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Protein-protein Interfaces

Protein-protein Interfaces

Many proteins form complexes to carry out their functions, making protein-protein interactions (PPIs) essential for an organism's survival. Most PPIs are stabilized by numerous weak noncovalent chemical forces. The physical shape of the interfaces determines the way two proteins interact. Many globular proteins have closely-matching shapes on their surfaces, which form a large number of weak bonds. Additionally, many PPIs occur between two helices or between a surface cleft and a polypeptide...

Protein-Protein Interfaces

Protein-Protein Interfaces

Many proteins form complexes to carry out their functions, making protein-protein interactions (PPIs) essential for an organism's survival. Most PPIs are stabilized by numerous weak noncovalent chemical forces. The physical shape of the interfaces determines the way two proteins interact. Many globular proteins have closely-matching shapes on their surfaces, which form a large number of weak bonds. Additionally, many PPIs occur between two helices or between a surface cleft and a polypeptide...

Ligand Binding Sites

Ligand Binding Sites

Proteins are dynamic macromolecules that carry out a wide variety of essential processes; however, the activities of most proteins depend on their interactions with other molecules or ions, known as ligands.
Protein-ligand interactions are quite specific; even though numerous potential ligands surround a cellular protein at any given time, only a particular ligand can bind to that protein. Moreover, a ligand binds only to a dedicated area on the surface of the protein, known as the...

Ligand Binding and Linkage

Ligand Binding and Linkage

Allosteric proteins have more than one ligand binding site; the binding of a ligand to any of these sites influences the binding of ligands to the other sites. When a protein is allosteric, its binding sites are called coupled or linked. In the case of enzymes, the site that binds to the substrate is known as the active site and the other site is known as the regulatory site. When a ligand binds to the regulatory site, this leads to conformational changes in the protein that can influence the...

Conserved Binding Sites

Conserved Binding Sites

Many proteins’ biological role depends on their interactions with their ligands, small molecules that bind to specific locations on the protein known as ligand-binding sites. Ligand-binding sites are often conserved among homologous proteins as these sites are critical for protein function.
Binding sites are often located in large pockets, and if their location on a protein’s surface is unknown, it can be predicted using various approaches. The energetic method computationally analyses the...

Conserved Binding Sites

Conserved Binding Sites

Many proteins’ biological role depends on their interactions with their ligands, small molecules that bind to specific locations on the protein known as ligand-binding sites. Ligand-binding sites are often conserved among homologous proteins as these sites are critical for protein function.
Binding sites are often located in large pockets, and if their location on a protein’s surface is unknown, it can be predicted using various approaches. The energetic method computationally analyses the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 10, 2026

Computational Prediction of Amino Acid Preferences of Potentially Multispecific Peptide-Binding Domains Involved in Protein-Protein Interactions

Computational Prediction of Amino Acid Preferences of Potentially Multispecific Peptide-Binding Domains Involved in Protein-Protein Interactions

Published on: January 26, 2024

Protein-protein alternative binding modes do not overlap.

Petras J Kundrotas¹, Ilya A Vakser

¹Center for Bioinformatics and Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047, USA.

Protein Science : a Publication of the Protein Society

|June 19, 2013

Summary

Proteins can bind in multiple ways, often utilizing spatially separated alternative binding modes. This study reveals these distinct protein-protein interaction patterns, offering insights for protein complex modeling and design.

Keywords:

molecular recognition protein association protein complexes protein docking protein structure

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 10, 2026

Computational Prediction of Amino Acid Preferences of Potentially Multispecific Peptide-Binding Domains Involved in Protein-Protein Interactions

Computational Prediction of Amino Acid Preferences of Potentially Multispecific Peptide-Binding Domains Involved in Protein-Protein Interactions

Published on: January 26, 2024

Identifying Protein-protein Interaction Sites Using Peptide Arrays

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Published on: November 18, 2014

Optimization of Synthetic Proteins: Identification of Interpositional Dependencies Indicating Structurally and/or Functionally Linked Residues

Optimization of Synthetic Proteins: Identification of Interpositional Dependencies Indicating Structurally and/or Functionally Linked Residues

Published on: July 14, 2015

Area of Science:

Structural biology
Biochemistry
Computational biology

Background:

Proteins frequently interact through multiple binding modes, a crucial aspect of their function.
Alternative binding modes are often observed in structural homologs within the Protein Data Bank, typically detected via X-ray crystallography.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the spatial arrangement of alternative binding modes in protein-protein complexes.
To understand the underlying principles of molecular recognition governing these distinct interaction patterns.

Main Methods:

Analysis of a comprehensive dataset of co-crystallized protein-protein complexes.
Comparison of observed binding modes with intermolecular energy funnel size estimates.

Main Results:

Alternative binding modes in protein complexes generally do not overlap and are spatially segregated.
The observed spatial separation is consistent with the intrinsic molecular recognition properties of protein structures.
Results align well with previous intermolecular energy funnel size estimations.

Conclusions:

Protein association exhibits distinct, spatially separated alternative binding modes.
Findings provide valuable insights into protein complex formation principles.
Offers potential guidelines for accurate protein complex modeling and protein interface design.