Molecular dynamics simulation as a promising approach for computational study of liquid crystal-based aptasensors

Abstract

As a potent computational methodology, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation provides advantageous knowledge about biological compounds from the molecular viewpoint. In particular, MD simulation gives exact information about aptamer strands, such as the short synthetic oligomers, their orientation, binding sites, folding-unfolding state, and conformational re-arrangement. Also, the effect of the different chemicals and biochemicals as the components of aptamer-based sensors (aptasensors) on the aptamer-target interaction can be investigated by MD simulation. Liquid crystals (LCs) as soft substances with characteristics of both solid anisotropy and liquid fluidity are new candidates for designing label-free aptasensors. To now, diverse aptasensors have been developed experimentally based on the optical anisotropy, fluidity, and long-range orientational order of LCs. Here, we represent a computational model of an LC-based aptasensor through a detailed MD simulation study. The different parameters are defined and studied to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the computational design of the LC-based aptasensor, including the density of LCs, their orientation angle, and lognormal distribution in the absence and presence of aptamer strands, both aptamer and target molecules with various concentrations, and interfering substance. As a case study, the tobramycin antibiotic is considered the target molecule for the computational model of the LC-based aptasensor.

Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Keywords:

• Aptamer
• liquid crystal
• biosensor
• MD simulation
• tobramycin
• density

Acknowledgment

We also thank Mr. Ali Akbar Bromideh (Faculty of Mathematical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran) for providing statistical support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Financial support for this study was provided by Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.