Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 14, 2026

Thermodynamics of Membrane Protein Folding Measured by Fluorescence Spectroscopy
Published on: April 28, 2011
Toward correct protein folding potentials
1Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 U.S.A.
Abstract:
Empirical protein folding potentialfunctions should have a global minimum nearthe native conformationof globular proteins that fold stably, andthey should give the correct free energy offolding. We demonstrate that otherwise verysuccessful potentials fail to have even alocal minimumanywhere near the native conformation, anda seemingly well validated method ofestimatingthe thermodynamic stability of the nativestate is extremely sensitive to smallperturbations inatomic coordinates. These are bothindicative of fitting a great deal ofirrelevant detail. Here weshow how to devise a robust potentialfunction that succeeds very well at bothtasks, at least for alimited set of proteins, and this involvesdeveloping a novel representation of thedenatured state.Predicted free energies of unfolding for 25mutants of barnase are in close agreementwith theexperimental values, while for 17 mutantsthere are substantial discrepancies.
Related Concept Videos
Protein Folding
Protein Structure Is Critical to Its Biological Function
Proteins perform a wide range of biological functions such as catalyzing chemical reactions, providing...
Protein Folding
Protein Folding
Molecular Chaperones and Protein Folding
The...
Molecular Chaperones and Protein Folding
The...
Protein Folding Quality Check in the RER

