Thermal Stabilities of Globular Proteins

Statistical thermodynamic theory has recently been developed to account for the stabilities of globular proteins. Here we extend that work to predict the dependence on temperature. Folding is assumed to be driven by solvophobic interactions and opposed by the conformational entropy. The temperature dependence of the solvophobic interaction is taken from the transfer experiments on amino acids by Tanford and Nozaki and on model solutes by Gill and Wadsö. One long-standing puzzle has been why proteins denature upon heating, since the solvophobic force to fold strengthens with increasing temperature. This is resolved by the theory, which predicts two first-order phase transitions. “Cold denaturation” is driven principally by the weakening of the solvophobic interaction, but normal denaturation is driven principally by the gain of conformational entropy of the chain. Predictions of the thermodynamic state functions are in reasonable agreement with the calorimetric experiments of Privalov and Khechinashvili. Comparison of the theory with experiments suggests that there may be an additional enthalpic driving force toward folding which is not due to the solvophobic interaction.