Correlation Between Water Molecules Identified in Atomic Models of Beta-Galactosidase Determined by Cryo-EM and X-Ray Crystallography

We start from the water placement in cryo-EM maps and in X-ray crystal structures of beta-galactosidase. We apply MD simulations to analyze the behavior of the placed water, and how they are bound to the protein residues. We analyze the solvent exposure of binding sites for water, and the water residence time at these locations. Through a statistical analysis, we conclude that water placed by cryo-EM has a similar behavior to conserved water across multiple crystal structures.