Sketching protein aggregation with a physics-based toy model

We explore the applicability of a single-bead coarse-grained molecular model to describe the competition between protein folding and aggregation. We have designed very simple and regular sequences, based on our previous studies on peptide aggregation, that successfully fold into the three main prote...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Enciso, Marta, Rey Gayo, Antonio
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2013
País:España
Institución:Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
Repositorio:Docta Complutense
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/35371
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/35371
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:544
amino acid sequence
chemical phenomena
chemical structure
chemistry
molecular genetics
protein conformation
protein folding
article
Bioinformática
Bioquímica (Química)
Química física (Química)
Descripción
Sumario:We explore the applicability of a single-bead coarse-grained molecular model to describe the competition between protein folding and aggregation. We have designed very simple and regular sequences, based on our previous studies on peptide aggregation, that successfully fold into the three main protein structural families (all-α, all-β, and α + β). Thanks to equilibrium computer simulations, we evaluate how temperature and concentration promote aggregation. Aggregates have been obtained for all the amino acid sequences considered, showing that this process is common to all proteins, as previously stated. However, each structural family presents particular characteristics that can be related to its specific balance between hydrogen bond and hydrophobic interactions. The model is very simple and has limitations, yet it is able to reproduce both the cooperative folding of isolated polypeptide chains with regular sequences and the formation of different types of aggregates at high concentrations.