The intrinsic dynamics of proteins and the prion disease

✍ Scribed by H. Bohr

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 768 KB
• Volume: 31
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0895-7177
• DOI: 10.1016/s0895-7177(00)00015-7

✦ Synopsis

The intrinsic dynamics of proteins is described by a string theory. Its coherent topological phenomena have implications for protein folding, stability, and functionality, and to other biomolecules such as DNA. Similar to the case of circular DNA, writhing, twist, and linking can be considered and their conservation utilised. This gives rise to a winding state that defines a long range order along the backbone of a protein and to long-range excitations, i.e., wringons. It is possible to view protein folding as a resonance phenomena. A self-consistent hypothesis which builds on the use of collective modes is presented and may explain the fateful effects of scrapie-type of the Mad Cow Disease.