I want to mutate the residue Glutamate or Arginine in a protein so as to break the saltbridge between them . Can any body suggest a residue to replace lets say Glutamate inorder to break the salt bridge? So far I am considering Glutamine in place of Glutamate.

Gaurav Bhatti

Well you need to know the protein you are dealing with, the pH and temperature. The 3D structure of the protein is important because you need to be sure that you are substituting an amino acid that contributes to the salt bridge. You need to know the pH because protonation/deprotonation can eliminate formation of a salt bridge by a residue. Temperature is not as important, since most organisms have internal temperatures that range between 28-40 degrees. Finally, if this is an experiment, find a non-polar substitute that resembles the wildtype amino acid in structure. This is to eliminate any effects that might result from structure replacement.