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Improving 2D and 3D Skin In Vitro Models Using Macromolecular Crowding
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Macromolecular Crowding Is More than Hard-Core Repulsions.

Shannon L Speer1, Claire J Stewart1, Liel Sapir2

  • 1Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA;

Annual Review of Biophysics
|March 3, 2022
PubMed
Summary

Cellular crowding significantly impacts protein stability and interactions, contrary to dilute buffer studies. Chemical interactions, not just entropy, drive these complex effects, influencing protein behavior in physiological conditions.

Keywords:
depletion forcesexcluded volumemacromolecular crowdingpreferential interactionsprotein complex stabilityprotein stability

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Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Biophysics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Proteins are typically studied in dilute solutions, not reflecting cellular environments.
  • Cellular interiors are highly crowded, influencing macromolecular behavior.
  • Understanding crowding effects is crucial for comprehending protein function in vivo.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review experimental evidence on how crowding affects protein thermodynamics.
  • To discuss theories explaining crowding's impact on protein stability and association.
  • To differentiate effects of synthetic versus biological crowders.

Main Methods:

  • Review of experimental data on protein stability and association under crowding.
  • Analysis of theoretical models explaining crowding effects.
  • Examination of temperature-dependent effects of various cosolutes.

Main Results:

  • Crowding can destabilize proteins and their complexes, contradicting purely entropic theories.
  • Enthalpic contributions to protein stability are observed, influenced by chemical interactions.
  • Biological crowders exhibit different effects compared to synthetic polymers.

Conclusions:

  • Crowding's influence on protein thermodynamics is complex, involving both entropy and enthalpy.
  • Chemical interactions between macromolecules, cosolutes, and water are key.
  • Future research should focus on these interactions under physiological conditions.