Figure 4

Kinetic competition between folding, degradation and aggregation in the periplasm. The model represents the export (zero order rate constant, k_export), folding (first order rate constant, k_fold), degradation (first order rate constant, k_deg), and aggregation reactions (second order rate constant, k_agg). In the postulated scheme, the newly exported protein is assumed to have two alternative pathways, either it correctly folds to give the folded protein or it proceeds via a side reaction leading to a misfolded protein. Once again, a kinetic competition is thought to occur between degradation and aggregation.