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Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, Vol. 29 (1) (2001) pp. 16-20
© 2001 IUBMB. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
PII: S1470-8175(00)00066-7

Article

Structural determinants of mini-protein stability

Fabio Polticelli * poltix@biochimica2.bio.uniroma3.it, Gabriella Raybaudi-Massilia and Paolo Ascenzi

Department of Biology, University `Roma Tre',Viale Marconi 446, I-00146 Rome, Italy

Accepted 6 December 2000

Abstract

Mini-proteins can be defined as polypeptides shorter than 40-50 residues which nevertheless exhibit a well defined tertiary structure. Mini-proteins represent simple and useful model systems to study the structural determinants of protein folding and stability and to illustrate such principles within biochemistry and molecular biology educational context. Here, strategies adopted by different classes of mini-proteins to attain family-characteristic, well-ordered, three-dimensional structures are reviewed.

Keywords: Mini-proteins; Protein stability; Protein redesign

*Corresponding author. Tel.: +39-065517-6365; fax: +39-065517-6321

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