title: Modeling compact denatured states of proteins.
abstract: We propose a model for the conformations of compact denatured states of globular proteins: that they are broad ensembles of chain backbone conformations that involve common localized hydrophobic clustering and helical contacts, depending on the amino acid sequence. We construct representative ensembles for chain lengths up to 136 monomers on three-dimensional cubic lattices using the "hydrophobic zippers" method (Fiebig & Dill, 1993). We find that model conformations with radii of gyration about 20% larger than native conformations commonly have bimodal distributions of P(r), of the pairwise interatomic distances, r, and Kratky plots in agreement with recent small-angle X-ray scattering (Sosnick & Trewhella, 1992; Flanagan et al., 1992; Kataoka et al., 1993; Flanagan et al., 1993) experiments on three different proteins. We also find that the lattice model of the Shortle 1-136 fragment of staphylococcal nuclease does not appear capable of forming a single hydrophobic core by hydrophobic zippering, consistent with experiments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins Medical School, Baltimore, Maryland 21205-2185.
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Lattman
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Fiebig
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Dill
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002627:Chemistry, Physical; D003574:Cytochrome c Group / Q000737:chemistry; D008836:Micrococcal Nuclease / Q000737:chemistry; D008958:Models, Molecular; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011489:Protein Denaturation; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D012259:Ribonuclease, Pancreatic / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D003574:Cytochrome c Group; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011506:Proteins; C024934:crambin protein, Crambe abyssinica; D012259:Ribonuclease, Pancreatic; D008836:Micrococcal Nuclease