title: Intermediates: ubiquitous species on folding energy landscapes?
abstract: Although intermediates have long been recognised as fascinating species that form during the folding of large proteins, the role that intermediates play in the folding of small, single-domain proteins has been widely debated. Recent discoveries using new, sensitive methods of detection and studies combining simulation and experiment have now converged on a common vision for folding, involving intermediates as ubiquitous stepping stones en route to the native state. The results suggest that the folding energy landscapes of even the smallest proteins possess significant ruggedness in which intermediates stabilized by both native and non-native interactions are common features.
authors.affiliation: Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Brockwell
authors.forename: Sheena E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Radford
mesh_terms: D004734:Energy Metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008958:Models, Molecular; D017510:Protein Folding; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins