Chemical Reactions on a Single Linear Chain Show Cooperativity.

ABSTRACT: Individual molecules dissolved in a dilute solution are usually considered not to correlate with each other as they undergo chemical reactions due to the mismatch of the diffusion and reaction time scales. Recent studies suggest otherwise, especially for reactions involving macromolecules. With selenopolypeptides as a model system, we used ensemble measurements and single-molecule direct imaging to investigate the correlation between physically constrained chemical reaction sites on a linear polymer chain and the coupling effects between conformation changes and reaction kinetics. We used graphene liquid cells to encapsulate and image the reaction of selenopolypeptides and observed helix-to-coil transitions as Se atoms are oxidized under liquid-phase electron microscopy. Three common pathw

SUBMITTER: Zhang Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11775687 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature