The new edition of this standard text offers insight into the principles and concepts of the kinetic and structural resolution of fast chemical and biophysical reactions of proteins, with emphasis on protein-folding reactions. Significant advances in the study of fast protein-folding reactions and the understanding of the folding paradox are due to recent development of new methods which allow not only kinetic resolution in the sub-millisecond time scale but also structural resolution with unprecedented precision. The second edition is expanded by 15% and includes information on self-evolving computer programs for protein-folding simulations, and 12 color figures illustrating folding transition states.

Klappentext

The book gives a deep insight into the principles and concepts of the kinetic and structural resolution of fast chemical and biophysical reactions of proteins with emphasis on protein-folding reactions. The study of fast protein-folding reactions and the understanding of the folding paradox have significantly advanced due to the recent development of new biophysical methods which allow not only kinetic resolution in the sub-millisecond time scale but also structural resolution with unprecedented precision. Pathways and structures of early and late folding events and the transition state structures of fast- and ultrafast-folding proteins can now be studied in far more detail. Important techniques include biophysical, chemical, molecular biological and mathematical methods, in particular protein engineering, Phi-value analysis, time-resolved circular dichroism, optical triggers and pulsed infrared LASER methods, pressure and temperature jump, ultrafast mixing, stopped flow and quenched flow, dielectric relaxation and electric-field-jump, acoustic relaxation, fluorescence- and isotope-labeling, H/D exchange methods, NMR line broadening and stopped-flow NMR, transition state theory, solutions of rate equations, and evolutionary computer programming. Protein Folding Kinetics - Biophysical Methods is written for students and researchers in biochemistry, biophysics, and related fields.

Special features in the second edition:

• Includes detailed information and 12 color figures on the high resolution of folding transition states.

• Discusses structural determinants of the rate of protein folding on a timescale from microseconds to seconds.

• Provides information on self-evolving computer programs for protein-folding simulations and protein-structure predictions.

Inhalt
Structures of proteins.- Physical interactions that determine the properties of proteins.- Calculation of the kinetic rate constants.- High kinetic resolution of protein folding events.- Kinetic methods for slow reactions.- Resolution of protein structures in solution.- High structural resolution of transient protein conformations.- Experimental problems of the kinetic and structural resolution of reactions that involve proteins.- The folding pathway of a protein (barstar) at the resolution of individual residues from microseconds to seconds.- Highly resolved folding pathways and mechanisms of six proteins.- Structural determinants of the rate of protein folding.- Evolutionary computer programming of protein structure and folding.- Conclusions.