Is there a universality of the helix-coil transition in protein models?

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-2000

Department

Department of Physics

Abstract

The similarity in the thermodynamic properties of two completely different theoretical models for the helix-coil transition is examined critically. The first model is an all-atomic representation for a polyalanine chain, while the second model is a minimal helix-forming model that contains no system specifics. Key characteristics of the helix-coil transition, in particular, the effective critical exponents of these two models agree with each other, within a finite-size scaling analysis.

Publication Title

European Physical Journal B

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