Structure refinement with molecular dynamics and a Boltzmann-weighted ensemble.

Time-averaging restraints in molecular dynamics simulations were introduced to account for the averaging implicit in spectroscopic data. Space- or molecule-averaging restraints have been used to overcome the fact that not all molecular conformations can be visited during the finite time of a simulation of a single molecule. In this work we address the issue of using the correct Boltzmann weighting for each member of an ensemble, both in time and in space. It is shown that the molecular- or space-averaging method is simple in theory, but requires a priori knowledge of the behaviour of a system. This is illustrated using a five-atom model system and the small cycle peptide analogue somatostatin. When different molecular conformers that are separated by energy barriers insurmountable on the time scale of a simulation contribute significantly to a measured NOE intensity, the use of space- or molecule-averaged distance restraints yields a more appropriate description of the measured data than conventional single-molecule refinement with or without application of time averaging.