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Stepwise unfolding of titin under force-clamp AFM

Publication Date: 
January, 2001
Journal: 
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
Additional Authors: 
Hansma, P.K.
Carrion-Vazquez, M.
Fernandez, J. M.
Abstract: 
Here we demonstrate the implementation of a single-molecule force clamp adapted for use with an atomic force microscope. We show that under force-clamp conditions, an engineered titin protein elongates in steps because of the unfolding of its modules and that the waiting times to unfold are exponentially distributed. Force-clamp measurements directly measure the force dependence of the unfolding probability and readily captures the different mechanical stability of the I27 and I28 modules of human cardiac titin. Force-clamp spectroscopy promises to be a direct way to probe the mechanical stability of elastic proteins such as those found in muscle, the extracellular matrix, and cell adhesion.
Publication File: 
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Oberhauser_PNAS_2001.pdf

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