Towards the computational design of protein post-translational regulation

Protein post-translational modifications (PTMs) are a fast and versatility mechanism used by the cell to regulate the function of proteins in response to changing conditions. PTMs can alter the activity of proteins by allosteric regulation or by controlling protein interactions, localization and abundance. Recent advances in proteomics have revealed the extent of regulation by PTMs and the different mechanisms used in nature to exert control over protein function via PTMs. These developments can serve as the foundation for the rational design of protein regulation. Here we review the advances in methods to determine the function of PTMs, protein allosteric control and examples of rational design of PTM regulation. These advances create an opportunity to move synthetic biology forward by making use of a level of regulation that is of yet unexplored.