Figure 2: The co- and post-translational protein folding reaction scheme that equation (2) solves. | Nature Communications

Figure 2: The co- and post-translational protein folding reaction scheme that equation (2) solves.

From: Accurate prediction of cellular co-translational folding indicates proteins can switch from post- to co-translational folding

Figure 2

Initiation of translation of a transcript occurs at a rate kint. At each codon position i the probability that the nascent chain segment of interest folds depends on the rates of folding, unfolding and codon translation. At short nascent chain lengths a domain within the nascent chain is not sterically permitted to fold due to the confining environment of the ribosome exit tunnel, and therefore at these lengths the rates of folding and unfolding are defined to be zero. When the domain has emerged from the exit tunnel it can fold and unfold with rates kF,i and kU,i. Once the nascent chain has been released from the ribsome it will fold and unfold post-translationally with the bulk folding and unfolding rates kF and kU. Note well that this picture does not convey that equation (2) accounts for the time-dependent fraction of radiolabelled nascent chains at codon i.

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