Toward a molecular understanding of the anisotropic response of proteins to external forces: insights from elastic network models.

ABSTRACT: With recent advances in single-molecule manipulation techniques, it is now possible to measure the mechanical resistance of proteins to external pulling forces applied at specific positions. Remarkably, such recent studies demonstrated that the pulling/stretching forces required to initiate unfolding vary considerably depending on the location of the application of the forces, unraveling residue/position-specific response of proteins to uniaxial tension. Here we show that coarse-grained elastic network models based on the topology of interresidue contacts in the native state can satisfactory explain the relative sizes of such stretching forces exerted on different residue pairs. Despite their simplicity, such models presumably capture a fundamental property that dominates the observed beha

SUBMITTER: Eyal E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2292382 | biostudies-literature | 2008 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature