Using Single-Molecule Chemo-Mechanical Unfolding to Simultaneously Probe Multiple Structural Parameters in Protein Folding

摘要

While single-molecule force spectroscopy has greatly advanced the study of protein folding, there are limitations to what can be learned from studying the effect of force alone. We developed a novel technique, chemo-mechanical unfolding, that combines multiple perturbantsforce and chemical denaturantto more fully characterize the folding process by simultaneously probing multiple structural parametersthe change in end-to-end distance, and solvent accessible surface area. Here, we describe the theoretical background, experimental design, and data analysis for chemo-mechanical unfolding experiments probing protein folding thermodynamics and kinetics. This technique has been applied to characterize parallel protein folding pathways, the protein denatured state, protein folding on the ribosome, and protein folding intermediates.