简介:Theexactstructureofanarginine-carboxylatesaltbridgeindifferentchemicalenvironmentsremainsacontroversialproblem.Inthepresentwork,thezwitterionicandneutralformsofarginine-carboxylatesaltbridgewerestudiedbytheB3LYP/6-311G(d,p)//PM3method.Itturnsoutthattheneutralformsaremorestablethanthezwitterioniccoumterpartsingasphase.However,whnenboundbyα-cyclodextrin,thezwitterionicformsbecomemorestablethanthecorrespondingneutralones.Itissuggestedthatthehydrophobicenvironmentprovidedbythecyclodextrincavityleadstosuchbehavior.Therefore,thesaltbridgestillcouldbeinazwitterionicforminthehydrophobicinterioroftherealproteins.