Protein Protein Interactions

Proteins are indispensable players in virtually all biological events. The functions of proteins are coordinated through intricate regulatory networks of transient protein-protein interactions (PPIs). To predict and/or study PPIs, a wide variety of techniques have been developed over the last several decades. Many in vitro and in vivo assays have been implemented to explore the mechanism of these ubiquitous interactions. However, despite significant advances in these experimental approaches, many limitations exist such as false-positives/false-negatives, difficulty in obtaining crystal structures of proteins, challenges in the detection of transient PPI, among others. To overcome these limitations, many computational approaches have been developed which are becoming increasingly widely used to facilitate the investigation of PPIs. This book has gathered an ensemble of experts in the field, in 22 chapters, which have been broadly categorized into Computational Approaches, Experimental Approaches, and Others.

This volume successfully and clearly examines how biophysical approaches can be used to study complex systems of reversibly interacting proteins. It deals with the methodology behind the research and shows how to synergistically incorporate several methodologies for use. Each chapter treats and introduces the reader to different biological systems, includes a brief summary of the physical principles, and mentions practical requirements.

Gabriel Waksman Institute of Structural Molecular Biology, Birkbeck and University College London, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, United Kingdom Address for correspondence: Professor Gabriel Waksman Institute of Structural Molecular Biology Birkbeck and University College London Malet Street London WC1E 7H United Kingdom Email: g. waksman@bbk. ac. uk and g. waksman@ucl. ac. uk Phone: (+44) (0) 207 631 6833 Fax: (+44) (0) 207 631 6833 URL: http://people. cryst. bbk. ac. uk/?ubcg54a Gabriel Waksman is Professor of Structural Molecular Biology at the Institute of Structural Molecular Biology at UCL/Birkbeck, of which he is also the director. Before joining the faculty of UCL and Birkbeck, he was the Roy and Diana Vagelos Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at the Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis (USA). The rapidly evolving ?eld of protein science has now come to realize the ubiquity and importance of protein–protein interactions. It had been known for some time that proteins may interact with each other to form functional complexes, but it was thought to be the property of only a handful of key proteins. However, with the advent of hi- throughput proteomics to monitor protein–protein interactions at an organism level, we can now safely state that protein–protein interactions are the norm and not the exception.

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) play an important role in vital biological processes such as metabolic and signaling pathways, cell cycle control, and DNA replication and transcription. This book discusses types, methods for detection and the analysis of PPIs. Chapter One describes two key nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods for the investigation of protein-protein interactions, chemical shift perturbation, and residual dipolar coupling, with practical tips on the preparation of samples, NMR measurement, and analysis. Chapter Two describes the basic principles and provides a practical description of the recent technological developments in solution NMR spectroscopy for examining protein-protein interactions. Chapter Three focuses on identifying PPIs via many learning methods based on protein sequence information. Chapter Four examines the thermodynamics of PPIs by isothermal titration calorimetry. Chapter Five describes the general microscopic features of amyloid fibril structures and then discusses the macroscopic properties of protein aggregate with conformations such as packing, hydration, and enthalpy using thermodynamic variables in combination with densitometry and isothermal titration calorimetry. Chapter Six reviews the special case of protein self-association as a modulator of protein function.

New genomic information has revealed the crucial role that protein-protein interactions (PPIs) play in regulating numerous cellular functions. Aberrant forms of these interactions are common in numerous diseases and thus PPIs have emerged as a vast class of critical drug targets. Despite the importance of PPIs in biology, it has been extremely challenging to convert targets into therapeutics and targeting PPIs had long been considered a very difficult task. However, over the past decade the field has advanced with increasing growth in the number of successful PPI regulators. Protein-Protein Interaction Regulators surveys the latest advances in the structural understanding of PPIs as well as recent developments in modulator discovery.

Protein-protein interactions (PPI) are at the heart of the majority of cellular processes, and are frequently dysregulated or usurped in disease. Given this central role, the inhibition of PPIs has been of significant interest as a means of treating a wide variety of diseases. However, there are inherent challenges in developing molecules capable of disrupting the relatively featureless and large interfacial areas involved. Despite this, there have been a number of successes in this field in recent years using both traditional drug discovery approaches and innovative, interdisciplinary strategies using novel chemical scaffolds. This book comprehensively covers the various aspects of PPI inhibition, encompassing small molecules, peptidomimetics, cyclic peptides, stapled peptides and macrocycles. Illustrated throughout with successful case studies, this book provides a holistic, cutting-edge view of the subject area and is ideal for chemical biologists and medicinal chemists interested in developing PPI inhibitors.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamental aspects of protein-protein interactions (PPI), including a detailed account of the energetics and thermodynamics involved in these interactions. It also discusses a number of computational and experimental approaches for the prediction of PPI interactions and reviews their principles, advantages, drawbacks, and the recent developments. Further, it offers structural and mechanistic insights into the formation of protein-protein complexes and maps different PPIs into networks to delineate various pathways that operate at the cellular level. Lastly, it describes computational protein-protein docking techniques and discusses their implications for further experimental research. Given its scope, this book is a valuable resource for students, researchers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and medical/healthcare professionals.

Reflecting the various advances in the field, this book provides comprehensive coverage of protein-protein interactions. It presents a collection of the technical and theoretical issues involved in the study of protein associations, including biophysical approaches. It also offers a collection of computational methods for analyzing interactions.