Baldwin R L
Biochemistry Department, Beckman Center, Stanford University Medical Center, CA 94305-5307, USA.
Fold Des. 1996;1(1):R1-8. doi: 10.1016/S1359-0278(96)00003-X.
Rapidly formed molten globule intermediates accumulate at the start of the folding reactions of several small proteins. Opinion is sharply divided as to whether they are on-pathway or off-pathway intermediates. I discuss recent experiments aimed at resolving this issue. Specific points include whether a 'rollover' in the plot of folding rate versus denaturant concentration implies that a folding intermediate is or is not on-pathway; whether the failure to observe folding intermediates for some small proteins implies a different folding mechanism or only that the intermediates are less stable; possible interpretation of 'fast-track' folding of hen lysozyme; and the significance of recent results in the search for unfolding intermediates.
在几种小蛋白质的折叠反应开始时，快速形成的熔球态中间体开始积累。关于它们是折叠途径上的中间体还是非折叠途径上的中间体，观点存在明显分歧。我讨论了旨在解决这一问题的近期实验。具体要点包括：折叠速率与变性剂浓度关系图中的“翻转”是否意味着折叠中间体处于折叠途径上或不处于折叠途径上；未能观察到某些小蛋白质的折叠中间体是意味着不同的折叠机制，还是仅仅意味着中间体不太稳定；对鸡溶菌酶“快速折叠”的可能解释；以及在寻找去折叠中间体方面近期结果的意义。
