or gels. The logarithms of the average degree of association and the free energy of aggregation per monomer were found to correlate with the dipeptide hydrophobicity.