Protein heat capacity: inconsistencies in the current view of cold denaturation.
The present study shows on the basis of the thermodynamic stability criterion (partial differential S/partial differential T)p>0 that partitioning of the entropy of cold-unfolding of a protein into independent positive conformational and negative hydrational contributions is incorrect. Furthermore it provides a new microscopic interpretation of protein heat capacity that takes into account the significant fluctuations in energy and entropy which result from the small size of these macromolecules.
Hallerbach
B
B
Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster, Schlossplatz 4/7, 48143 Münster, Germany.
Hinz
H J
HJ