SELF RECOGNITION IN GLOBULAR PROTEINS

描述：蛋白质的三维结构是一种复合体， 构思精美的分子表意文字，涉及 数以千计(通常是数万或数十万)的原子。每种蛋白质都有 只有一种天然构象，我们想知道它是什么，因为 蛋白质分子，功能随形式而动。也就是说，蛋白质的生物学特性 角色是其形态的结果。一种通用的分子语法 指定蛋白质构象。这一断言是基于一个很有说服力的 实验，安芬森实验。当实验确信 生物化学家认为，这样的语法必须存在，有一定程度的理解 仍然缺乏足够的能力来预测蛋白质的构象；这就是 蛋白质折叠问题。 蛋白质折叠问题已经成为重大的科学问题之一 本世纪的挑战。这个问题的解决方案对于 对自然产生的蛋白质及其故意的理解 工程设计的对应物。罗斯博士的主要目标是阐明 管理蛋白质折叠的立体化学代码，并用它来表达 实用的折叠算法。为此，他正在开发一种算法， 单单从蛋白质的氨基酸序列来预测蛋白质的折叠。 LINUS是局部独立核结构单元的首字母缩写。 该过程在离散的阶段中向上递增折叠层次结构， 每一步都伴随着结构的增长。链被表示为 由简化的几何和褶皱影响下的一种极其简单 能量函数。目前的结果令人鼓舞。

DESCRIPTION: The three-dimensional structure of a protein is a complex, exquisitely fashioned molecular ideogram, involving interactions among thousands (often tens or hundreds of thousands) of atoms. Each protein has only one native conformation, and, we want to know what it is because, for a protein molecule, function follows form. That is, a protein's biological role is a consequence of its conformation. A universal molecular grammar specifies protein conformation. This assertion is based on a telling experiment, the Anfinsen experiment. While the experiment convinced biochemists that such a grammar must exist, a level of understanding sufficient to predict protein conformation is still lacking; and that is the protein folding problem. The protein folding problem has emerged as one of the great scientific challenges of this century. The solution to this problem is critical to an understanding of the naturally occurring proteins and their deliberately engineered counterparts. Dr. Rose's principal goal is to elucidate the stereochemical code that governs protein folding and use it to formulate a practical folding algorithm. To this end, he is developing an algorithm, LINUS, to predict the fold of a protein from its amino acid sequence alone. LINUS is an acronym for Local Independently Nucleated units of Structure. The procedure ascends the folding hierarchy in discrete stages, with concomitant accretion of structure at each step. The chain is represented by simplified geometry and folds under the influence of an extremely simple energy function. Current results are encouraging.