Unstructured intermediate states in single protein force experiments

dc.creatorJunier, Ivan
dc.creatorRitort, Felix
dc.date2008-10-07
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T10:08:10Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T10:08:10Z
dc.descriptionRecent single-molecule force measurements on single-domain proteins have highlighted a three-state folding mechanism where a stabilized intermediate state (I) is observed on the folding trajectory between the stretched state and the native state. Here we investigate on-lattice protein-like heteropolymer models that lead to a three-state mechanism and show that force experiments can be useful to determine the structure of I. We have mostly found that I is composed of a core stabilized by a high number of native contacts, plus an unstructured extended chain. The lifetime of I is shown to be sensitive to modifications of the protein that spoil the core. We then propose three types of modifications--point mutations, cuts, and circular permutations--aiming at: (1) confirming the presence of the core and (2) determining its location, within one amino acid accuracy, along the polypeptide chain. We also propose force jump protocols aiming to probe the on/off-pathway nature of I.
dc.description10 pages
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/0810.1250
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/0810.1250
dc.identifierProteins: Structure, Function, and Bioinformatics, 71 (3) : 1145-1155, 2008
dc.identifierdoi:10.1002/prot.21802
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/170899
dc.subjectBiological Physics
dc.titleUnstructured intermediate states in single protein force experiments
dc.typetext

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