Abstract
Negatively charged globular proteins in solution undergo a condensation upon adding trivalent counterions between two critical concentrations and , . This reentrant condensation behavior above is caused by short-ranged electrostatic interactions between multivalent cations and acidic residues, mechanistically different from the case of DNA. Small-angle x-ray scattering indicates a short-ranged attraction between counterion-bound proteins near and . Monte Carlo simulations (under these strong electrostatic coupling conditions) support an effective inversion of charge on surface side chains through binding of the multivalent counterions.
- Received 6 February 2008
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.101.148101
©2008 American Physical Society