Figure 2.

Protein folding and aggregation in E. coli. Many proteins fail to o fold to the native conformation during protein n synthesis, therefore various transitional fold ding intermediates are present in the cell together with properly folded proteins. Cells s’ quality control machinery maintains kinetic c equilibrium between soluble and aggregated forms of the protein. Soluble fraction is s composed of single protein molecules as s well as soluble aggregates. Inside the soluble aggregates, properly folded proteins are also trapped. Soluble aggregates are further aggregated into insoluble aggregates called inclusion bodies. The process in reversible and it is s controlled by the cell quality control mechanism.