Assessment of local friction in protein folding dynamics using a helix cross-linker.

ABSTRACT: Internal friction arising from local steric hindrance and/or the excluded volume effect plays an important role in controlling not only the dynamics of protein folding but also conformational transitions occurring within the native state potential well. However, experimental assessment of such local friction is difficult because it does not manifest itself as an independent experimental observable. Herein, we demonstrate, using the miniprotein trp-cage as a testbed, that it is possible to selectively increase the local mass density in a protein and hence the magnitude of local friction, thus making its effect directly measurable via folding kinetic studies. Specifically, we show that when a helix cross-linker, m-xylene, is placed near the most congested region of the trp-cage it leads to a

SUBMITTER: Markiewicz BN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3904762 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature