Computational analysis of membrane proteins: the largest class of drug targets. Review uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Given the key roles of integral membrane proteins as transporters and channels, it is necessary to understand their structures and, hence, mechanisms and regulation at the molecular level. Membrane proteins represent approximately 30% of all proteins of currently sequenced genomes. Paradoxically, however, only approximately 2% of crystal structures deposited in the protein data bank are of membrane proteins, and very few of these are at high resolution (better than 2A). The great disparity between our understanding of soluble proteins and our understanding of membrane proteins is because of the practical problems of working with membrane proteins - specifically, difficulties in expression, purification and crystallization. Thus, computational modeling has been utilized extensively to make crucial advances in understanding membrane protein structure and function.

publication date

  • September 3, 2009

Research

keywords

  • Computer Simulation
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Models, Molecular

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC2796609

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 71749104018

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1016/j.drudis.2009.08.006

PubMed ID

  • 19733256

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 14

issue

  • 23-24