title: Competitive model on denaturant-mediated protein unfolding.
abstract: A denaturant-mediated protein unfolding model, which is different from already existing ones based on the assumption that denaturant competes for water molecules to interact and thus reduces water-protein interactions, which leads to unfolding phenomenon, has been developed with a detailed mathematical justification. Theoretical results suggested that the parameter (m(u)) obtained from the usual linear extrapolation model must be a linear function of the number of bound water molecules (n) on protein with a zero intercept. However, application of this theory to a set of proteins for which m(u) values for urea denaturation are already known showed that m(u) was a linear function of n but with a nonzero intercept. Finally this nonzero intercept was attributed to binding of denaturant to protein at n = 0. Detailed investigation of this factor showed that average equilibrium constant for binding of urea with aromatic side chains (generally nonpolar side chains) was k(b) approximately 0.65 +/- 0.45 mol(-1), which agreed well with earlier experimental estimations, and also suggested that an integrated approach was necessary to avoid discrepancy in deltaG(H(2)O) estimated from different models.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Colaba, Mumbai, 400005, India. muruga@tifr.res.in
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Murugan
mesh_terms: D001667:Binding, Competitive; D003198:Computer Simulation; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011489:Protein Denaturation; D017510:Protein Folding; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D012996:Solutions / Q000737:chemistry; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry*; D014508:Urea / Q000737:chemistry; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins; D012996:Solutions; D012997:Solvents; D014867:Water; D014508:Urea