Abstract
We use a high resolution atomic force microscopy technique to mechanically unzip and rezip single coiled-coil proteins. This allows us to read off the complete stability profile of the protein turn by turn. We investigated three coiled coils with different length as well as a point mutation and find force fluctuations between 9 and 15 pN that can be directly related to the amino-acid sequences. An equilibrium model previously applied to DNA fully describes the mechanical unzipping process including free-energy contributions of the individual turns and seed formation energy.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 118102 |
| Journal | Physical Review Letters |
| Volume | 96 |
| Issue number | 11 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2006 |