Thermodynamics and Kinetics of a Go Proteinlike Heteropolymer Model with Two-State Folding Characteristics

Abstract

We present results of Monte Carlo computer simulations of a coarse-grained hydrophobic-polar Go-like heteropolymer model and discuss thermodynamic properties and kinetics of an exemplified heteropolymer, exhibiting two-state folding behavior. It turns out that general, characteristic folding features of realistic proteins with a single free-energy barrier can also be observed in this simplified model, where the folding transition is primarily driven by the hydrophobic force.