Protein Folding — Gō Model Energy Funnel

The Gō model encodes only native contacts. It reveals the funnel-shaped energy landscape: Levinthal's paradox is resolved because evolution shaped the landscape, not chance.

Parameters

E = --
Q = --

Gō Model

H = Σ_bonds V_bond + Σ_native V_attr + Σ_non-native V_rep

Q = fraction of native contacts formed

Funnel: as Q→1, E decreases monotonically → no kinetic traps (by construction)

Physics

Levinthal's paradox: 10^300 conformations, yet folding in μs−ms. Resolution: funnel landscape — not a random search. Evolution optimized the energy landscape to guide folding.

Observable

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