[The << folding problem >>: can one predict the structure of proteins?].
A protein's three-dimensional structure is encoded in its amino acid sequence. The << folding problem >> consists in predicting one based on the other. This classic problem of molecular biology has seen important steps forward in recent years. The raw power of today's computers, along with the mobilization of thousands of internauts, have allowed several small proteins to be literally folded up in a computer, through simulations. Moreover, international programs for structural genomics aim to determine the experimental structures of hundreds of proteins in several organisms, and to model the others by homology to known structures. This will lead to a nearly-complete map of the protein structure universe, shedding light on the past evolution and current functions of today's proteins, and suggesting new targets for therapeutic strategies.
Laboratoire de Biochimie, CNRS, UMR7654, Départment de Biologie, Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France. thomas.simonson@polytechnique.fr
Thomas
T
Simonson
D008958:Models, Molecular; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011489:Protein Denaturation; D017510:Protein Folding