Protein Structure And Folding

In Protein Structure, Stability, and Folding, Kenneth P. Murphy and a panel of internationally recognized investigators describe some of the newest experimental and theoretical methods for investigating these critical events and processes. Among the techniques discussed are the many methods for calculating many of protein stability and dynamics from knowledge of the structure, and for performing molecular dynamics simulations of protein unfolding. New experimental approaches presented include the use of co-solvents, novel applications of hydrogen exchange techniques, temperature-jump methods for looking at folding events, and new strategies for mutagenesis experiments. Unique in its powerful combination of theory and practice, Protein Structure, Stability, and Folding offers protein and biophysical chemists the means to gain a more comprehensive understanding of some of this complex area by detailing many of the major techniques in use today.

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.

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

Each title in the 'Primers in Biology' series is constructed on a modular principle that is intended to make them easy to teach from, to learn from, and to use for reference.

Written by outstanding scientists in physics and molecular biology, this book addresses the most recent advances in the analysis of the protein folding processes and protein structure determination. Emphasis is also placed on modelling and presentation of experimental results of structural membrane bound proteins. Many color plates help to illustrate structural aspects covered including: Defining folds of protein domains Structure determination from sequence Distance geometry Lattice theories Membrane proteins Protein-Ligand interaction Topological considerations Docking onto receptors All analysis is presented with proven theory and experimentation. Protein Folds: A Distance-Based Approach is an excellent text/reference for biotechnologists and biochemists as well as graduate students studying in the research sciences.

First methods book which includes many detailed descriptions Absolutely needed and thus timely for the scientific community Comprises 15% more content and includes the mentioned special features

Protein folding remains one of the most exclusive problems of modern biochemistry. Structure analysis has given access to the wealth of the molecular architecture of pro teins. As architecture needs static calculations, protein structure is always related to thermodynamic factors that govern folding and stability of a particular folded protein over the non-organized polypeptide chain. During the past decades a huge amount of thermodynamic data related to protein folding and stability has been accumulated. The data are certainly of importance in dechiffring the protein folding problem. At the same time, the data can guide the con struction of modified and newly synthesized proteins with properties optimized for particular application. The intention of this book is a generation of a data collection which makes the vast amount of present data accessible for multidisciplinary research where chemistry, phy sics, biology, and medicine are involved and also pharmaceutical and food research and technology. It took several years to compile all the data and the author wishes to thank everyone who provided data, ideas or even unpublished results. The author is, in particular, indebted to Prof. Wadso (Lund, Sweden) and IUPAC's Steering Committee on Bio physical Chemistry. Furthermore, support by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschafi (INK 16 AI-I) is acknowledged.