Related papers: Multiple Folding Pathways of the SH3 domain
Understanding how monomeric proteins fold under in vitro conditions is crucial to describing their functions in the cellular context. Significant advances both in theory and experiments have resulted in a conceptual framework for describing…
We present a novel statistical mechanics formalism for the theoretical description of the process of protein folding$\leftrightarrow$unfolding transition in water environment. The formalism is based on the construction of the partition…
Extensive Monte Carlo folding simulations for four proteins of various structural classes are carried out, using a single atomistic potential. In all cases, collapse occurs at a very early stage, and proteins fold into their native-like…
We propose a protein model based on a hierarchy of constraints that force the protein to follow certain pathways when changing conformation. The model exhibits a first order phase transition, cooperativity and is exactly solvable. It also…
The folding of a peptide chain into a three dimensional structure is a thermodynamically driven process such that the chain naturally evolves to form domains of similar amino acids. The formation of this domain occurs by curling the one…
We study folding dynamics of protein-like sequences on square lattice using physical move set that exhausts all possible conformational changes. By analytically solving the master equation, we follow the time-dependent probabilities of…
We present a method to investigate the kinetics of protein folding on a long time-scale and the dynamics underlying the formation of secondary and tertiary structures during the entire reaction. The approach is based on the formal analogy…
Protein folding cooperativity is defined by the nature of the finite-size thermodynamic transition exhibited upon folding: two-state transitions show a free energy barrier between the folded and unfolded ensembles, while downhill folding is…
We refine a protein model that reproduces fundamental aspects of protein thermodynamics. The model exhibits two transitions, hot and cold unfolding. The number of relevant parameters is reduced to three: 1) binding energy of folding…
In this study we evaluate, at full atomic detail, the folding processes of two small helical proteins, the B domain of protein A and the Villin headpiece. Folding kinetics are studied by performing a large number of ab initio Monte Carlo…
A four states phase diagram for protein folding as a function of temperature and solvent quality is derived from an improved 2-d lattice model taking into account the temperature dependence of the hydrophobic effect. The phase diagram…
The folding kinetics of a number of sequences for off-lattice continuum model of proteins is studied using Langevin simulations at two values of the friction coefficient. We show that there is a remarkable correlation between folding times,…
In the cell, proteins fold and perform complex functions through global structural rearrangements. Function requires a protein to be at the brink of stability to be susceptible to small environmental fluctuations, yet stable enough to…
Understanding how proteins fold into their native structure is a fundamental problem in biophysics, crucial for protein design. It has been hypothesized that the formation of a molten globule intermediate precedes folding to the native…
One of the most puzzling and unsolved challenges in molecular biology is understanding how proteins fold. Despite having advanced predictive tools that can accurately estimate the native structures of proteins, we still lack a comprehensive…
We discuss recent theoretical developments in the study of simple lattice models of proteins. Such models are designed to understand general features of protein structures and mechanism of folding. Among the topics covered are (i) the use…
Two proteins, one belonging to the mainly alpha class and the other belonging to the alpha/beta class, are selected to test a kinetic mechanism for protein folding. Targeted molecular dynamics is applied to generate folding pathways for…
The dynamics of a folded protein is studied in water and glycerol at a series of temperatures below and above their respective dynamical transition. The system is modeled in two distinct states whereby the protein is decoupled from the bulk…
Simple two-state folding kinetics of many small single-domain proteins are characterized by chevron plots with linear folding and unfolding arms consistent with a two-state description of equilibrium thermodynamics. This phenomenon is…
We investigate proteins within heterogeneous cell membranes where non-equilibrium phenomena arises from spatial variations in concentration and temperature. We develop simulation methods building on non-equilibrium statistical mechanics to…