Advances in Protein Dynamics, Binding and Allostery
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 17
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Traditional structural biology techniques such as X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM usually treat proteins as rigid scaffolds, yet it is the intrinsic flexibility and conformational fluctuations of these molecules that drive biological function. This Special Issue aims to move beyond static snapshots to explore the "breathing" nature of proteins. We seek to unravel how protein dynamics dictate ligand binding thermodynamics and how local binding events propagate signals across long distances to regulate function—the phenomenon of allostery.
Specifically, this Special Issue will include but be not limited to the following themes: (1) Mapping conformational landscapes and dynamics. Experimental or computational characterization of functional protein dynamics across multiple timescales will be considered. (2) Molecular recognition and binding, including protein–protein interaction, protein-peptide interaction, and protein-small molecule interaction, etc. (3) Mechanisms and evolution of allostery, including allosteric effects in large macromolecular assemblies and molecular machines. (4) Translational implications: how to translate the principles of protein dynamics, binding, and allostery to understand the pathogenesis of mutation-caused diseases such as channelopathies and to speed up the drug design for the treatment of those related diseases.
Dr. Huawei Zhang
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- protein dynamics
- protein interaction
- allostery
- conformational regulation
- drug design
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