Effect of salt on the formation of salt-bridges in β-hairpin peptides.

Salt-bridges ubiquitously form between oppositely charged moietiesin proteins. Here we quantify changes in population of salt-bridged β-hairpin peptides due to added salt, and determine the thermodynamicdriving forces and cooperativity of salt-bridge formationunder these conditions. We find only a fraction of salt-bridged foldedconformations at physiologically relevant salt concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]