Protein Structure and Function (Primers in Biology)

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 will also be useful for working scientists needing an up-to-date introduction to the field.