[gmx-users] Carbohydrate simulation: problem with the terminal atoms

Justin A. Lemkul jalemkul at vt.edu
Thu Apr 7 14:39:31 CEST 2011


I wanted to post a resolution to this issue for the purposes of the archive. 
There are a bunch of similar threads that are just dead-ends, so hopefully 
someone finds this useful one day.

The problem described here results from a couple of factors:

1. Incorrect charge assignment for the anomeric carbon (hemiacetal on the 
reducing end of the oligosaccharide)
2. A missing exclusion

The proper terminal "patches" for the 45A4/53A6 sugar parameters are found in 
Lins and Hunenberger JCC 2005.  The authors note instability within this 
problematic region due to an overt attraction between O5 (in the ring) and H1 
(added as part of the terminal "patch").  The solution is the following:

1. Use the charges provided by Lins and Hunenberger for the reducing end of the 
sugar
2. Add an extra exclusion between H1 and O5

A possible workflow for building oligosaccharides derives from a generic polymer 
workflow I posted on the Gromacs site 
(http://www.gromacs.org/Documentation/How-tos/Polymers), and includes defining a 
"start" and "end" residue (non-reducing and reducing ends in the case of 
sugars), as well as the monomer repeat unit (which is already defined in the 
force field in the case of glucose).  Thus, one could apply the following .rtp 
entries:

[ GLCN ]     ; beta-D-glucose, non-reducing end
  [ atoms ]
    C4   CH1     0.23200     0
    O4    OA    -0.64200     0
   HO4     H     0.41000     0
    C3   CH1     0.23200     1
    O3    OA    -0.64200     1
   HO3     H     0.41000     1
    C2   CH1     0.23200     2
    O2    OA    -0.64200     2
   HO2     H     0.41000     2
    C6   CH2     0.23200     3
    O6    OA    -0.64200     3
   HO6     H     0.41000     3
    C5   CH1     0.37600     4
    O5    OA    -0.48000     4
    C1   CH1       0.232     4
    O1    OA      -0.360     4
  [ bonds ]
    C4    C3    gb_26
    C4    O4    gb_20
    O4   HO4    gb_1
    C4    C5    gb_26
    C3    O3    gb_20
    C3    C2    gb_26
    O3   HO3    gb_1
    C2    O2    gb_20
    C2    C1    gb_26
    O2   HO2    gb_1
    C6    O6    gb_20
    C6    C5    gb_26
    O6   HO6    gb_1
    C5    O5    gb_20
    O5    C1    gb_20
    C1    O1    gb_20
    O1   +C4    gb_20
  [ angles ]
;  ai    aj    ak   gromos type
    C4    O4   HO4     ga_12
    O4    C4    C3     ga_9
    O4    C4    C5     ga_9
    C3    C4    C5     ga_8
    C4    C3    O3     ga_9
    C4    C3    C2     ga_8
    O3    C3    C2     ga_9
    C3    O3   HO3     ga_12
    C3    C2    O2     ga_9
    C3    C2    C1     ga_8
    O2    C2    C1     ga_9
    C2    O2   HO2     ga_12
    O6    C6    C5     ga_9
    C6    O6   HO6     ga_12
    C4    C5    C6     ga_8
    C4    C5    O5     ga_9
    C6    C5    O5     ga_9
    C5    O5    C1     ga_10
    C2    C1    O5     ga_9
    C2    C1    O1     ga_9
    O5    C1    O1     ga_9
    C1    O1   +C4     ga_10
  [ impropers ]
;  ai    aj    ak    al   gromos type
    C4    C6    O5    C5     gi_2
    C3    O3    C2    C4     gi_2
    C2    O5    O1    C1     gi_2
    C5    O4    C3    C4     gi_2
    C1    C3    O2    C2     gi_2
  [ dihedrals ]
;  ai    aj    ak    al   gromos type
   HO4    O4    C4    C3     gd_30
    O4    C4    C3    O3     gd_18
    O4    C4    C3    C2     gd_17
    C5    C4    C3    O3     gd_17
    C5    C4    C3    C2     gd_34
    O4    C4    C5    C6     gd_17
    C3    C4    C5    C6     gd_34
    C3    C4    C5    O5     gd_17
    C2    C3    O3   HO3     gd_30
    C4    C3    C2    O2     gd_17
    C4    C3    C2    C1     gd_34
    O3    C3    C2    O2     gd_18
    O3    C3    C2    C1     gd_17
    C1    C2    O2   HO2     gd_30
    C3    C2    C1    O5     gd_17
    C3    C2    C1    O1     gd_17
    C3    C2    C1    O1     gd_34
    O2    C2    C1    O1     gd_18
    C5    C6    O6   HO6     gd_30
    O6    C6    C5    O5     gd_5
    O6    C6    C5    O5     gd_37
    C4    C5    O5    C1     gd_29
    C5    O5    C1    C2     gd_29
    O5    C1    O1   +C4     gd_2
    O5    C1    O1   +C4     gd_32

[ GLCR ]     ; beta-D-glucose, reducing end
  [ atoms ]
    C4   CH1     0.23200     0
    C3   CH1     0.23200     1
    O3    OA    -0.64200     1
   HO3     H     0.41000     1
    C2   CH1     0.23200     2
    O2    OA    -0.64200     2
   HO2     H     0.41000     2
    C6   CH2     0.23200     3
    O6    OA    -0.64200     3
   HO6     H     0.41000     3
    C5   CH1     0.37600     4
    O5    OA    -0.48000     4
    C1   CH1     0.23200     4
    O1    OA    -0.53800     4
    H1     H     0.41000     4
  [ bonds ]
    C4    C3    gb_26
    C4    C5    gb_26
    C3    O3    gb_20
    C3    C2    gb_26
    O3   HO3    gb_1
    C2    O2    gb_20
    C2    C1    gb_26
    O2   HO2    gb_1
    C6    O6    gb_20
    C6    C5    gb_26
    O6   HO6    gb_1
    C5    O5    gb_20
    O5    C1    gb_20
    C1    O1    gb_20
    O1    H1    gb_1
  [ angles ]
;  ai    aj    ak   gromos type
   -C1   -O1    C4     ga_10
   -O1    C4    C3     ga_9
   -O1    C4    C5     ga_9
    C3    C4    C5     ga_8
    C4    C3    O3     ga_9
    C4    C3    C2     ga_8
    O3    C3    C2     ga_9
    C3    O3   HO3     ga_12
    C3    C2    O2     ga_9
    C3    C2    C1     ga_8
    O2    C2    C1     ga_9
    C2    O2   HO2     ga_12
    O6    C6    C5     ga_9
    C6    O6   HO6     ga_12
    C4    C5    C6     ga_8
    C4    C5    O5     ga_9
    C6    C5    O5     ga_9
    C5    O5    C1     ga_10
    C2    C1    O5     ga_9
    C2    C1    O1     ga_9
    O5    C1    O1     ga_9
    C1    O1    H1     ga_12
  [ impropers ]
;  ai    aj    ak    al   gromos type
    C4    C6    O5    C5     gi_2
    C3    O3    C2    C4     gi_2
    C2    O5    O1    C1     gi_2
    C5    O4    C3    C4     gi_2
    C1    C3    O2    C2     gi_2
  [ dihedrals ]
;  ai    aj    ak    al   gromos type
   -C1   -O1    C4    C3     gd_30
   -O1    C4    C3    O3     gd_18
   -O1    C4    C3    C2     gd_17
    C5    C4    C3    O3     gd_17
    C5    C4    C3    C2     gd_34
   -O1    C4    C5    C6     gd_17
    C3    C4    C5    C6     gd_34
    C3    C4    C5    O5     gd_17
    C2    C3    O3   HO3     gd_30
    C4    C3    C2    O2     gd_17
    C4    C3    C2    C1     gd_34
    O3    C3    C2    O2     gd_18
    O3    C3    C2    C1     gd_17
    C1    C2    O2   HO2     gd_30
    C3    C2    C1    O5     gd_17
    C3    C2    C1    O1     gd_17
    C3    C2    C1    O1     gd_34
    O2    C2    C1    O1     gd_18
    C5    C6    O6   HO6     gd_30
    O6    C6    C5    O5     gd_5
    O6    C6    C5    O5     gd_37
    C4    C5    O5    C1     gd_29
    C5    O5    C1    C2     gd_29
    O5    C1    O1    H1     gd_2
    O5    C1    O1    H1     gd_32
  [ exclusions ]
    H1    O5

Hopefully this information is useful.

-Justin

Somaye Badieyan wrote:
> Hi everyone,
> 
> I am using g53a6 force filed for the simulation of cellulose. However it 
> seems that parametrization works only for the sugar blocked linked 
> together and no terminal atoms for terminal residues are defined there 
> (I mean the start and end atom, H and O atom at the beginning linked to 
> c4 and H atom at the last Sugar residue linked to O1). I tried to solve 
> the problem by making the topology file removing the start OH and end H 
> group from the initial PDB file to  have the topology file made by g53a6 
> and later add the parameters of OH and H to the topology file. The 
> problem is at the time of minimization almost no change in energy (not 
> converged even after 7325 step) with the maximum force (about 9e+03) on 
> the H of new added OH group (the start OH group). and when I checked the 
> output of minimization step I found the HO position and C2 and C3, O3 
> atoms are deformed and the defined angles/bonds/dihedral of this new OH 
> are not kept (the other H group the the other side, end, is fine). I 
> know the problem is due to the way I defined the parameters but I do not 
> know what the problem exactly is. Since the original topology file 
> without the terminal atoms start from 1, the terminal atoms are added at 
> the end of gro file and topology file (although OH group is part of 
> first residue):
> 
> the molecule is a cellotetetraose and here is the added part to top file 
> (Atom number: H at end: 57 ,  O at start:58,   H at start:59):
> 
> ; residue 1001 GLCB rtp GLCB q  0.0
>      1        CH1   1001   GLCB     C4      1      0.332     13.019   ; 
> qtot 0.232
>      2        CH1   1001   GLCB     C3      2      0.232     13.019   ; 
> qtot 0.464
>      3         OA   1001   GLCB     O3      2     -0.642    15.9994   ; 
> qtot -0.178
>      4          H   1001   GLCB    HO3      2       0.41      1.008   ; 
> qtot 0.232
>         .
>         .
>         .
>     56         OA   1004   GLCB     O1     20     -0.642    15.9994   ; 
> qtot -0.20
>     57          H   1004   GLCB    HO1     20      0.282      1.008   ; 
> qtot 0
> ;added later to 1000 GLCB
>     58         OA   1001   GLCB     O4      1     -0.542    15.9994   ;
>     59          H   1001   GLCB    HO4      1      0.442      1.008   ;
> 
> [ bonds ]
> ;  ai    aj funct            c0            c1            c2            c3
>     1     2     2    gb_26
>     1    11     2    gb_26
> .
> .
> .
>   55    56     2    gb_20
>    56    57     2    gb_1
>    58     1     2    gb_20
>    58    59     2    gb_1
> 
> [ angles ]
> ;  ai    aj    ak funct            c0            c1            
> c2            c3
>     2     1    11     2    ga_8
>     1     2     3     2    ga_9
>     1     2     5     2    ga_8
> .
> .
> .
>    55    56    57     2    ga_12
>    11     1    58     2    ga_9
>    58     1     2     2    ga_9
>     1    58    59     2    ga_12
> 
> [ dihedrals ]
> ;  ai    aj    ak    al funct            c0            c1            
> c2            c3            c4            c5
>    11     1     2     3     1    gd_17
>    11     1     2     5     1    gd_34
>     2     1    11     8     1    gd_34
> .
> .
> .
>    59    58     1     2     1    gd_30
>    58     1     2     3     1    gd_18
>    58     1     2     5     1    gd_17
>    58     1     11    8     1    gd_17
> 
> [ dihedrals ]
> ;  ai    aj    ak    al funct            c0            c1            
> c2            c3
> .
> .
> .
>    11     2    58     1     2    gi_2
> 
> 
> I prepare this parameters based on the other OH group in the sugars and 
> parameters of link oxygen (the shared oxygen at the position of 
> glycosidic bond that is expected to be O4 group of the next residue).
> 
>  
> 
> I did not use the PRODRG since i need 53a6 and I found for carbohydrate 
> there is too much different between the parameters in 53a6 and 43a1. 
> Somewhere it ahs been mentioned to change the terminal database file 
> (.tdb), however I think it may make the problem more complicated.
> 
> Your help is appreciated.
> -Somaye
> 
> / /
> 
> /.................................................................../
> 
> */Somayesadat Badieyan/*
> 
> */PhD Candidate and Research Assistant /*
> 
> */Biological Syatems Engineering/*
> 
> */201 Seitz Hall, Virginia Tech/*
> 
> */Blacksburg, VA 24060/*
> 
> /.................................................................../
> 

-- 
========================================

Justin A. Lemkul
Ph.D. Candidate
ICTAS Doctoral Scholar
MILES-IGERT Trainee
Department of Biochemistry
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
jalemkul[at]vt.edu | (540) 231-9080
http://www.bevanlab.biochem.vt.edu/Pages/Personal/justin

========================================



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