Protein Folding In Silico

Protein folding is a process by which a protein structure assumes its functional shape of conformation, and has been the subject of research since the publication of the first software tool for protein structure prediction. Protein folding in silico approaches this issue by introducing an ab initio model that attempts to simulate as far as possible the folding process as it takes place in vivo, and attempts to construct a mechanistic model on the basis of the predictions made. The opening chapters discuss the early stage intermediate and late stage intermediate models, followed by a discussion of structural information that affects the interpretation of the folding process. The second half of the book covers a variety of topics including ligand binding site recognition, the "fuzzy oil drop" model and its use in simulation of the polypeptide chain, and misfolded proteins. The book ends with an overview of a number of other ab initio methods for protein structure predictions and some concluding remarks. Discusses a range of ab initio models for protein structure prediction Introduces a unique model based on experimental observations Describes various methods for the quantitative assessment of the presented models from the viewpoint of information theory

This book describes recent important advancements in protein folding dynamics and stability research, as well as explaining fundamentals and examining potential methodological approaches in protein science. In vitro, in silico, and in vivo method based research of how the stability and folding of proteins help regulate the cellular dynamics and impact cell function that are crucial in explaining various physiological and pathological processes. This book offers a comprehensive coverage on various techniques and related recent developments in the experimental and computational methods of protein folding, dynamics, and stability studies. The book is also structured in such a way as to summarize the latest developments in the fiddle and key concepts to ensure that readers can understand advanced concepts as well as the fundamental big picture. And most of all, fresh insights are provided into the convergence of protein science and technology. Protein Folding Dynamics and Stability is an ideal guide to the field that will be of value for all levels of researchers and advanced graduate students with training in biochemical laboratory research.

Protein Folding aims to collect the most important information in the field of protein folding and probes the main principles that govern formation of the three-dimensional structure of a protein from a nascent polypeptide chain, as well as how the functional properties appear. This text is organized into three sections and consists of 15 chapters. After an introductory chapter where the main problems of protein folding are considered at the cellular level in the context of protein biosynthesis, the discussion turns to the conformation of native globular proteins. Definitions and rules of nomenclature are given, including the structural organization of globular proteins deduced from X-ray crystallographic data. Folding mechanisms are tentatively deduced from the observation of invariants in the architecture of folded proteins. The next chapters focus on the energetics of protein conformation and structure, indicating the principles of thermodynamic stability of the native structure, along with theoretical computation studies of protein folding, structure prediction, and folding simulation. The reader is also introduced to various experimental approaches; the reversibility of the unfolding-folding process; equilibrium and kinetic studies; and detection and characterization of intermediates in protein folding. This text concludes with a chapter dealing with problems specific to oligomeric proteins. This book is intended for research scientists, specialists, biochemists, and students of biochemistry and biology.

Discusses the molecular mechanisms controlling protein folding in vivo and in vitro.

A solution to the protein folding problem has eluded researchers for more than 30 years. The stakes are high. Such a solution will make 40,000 more tertiary structures available for immediate study by translating the DNA sequence information in the sequence databases into three-dimensional protein structures. This translation will be indispensable for the analy sis of results from the Human Genome Project, de novo protein design, and many other areas of biotechnological research. Finally, an in-depth study of the rules of protein folding should provide vital clues to the protein fold ing process. The search for these rules is therefore an important objective for theoretical molecular biology. Both experimental and theoretical ap proaches have been used in the search for a solution, with many promising results but no general solution. In recent years, there has been an exponen tial increase in the power of computers. This has triggered an incredible outburst of theoretical approaches to solving the protein folding problem ranging from molecular dynamics-based studies of proteins in solution to the actual prediction of protein structures from first principles. This volume attempts to present a concise overview of these advances. Adrian Roitberg and Ron Elber describe the locally enhanced sam pling/simulated annealing conformational search algorithm (Chapter 1), which is potentially useful for the rapid conformational search of larger molecular systems.

Since the first attempts to model proteins on a computer began almost thirty years ago, our understanding of protein structure and dynamics has dramatically increased. Spectroscopic measurement techniques continue to improve in resolution and sensitivity, allowing a wealth of information to be obtained with regard to the kinetics of protein folding and unfolding, and complementing the detailed structural picture of the folded state. Concurrently, algorithms, software, and computational hardware have progressed to the point where both structural and kinetic problems may be studied with a fair degree of realism. Despite these advances, many major challenges remain in understanding protein folding at both the conceptual and practical levels. Computational Methods for Protein Folding seeks to illuminate recent advances in computational modeling of protein folding in a way that will be useful to physicists, chemists, and chemical physicists. Covering a broad spectrum of computational methods and practices culled from a variety of research fields, the editors present a full range of models that, together, provide a thorough and current description of all aspects of protein folding. A valuable resource for both students and professionals in the field, the book will be of value both as a cutting-edge overview of existing information and as a catalyst for inspiring new studies. Computational Methods for Protein Folding is the 120th volume in the acclaimed series Advances in Chemical Physics, a compilation of scholarly works dedicated to the dissemination of contemporary advances in chemical physics, edited by Nobel Prize-winner Ilya Prigogine.

The book will discuss classes of proteins and their folding, as well as the involvement of bioinformatics in solving the protein folding problem. In vivo and in vitro folding mechanisms are examined, as well as the failures of in vitro folding, a mechanism helpful in understanding disease caused by misfolding. The role of energy landscapes is also discussed and the computational approaches to these landscapes.