The Marginal Stability of Proteins: How Jiggling and Wiggling of Atoms are Connected to Neutral Evolution

Abstract

Here we propose that the upper bound marginal stability of proteins (7.4 kcal/mol) is a universal property that includes macro-molecular complexes and is not affected by molecular changes such as mutations and Post-Translational Modifications. Its existence is, essentially, a consequence of the Anfinsen thermodynamic hypothesis rather than a result of an evolutive process. This result enables us to conjecture that neutral evolution should also be, with respect to protein stability, a universal phenomenon.