An in silico computational technique for predicting
peptide sequences that can be cyclized by cyanobactin macrocyclases,
e.g., PatGmac, is reported. We demonstrate that the propensity
for PatGmac-mediated cyclization correlates strongly with
the free energy of the so-called pre-cyclization conformation (PCC),
which is a fold where the cyclizing sequence C and N termini are in close proximity. This conclusion is driven
by comparison of the predictions of boxed molecular dynamics (BXD)
with experimental data, which have achieved an accuracy of 84%. A
true blind test rather than training of the model is reported here
as the in silico tool was developed before any experimental
data was given, and no parameters of computations were adjusted to
fit the data. The success of the blind test provides fundamental understanding
of the molecular mechanism of cyclization by cyanobactin macrocyclases,
suggesting that formation of PCC is the rate-determining step. PCC
formation might also play a part in other processes of cyclic peptides
production and on the practical side the suggested tool might become
useful for finding cyclizable peptide sequences in general.
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