Biomolecular dynamics: order-disorder transitions and energy landscapes.

ABSTRACT: While the energy landscape theory of protein folding is now a widely accepted view for understanding how relatively weak molecular interactions lead to rapid and cooperative protein folding, such a framework must be extended to describe the large-scale functional motions observed in molecular machines. In this review, we discuss (1) the development of the energy landscape theory of biomolecular folding, (2) recent advances toward establishing a consistent understanding of folding and function and (3) emerging themes in the functional motions of enzymes, biomolecular motors and other biomolecular machines. Recent theoretical, computational and experimental lines of investigation have provided a very dynamic picture of biomolecular motion. In contrast to earlier ideas, where molecular machin

SUBMITTER: Whitford PC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3695400 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature