Perspective abstract
Nature Chemical Biology 4, 458 - 465 (2008)
Published online: 18 July 2008 | doi:10.1038/nchembio.102
Cooperativity in macromolecular assembly
James R Williamson1
Abstract
The thermodynamic principle of cooperativity is used to drive the formation of specific macromolecular complexes during the assembly of a macromolecular machine. Understanding cooperativity provides insight into the mechanisms that govern assembly and disassembly of multicomponent complexes. Our understanding of assembly mechanisms is lagging considerably behind our understanding of the structure and function of these complexes. A significant challenge remains in tackling the thermodynamics and kinetics of the intermolecular interactions required for all cellular functions.
-
James R. Williamson is in the Departments of Molecular Biology and Chemistry, and the Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.
e-mail: jrwill@scripps.edu
MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS
These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.
