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Updated: Jun 13, 2026
12:42
Microfluidic Mixers for Studying Protein Folding
Published on: April 10, 2012
Solvent viscosity and friction in protein folding dynamics
1Physics Department, University of Florida, P.O. Box 118440 Gainesville FL 32611-8440, USA. sjhagen@ufl.edu
Current Protein & Peptide Science
|April 30, 2010
Summary
Kramers rate theory, applied to protein folding, reveals internal friction
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Chemical Kinetics
- Protein Dynamics
Background:
- Kramers rate theory is widely used for diffusion-controlled reactions.
- Its application to protein folding is a recent area of interest.
- Experiments investigate if protein folding is diffusion-controlled and the role of solvent friction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review Kramers theory for reactions with strong friction.
- To summarize challenges in applying Kramers theory to protein folding.
- To discuss the role of friction in protein folding dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Review of Kramers rate theory.
- Analysis of experimental and simulation data on protein folding.
- Discussion of friction effects in protein folding dynamics.
Main Results:
- Protein folding experiments present practical difficulties and unexpected results.
- Results suggest a significant role for internal friction in protein folding.
- Friction-dependence of folding rates offers insights into folding dynamics.
Conclusions:
- Kramers theory is robust even with strong friction.
- Protein folding studies may lead to new methods for probing diffusional dynamics.
- Internal friction plays a key role in protein folding dynamics and energy landscapes.
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