[BiO BB] Native Conformation vs Minimum Energy

[Boris Steipe]

If that were the case, one would need to have a large enough energy  
barrier between the native state and the minimum energy state AND one  
would need to specify the folding pathway kinetically (the native  
state is reached faster than the minimum), rather than  
thermodynamically (the native state is the minimum and all folding  
trajectories ultimately find it).

No, we don't believe this is the way it works in general since this  
would require specifying and maintaining information in a sequence  
that is not actually useful. But exceptions are of course "possible",  
even though to my knowledge none have been rigorously demonstrated.  
(The example of a protein that folds as a pro-protein but is  
functional after cleaving the pro-sequence comes close though).

HTH

Boris




On 13-Jul-06, at 1:11 PM, Pooja Jain wrote:

> Dear All,
>
>
> Is it possible that the biological active native state of a protein  
> need not to
> be of lowest free energy ?
>
> -Pooja
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