The hunchback and its neighbours: proline as an environmental modulator.
The unique ability of Pro or Pro-rich repeats to affect the stability and function of proteins has recently been highlighted by biophysical studies on fragments from prions, signalling domains and muscle proteins. Pro-rich regions have been observed to either occupy disordered states or adopt various helical structures; some are also able to undergo an environmental-dependent transformation between these states. Such a transformation could explain some of the inherent functional properties of the parent proteins and, additionally, can be efficiently exploited to generate novel temperature- and pH-switches in more conventional globular proteins.
Reiersen
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Affitech AS, Oslo Research Park, Gaustadalléen 21, N-0349, Oslo, Norway.
Rees
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D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D004777:Environment; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology*; D011328:Prions / Q000737:chemistry; D055232:Proline-Rich Protein Domains; D011487:Protein Conformation
D010455:Peptides; D011328:Prions