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Volume 5 Issue 11, November 2009

The structure of a protein is a key determinant of its function, but the relationship of a protein's structure to its dynamics, motions and conformational variations is also important. This issue presents a collection of articles that discuss our current understanding of protein dynamics and of the methods used to study the dynamics of proteins at the individual level as well as their interactions with the larger biological systems in which they function. Cover art by Erin Dewalt, based on an image of a plowed field reminiscent of a protein energy landscape (original image from www.fotosearch.com).

Volume 5 Issue 11

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Editorial

  • Understanding how proteins function in isolation and in their native context requires a merging of molecular-level techniques that explore the interplay of protein structure and dynamics.

    Editorial

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Commentary

  • In their native environments, proteins perform their biological roles in highly concentrated viscous solutions and in complex networks with numerous partners. Yet for many years, the normal practice has been to purify a protein of interest in order to characterize its structural and functional properties. In this Commentary, we discuss how protein scientists are now tackling the theoretical and methodological challenges of studying proteins in their physiological context.

    • Lila M Gierasch
    • Anne Gershenson
    Commentary

  • Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are subject to ubiquitin-independent degradation, a default and passive process. We describe here a model wherein a group of 'nanny' proteins function to protect newly synthesized IDPs from degradation by default, thereby insuring their maturation into important regulatory molecules.

    • Peter Tsvetkov
    • Nina Reuven
    • Yosef Shaul
    Commentary
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News & Views

  • Few antimicrobial drugs function by directly targeting RNA. A small molecule that binds the hepatitis C viral genome by 'locking' in a particular RNA conformation to inhibit viral protein production suggests a new paradigm for drug design.

    • Darren W Begley
    • Gabriele Varani
    News & Views

  • Membrane curvature sensing by amphipathic helices is an emergent property of the ensemble of molecules and membrane sites. New data suggest that individual molecules do not experience stronger binding to curved membranes.

    • Jay T Groves
    News & Views

  • Synthetic biologists aim to rationally design and construct useful biological circuits. However, perturbation of host cell physiology, through the very process of turning on an artificial circuit, can give rise to unexpected emergent behaviors, such as bistability.

    • Keith Shearwin
    News & Views
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Perspective

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Review Article

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Brief Communication

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Article

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In This Issue

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Focus

  • This special issue contains a collection of articles that discuss our current understanding of protein dynamics and the methods used to study the dynamics of individual proteins and their interactions with the larger biological systems where they function.

    Focus
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