title: Unfolding forces of titin and fibronectin domains directly measured by AFM.
abstract: AFM-based Single Molecule Force Spectroscopy provides a new tool for probing the mechanical properties of single molecules. In this chapter we show that the unfolding forces of single protein domains can be directly measured. Unfolding forces give new insight into protein stability that cannot be deduced from thermodynamic measurements. A comparison between the unfolding forces measured in Ig domains of the muscle protein titin and those measured in fibronectin Type III domains reveals an extraordinarily high stability of titin domains.
authors.affiliation: Stanford University School of Medicine, CA, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rief
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gautel
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Gaub
mesh_terms: D064211:Connectin; D004355:Drug Stability; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000737:chemistry*; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000379:methods; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011489:Protein Denaturation; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000737:chemistry*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D064211:Connectin; D005353:Fibronectins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011494:Protein Kinases