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Protein Structure and Function

The book 'Protein Structure and Function' by Gregory A. Petsko and Dagmar Ringe offers a comprehensive and accessible introduction to protein structure for life scientists and students. It features a well-organized format with engaging graphics and concise text, covering topics from molecular biology basics to the functional roles of proteins and their evolutionary context. Despite a brief treatment of phylogenetic methods, the book is a valuable resource for understanding the complexities of protein structure and its implications in genomics and proteomics.

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124 views3 pages

Protein Structure and Function

The book 'Protein Structure and Function' by Gregory A. Petsko and Dagmar Ringe offers a comprehensive and accessible introduction to protein structure for life scientists and students. It features a well-organized format with engaging graphics and concise text, covering topics from molecular biology basics to the functional roles of proteins and their evolutionary context. Despite a brief treatment of phylogenetic methods, the book is a valuable resource for understanding the complexities of protein structure and its implications in genomics and proteomics.

Uploaded by

senoltopuz25
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Protein Structure and Function

Article in Journal of Heredity · May 2004


DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esh040 · Source: OAI

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Pascal Gagneux
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Book Reviews

Protein Structure and Function


Gregory A. Petsko and Dagmar Ringe.
New Science Press in association with Sinauer Associates
and Blackwell Science, London. 2003. 180 pp. £29.95.
Trying to understand protein structure can be a daunting task
to life scientists and students not familiar with structural
biology. Protein Structure and Function by Gregory Petsko and
Dagmar Ringe provides much needed help. This book is
a treasure trove of information. It is a precious atlas,
the usefulness of which is only surpassed by its esthetic
value.
The construction and maintenance of three-dimensional
organisms from ‘‘thread-like’’ linear proteins several orders of
magnitude smaller than the organisms they build is a topic of

Downloaded from http://jhered.oxfordjournals.org/ by guest on November 11, 2016


truly mind-boggling complexity. The book’s clarity of organi-
zation and presentation go a long way toward facilitating
navigation of this complexity. Throughout the book, each
double page is consistently structured like an appealing poster,
with a catchy heading, short paragraphs highlighted by one
sentence subheadings, most inviting graphics, and a box with
definitions and references. Many of the poster-like double
pages contain very helpful summary tables and graphics (e.g.,
on types of chemical interactions, domain arrangements in
signal transduction proteins, multifunctional proteins, etc.,
found in living cells).
Despite the phenomenal amount of information their
book conveys, the authors have succeeded in keeping
a consistently clear and inviting format. Furthermore, each
structure presented in the book is given with its Protein Data
Bank (PDB) identity code, consistently linking the book with
this impressive online resource.
The book contains five chapters: From sequence to
structure, from structure to function, control of function,
from sequence to function, and structure determination. The
authors walk the reader through the most basic aspects of
molecular biology, systematically building up familiarity with
the basic elements of proteins, their structure, and inter-
actions with other molecules. By introducing the notions of
modularity, flexibility, situation-dependent conformation,
and posttranslational modification, they prepare the field
for discussions of function and its regulation. Petsko and
Ringe present an exquisite collection of examples to illustrate
the many functional roles of proteins in living cells, including
structural elements such as tubulin, catalysis by enzymes,
switch mechanisms in G proteins, amplification of signals in
various receptor proteins, and control of gene expression in
transcription factors.
They present a very up-to-date discussion of comparative
genomics, illustrating how DNA sequence similarity can be
used to investigate the potential functions of unknown
proteins. All this, while pointing out the sobering fact that
many proteins with similar structure and function can share

273
The Journal of Heredity 2004:95(3)

remarkably little sequence identity, effectively limiting the their organism of choice. The overview provided by the
usefulness of homology modeling. magnificent tables, be they on various quaternary structures,
One criticism I have is the exceedingly short treatment of protein domain interactions, or time and distance scales in
phylogenetic methods. Considering the importance of phy- functional genomics, will be worth going back to whenever
logenetics in comparative genomics, I would have expected panoramic orientation is needed.
the authors to at least mention the different methods of I particularly appreciated that throughout the book,
reconstructing evolutionary history (not just distance based, proteins are discussed within an evolutionary perspective,
but also maximum-likelihood methods using detailed discussing examples of convergent evolution, and addressing
probabilistic models of sequence evolution). gene evolution by domain rearrangement, notions of a past
The last chapter presents a very brief, but equally clear ‘‘RNA world’’ reflected in the persistence of RNA
explanation of the methods used for empirically elucidating coenzymes, and the differences in complexity between
protein structures, X-ray crystallography, and nuclear mag- prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Similarly the authors remind us
netic resonance (NMR). The limitations of each method are that proteins are part of evolving organisms by repeatedly
discussed, as well as factors potentially leading to erroneous addressing the complex spatial and temporal relationships
structure determination. The book provides a wealth of between the large number of differently modified proteins in
information and succeeds in keeping the reader’s attention and on living cells.
through the use of concise text and splendid graphics. Much can be learned from viewing functional, properly
Conveniently, the many definitions presented at the bottom folded proteins as precarious, ‘‘semiliquid’’ thermodynamic

Downloaded from http://jhered.oxfordjournals.org/ by guest on November 11, 2016


of each double page are collated again in a glossary at the end compromises, passed through the generations via their coding
of the book, as are all the references. DNA sequences. Clearly this excellent book should become
This book is likely to generate interest in structural electronically available on the bookshelf of the National
biology in many students. It will also provide much needed Center for Biotechnology Information/PubMed as soon as
guidance to the large number of genome scientists who are possible.
starting to investigate events downstream from coding DNA PASCAL GAGNEUX
sequences (i.e., how protein structure influences pheno- Division of Ecology and Evolution
types). In this era of proteomics, such a clear introduction to Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species (CRES)
structural biology is very precious indeed. At the same time, San Diego Zoological Society
the book will also serve the increasing number of organismal San Diego, CA 92103
biologists who have questions about molecular details within DOI 10.1093/jhered/esh040

274

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