Thermodynamic framework of the interaction between protein and solvent drives protein folding

Abstract

In the last three decades, simulation studies have driven the development of the modern perspective on protein folding and have provided certain key insights on the relationship between protein topology and the folding mechanism which may emerge from folding free energy surface calculations (1). To date, however, it should be kept in mind that the complete information on folding mechanism has not emerged from free-energy surface projections. Therefore, the detailed aspects of protein folding is not easily accessible even from the folding landscape theory (2-6). In this respect, new perspectives on this fundamental biological phenom- enon are welcome.