How proteins acquired their tricks: Physical basis of protein structure and function

Boguslaw Stec

Burnham Institute for Medical Research

Abstract:

In this presentation we provide the physical basis for protein structure and function. Proteins are disordered glassy systems. This glassy system is composed at room temperature of two components: liquid and solid glassy states in specific and characteristic proportions for every single protein. The talk provides theoretical underpinnings and experimental confirmation. There are serious consequences of such a view. Protein folding problem does not have a unique solution. There are natural limits to our ability to model the structure hence the function. There are fragments of proteins with amino acid sequences that only weakly define the structure. The same fragments are weakly conserved (rapidly evolving) but crucial for evolving new functions.