Levinthal's question revisited, and answered

J Biomol Struct Dyn. 2012;30(1):113-24. doi: 10.1080/07391102.2012.674286.

Abstract

Attempts to answer the Levinthal question "How proteins fold to give such a unique structure" are discussed. In the first part of this article, we focus on a few reasons as to why the solution to the protein-folding problem (PFP) has been elusive for a very long time. One is a result of the misinterpretation of Anfinsen's Thermodynamic hypothesis which led to the conclusion that the native structure of a protein must be at a global minimum of the Gibbs energy. The second is the result of the adherence to the hydrophobic paradigm, and at the same time ignoring a whole repertoire of hydrophilic effects. It is argued that switching from a target-based to a caused-based approach, and adopting the hydrophilic paradigm leads straightforwardly to a simple answer to Levinthal's question, as well as to a solution of the PFP.

MeSH terms

  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Models, Theoretical
  • Protein Conformation*
  • Protein Folding*
  • Proteins / chemistry
  • Thermodynamics

Substances

  • Proteins