Low-temperature specific heat of a globular protein: human serum albumin

The specific heat of a globular protein—human serum albumin with a water content of 6−10 wt. %—is measured in the temperature range 1.8−25 K. Below 4 K the specific heat is described by the sum of a cubic term and a linear term with respect to the temperature; the linear contribution to the specific heat is dominant below 1 K. This type of function C(T) corresponds to the glassy protein model proposed by Gol’danskii et al. A singularity of the specific heat is observed in the temperature interval 2.6−4.1 K. The presence of several specific-heat maxima can be attributed to structural changes taking place in the protein globule.

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