Thursday, August 20, 2009

Influence of protein shape and conformation on Drug Binding; Lock and key, Induced fit and beyond?

Intrinsic Changes In Protein Shape Influence Drug Binding

"According to the classical view, known as "induced fit," drug binding causes a change in the target protein structure......But it now appears that a protein has many different conformations that are already available even without the presence of a binding molecule, which is called the ligand. The ligand attaches to the protein shape that allows it to fit well, and that close interaction can lead to effective inhibition of protein function...."

Well, the thought process was on the horizon for sometime...

PNAS Article