Statistical thermodynamics of protein solutions is often studied in terms of simple, microscopic models of particles interacting via pairwise potentials. Such modelling can reproduce the short range structure of protein solutions at equilibrium and predict thermodynamics instabilities of these systems. We introduce a square well model of effective protein-protein interaction that embeds the solvent's action. We modify an existing model [45] by considering a well depth having an explicit dependence on temperature, i.e. an explicit free energy character, thus encompassing the statistically relevant configurations of solvent molecules around proteins. We choose protein solutions exhibiting demixing upon temperature decrease (lysozyme, enthalpy driven) and upon temperature increase (haemoglobin, entropy driven). We obtain satisfactory fits of spinodal curves for both the two proteins without adding any mean field term, thus extending the validity of the original model. Our results underline the solvent role in modulating or stretching the interaction potential. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prediction of thermodynamic instabilities of protein solutions from simple protein-protein interactions

D'Agostino, Tommaso;
2013

Abstract

Statistical thermodynamics of protein solutions is often studied in terms of simple, microscopic models of particles interacting via pairwise potentials. Such modelling can reproduce the short range structure of protein solutions at equilibrium and predict thermodynamics instabilities of these systems. We introduce a square well model of effective protein-protein interaction that embeds the solvent's action. We modify an existing model [45] by considering a well depth having an explicit dependence on temperature, i.e. an explicit free energy character, thus encompassing the statistically relevant configurations of solvent molecules around proteins. We choose protein solutions exhibiting demixing upon temperature decrease (lysozyme, enthalpy driven) and upon temperature increase (haemoglobin, entropy driven). We obtain satisfactory fits of spinodal curves for both the two proteins without adding any mean field term, thus extending the validity of the original model. Our results underline the solvent role in modulating or stretching the interaction potential. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
2013
Entropy driven phase transition; Liquid-liquid demixing; Protein solution; Solvent mediated protein-protein interaction; Spinodal line; Square well potential; Physics and Astronomy (all); Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11384/73247
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