Molecular dynamics simulation of glycine zwitterion in aqueous solution

A classical molecular dynamics method was used to study the modifications of the solution structure and the properties of glycine zwitterion in aqueous solution due to the increase of glycine zwitterion concentration and the incorporation of Na(+) and Cl(-) ions to the solution. The glycine zwitterion had fundamentally a hydrophilic behavior at infinite dilution, establishing around six hydrogen bonds with the water molecules that surrounded it, which formed a strong hydration layer. Because of the increase of glycine zwitterion concentration, the hydration structure became more compact and the quantity of water molecules bound to this molecule decreased. The Na(+) ion bound to the CO(2) group of glycine, while the Cl(-) ion bound mainly to the NH(3) group of this molecule. The integration of the ions to the hydration layer of the glycine zwitterion produced modifications in the orientational correlation between atoms of glycine zwitterion and water that surrounded them and an increase of the approaches between the glycine zwitterion molecules. The incorporation of ions to the solution also produced changes in the water-water orientational correlation. Decreases of the water-water hydrogen bonds and diffusion coefficient of all molecules were observed when the glycine zwitterion concentration increased and when the ions were incorporated to the solution.     

Hydration number of glycine in aqueous solution: an experimental estimate

An experimental estimate of hydration number, N(H), of glycine in aqueous solution is given by using the calorimetric methodology developed by us earlier, which is briefly reviewed. We found NH to be 7+/-0.6 for glycine presumably in the zwitter ion form, 10+/-1 for sodium glycinate, and 5+/-0.4 for glycine hydrochloride. Both glycine and sodium glycinate seem to work purely as a hydration center without altering the nature of the bulk H2O away from the hydration shell. Glycine hydrochloride, in addition to the role of hydration center, seems also to act as a typical hydrophilic species such as polyols, urea, or polyethylene glycols. Hence, the effect of the latter on H2O is of a long range, like other hydrophilic species.     

Hydration numbers of glycine in an aqueous urea solution

An analysis of the literature data on the partial molar volume of glycine in an aqueous urea solution at 298 K is performed. The mentioned value linearly increases with the increase in the urea concentration (wt.%). The hydration number of glycine decreases by a factor of 2 when passing from water to the saturated (20m) urea solution.     

Hydration numbers of α-alanine in an aqueous urea solution

Literature data on the apparent molar volumes ϕ of alanine in water and aqueous urea solutions at 298 K are analyzed. It is shown that the slope of the ϕ dependence on the alanine concentration is not dependent on the urea concentration. The standard partial volume of alanine increases linearly with the increase in the urea concentration (wt.%). The structural characteristics of hydrated complexes of alanine (hydration number, molar volume of water inside and outside the hydration sphere, and proper volume of alanine in solution) are given. The hydration number of alanine decreases by a factor of two in passing from water to a saturated (20m) urea solution. The effects of urea additions on the hydration numbers of alanine and glycine are compared.     

Dehydration of glycine in mixed solvents

The analysis of changes in the partial volume of glycine $\Delta \bar V^0 $ in solutions of substances that have a different effect on water structure is presented. For glycine in mixtures of water with glycerol and ethylene glycol, we derive a single equation for the $\Delta \bar V^0 $ dependence on the volume fraction of alcohol. The addition of tert-butyl alcohol, ethylene glycol, glycerol, and urea to water leads to a decrease in the hydration number of the amino acid (glycine dehydrates). In 1m solutions the losses of hydration water are 3.2%, 4.5%, 5.7%, and 7.6% respectively. In a 4m solution of tert-butyl alcohol, glycine loses 44% of hydration water, the same as in a 15m urea solution and a 20m glycerol solution. A contribution of the structural dehydration of glycine is observed in dilute aqueous solutions of t-BuOH. In more concentrated solutions, intermolecular interactions in the binary mixed solvent counteract dehydration. These interactions compensate for 15-22% of water lost by glycine in a 20m solution of urea, glycerol, and ethylene glycol and a 4m solution of t-BuOH. The partial volumes are also discussed within preferential solvation concepts.     

Ab initio molecular dynamics study of glycine intramolecular proton transfer in water

We use ab initio molecular-dynamics simulations to quantify structural and thermodynamic properties of a model proton transfer reaction that converts a neutral glycine molecule, stable in the gas phase, to the zwitterion that predominates in aqueous solution. We compute the potential of mean force associated with the direct intramolecular proton transfer event in glycine. Structural analyses show that the average hydration number (N(w)) of glycine is not constant along the reaction coordinate, but rather progresses from N(w) = 5 in the neutral molecule to N(w) = 8 for the zwitterion. We report the free-energy difference between the neutral and charged glycine molecules, and the free-energy barrier to proton transfer. Finally, we identify the approximations inherent in our method and estimate the corresponding corrections to our reported thermodynamic predictions.     

