Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique
Présentation
The Laboratory of Theoretical Biochemistry (LBT) is one of five laboratories within Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique (IBPC) in Paris.
LBT belongs to the French national research agency CNRS through its Institute of Chemistry, and is associated with Paris Diderot University. The laboratory was created at IBPC in 1958 as Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique. Our field is theoretical and computational biochemistry, at the interface between biology, chemistry, physics, and computing.
Our strategic objectives are twofold: invent simulation algorithms to reproduce and predict physical properties of biomolecules either in vitro or in the cell, and understand the molecular or conformational factors responsible for the biological functions of living systems, and diseases. The equilibrium between these two aspects is the key point of the laboratory policy.
LBT is organized as a team of independent researchers with complementary interests and domains of expertise, both in method development and in biophysical, biochemical, and biomedical applications. Advances in each of these domains emerge from the association of different sets of researchers around individual projects.
Thèmes de recherche
Les axes de recherches du LBT se concentrent sur les développements méthodologiques et algorithmiques pour l’étude de la structure, la dynamique, la mécanique et les interactions des macromolécules biologiques.
Les objectifs sont donc d'utiliser les ordinateurs pour ouvrir des fenêtres vers le monde moléculaire, en aidant à comprendre les facteurs qui sous-tendent des faits expérimentaux, et en prédisant les propriétés et le comportement des molécules biologiques.
Equipes de recherche
Directeur : Marc Baaden
[hal-01451165] Fold and flexibility: what can proteins' mechanical properties tell us about their folding nucleus?
Date: 3 Sep 2024 - 21:26
Desc: The determination of a protein's folding nucleus, i.e. a set of native contacts playing an important role during its folding process, remains an elusive yet essential problem in biochemistry. In this work, we investigate the mechanical properties of 70 protein structures belonging to 14 protein families presenting various folds using coarse-grain Brownian dynamics simulations. The resulting rigidity profiles combined with multiple sequence alignments show that a limited set of rigid residues, which we call the consensus nucleus, occupy conserved positions along the protein sequence. These residues' side chains form a tight interaction network within the protein's core, thus making our consensus nuclei potential folding nuclei. A review of experimental and theoretical literature shows that most (above 80%) of these residues were indeed identified as folding nucleus member in earlier studies.
[hal-01498097] Theoretical study on a series of push-pull molecules grafted on methacrylate copolymers serving for nonlinear optics
Date: 29 Mar 2017 - 17:05
Desc: no abstract
[hal-01497998] MP2 and DFT studies of beta-D-neocarrabiose and beta-D-neocarrabiose monohydrate
Date: 29 Mar 2017 - 17:03
Desc: MP2 and density functional theory calculations have been carried out on beta-D-neocarrabiose and its mono hydrate in order to determine the conformational preferences of these molecules in the gas phase and in solvent. Relaxed iso-energetic maps were first obtained using B3LYP/6-31G(d). Then, the lower energy conformers were further fully optimized using B3LYP, B3PW91 and MP2 methods. Overall, it was demonstrated that a lower energy conformer corresponding to the couple of dihedral angles (Phi,Psi)= (69 degrees,-117 degrees) is detected either in the gas phase or in solvent provided that full optimizations are performed on the conformers corresponding to the minima detected from the iso-energetic maps. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
[hal-01498047] Theoretical study of the NLO responses of some natural and unnatural amino acids used as probe molecules
Date: 29 Mar 2017 - 17:04
Desc: no abstract
[hal-02104315] Hidden partners: Using cross-docking calculations to predict binding sites for proteins with multiple interactions
Date: 3 Sep 2024 - 21:26
Desc: Protein-protein interactions control a large range of biological processes and their identification is essential to understand the underlying biological mechanisms. To complement experimental approaches, in silico methods are available to investigate protein-protein interactions. Cross-docking methods, in particular, can be used to predict protein binding sites. However, proteins can interact with numerous partners and can present multiple binding sites on their surface, which may alter the binding site prediction quality. We evaluate the binding site predictions obtained using complete cross-docking simulations of 358 proteins with 2 different scoring schemes accounting for multiple binding sites. Despite overall good binding site prediction performances, 68 cases were still associated with very low prediction quality, presenting individual area under the specificity-sensitivity ROC curve (AUC) values below the random AUC threshold of 0.5, since cross-docking calculations can lead to the identification of alternate protein binding sites (that are different from the reference experimental sites). For the large majority of these proteins, we show that the predicted alternate binding sites correspond to interaction sites with hidden partners, that is, partners not included in the original cross-docking dataset. Among those new partners, we find proteins, but also nucleic acid molecules. Finally, for proteins with multiple binding sites on their surface, we investigated the structural determinants associated with the binding sites the most targeted by the docking partners.
Autres contacts
Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique (IBPC)
13, rue Pierre et Marie Curie
75252 PARIS CEDEX 05
