Globularity and Protein Function

Abstract

The forces that direct protein folding lead naturally to native proteins and protein domains that are typically, to a first approximation, globular—spherical and compact, with a relatively clear distinction between the hydrophobic inside and polar outside. The near-universality of these features of protein structures sharpens our focus on some apparent exceptions. Consideration of the structure/function link in some of the exceptional cases provides some insights into our views of protein function.