Van Valen David, Haataja Mikko, Phillips Rob
Department of Applied Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA.
Biophys J. 2009 Feb 18;96(4):1275-92. doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2008.10.052.
We use statistical mechanics and simple ideas from polymer physics to develop a quantitative model of proteins whose activity is controlled by flexibly tethered ligands and receptors. We predict how the properties of tethers influence the function of these proteins and demonstrate how their tether length dependence can be exploited to construct proteins whose integration of multiple signals can be tuned. One case study to which we apply these ideas is that of the Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Proteins as activators of actin polymerization. More generally, tethered ligands competing with those free in solution are common phenomena in biology, making this an important specific example of a widespread biological idea.
我们运用统计力学和聚合物物理学的简单概念，来构建一个蛋白质定量模型，这类蛋白质的活性由柔性连接的配体和受体所控制。我们预测连接体的性质如何影响这些蛋白质的功能，并展示如何利用其对连接长度的依赖性来构建可调节多种信号整合的蛋白质。我们应用这些概念的一个案例研究是威斯科特-奥尔德里奇综合征蛋白作为肌动蛋白聚合激活剂的情况。更一般地说，与溶液中游离配体竞争的连接配体是生物学中的常见现象，这使其成为一个广泛生物学概念的重要具体例子。
