Noncovalent bonds electrostatic interactions

The dissociation constant is commonly used in QSAR studies to describe the affinity between a ligand (such as a drug) and a protein, that is, how tightly a ligand binds to a particular protein. Ligand-protein affinities are influenced by noncovalent intermolecular interactions between the two molecules such as hydrogen-bonding, electrostatic interactions, hydrophobic, and Van der Waals forces. 

A supramolecular polymer is a structure in which monomers are organized through noncovalent interactions (e.g., hydrogen bonds, electrostatic interactions, and van der Waals interactions) [4], These less familiar types of polymers also exist in many forms. For example, molecular crystals are large collections of molecules arranged in a three-dimensional periodical lattice through noncovalent... 

Fig. 5. Protein folding. The unfolded polypeptide chain coUapses and assembles to form simple stmctural motifs such as -sheets and a-hehces by nucleation-condensation mechanisms involving the formation of hydrogen bonds and van der Waal s interactions. Small proteins (eg, chymotrypsin inhibitor 2) attain their final (tertiary) stmcture in this way. Larger proteins and multiple protein assembhes aggregate by recognition and docking of multiple domains (eg, -barrels, a-helix bundles), often displaying positive cooperativity. Many noncovalent interactions, including hydrogen bonding, van der Waal s and electrostatic interactions, and the hydrophobic effect are exploited to create the final, compact protein assembly. Further stmctural...

The following sections contain a review of many of the varied synthetic systems that have been developed to date utilising noncovalent interactions to form assembhes of molecules. These sections are loosely demarcated according to the most important type of noncovalent interactions utilized in conferring supramolecular order (ie, van der Waal s interactions, electrostatic interactions, and hydrogen bonds). For extensive reviews, see References 1,2,4—6,22,46,49,110—112. Finally, the development of self-assembling, self-replicating synthetic systems is noted. 

Several different kinds of noncovalent interactions are of vital importance in protein structure. Hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions, electrostatic bonds, and van der Waals forces are all noncovalent in nature, yet are extremely important influences on protein conformations. The stabilization free energies afforded by each of these interactions may be highly dependent on the local environment within the protein, but certain generalizations can still be made. 

In most cases the initial interactions between the enzyme and the substrate molecule (i.e., the initial binding event) are noncovalent, making use of hydrogen bonding, electrostatic, hydrophobic interactions, and van der Waals forces to effect binding. 

As we have just seen, the initial encounter complex between an enzyme and its substrate is characterized by a reversible equilibrium between the binary complex and the free forms of enzyme and substrate. Hence the binary complex is stabilized through a variety of noncovalent interactions between the substrate and enzyme molecules. Likewise the majority of pharmacologically relevant enzyme inhibitors, which we will encounter in subsequent chapters, bind to their enzyme targets through a combination of noncovalent interactions. Some of the more important of these noncovalent forces for interactions between proteins (e.g., enzymes) and ligands (e.g., substrates, cofactors, and reversible inhibitors) include electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic forces, and van der Waals forces (Copeland, 2000). 

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