In order to perform a specific function, a protein needs to fold into the proper structure. Prediction the protein structure from its amino acid sequence has still been unsolved problem. The main focus of this thesis is to develop new approach on the protein structure modeling by means of differential geometry and integrable theory. The start point is to simplify a protein backbone as a piecewise linear polygonal chain, with vertices recognized as the central alpha carbons of the amino acids. Frenet frame and equations from differential geometry are used to describe the geometric shape of the protein linear chain. Within the framework of integrable theory, we also develop a general geometrical approach, to systematically derive Hamiltonian energy functions for piecewise linear polygonal chains. These theoretical studies is expected to provide a solid basis for the general description of curves in three space dimensions. An efficient algorithm of loop closure has been proposed.

Le but de cette thèse est d’étudier profondément le repliement des protéines, au moyendes concepts d’invariance de jauge et d’universalité. La structure de jauge émerge del’équation de Frenet qui est utilisée pour décrire la forme de la chaîne principale de laprotéine. Le principe d’invariance de jauge conduit à une fonctionnelle d’énergieeffective pour une protéine, développée dans le but d’extraire les propriétésuniverselles des protéines repliées durant la phase d’effondrement, et qui estcaractérisée par la loi d’échelle du rayon de giration au niveau tertiaire de la structureprotéique. Dans cette thèse, on étudie l’existence d’une large universalité au niveausecondaire de la structure protéique. La fonctionnelle d’énergie invariante de jaugealliée à l’équation de Frenet discrète conduit à une solution solitonique, identifiéecomme un motif hélice-boucle-hélice dans la protéine. / The purpose of this thesis is to investigate protein folding, by means of the general concepts of gauge invariance and universality. The gauge structure emerges in the Frenet equation which is utilized to describe the shape of protein backbone. The gauge invariance principle leads us an effective energy functional for a protein, which bas been found to catch the universal properties of folded proteins in their collapse phase,characterized by the scaling law of gyration radius on the tertiary level of proteinstructure. In this thesis, the existence of wide universality on the secondary level of protein structure is investigated. The synthesis of the gauge-invariant energy functional with the discrete Frenet equation leads to a soliton solution, which is identified as the helix-loop-helix motif in protein.