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Denaturation of proteins usually occurs over a small temperature range, indicating that it is
a cooperative process (linked destabilization of interactions)
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This is shown at left by the change in several properties of the protein ribonuclease A with
temperature, including UV absorbance (blue), viscosity (red) and optical rotation (green)
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These changes are associated with an abrupt transition from the native structure of a protein to the
denatured state. The midpoint of this transition is the melting temperature, Tm
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The Tm of a protein also depends on the pH and ionic strength of a solution. Under physiological conditions
the Tm of most proteins is above 50 °C, but for thermophiles it can be much higher
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