Is Water the Engine of Protein Folding?

Marco Campanile; Giuseppe Graziano

doi:10.20944/preprints202409.1268.v1

Preprint Article Version 1 This version is not peer-reviewed

Version 1 : Received: 16 September 2024 / Approved: 16 September 2024 / Online: 17 September 2024 (08:16:22 CEST)

No one can dismiss the fundamental role played by water in several important biochemical processes, including the folding of globular proteins. The so-called hydrophobic effect is the theoretical construction to rationalize how water molecules stabilize the folded state. However, over the years, analyses have been published that lead to the conclusion that water destabilizes the folded state. The aim of the present work is to state that the gain in translational entropy of water molecules (due to the decrease in water accessible surface area associated with folding) is the driving force of protein folding.

water; globular proteins; folding; hydrophobic effect

Biology and Life Sciences, Biophysics

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Is Water the Engine of Protein Folding?

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