Protein Structure and Function

Published by New Science Press and distributed in the U.S. and Canada by Oxford University Press

This text introduces general principles of protein structure, folding, and function, then goes beyond these basics to tackle the conceptual basis of inferring structure and function from genomic sequence. It is the first book in a series, Primers in Biology, employing a modular design in which chapters are divided into topics, each occupying one two-page spread that includes the relevant text, illustrations (in full color), definitions, and references.

The book has five chapters. The first is an introduction to the principles of protein structure and folding, with emphasis on proteins' biophysical properties. The second describes the principles of the main biochemical functions of proteins, namely binding and catalysis, with a short section on the properties of structural proteins. Chapter 3 covers the regulation of protein function, containing concise descriptions of all the regulatory mechanisms that operate on proteins, from pH to phosphorylation, with several sections on protein switches based on nucleotide hydrolysis. Chapter 4 introduces the principles whereby structure and function are deduced from sequence, with illustrative examples. The final chapter addresses how data on protein structure is gathered, interpreted, and presented.

Written for upper-level undergraduates and beginning graduate students, Protein Structure and Function is also be for working scientists needing an up-to-date introduction to the field.

Gregory A. Petsko studied chemistry and classics as an undergraduate at Princeton University before going to Oxford as a Rhodes scholar to work for his Ph.D. with David Phillips. He then pursued his interest in the mechanism of enzyme catalysis at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he taught courses in chemistry and detective fiction. Currently the Director of the Rosenstiel Center at Brandeis, he has extended his research interests to include the use of yeast genetics to study the unfolded protein response pathway, and the mechanism of action of the ABC transporter proteins.

Dagmar Ringe graduated in chemistry from Barnard College, Columbia, and took her Ph.D. in bioorganic chemistry from Boston University. She then pursued her research interest in the study of enzyme catalysis by X-ray crystallography at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before moving to Brandeis, where she is Professor of Biochemistry and Chemistry. The principal focus of Dr. Ringe's research is structure-function relationships in enzymes of particular industrial and pharmaceutical importance.