The Journal of Physical Chemistry B · 2022 · Cited 7 times

Riley J. Workman, Suresh Gorle, B. Montgomery Pettitt

This molecular-dynamics study looks at how cyclising a short peptide changes its tendency to undergo liquid–liquid phase separation — the droplet-forming behaviour central to how cells organise themselves. Simulating cyclic versus linear penta-glycine, the team found the linear form separates more readily, driven by abundant van der Waals contacts that outweigh a larger entropy cost. The work helps explain the solution chemistry behind protein phase separation.

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