Over the past decade, there has been an explosive development of research of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), which are also known as unfolded proteins. Structural biologists now recognize that the functional diversity provided by disordered regions complements the functional repertoire of ordered protein regions. In Intrinsically Disordered Protein Analysis :Methods and Experimental Tools, expert researchers explore the high abundance of IDPs in various organisms, their unique structural features, numerous functions, and crucial associations with different diseases. Volume 1 includes sections on assessing IDPs in the living cell,NMR based techniques, vibrational spectroscopy, and other spectroscopic techniques. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular BiologyTM series format, the chapters include the kind of detailed description and implementation advice that is crucial for getting optimal results in the laboratory. Thorough and intuitive, Intrinsically Disordered Protein Analysis: Methods and Experimental Tools helps scientists further their investigations of these fascinating and dynamic molecules.

The edition details methods to study intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) including recent topics such as extremely high-affinity disordered complexes, kinetics that evade established concepts, liquid-liquid phase separation, and novel disorder-driven allosteric mechanisms. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Intrinsically Disordered Proteins: Methods and Protocols aims to help scientists with different backgrounds to further their investigations into these fascinating and dynamic molecules. Chapter 24 is available open access under a CC BY 4.0 license via link.springer.com. Chapters “40 and 42 ” are available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

In this brief, Vladimir Uversky discusses the paradigm-shifting phenomenon of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and hybrid proteins containing ordered domains and functional IDP regions (IDPRs). Beginning with an introduction to the concept of protein intrinsic disorder, Uversky then goes on to describe the peculiar amino acid sequences of IDPs, their structural heterogeneity, typical functions and disorder-based binding modes. In the final sections, Uversky discusses IDPs in human diseases and as potential drug targets. This volume provides a snapshot to researchers entering the field as well as providing a current overview for more experienced scientists in related areas.

Detailed characterization of fuzzy interactions will be of central importance for understanding the diverse biological functions of intrinsically disordered proteins in complex eukaryotic signaling networks. In this volume, Peter Tompa and Monika Fuxreiter have assembled a series of papers that address the issue of fuzziness in molecular interactions. These papers provide a broad overview of the phenomenon of fuzziness and provide compelling examples of the central role played by fuzzy interactions in regulation of cellular signaling processes and in viral infectivity. These contributions summarize the current state of knowledge in this new field and will undoubtedly stimulate future research that will further advance our understanding of fuzziness and its role in biomolecular interactions.

With the most comprehensive and up-to-date overview of structure-based drug discovery covering both experimental and computational approaches, Structural Biology in Drug Discovery: Methods, Techniques, and Practices describes principles, methods, applications, and emerging paradigms of structural biology as a tool for more efficient drug development. Coverage includes successful examples, academic and industry insights, novel concepts, and advances in a rapidly evolving field. The combined chapters, by authors writing from the frontlines of structural biology and drug discovery, give readers a valuable reference and resource that: Presents the benefits, limitations, and potentiality of major techniques in the field such as X-ray crystallography, NMR, neutron crystallography, cryo-EM, mass spectrometry and other biophysical techniques, and computational structural biology Includes detailed chapters on druggability, allostery, complementary use of thermodynamic and kinetic information, and powerful approaches such as structural chemogenomics and fragment-based drug design Emphasizes the need for the in-depth biophysical characterization of protein targets as well as of therapeutic proteins, and for a thorough quality assessment of experimental structures Illustrates advances in the field of established therapeutic targets like kinases, serine proteinases, GPCRs, and epigenetic proteins, and of more challenging ones like protein-protein interactions and intrinsically disordered proteins

Instrumental techniques for analyzing intrinsically disordered proteins The recently recognized phenomenon of protein intrinsic disorder is gaining significant interest among researchers, especially as the number of proteins and protein domains that have been shown to be intrinsically disordered rapidly grows. The first reference to tackle this little-documented area, Instrumental Analysis of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins: Assessing Structure and Conformation provides researchers with a much-needed, comprehensive summary of recent achievements in the methods for structural characterization of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). Chapters discuss: Assessment of IDPs in the living cell Spectroscopic techniques for the analysis of IDPs, including NMR and EPR spectroscopies, FTIR, circular dichroism, fluorescence spectroscopy, vibrational methods, and single-molecule analysis Single-molecule techniques applied to the study of IDPs Assessment of IDP size and shape Tools for the analysis of IDP conformational stability Mass spectrometry Approaches for expression and purification of IDPs With contributions from an international selection of leading researchers, Instrumental Analysis of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins: Assessing Structure and Conformation fills an important need in a rapidly growing field. It is required reading for biochemists, biophysicists, molecular biologists, geneticists, cell biologists, physiologists, and specialists in drug design and development, proteomics, and molecular medicine with an interest in proteins and peptides.

In-cell NMR spectroscopy is a relatively new field. Despite its short history, recent in-cell NMR-related publications in major journals indicate that this method is receiving significant general attention. This book provides the first informative work specifically focused on in-cell NMR. It details the historical background of in-cell NMR, host cells for in-cell NMR studies, methods for in-cell biological techniques and NMR spectroscopy, applications, and future perspectives. Researchers in biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology, cell biology, structural biology as well as NMR analysts interested in biological applications will all find this book valuable reading.