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Related Concept Videos

Solution Formation02:16

Solution Formation

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There is no one solvent that can dissolve every type of solute. Some substances that readily dissolve in a certain solvent might be insoluble in a different solvent. A simple way to predict which substances dissolve in which solvent is the phrase "like dissolves like". This means that polar substances, such as salt and sugar, dissolve in a polar substance like water. In contrast, non-polar substances are more soluble in non-polar solvents such as carbon tetrachloride.
This selective...
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Determining the pH of Salt Solutions04:08

Determining the pH of Salt Solutions

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The pH of a salt solution is determined by its component anions and cations. Salts that contain pH-neutral anions and the hydronium ion-producing cations form a solution with a pH less than 7. For example, in ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) solution, NO3− ions do not react with water whereas NH4+ ions produce the hydronium ions resulting in the acidic solution.  In contrast, salts that contain pH-neutral cations and the hydroxide ion-producing anions form a solution with a pH greater than 7. For...
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Energetics of Solution Formation02:35

Energetics of Solution Formation

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The formation of a solution is an example of a spontaneous process, which is a process that occurs under specified conditions without energy from some external source.
When the strengths of the intermolecular forces of attraction between solute and solvent species in a solution are no different than those present in the separated components, the solution is formed with no accompanying energy change. Formation of the solution requires the solute–solute and solvent–solvent...
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Diffusion01:12

Diffusion

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Diffusion is the passive movement of substances down their concentration gradients—requiring no expenditure of cellular energy. Substances, such as molecules or ions, diffuse from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration in the cytosol or across membranes. Eventually, the concentration will even out, with the substance moving randomly but causing no net change in concentration. Such a state is called dynamic equilibrium, which is essential for maintaining overall...
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Viscosity01:17

Viscosity

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When water is poured into a glass, it falls freely and quickly, whereas if honey or maple syrup is poured over a pancake, it flows slowly and sticks to the surface of the container. This difference in the flow of different kinds of liquids arises due to the fluid friction between the liquid layers and the liquid and the surrounding material. This property of fluids is called fluid viscosity. In this example, water has a lower viscosity than honey and maple syrup.
The SI unit of viscosity is...
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Protein Diffusion in the Membrane01:24

Protein Diffusion in the Membrane

5.5K
Proteins show rotational as well as lateral diffusion across the membrane. The lateral diffusion of proteins was confirmed through the cell fusion experiment where mouse and human cells were fused, resulting in hybrid cells. When the human and mouse cells fused, the specific membrane proteins on human and mouse cells were marked with the red and green-fluorescent markers, respectively. Initially, the red and green fluorescence was located on the respective hemisphere of the cell. As time...
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Study of Protein Dynamics via Neutron Spin Echo Spectroscopy
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Dynamic cluster formation determines viscosity and diffusion in dense protein solutions.

Sören von Bülow1, Marc Siggel1, Max Linke1

  • 1Department of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|May 1, 2019
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

In concentrated protein solutions, proteins form transient clusters, impacting their movement. A dynamic cluster model accurately explains viscosity and diffusion changes, aligning with experimental data.

Keywords:
MD simulationdiffusiondynamic clustersprotein crowdingviscosity

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Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Physical Chemistry
  • Computational Biology

Background:

  • Protein diffusion and solution viscosity are crucial in biological and industrial applications.
  • Understanding behavior at high concentrations is essential for protein formulation and function.
  • Existing colloid models often fail to predict protein dynamics in concentrated solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the mechanisms of translational and rotational diffusion for proteins in concentrated solutions.
  • To develop and validate a dynamic cluster model for protein behavior.
  • To investigate the applicability of Baxter's sticky-sphere model to protein solutions.

Main Methods:

  • All-atom molecular dynamics simulations in explicit solvent.
  • Simulations of up to 540 flexible proteins (3.6 million atoms).
  • Analysis using a dynamic cluster model and Baxter's sticky-sphere model.

Main Results:

  • Proteins form transient clusters in concentrated solutions (≥100 mg/mL).
  • A dynamic cluster model explains increased viscosity and decreased diffusivity, outperforming colloid models.
  • Stokes-Einstein relations hold, but effective hydrodynamic radius increases linearly with protein concentration.
  • Protein rotation slows more than translation due to increased cluster size.
  • Baxter's model accurately captures concentration-dependent cluster size, viscosity, and diffusion.

Conclusions:

  • A dynamic cluster model provides a near-quantitative explanation for protein diffusion and viscosity in concentrated solutions.
  • The model's broad applicability is supported by consistency across diverse globular proteins and experimental data.
  • Nonspecific protein-protein interactions in the K<0xE1><0xB5><0x80> ≈ 10-mM range drive cluster formation.