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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Microfluidic Mixers for Studying Protein Folding
Published on: April 10, 2012
Protein folding: the stepwise assembly of foldon units
Haripada Maity1, Mita Maity, Mallela M G Krishna
1Johnson Research Foundation, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6059, USA. hamity@hx2.med.upenn.edu
Abstract:
Equilibrium and kinetic hydrogen exchange experiments show that cytochrome c is composed of five foldon units that continually unfold and refold even under native conditions. Folding proceeds by the stepwise assembly of the foldon units rather than one amino acid at a time. The folding pathway is determined by a sequential stabilization process; previously formed foldons guide and stabilize subsequent foldons to progressively build the native protein. Four other proteins have been found to show similar behavior. These results support stepwise protein folding pathways through discrete intermediates.
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