Cited by 223Protein Structure and DynamicsReceptor Mechanisms and SignalingProtein Kinase Regulation and GTPase Signaling

Dynamic Allostery: Linkers Are Not Merely Flexible

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Ma, Buyong, Tsai, Chung-Jung, Haliloğlu, Türkan, Nussinov, Ruth·2011·Structure

Abstract

Most proteins consist of multiple domains. How do linkers efficiently transfer information between sites that are on different domains to activate the protein? Mere flexibility only implies that the conformations would be sampled. For fast timescales between triggering events and cellular response, which often involves large conformational change, flexibility on its own may not constitute a good solution. We posit that successive conformational states along major allosteric propagation pathways are pre-encoded in linker sequences where each state is encoded by the previous one. The barriers between these states that are hierarchically populated are lower, achieving faster timescales even for large conformational changes. We further propose that evolution has optimized the linker sequences and lengths for efficiency, which explains why mutations in linkers may affect protein function and review the literature in this light.

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Authors
Ma, B., Tsai, C.-J., Haliloğlu, T., & Nussinov, R.
Affiliations
  • National Cancer Institute (US)
  • Tel Aviv University (IL)
Corresponding author
Nussinov, Ruth
Venue
Structure
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2011-07
Volume
19
Issue
7
Pages
907-917
ISSN
0969-2126 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2112600835
Cited by
222
References
119
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 29 · 2014: 24 · 2013: 23 · 2012: 19
FWCI
2.18
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Structure (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  • Türkiye Bilimler Akademisi
  • National Institutes of Health (HHSN261200800001C)
  • National Cancer Institute (HHSN261200800001E))
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Protein Structure and Dynamics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Receptor Mechanisms and Signaling
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Protein Kinase Regulation and GTPase Signaling
Keywords
dynamic allostery, protein linkers, protein domains, conformational change, protein activation
MeSH terms
Allosteric Regulation, Allosteric Site, Animals, Binding Sites, Humans, Models, Molecular, Plants, Protein Binding, Proteins, Thermodynamics, Signal Transduction, Protein Structure, Tertiary, Protein Subunits

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