Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Microfluidic Mixers for Studying Protein Folding
Published on: April 10, 2012
Accelerated folding in the weak hydrophobic environment of a chaperonin cavity: creation of an alternate fast folding
A I Jewett1, A Baumketner, J-E Shea
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA.
Abstract:
Recent experiments suggest that the folding of certain proteins can take place entirely within a chaperonin-like cavity. These substrate proteins experience folding rate enhancements without undergoing multiple rounds of ATP-induced binding and release from the chaperonin. Rather, they undergo only a single binding event, followed by sequestration into the chaperonin cage. The present work uses molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the folding of a highly frustrated protein within this chaperonin cavity. The chaperonin interior is modeled by a sphere with a lining of tunable degree of hydrophobicity. We demonstrate that a moderately hydrophobic environment, similar to the interior of the GroEL cavity upon complexion with ATP and GroES, is sufficient to accelerate the folding of a frustrated protein by more than an order of magnitude. Our simulations support a mechanism by which the moderately hydrophobic chaperonin environment provides an alternate pathway to the native state through a transiently bound intermediate state.
More Related Videos
10:24Defining Hsp33's Redox-regulated Chaperone Activity and Mapping Conformational Changes on Hsp33 Using Hydrogen-deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry
Published on: June 7, 2018
08:59Analysis of Protein Folding, Transport, and Degradation in Living Cells by Radioactive Pulse Chase
Published on: February 12, 2019
Related Concept Videos
Protein Folding
Protein Folding
Molecular Chaperones and Protein Folding
The...
Protein Folding
Protein Structure Is Critical to Its Biological Function
Proteins perform a wide range of biological functions such as catalyzing chemical reactions, providing...
Molecular Chaperones and Protein Folding
The...
Bacterial Protein Maturation