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Updated: May 16, 2026

Analyzing Protein Architectures and Protein-Ligand Complexes by Integrative Structural Mass Spectrometry
Published on: October 15, 2018
Cystine plug and other novel mechanisms of large mechanical stability in dimeric proteins
Mateusz Sikora1, Marek Cieplak
1Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotników 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland.
Abstract:
We identify three dimeric proteins whose mechanostability is anisotropic and should exceed 1 nN along some directions. They come with distinct mechanical clamps: either shear-based, or involving a cystine slipknot, or due to dragging of a cystine plug through a cystine ring. The latter two mechanisms are topological in nature; the cystine plug mechanism has not yet been discussed but it turns out to provide the largest resistance to stretching. Its possible applications in elastomers are discussed.
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