Objective This research addresses questions raised by attempts to design proteins de novo. Such polypeptides are often compact and they have a pronounced secondary structure as a rule, but a definite organisation of side chains is usually, but not always, absent. The thermodynamics of forming a protein-like structure involves competition between the favourable hydrophobic and the van der Waals effects of forming a tightly packed core versus the unfavourable entropic effect of restriction conformation. Rules for these effects to guide the systematic design of proteins are required. It will then be necessary to show that these rules can be applied to guide the synthesis of a folded protein-like molecule. The objectives of the research are firstly, to provide the basis for the rational design of novel proteins based on the selection of residues suitable to favour thermodynamically the folded conformation, with two aspects to be considered: the close packing of residues between secondary structures compatible with a core that excludes solvent and is favoured by the hydrophobic effect; and the effect of restricting side chain mobility and its effect on the conformational entropy of protein folding. Secondly, guided by the empirical rules the sequence of Albebetin that has previously been synthesised and expressed in milligram quantities will be examined to suggest changes that might lead to the formation of a solid core in the folded protein; and finally, other sequences of novel proteins for synthesis will be designed. Programme(s) IC-INTAS - International Association for the promotion of cooperation with scientists from the independent states of the former Soviet Union (INTAS), 1993- Topic(s) 36 - Biochemistry and New Pharmaceutical Compounds Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme Data not available Coordinator Imperial Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) EU contribution No data Address 44 Lincoln's Inn Fields WC2A 3PX London United Kingdom See on map Total cost No data Participants (3) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all Imperial Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address 44 Lincoln's Inn Fields WC2A 3PX London See on map Total cost No data MRC Centre for Protein Engineering United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address Hills Road CB2 2QH Cambridge See on map Total cost No data Russian Academy of Sciences Russia EU contribution No data Address 142292 Pushchino, Moscow Region See on map Total cost No data
