Eur. Phys. J. E 7, 393-396 (2002)
DOI: 10.1140/epje/i2001-10100-1

Solute effects on the helix-coil transition

O. Farago and P. Pincus

Materials Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA

farago@mrl.ucsb.edu
fyl@mrl.ucsb.edu

(Received 10 December 2001 and Received in final form 22 March 2002)

Abstract
We discuss the effects of the solvent composition on the helix-coil transition of a polypeptide chain. We use a simple model to demonstrate that improving the hydrogen-bonding ability of the solvent can make the transition less cooperative, without affecting the transition temperature. This effect is very different from other solvent effects which primarily influence the melting transition rather than the cooperativity.

PACS
87.15.-v - Biomolecules: structure and physical properties.
05.70.Fh - Phase transitions: general studies.
61.41.+e - Polymers, elastomers, and plastics.


© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag 2002