Pattern formation and fluctuation-induced transitions in protein crystallization

Gregoire Nicolis; Vasileios Basios; Catherine Nicolis

doi:10.1063/1.1687339

Pattern formation and fluctuation-induced transitions in protein crystallization

J Chem Phys. 2004 Apr 22;120(16):7708-19. doi: 10.1063/1.1687339.

Authors

Gregoire Nicolis¹, Vasileios Basios, Catherine Nicolis

Affiliation

¹ Center for Nonlinear Phenomena and Complex Systems, Université Libre de Bruxelles, C.P. 231, Bvd. du Triomphe, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.

PMID: 15267682
DOI: 10.1063/1.1687339

Abstract

A kinetic model of protein crystallization accounting for the nucleation stage, the growth and competition of solid particles and the formation of macroscopic patterns is developed. Different versions are considered corresponding successively, to a continuous one-dimensional crystallization reactor, a coarse grained two-box model and a model describing the evolution of the space averaged values of fluid and solid material. The analysis brings out the high multiplicity of the patterns. It provides information on their stability as well as on the kinetics of transitions between different states under the influence of the fluctuations.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Binding Sites
Computer Simulation
Crystallization / methods*
Kinetics
Models, Chemical*
Models, Molecular*
Multiprotein Complexes / chemistry*
Phase Transition
Protein Binding
Protein Conformation
Proteins / chemistry*

Substances

Multiprotein Complexes
Proteins