Introduction to Protein Architecture: The Structural Biology of Proteins

written In A Clear And Engaging Style, And Profusely Illustrated With Superb Computer Graphics, introduction To Protein Architecture Is A Textbook For Second And Third Year Undergraduate Students And Beginning Post-graduate Students, And Will Be Of Interest To All Biological And Medical Scientists Whose Work Touches On Proteins.

the Structures And Functions Of Proteins Unlock The Secrets Inherent In Genomes, Including The Human Genome. The Emphasis Of This Book Is On Protein Architecture, On Proteins As Three-dimensional Patterns. A New Field, Bioinformatics, Has Grown Up Around Gene And Protein Sequences And Structures. It Has Captured The Interest Of Many Scientists For Its Intellectual Challenges, Its Potential For Useful Applications, And Promising Scope For Careers. This Book Introduces The Use Of The World Wide Web In Bioinformatics.

written By One Of The Leaders In This Field, introduction To Protein Architecture explains The General Characteristics Of Proteins That Underlie The Very Great Variety Of Folding Patterns Observed In Nature. For Specialists In Structural Biology, It Contains The Core Of What They Need To Know. For Students And Workers In Related Disciplines, Undergraduates Or Beginning Graduate Students In Biology, Chemistry, Medicine, Bioinformatics, And Related Fields It Contains What They Will Be Able To Apply To Their Own Work. Topics Treated Include: pattern And Form In Protein Structure; The Building blocks; The Relationship Between Amino Acid Sequence And Protein Structure; Secondary, Supersecondary And Tertiary Structure; Classifications And Hierarchies Of Protein Folding Patterns; Protein Evolution; How Proteins Change Conformation (and Why).

to Suit The Needs Of Courses, Each Chapter Includes Recommended Reading, Lists Of Useful Web Sites, Traditional Exercises, And A New Type Of Exercise Called A Weblem, For Web-based Problem.

doody Review Services

reviewer:eugene A Davidson, Phd(georgetown University School Of Medicine)
description:this Book Presents Information On Protein Structure.
purpose:this Up-to-date Book Is Intended For Advanced Undergraduates Or Beginning Graduate Students.
audience:besides Serving As A Textbook For Students, This Book Also Can Be Used As A Reference Source For Investigators Wishing To Access Current Thinking And Databases Used In The Study Of Protein Structure.
features:the Book Begins With An Introduction Based On The Crystal Structure Of The Bacterial Photosynthetic Reaction Center. This Formidable Complex Serves To Illuminate Many Key Aspects Of Protein Organization And To Impress The Reader With The Sophistication Not Only Of The Structure Itself But Of The Methods Used To Define It. A General Discussion Of Protein Conformation Is Next, Followed By Sections Highlighting The Various Motifs Present In Proteins. Concluding Chapters Highlight Specific Proteins Such As Immunoglobulins And T-cell Receptors And Mechanisms Of Conformational Change. Each Chapter Is Accompanied By A Short Bibliography And A Problem Set, Some Of Which Require Use Of The Internet. An Appendix Has A Set Of Figures Of Protein Structures. The Extensive Illustrations Are Almost All Based On Computer Representations And Are Presented As Stereo Views. The Success Of The Text Depends To A Significant Extent On The Ability Of The Reader To Access These Views -- A Stereo Viewer Is Strongly Recommended.
assessment:this Is An Excellent Introduction To Protein Structure And Will Serve Students Well. Particularly Valuable Is The Use Of Databases And The Web. A Shortcoming Is The Failure Of The Author To Address Issues Of Post-translational Modifications Such As Glycosylation, Lipidation, Or Phosphorylation. This Is Regrettable Since It Is Estimated That 50 Percent Or More Of Eukaryotic Proteins Are So Modified And In Many Cases These Alterations Are Critical Structural Determinants.