The Symphony of Nature—the Precision of Life’s Regulation
A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409). This special issue belongs to the section "Cell Methods".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2025 | Viewed by 41
Special Issue Editors
Interests: structural biology; protein structure and function; enzyme catalysis and modification
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Life operates as a finely tuned symphony, where proteins and nucleic acids interact in precise and dynamic ways to regulate essential biological functions. The structural intricacies of these biomolecules govern their roles, enabling cells to respond to environmental cues, coordinate biochemical pathways, and maintain homeostasis. Despite significant progress in understanding these mechanisms, many fundamental questions remain unanswered. How do protein conformational changes dictate their functional diversity? What structural adaptations enable enzymes to carry out complex multi-step reactions with remarkable efficiency? How do molecular machines achieve high specificity and regulation in vital cellular processes?
In this Special Issue, The Symphony of Nature—the Precision of Life’s Regulation, we aim to explore the structural and mechanistic principles underlying life’s regulatory processes. We welcome research and review articles focusing on diverse aspects of molecular regulation, including protein folding and misfolding, allosteric control, enzymatic catalysis, phase separation, and signaling networks. Special emphasis will be given to key molecular systems such as kinases, transporters, G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), DNA and RNA polymerases, ribozymes, and ATP synthase, each of which relies on precisely coordinated structural changes to function effectively.
This Special Issue seeks to bring together experimental and computational studies leveraging techniques such as cryo-EM, X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, single-molecule imaging, molecular dynamics simulations, and AI-driven structure prediction. By assembling cutting-edge research in this field, we hope to advance our understanding of life’s molecular regulation and inspire new insights into biomedical and biotechnological applications.
Dr. Weiguang Wang
Dr. Baocheng Liu
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- protein structure and function
- allosteric regulation
- conformational switches
- enzyme catalysis and modification
- molecular machines
- molecular regulation
- protein folding and misfolding
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