Controlling protein crystal growth rate by means of temperature

Abstract

We have proposed a model to analyze the growth kinetics of lysozyme crystals/aggregates under non-isothermal conditions. The model was formulated through an analysis of the entropy production of the growth process which was obtained by taking into account the explicit dependence of the free energy on the temperature. We found that the growth process is coupled with temperature variations, resulting in a novel Soret-type effect. We identified the surface entropy of the crystal/aggregate as a decisive ingredient controlling the behavior of the average growth rate as a function of temperature. The behavior of the Gibbs free energy as a function of temperature is also analyzed. The agreement between theory and experiments is very good in the range of temperatures considered.

Formation of Nanosize Structures of Adsorbate in Processes of Condensation of a Gas Phase with Due Regard for Temperature Effects

“…Слід зазначити, що в задачах аґреґації м'якої матерії і в галузі біомедицини невеликі зміни температури можуть мати важ-ливий вплив на динаміку утворення кристалів. Було показано, що середня швидкість росту кристалу білка залежить від локальних ФОРМУВАННЯ НАНОСТРУКТУР АДСОРБАТУ В ПРОЦЕСАХ КОНДЕНСАЦІЇ 209 змін температури [41].…”

On the origin of the phase–space diffusion limit in (dis)ordered protein aggregation

“…In Ref. [18] a temperature dependence of the nucleus' surface energy on the lysozyme aggregation has been discussed in a comprehensive way. The stochastic growing rule, Eq.…”

“…[29,14]. We opt for reconsidering the channeling effect in terms of some interplay between subtle temperature changes, given explicitly by dR/dT (temperature effect on aggregate size R [18], also substantiated at the molecular level by folding vs. unfolding solvation-affected conditions [52]), thus, the weak-plasma DHP electrostatic contribution [53]. Such description renders the aggregation nonisothermal [18,15], and an additional thermodynamic force due to dT /dR (called the radial thermal gradient, cf.…”

“…To our knowledge there is no work devoted to the protein crystal formation in which local temperature gradients are utilized, especially in the vein of the conception presented in Ref. [18], in which a control by temperature over lysozyme crystal growth rate has been discussed.…”

Non-isothermal Activation Kinetics

“…The kinetics of nucleation processes is affected by the presence of gradients imposed to the metastable phase [13,14] which results in changes of the nucleation rate. Thermal gradients may also affect the growth kinetics of lysozyme crystals/aggregates giving rise to a Soret-type effect [15].…”