Protein Binding: A Fuzzy Concept

Abstract

Our understanding of protein binding interactions has matured significantly over the last few years, largely as a result of trying to make sense of the binding interactions of intrinsically disordered proteins. Here, we bring together some disparate ideas that have largely developed independently, and show that they can be linked into a coherent picture that provides insight into quantitative aspects of protein interactions, in particular that transient protein interactions are often optimised for speed, rather than tight binding.

Keywords

• affinity
• intrinsically disordered protein
• avidity
• effective concentration
• facilitated dissociation
• allovalency