Molecular dynamics and thermodynamics of protein-RNA interactions: Mutation of a conserved aromatic residue modifies stacking interactions and structural adaptation in the U1A-stem loop 2 RNA complex

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and free energy component analysis have been performed to evaluate the molecular origins of the 5.5 kcal/mol destabilization of the complex formed between the N-terminal RNP domain of U1A and stem loop 2 of U1 snRNA upon mutation of a conserved aromatic residue, Phe56, to Ala. MD simulations, including counterions and water, have been carried out on the wild type and Phe56Ala peptide-stem loop 2 RNA complexes, the free wild type and Phe56Ala peptides, and the free stem loop 2 RNA. The MD structure of the Phe56Ala-stem loop 2 complex is similar to that of the wild type complex except the stacking interaction between Phe56 and A6 of stem loop 2 is absent and loop 3 of the peptide is more dynamic. However, the MD simulations predict large changes in the structure and dynamics of helix C and increased dynamic range of loop 3 for the free Phe56Ala peptide compared to the wild type peptide. Since helix C and loop 3 are highly variable regions of RNP domains, this indicates that a significant contribution to the reduced affinity of the Phe56Ala peptide for RNA results from cooperation between highly conserved and highly variable regions of the RNP domain of U1A. Surprisingly, these structural effects, which are manifested as cooperative free energy changes, occur in the free peptide, rather than in the complex, and are revealed only by study of both the initial and final states of the complexation process. Free energy component analysis correctly accounts for the destabilization of the Phe5BAla-stem loop 2 complex, and indicates that similar to 80% of the destabilization is due to the loss of the stacking interaction and similar to 20% is due to differences in U1A adaptation.