Expanding to fill the gap: a possible role for inert biopolymers in regulating the extent of the 'macromolecular crowding' effect

FEBS Letters
Damien Hall, Christopher M Dobson

Abstract

We discuss the potential for inert biopolymers existing in cells to play a role in regulating the macromolecular crowding effect via their ability to undergo shape changing structural transitions. We have explored this possibility by the use of theory and experiment. The theoretical component utilized Monte-Carlo based simulations to examine the folding of a hypothetical protein in a concentrated environment of hard spheres which are themselves capable of reversible expansion and contraction. The experimental component of the study involved examination of the effect of different sized crowding agents on the thermally induced denaturation of cytochrome c [in phosphate buffered saline solution containing 1.0M guanidinium hydrochloride at pH 7.0]. On the basis of our findings we suggest that in a crowded solution environment the presence of a non-reactive polymer capable of reversible expansion/contraction via folding and unfolding may alter the excluded volume component of the solution. This ability would confer on the non-reactive polymer a novel role in influencing other processes in solution affected by macromolecular crowding.

References

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Citations

Jul 17, 2010·Biochemistry. Biokhimii︠a︡·Yejing WangSen Li
Jun 25, 2008·Annual Review of Biophysics·Huan-Xiang ZhouAllen P Minton
Nov 21, 2007·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Loren StaggPernilla Wittung-Stafshede
Oct 26, 2010·FEMS Microbiology Reviews·Agnès VendevilleEric Fourmentin
Mar 26, 2010·Journal of the American Chemical Society·Duncan A WhiteChristopher M Dobson
Dec 14, 2017·Biophysics Reviews·Germán Rivas, Allen P Minton
Jan 1, 2018·Quarterly Reviews of Biophysics·Candan Ariöz, Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede
Dec 23, 2016·Biophysics Reviews·Ran ZhaoDamien Hall
Mar 20, 2019·Biophysics Reviews·Ryota WakayamaDamien Hall
Jul 17, 2020·International Journal of Molecular Sciences·Natalia A ChebotarevaBoris I Kurganov
Nov 5, 2008·Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids·Lisa M Dominak, Christine D Keating

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