Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: DoctorBeaver on 03/12/2005 11:23:44

Title: Protein folding
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 03/12/2005 11:23:44

I'm taking part in the Stamford University project called Folding@home. Spare processor time on my PC is utilised to do calculations and the results are sent back to the uni.
I know the calculations are to do with protein folding, but that's all I know & I haven't been able to glean any additional info. Does anyone know exactly what the calculations are doing & why this is important to cancer research?

"There is no such thing on earth as an uninteresting subject; the only thing that can exist is an uninterested person."
G K Chesterton

Title: Re: Protein folding
Post by: Rokitansky on 03/12/2005 23:58:25

The goal may be to predict a potential 3D conformation (tertiary structure) of a protein, out of it`s aminoacid sequence. Or it is possible that calculations are about a sequence of events that will finaly lead to it`s stable conformation, including interactions with other proteins, eg. chaperones. Actually, it`s imposible to tell from here :(

Anyway, it is belived that protein folding has a role in cancer development. One idea is that mutations whitch confer a protein with a new functional activity also disrupt it`s thermodynamic stability. It then requires increased levels of chaperones to obtain it`s normal configuration than it usualy does.
HSP90 inhibitors are thus being investigated as potential cancer therapeutics.

Title: Re: Protein folding
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 04/12/2005 16:53:19

Thank you, Darko. At least now, while my PC is chuddering away, I'll know more about what it's doing.