Proteins insights about function

Pollard, T.D., Almo, S., Quirk, S., Vinson, V., Lattman, E.E. (1994). Structure of actin binding proteins Insights about function at atomic resolution. Ann. Rev. Cell Biol. 10,207-249. 

Pollard TD, Almo S, Quirk S etal. (1994) Structure of actin binding proteins Insights about function at atomic resolution. In Annu. Rev. Cell Biol. 10 207-49 Popoff MR, Rubin EJ, Gill DM et al. (1988) Actin-specific ADP-ribosyltransferase produced by a Clostridium difficile strain. In Infect. Immun. 56 2299-306 Popoff MR, Boquet P (1988) Clostridium spiroforme toxin is a binary toxin which ADP-ribosylates cellular actin. In Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 152 1361—8 Reuner KH, Presek P, Boschek CB et al. (1987) Botulinum C2 toxin ADP-ribosylates actin and disorganizes the microfilament network in intact cells. In Eur. J. Cell Biol. 43 134-40... 

Historically the Shaker (Sh) K channel was the first K channel which was cloned and characterized [6-10]. Subsequently many more channel cDNAs and genes have been isolated and studied. Yet Sh channels remained in the forefront of channel research. The study of Sh channel mutants has provided the most thorough insight into structure-function relationships of K channels to date. I will first discuss in this chapter the primary sequences of voltage-gated channels. I will only use a few selected examples for discussion. As of this time, so many related K channel protein sequences have been published that it is not feasible to discuss all of them. Subsequently, I will describe in detail the present knowledge about functional K" " channel domains which are implicated in activation, inactivation and selectivity of the channel. 

In inherited forms of prion diseases, a mutation in the gene encoding PrP produces a change in one amino acid residue that is believed to make the conversion of PrPG to PrPSc more likely. A complete understanding of prion diseases awaits new information about how prion protein affects brain function. Structural information about PrP is beginning to provide insights into the molecular process that allows the prion proteins to interact so as to alter their conformation (Fig. 2). 

As just mentioned, knowing the 3D structure of a protein gives immediate and valuable insight into function. A dramatic illustration of this value is the increasingly common practice of determining 3D structures as a way to understand function for newly discovered proteins, where little or no other information is known about function. Whereas 10 years ago structure determination was done only when a protein s function was already well understood, today it has become increasingly routine. 

After device construction, structural and functional analysis are critical. One might argue that only the second issue matters, but structural data often give insights into why devices perform suboptimally, and provide important clues about how to improve device function. We routinely use protein analytics (matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization mass spectroscopy, amino acid composition analysis, gel electrophoresis, Western blotting, circular dichroism, vari-... 

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