Stepwise unfolding of titin under force-clamp atomic force microscopy

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 Jan 16;98(2):468-72. doi: 10.1073/pnas.98.2.468. Epub 2001 Jan 9.

Abstract

Here we demonstrate the implementation of a single-molecule force clamp adapted for use with an atomic force microscope. We show that under force-clamp conditions, an engineered titin protein elongates in steps because of the unfolding of its modules and that the waiting times to unfold are exponentially distributed. Force-clamp measurements directly measure the force dependence of the unfolding probability and readily captures the different mechanical stability of the I27 and I28 modules of human cardiac titin. Force-clamp spectroscopy promises to be a direct way to probe the mechanical stability of elastic proteins such as those found in muscle, the extracellular matrix, and cell adhesion.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cattle
  • Connectin
  • Humans
  • Micromanipulation / instrumentation*
  • Microscopy, Atomic Force*
  • Muscle Proteins / ultrastructure*
  • Myocardium / chemistry
  • Protein Engineering
  • Protein Folding
  • Protein Kinases / ultrastructure*
  • Stress, Mechanical

Substances

  • Connectin
  • Muscle Proteins
  • TTN protein, human
  • Protein Kinases