甘氨酸在N,N-二甲基甲酰胺水溶液中的体积性质

用Anton Paar型55精密数字密度计测定了甘氨酸在N,N-二甲基甲酰胺(DMF)水溶液中的密度,计算了甘氨酸的表观摩尔体积、极限偏摩尔体积、迁移偏摩尔体积和理论水化数,讨论了DMF的结构对甘氨酸迁移偏摩尔体积和理论水化数的影响。结果表明,甘氨酸在DMF水溶液中的迁移偏摩尔体积为正值,并且随着溶液浓度增大而增大。在DMF水溶液中的理论水化数比在纯水中的小,并且随着DMF浓度的增大而减小。把上述计算结果与在N,N-二甲基乙酰胺(DMA)水溶液中的实验结果进行了比较。     

How does the solvent guide the hydration process?

The hydration numbers are investigated of the glycine amino acid in solutions of substances with different effects on the structure of water: urea, monomethylurea, and 1,3-dimethylurea. Glycine loses a half of its hydration water in a 20m urea solution and only a quarter of it in a 20m dimethylurea solution. The constancy of the hydration number of glycine in concentrated dimethylurea solutions is due to the compensatory effect of the interactions in the ternary and binary systems.     

甘氨酸在尿素、甲脲及二甲脲水溶液中的体积性质

用精密数字密度计测定了甘氨酸在不同质量分数的尿素、甲脲和二甲脲水溶液中的密度,计算了甘氨酸的极限偏摩尔体积、迁移偏摩尔体积、理论水化数和体积作用系数,讨论了溶剂组成变化对甘氨酸迁移偏摩尔体积和理论水化数的影响.结果表明,甘氨酸与尿素及烷脲分子间的相互作用主要以1:1的形式为主.尿素、甲脲、二甲脲分子与氨基酸荷电中心的直接相互作用,削弱了两性离子带电中心对周围水分子的电致收缩效应,造成了理论水化数随溶液浓度的增加而减小.     

Molecular dynamics simulation of aqueous solutions of glycine betaine

Molecular dynamics simulation is used to investigate hydration properties of glycine betaine in a large range of solute concentrations. Statistical analyses of the system trajectories evidence microscopic details suggesting an interpretation of experimental results recently obtained for aqueous solutions of trimethylamine-N-oxide, a bioprotectant closely related to glycine betaine.     

三种氨基酸在尿素水溶液中的体积性质

精密密度法详细测定甘氨酸、L-丙氨酸、L-丝氨酸在尿素水溶液中的表观摩尔体积,计算了三种氨基酸从水到尿素水溶液的迁移偏摩尔体积,结合前期的氨基酸从水到尿素水溶液的迁移焓,探讨尿素水溶液的结构特点及其对氨基酸与尿素在水溶液中相互作用的影响。结果表明,尿素分子在水溶液中自缔合,引起溶剂结构的变化并削弱其与氨基酸分子的结构相互作用,造成氨基酸从水到尿素水溶液的迁移偏摩尔体积和迁移焓随尿素浓度的增加而出现多个变化点,这一效应随着氨基酸疏水性的增强而增大,表明氨基酸的疏水性越强,其与尿素相互作用引起的去水化作用越明显。     

298.15 K下氨基酸在D-木糖水溶液中的体积性质

报道了甘氨酸、L-丙氨酸和L-丝氨酸3种典型氨基酸在D-木糖水溶液中的体积性质.     

pH dependence of the electronic structure of glycine

The carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen K-edge spectra were measured for aqueous solutions of glycine by total electron yield near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (TEY NEXAFS) spectroscopy. The bulk solution pH was systematically varied while maintaining a constant amino acid concentration. Spectra were assigned through comparisons with both previous studies and ab initio computed spectra of isolated glycine molecules and hydrated glycine clusters. Nitrogen K-edge solution spectra recorded at low and moderate pH are nearly identical to those of solid glycine, whereas basic solution spectra strongly resemble those of the gas phase. The carbon 1s --> pi*(C=O) transition exhibits a 0.2 eV red shift at high pH due to the deprotonation of the amine terminus. This deprotonation also effects a 1.4 eV red shift in the nitrogen K-edge at high pH. Two sharp preedge features at 401.3 and 402.5 eV are also observed at high pH. These resonances, previously observed in the vapor-phase ISEELS spectrum of glycine, have been reassigned as transitions to sigma* bound states. The observation of these peaks indicates that the amine moiety is in an acceptor-only hydrogen bond configuration at high pH. At low pH, the oxygen 1s --> pi*(C=O) transition exhibits a 0.25-eV red shift due to the protonation of the carboxylic acid terminus. These spectral differences indicate that the variations in electronic structure observed in the NEXAFS spectra are determined by the internal charge state and hydration environment of the molecule in solution.     

