Free Energy Change during the Formation of Crystalline Contact between Lysozyme Monomers under Different Physical and Chemical Conditions

Abstract

We use the MM/GBSA method to calculate the free energies of dimer formation by binding two monomers with different combinations of precipitant ions, both embedded in the structure of monomers and in the crystallization solution. It shows that the largest difference in free energy values corresponds to the most accurate dimer model, which considers all precipitant ions in their structure. In addition, it shows that in the absence of precipitant ions in the solution of lysozyme molecules, a monomer is a more energetically favorable state.