Electrostatic interactions in polyglutamic acid

✍ Scribed by J. H. Rai; W. G. Miller

• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 1973
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 640 KB
• Volume: 12
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0006-3525
• DOI: 10.1002/bip.1973.360120413

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Conformational energy estimates were made for completely charged polyglutamic acid with different assumptions concerning the placement of side chain charge. Viewed as a helix, the minimum energy structure is somewhat affected by the side‐chain charge placement. The average energy of the chain viewed as a random coil is equal to or less than the average energy of the chain viewed as a helix. Unlike the polyacrylate chain, nearest‐neighbor charge interaction is shown to increase the chain dimensions. Although the calculations are approximate there is little evidence to suggest that isolated polyglutamate molecules in the absence of added electrolyte should behave as rods or that there are significant amounts of locally ordered structures. Presently no experimental results exist under conditions appropriate to isolated molecular calculations.