Enthalpies of transfer of amino acids from water to aqueous solutions of formamide

Enthalpies of solution of glycine, l-alanine, l-serine in water and aqueous solutions of formamide were measured at 298.15 K. Transfer enthalpies of amino acids from water to aqueous solutions of formamide were derived and interpreted qualitatively with hydration co-sphere overlap model. The results show that the structure interaction between formamide and zwitterionic head-group and hydrophilic side chain of amino acids make a negative contribution to transfer enthalpy, while that with the hydrophobic side chain is positive. In the solvent composition range studied, transfer enthalpies decrease overall with the increasing concentration of formamide, with the relative order of l-serine < glycine < l-alanine.     

甘氨酸在多元醇-水混合溶剂中的体积性质

利用精密数字密度计测定了甘氨酸分别在不同组成的乙二醇 水和丙三醇 水混合溶剂中的密度,计算了甘氨酸的表观摩尔体积、极限偏摩尔体积和理论水化数.根据结构水合作用模型讨论了迁移偏摩尔体积的变化规律,并与乙醇 水体系作了比较. 结果表明,甘氨酸分子在醇 水混合溶剂中增体积效应的大小与醇分子所含OH基数目的多少有关,但最直接也是最重要的影响因素是其水合壳层的结构形态. 乙醇 水体系中的增体积效应特别显著与该溶剂结构变化上的微观不均匀性和不连续性有关.     

Glycine and L-Lysine Ionization in a Mixed Aqueous Solution

In mixed aqueous solution of glycine and L-lysine the ionization of both amino acids increases due to the proton transfer from glycine zwitterion to lysine zwitterion. This is manifested by a considerable nonlinear (pairwise interaction of amino acids) increase in the mixed solution electroconductivity at high amino acid concentrations. The solution pH varies negligibly, as the amino acids in aqueous solutions demonstrate buffering. The refraction coefficient additively depends on glycine and L-lysine concentrations.     

Raman spectroscopic study on the structure of water in aqueous solution of alpha,omega-amino acids

The structure and hydrogen bonding of water in an aqueous solution of various alpha,omega-amino acids were analyzed using the contours of the OH stretching in the polarized Raman spectra. From the relative intensity of the collective band (C value) corresponding to a long-range coupling of the OH stretching in the aqueous amino acid solutions, the number of hydrogen bonds disrupted due to the presence of one amino acid molecule (N(corr) value) was evaluated. The N(corr) value for glycine was slightly positive, whereas with an increase in the number of methylene groups between ammonium and carboxylate groups, the N(corr) value gradually increased. These results suggest that the species with proximal anionic and cationic groups do not disturb the hydrogen-bonded network structure of water significantly, probably due to the counteraction of the electrostatic hydration effect attributable to the anionic and cationic groups.     

氨基酸从水到尿素水溶液中的迁移焓研究

用微量量热法测定甘氨酸、L-丙氨酸、L-丝氨酸在水和尿素水溶液中的溶解焓, 计算得到氨基酸从水到尿素水溶液的迁移焓, 并根据水合结构相互作用模型予以讨论. 结果表明, 氨基酸两性离子与尿素分子的静电作用以及两性离子头部与尿素分子的结构相互作用对氨基酸迁移焓有负贡献, 氨基酸侧链与尿素分子的结构相互作用依其亲水性或疏水性分别对迁移焓有负贡献或正贡献. 在实验浓度范围(0～13 mol/kg)内, 三种氨基酸的迁移焓总体上随尿素浓度的增加而下降, 其大小依次为L-丝氨酸＜甘氨酸＜L-丙氨酸, 氨基酸迁移焓的差异反映了溶质-溶剂结构相互作用的变化.     

Volumetric properties, structural effects, and hydration of amino acids in aqueous salt solutions

The dependence of the standard partial volumes of glycine, α-alanine, and serine on the ionic strength of aqueous sodium chloride and sulfate solutions is modeled by the extended Masson equation: {ie534-1}. The error of less than 0.2 cm³/mol is a result of using five values of the A and B parameters: the two values of A are determined by the type of salt and the three values of B by the type of amino acid. A new variation of the additive-group approach is proposed for {ie534-2}. The partial volumes of the CH₃ group (α-alanine) and the CH₂ group (serine) are found not to depend on the salt concentration. The partial volume of the CH₂ group of glycine grows with concentration. The structural characteristics of the hydrated complexes of the NH ₃ ⁺ and COO^? groups are calculated: the hydration numbers, the molar volumes of water inside and outside the hydration sphere, and the intrinsic volume of NH ₃ ⁺ in COO^? in solution. Given the same ionic strength, the aqueous sodium sulfate solution produces a somewhat stronger dehydration of the charged groups.