THEORETICAL-STUDIES OF PROTEIN FOLDING

The folding-unfolding transition in small globular proteins can be described in general as a two-state equilibrium process, the transition being similar to a first-order phase transition. Many models of the folding process or the folding-unfolding transition have been proposed and studied in recent years. This review analyses the physical bases of these various models. Analyses from the statistical physical point of view are emphasized. Methods of prediction are discussed only when they have implications regarding the mechanism of the folding-unfolding transition.