Mixed ab initio quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics methods using frozen orbitals with applications to peptides and proteins

Methodology is discussed for mixed ab initio quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics modeling of systems where the quantum mechanics (QM) and molecular mechanics (MM) regions are within the same molecule. The ab initio QM calculations are at the restricted Hartree-Fock level using the pseudospectral method of the Jaguar program while the MM part is treated with the OPLS force fields implemented in the IMPACT program. The interface between the QM and MM regions, in particular, is elaborated upon, as it is dealt with by "breaking" bonds at the boundaries and using Boys-localized orbitals found from model molecules in place of the bonds. These orbitals are kept frozen during QM calculations. The mixed modeling presented here can be used for single point energy calculations and geometry optimizations. Results from tests of the method to find relative conformational energies and geometries of alanine tetrapeptides are presented along with comparisons to pure QM and pure MM calculations.