We’ve been focusing on the chemical structure of proteins and the effect that these confirmations have on the overall function of the protein and it astounds to believe that proteins can spontaneously refold to their natural orientation. Obviously, this shows that there is a clear thermodynamically favorable conformation. So this got me wondering, what happens when proteins misfold?
There are neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’sand Alzheimer’s, that are cause by incorrect protein folding. In particular, Alzheimer’s is caused by the aggregation of amyloid beta proteins in the brain.
In turn, this got me wondering… Do proteins always have one stable conformation or can they have multiple “stable” conformations when at physiological conditions? If so, how does these proteins differ in function?
I would assume that there is a stable conformation in which proteins fold in which is why they know to go to that particular structure when the peptide has been translated. When proteins misfold, I think proteins can clump together because entropy would drive the hydrophobic aide chains on the proteins together and repo water, which would be most stable for the protein.