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    Chem Soc Rev. 2008 Nov;37(11):2373-82. Epub 2008 Sep 15.

    Protein wrapping: a molecular marker for association, aggregation and drug design.

    Source

    Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA. arifer@rice.edu

    Abstract

    In this tutorial review we survey the concept of protein wrapping from a physico-chemical perspective. Wrapping is introduced as an indicator of the packing quality of protein structure. Thus, while a well-wrapped protein is sustainable in isolation, a poorly wrapped protein is reliant on binding partnerships to maintain its structural integrity. At a local level, wrapping is indicative of the extent of solvent exposure of the amide-carbonyl hydrogen bonds of the protein backbone. Poorly wrapped hydrogen bonds, the so-called dehydrons, are shown to represent structural vulnerabilities. These singularities are sticky, hence promoters of protein associations. We also focus on severely under-wrapped protein structures that belong to an order/disorder twilight. Such proteins are shown to be prone to aggregate. Finally, we survey the recent exploitation of dehydrons as targetable features to promote specificity in drug-based cancer therapy. Dehydrons prove to be valuable targets to reduce side effects and enhance drug safety.

    PMID:
    18949110
    [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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