From Chemical Homology to Topological Temperature: A Notion Relating the Structure and Function of Brain Polypeptides

摘要

The idea is developed that stability not energy governs information transport in intrinsically unstable brain molecules. Ligands restrain autonomous motions and induce phase transitions. Ligand-protein recognition involves resonance between similar hydrophobic amino acid loops which curl around at regions of hydrophobic minima. Certain polypeptide families are examined in this context and the actions of a group of equally potent corticotrophic releasing factors that differ by half in amino acid specificity seem to be explained by this approach.