Small energy barriers separate unfolded and folded states of small fast-folding proteins

Summary

Small energy barriers (<4.5 $k_{B}T$) separate the folded and unfolded states of fast-folding proteins (1). In some proteins, the energy barriers are so low that it is difficult to say when protein folding ends and local relaxation begins.

1.

Lindorff-Larsen K, Piana S, Dror RO, Shaw DE. How Fast-Folding Proteins Fold. Science. 2011;334(6055):517–20. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1208351