FIGURE 6.
Energy landscape and mechanical properties of SteT changing upon substrate binding. In the absence of substrate (SteTfree) the inner energy barrier of SteT shows a narrow energy well exhibiting a low kinetic stability that determines a rigid and brittle structure. The second outer energy barrier of SteTfree is not shown. In presence of substrate (SteTbound) the two energy barriers stabilizing every structural segment of SteT fuse into one single energy barrier that provides SteT with very different mechanical and kinetic characteristics. The energy barrier of SteTbound is broad and shows an increased kinetic stability that shapes resilient and flexible structural segments of SteT.