Abstract
Crystallization of protein subunits into a two-dimensional lattice is a cooperative phenomenon, which means that large polymers are much more stable than small ones. The reason is that molecules in the interior of the lattice have the maximum number of intersub-unit bonds, whereas those on the edge have exposed bond sites. Since the ratio of perimeter to internal surface decreases as the array increases in size the large polymers have more bond energy per subunit.
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© 1980 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Erickson, H.P. (1980). Self-Assembly and Nucleation of a Two-Dimensional Array of Protein Subunits. In: Baumeister, W., Vogell, W. (eds) Electron Microscopy at Molecular Dimensions. Proceedings in Life Sciences. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-67688-8_36
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-67688-8_36
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
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