Heterogeneity of packing: structural approach.

Analysis of the heterogeneity of packing in proteins showed that different groups of the protein preferentially contribute to low- or high-density regions. Statistical distribution reveals the two preferable values for packing density in the form of two peaks. One peak occurs in the range of densities 0.55-0.65, the other occurs in the range 0.75-0.8. The high-density peak is originated primarily by high packing inside the hydrogen bonded backbone and to some extent by side chains. Polar/charged and apolar side chains both contribute to the low-density peak. The average packing density values of individual atomic groups significantly vary for backbone atoms as well as for side chain atoms. The carbonyl oxygen atoms of protein backbone and the end groups of side chains show lower packing density than the rest of the protein. The side-chain atomic groups of a secondary structure element when packed against the neighboring secondary structure element form stronger contacts with the side chains of this element than with its backbone. Analysis of the low-density regions around each buried peptide group was done for the set of proteins with different types of packing, including alpha-alpha, alpha-beta, and beta-beta packing. It was shown that cavities are regularly situated in the groove of secondary structure element packed against neighboring elements for all types of packing. Low density in the regions surrounding the peptide groups and the end groups of side chains can be explained by their positioning next to a cavity formed upon the association of secondary structure elements. The model proposed can be applied to the analysis of protein internal motions, mechanisms of cellular signal transduction, diffusion through protein matrix, and other events.