Theory of Phase Transitions in Polypeptides and Proteins

Buch | Hardcover
XIII, 121 Seiten
2011 | 2011
Springer Berlin (Verlag)
978-3-642-22591-8 (ISBN)
106,99 inkl. MwSt

There are nearly 100 000 different protein sequences encoded in the human genome, each with its own specific fold. Understanding how a newly formed polypeptide sequence finds its way to the correct fold is one of the greatest challenges in the modern structural biology. The aim of this thesis is to provide novel insights into protein folding by considering the problem from the point of view of statistical mechanics.
The thesis starts by investigating the fundamental degrees of freedom in polypeptides that are responsible for the conformational transitions. This knowledge is then applied in the statistical mechanics description of helix coil transitions in polypeptides. Finally, the theoretical formalism is generalized to the case of proteins in an aqueous environment. The major novelty of this work lies in combining (a) a formalism based on fundamental physical properties of the system and (b) the resulting possibility of describing the folding unfolding transitions quantitatively. The clear physical nature of the formalism opens the way to further applications in a large variety of systems and processes.

tIntroduction.- Theoretical Methods of Quantum Mechanics.- Degrees of Freedom in Polypeptides and Proteins.- Partition Function of a Polypeptide.- Phase Transitions in Polypeptides.- Folding of Proteins in Aqueous Environment.-

Erscheint lt. Verlag 2.9.2011
Reihe/Serie Springer Theses
Zusatzinfo XIII, 121 p. 39 illus., 11 illus. in color.
Verlagsort Berlin
Sprache englisch
Maße 155 x 235 mm
Gewicht 348 g
Themenwelt Naturwissenschaften Physik / Astronomie Angewandte Physik
Schlagworte folding unfolding transitions • helix coil transitions in polypeptides • Hydrophobic/Hydrophilic Interactions • Phase Transitions in Finite Systems • Polypeptides/Macromolecular Degrees of Freedom • Prize winning thesis • Protein Folding • protein folding/unfolding transition • Protein Structure • Statistical Mechanics • statistical physics of protein folding
ISBN-10 3-642-22591-8 / 3642225918
ISBN-13 978-3-642-22591-8 / 9783642225918
Zustand Neuware
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