Direct evidence of the multidimensionality of the free-energy landscapes of proteins revealed by mechanical probes

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftForschungsartikelBeigetragenBegutachtung

Beitragende

  • Zu Thur Yew - , University of Leeds (Autor:in)
  • Michael Schlierf - , Professur für Molekulare Biophysik, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Autor:in)
  • Matthias Rief - , Technische Universität München (Autor:in)
  • Emanuele Paci - , University of Leeds (Autor:in)

Abstract

The study of mechanical unfolding, through the combined efforts of atomic force microscopy and simulation, is yielding fresh insights into the free-energy landscapes of proteins. Thus far, experiments have been mostly analyzed with one-dimensional models of the free-energy landscape. We show that as the two ends of a protein, filamin, are pulled apart at a speed tending to zero, the measured mechanical strength plateaus at similar to 30 pN instead of going toward zero, deviating from the Bell model. The deviation can only be explained by a switch between parallel pathways. Insightful analysis of mechanical unfolding kinetics needs to account for the multidimensionality of the free-energy landscapes of proteins, which are crucial for understanding the behavior of proteins under the small forces experienced in vivo.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Aufsatznummer031923
Seitenumfang4
FachzeitschriftPhysical Review E
Jahrgang81
Ausgabenummer3
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - März 2010
Peer-Review-StatusJa

Externe IDs

Scopus 77950415518
ORCID /0000-0002-6209-2364/work/142237638

Schlagworte

Schlagwörter

  • FORCE, ADHESION, CELLS