Molecular dynamic simulations reveal the structural determinants of Fatty Acid binding to oxy-myoglobin.

ABSTRACT: The mechanism(s) by which fatty acids are sequestered and transported in muscle have not been fully elucidated. A potential key player in this process is the protein myoglobin (Mb). Indeed, there is a catalogue of empirical evidence supporting direct interaction of globins with fatty acid metabolites; however, the binding pocket and regulation of the interaction remains to be established. In this study, we employed a computational strategy to elucidate the structural determinants of fatty acids (palmitic & oleic acid) binding to Mb. Sequence analysis and docking simulations with a horse (Equus caballus) structural Mb reference reveals a fatty acid-binding site in the hydrophobic cleft near the heme region in Mb. Both palmitic acid and oleic acid attain a "U" shaped structure similar to the

SUBMITTER: Chintapalli SV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4451517 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature