Structure and Function of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins - Hardcover

"Tompa's masterly compendium on intrinsically disordered proteins arrives at just the right time to fill a conspicuous void on this important topic. His eminently readable book is broad enough to educate beginners but deep enough to inform experts."
―George Rose, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

"Peter Tompa’s fine comprehensive overview of this rapidly advancing field is of timely importance, both for its documentation and for emphasizing the importance of IDPs in biology and protein science. ... This book demonstrates Tompa’s considerable command of the field, providing appropriate examples and ample details in every respect. Its coverage of the latest developments in the field is impressive, and the author manages to strike a good balance between detail and concept to lead the reader through this novel field."
―From the Foreword by Professor Sir Alan Fersht, University of Cambridge, UK

"The book is just superb―a thorough, comprehensive and lucid discussion of intrinsically disordered proteins."
―Joel L. Sussman, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel

The existence and functioning of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) challenge the classical structure-function paradigm that equates function with a well-defined 3D structure. Uncovering the disordered complement of proteomes and understanding their functioning can extend the structure-function paradigm to herald new breakthroughs in drug development. Structure and Function of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins thoroughly covers the history up to the latest developments in this field.

After examining the principles of protein structure, the classical paradigm, and the history of structural disorder, the book focuses on physical techniques for the identification and characterization of IDPs. It discusses proteomic and bioinformatic approaches and shows how IDPs behave under crowding conditions in living cells. The next several chapters describe the structure, correlating biological processes, and molecular mechanisms of IDPs. The author also explores the evolutionary advancement of structural disorder in proteomes and possible ways of extending the structure-function paradigm to encompass both ordered and disordered states of proteins. He concludes with discussions on the involvement of IDPs in various diseases and how to establish rational drug design through detailed characterization of IDPs.

Although drug discovery rates have leveled off, new insight generated by the study of IDPs may offer fresh strategies for drug development. This work illustrates how these proteins defy the structure-function paradigm and play important regulatory and signaling roles.