Observation of a power-law memory kernel for fluctuations within a single protein molecule

Phys Rev Lett. 2005 May 20;94(19):198302. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.94.198302. Epub 2005 May 18.

Abstract

The fluctuation of the distance between a fluorescein-tyrosine pair within a single protein complex was directly monitored in real time by photoinduced electron transfer and found to be a stationary, time-reversible, and non-Markovian Gaussian process. Within the generalized Langevin equation formalism, we experimentally determine the memory kernel K(t), which is proportional to the autocorrelation function of the random fluctuating force. K(t) is a power-law decay, t(-0.51 +/- 0.07) in a broad range of time scales (10(-3)-10 s). Such a long-time memory effect could have implications for protein functions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / chemistry
  • Biotin / chemistry
  • Fluorescein / chemistry
  • Models, Biological
  • Models, Chemical*
  • Protein Conformation
  • Proteins / chemistry*
  • Streptavidin / chemistry
  • Thermodynamics
  • Tyrosine / chemistry*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Proteins
  • Tyrosine
  • Biotin
  • Streptavidin
  • Fluorescein