Understanding Protein Non-folding
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2010
Keywords
Intrinsically Disordered Protein, Disorder Prediction, Partially Folded Protein
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbapap.2010.01.017
Abstract
This review describes the family of intrinsically disordered proteins, members of which fail to form rigid 3-D structures under physiological conditions, either along their entire lengths or only in localized regions. Instead, these intriguing proteins/regions exist as dynamic ensembles within which atom positions and backbone Ramachandran angles exhibit extreme temporal fluctuations without specific equilibrium values. Many of these intrinsically disordered proteins are known to carry out important biological functions which, in fact, depend on the absence of a specific 3-D structure. The existence of such proteins does not fit the prevailing structure–function paradigm, which states that a unique 3-D structure is a prerequisite to function. Thus, the protein structure–function paradigm has to be expanded to include intrinsically disordered proteins and alternative relationships among protein sequence, structure, and function. This shift in the paradigm represents a major breakthrough for biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology, as it opens new levels of understanding with regard to the complex life of proteins. This review will try to answer the following questions: how were intrinsically disordered proteins discovered? Why don't these proteins fold? What is so special about intrinsic disorder? What are the functional advantages of disordered proteins/regions? What is the functional repertoire of these proteins? What are the relationships between intrinsically disordered proteins and human diseases?
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Proteins and Proteomics, v. 1804, issue 6, p. 1231-1264
Scholar Commons Citation
Uversky, Vladimir N. and Dunker, A. Keith, "Understanding Protein Non-folding" (2010). Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications. 549.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/mme_facpub/549
