Peptide-Protein Interactions

Peptide-protein interactions are a vital biophysical process that occurs in all living organisms. They are responsible for a variety of biological and physiological activities including cell signaling, metabolism, and gene expression. Peptide-protein interactions involve the formation of a specific bond between two molecules – a short sequence of amino acids (peptide) and a larger protein molecule. This bond can either be dependent on a protein-protein interaction that is covalently or non-covalently bound, or a peptide-binding protein that can interact with peptides via their specific recognition motifs. The understanding of peptide-protein interactions has been invaluable in the investigation and development of therapeutics, proteins engineering, and drug discovery.