Importance of inter-residue interactions in ligand-receptor binding

In the present study, the role of inter-residue interactions in ligand binding and the ligand-receptor interactions were examined. Computational chemistry methods of ligand docking and molecular dynamics simulations were used to study the binding of beta-funaltrexamine (beta-FNA) and N-methyl-beta-funaltrexamine (N-methyl-beta-FNA) to mu- and kappa-opioid receptors and to the mu-receptor with Lys303(6.58) Glu mutation. It was found that inter-residue interactions Lys233(5.39)-Glu303(6.58) in the mutant receptor and Lys227(5.39) Asp223(5.35) in the.-receptor are more likely to prevent covalent bond formation between beta-FNA and the receptor than the ligand-receptor interactions. This emphasizes the importance of inter-residue interactions in ligand binding as well as the effects of point-mutations. (C) 2016 Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Science