Is Heteropolymer Freezing Well Described by the Random Energy Model?

TL;DR

This paper examines whether the Random Energy Model accurately describes heteropolymer freezing, revealing that key assumptions of REM are violated in common models, with implications for understanding protein behavior.

Contribution

The study challenges the applicability of REM to heteropolymer freezing by showing violations of its core assumptions in typical models.

Findings

REM's assumption of energy independence is violated in common heteropolymer models.

Implications for protein folding and stability are discussed.

The validity of REM for describing heteropolymer freezing is questioned.

Abstract

It is widely held that the Random Energy Model (REM) describes the freezing transition of a variety of types of heteropolymers. We demonstrate that the hallmark property of REM, statistical independence of the energies of states over disorder, is violated in different ways for models commonly employed in heteropolymer freezing studies. The implications for proteins are also discussed.