The discussion centers on the relationship between a protein's melt temperature (Tm) and its half-life, particularly in cases where degradation is not mediated by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. The inquiry suggests that while protein degradation is often a regulated biological process, there may be instances where thermal instability plays a significant role in the degradation of proteins lacking degradation tags. The participant seeks to establish a correlation between Tm and half-life for proteins with half-lives on the order of hours, aiming to refine a mathematical model. They express a need for references or insights that could clarify whether such a relationship exists or if their assumptions about thermal instability and degradation are flawed. The discussion highlights a gap in available literature regarding the theoretical or empirical connections between these two parameters.
