Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Mechanical resistance of proteins explained using simple molecular models.

Daniel K West1, David J Brockwell, Peter D Olmsted

  • 1School of Physics & Astronomy, School of Biochemistry & Microbiology, and Institute of Molecular Biophysics, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.

Biophysical Journal
|October 11, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Mechanical forces cause proteins to unfold via distinct pathways. Simulations predict protein mechanical resistance based on pulling direction and local topology, aligning with experimental findings.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Amide Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange in Isotopically Mixed Water.

ACS physical chemistry Au·2026
Same author

Elastic Turbulence in Highly Entangled Polymers and Wormlike Micelles.

Physical review letters·2026
Same author

In silico peptide self-assembly reveals the importance of N-terminal motifs and the inhibition mechanism of the mutation L38M in α-synuclein fibrillation.

Protein science : a publication of the Protein Society·2026
Same author

Weld Formation Between Polymer Films Prepared at Different Temperatures: Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Macromolecules·2026
Same author

Polymer Informatics Method for Fast and Accurate Prediction of the Glass Transition Temperature from Chemical Structure.

Macromolecules·2026
Same author

Intrinsic Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange Rates in H<sub>2</sub>O/D<sub>2</sub>O Mixtures.

The journal of physical chemistry. B·2026

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Computational Biology
  • Molecular Mechanics

Background:

  • Proteins exhibit diverse mechanical responses to external forces, differing from thermal or chemical denaturation.
  • Mechanical unfolding is influenced by energy landscape barriers and can occur through alternative pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanical resistance of six diverse proteins using simulations.
  • To compare the efficacy of detailed and coarse-grained models in predicting protein mechanical behavior.
  • To understand how pulling direction impacts protein stability and unfolding pathways.

Main Methods:

  • Molecular dynamics simulations were employed.
  • Two models were used: a detailed transferable model and a coarse-grained structure-based model.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Proteins were subjected to mechanical pulling in various directions.

    • Main Results:

    • Both detailed and coarse-grained models yielded similar results, qualitatively agreeing with experimental data.
    • Simulations successfully predicted the mechanical resistance of different proteins and single proteins pulled in various directions.
    • Protein mechanical stability is significantly influenced by the pulling direction relative to local topology.

    Conclusions:

    • Coarse-grained models offer a computationally efficient yet accurate approach for studying protein mechanics.
    • Simulation can predict protein mechanical resistance and unfolding pathways.
    • Understanding mechanical stability aids in explaining biological processes like mitochondrial import and protein degradation.