Simulation and Analysis of Differential Scanning Calorimetry Output: Protein Unfolding Studies

Abstract

High sensitivity differential scanning calorimetry ( HSDSC ) is a powerful and increasingly used technique for the study of molecular energetics in relation to biopolymers (e.g. proteins and nucleic acids ) or biomacromolecular assemblies ( e.g. liposomes ). HSDSC is, for example, the only method which allows thermodynamic parameters to be obtained directly for protein unfolding.The thermodynamic basis for HSDSC signals obtained for the equilibrium unfolding of proteins as well as the formalism for generating simulations of HSDSC outputs for protein unfolding are discussed. This will allow students ( studying biophysical chemistry, biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology and allied subjects at undergraduate and postgraduate level ) to obtain an understanding of the type of data analysis required for HSDSC experiments on proteins.