Critical phenomena in the temperature-pressure-crowding phase diagram of a protein.

ABSTRACT: 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 maintain structural integrity. These apparently conflicting behaviors are exhibited by systems near a critical point, where distinct phases merge-a concept beyond previous studies indicating proteins have a well-defined folded/unfolded phase boundary in the pressure-temperature plane. Here, by modeling the protein phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) on the temperature (T), pressure (P), and crowding volume-fraction (ϕ) phase diagram, we demonstrate a critical transition where phases merge, and PGK exhibits large structural fluctuations. Above the critical point, th

SUBMITTER: Gasic AG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7343146 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature