How Proteins Work

How Proteins Work is an up-to-date and authoritative account of protein function. It covers the full breadth of protein science, from protein structure and organisation, through evolution, enzymes, regulation, dynamics, folding, allostery, and experimental and computational techniques, with chapters detailing how these features work together to support signalling and motion. It tackles challenging topics such as cooperativity, dynamics, and intrinsically disordered proteins, but always in an engaging style that puts clarity and understanding at the forefront.

This text will enable undergraduate students in biochemistry and biophysics to understand the relationships between protein function, structure, and dynamics. It will also serve as a valuable resource for graduate students and researchers grappling with proteins and their functions.

New to this second edition is a fuller account of enzyme kinetics and inhibition; more detail on protein folding and intracellular responses to unfolded proteins; a more coherent account of avidity and cooperativity; and discussion of new developments including AlphaFold and cryo-electron microscopy. The text has been substantially re-ordered with some of the cell biology removed.

Key Features:

• Chapters end with a problems section which aims to test the reader’s understanding of chapter content and its application
• Top-quality full color illustrations help to elucidate key concepts and mechanisms
• High-resolution protein structures enhance understanding of molecular interactions and how structure relates to function
• Extensive reference lists
• Cross referencing within the text, to draw out the connections between different topics

Mike Williamson is from the University of Sheffield, UK, and has over 250 publications, mainly on NMR studies of proteins. He published the first NMR structure of a globular protein, with Nobel Laureate Kurt Wüthrich.