Fractal Form of Proteins

H. J. Stapleton; J. P. Allen; C. P. Flynn; D. G. Stinson; S. R. Kurtz

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.45.1456

Fractal Form of Proteins

H. J. Stapleton, J. P. Allen, C. P. Flynn, D. G. Stinson, and S. R. Kurtz

Phys. Rev. Lett. 45, 1456 – Published 27 October 1980

Abstract

Electron spin relaxation measurements on low-spin ${Fe}^{3 +}$ in several proteins show that they occupy a space of fractal dimensionality $d = 1.65 \pm 0.04$ , in conformity with the dimensionality $d = \frac{5}{3}$ of a self-avoiding random walk. Analysis of myoglobin x-ray data independently confirms this fractal dimension.