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Nature 431, 520-522 (30 September 2004) | doi:10.1038/431520a; Published online 29 September 2004

Cell biology:  Sight at the end of the tunnel

Arthur Horwich1

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A chaperone molecule called trigger factor binds new polypeptide chains as they emerge from the protein-synthesis machinery. Crystal structures suggest that this molecule forms a hydrophobic 'cradle'.

Cells seem to leave nothing to chance, including the final step of information transfer — the folding of a newly made chain of amino acids into a three-dimensional, active, 'native' protein. Specialized proteins called molecular chaperones ensure that the process of folding, determined by the amino-acid sequence of a polypeptide chain, does not go awry1, 2.

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