Protein wrapping: a molecular marker for association, aggregation and drug design

Abstract

In this tutorial review we survey the concept of protein wrapping from a physico-chemical perspective. Wrapping is introduced as an indicator of the packing quality of protein structure. Thus, while a well-wrapped protein is sustainable in isolation, a poorly wrapped protein is reliant on binding partnerships to maintain its structural integrity. At a local level, wrapping is indicative of the extent of solvent exposure of the amide–carbonyl hydrogen bonds of the protein backbone. Poorly wrapped hydrogen bonds, the so-called dehydrons, are shown to represent structural vulnerabilities. These singularities are sticky, hence promoters of protein associations. We also focus on severely under-wrapped protein structures that belong to an order/disorder twilight. Such proteins are shown to be prone to aggregate. Finally, we survey the recent exploitation of dehydrons as targetable features to promote specificity in drug-based cancer therapy. Dehydrons prove to be valuable targets to reduce side effects and enhance drug safety.