If a protein oscillates between different minimum energy states,
then the picture we can have from it through X-Ray Crystalolography or NMR
is only a probabilistic well; It would be a quantum behavior. Now, there
could be infinite possibilities for folding, not only depending
on the environment wich surrounds the protein but also the ponctual
vibration of the system, at a given nanosecond...
Thus, the actual folding process could lead to various
configurations, and the presence of chemicals and/or the orientation of the
protein synthesis (From NH3 or from COOH) at the beginning determines
somehow the final oscillation system that constitutes a protein. It is a
network of possibilities, where the energy present determines the
broadness of configurations' spectrum (lot of E, lot of structures
vibrating).
In a biochemical environnement (pH 7, 37deg and so on...) , the
interractions are not mediated by heat, or other "physical" process.
There is a Lorenz process for the protein folding
behaviourism that in my view is influencing the overall configuration.
It could thus be shown that, by changing the translation of RNA ->
PROTEIN environment, the configuration of the protein would change,
using a new network of minimum energy states (a whole new oscillation
system).
I don't know if this makes sense at all. In fact, I'd like to be
sure it does not... before I get excited on scientifics' ignorance
concerning protein folding laws.
Guy Tremblay
