Protein as an edited random copolymer
Ptitsyn, O.B.
Molekuliarnaia Biologiia 18(3): 574-590
1984
ISSN/ISBN: 0026-8984 PMID: 6472260 Document Number: 239110
It is widely believed that the unique primary structure of a given protein is quite necessary for its folding into a certain three-dimensional structure as well as for its functioning and is a result of a directed selection in the course of biological evolution. The present paper provides arguments in favour of an alternative point of view according to which typical three-dimensional structures of globular proteins are characteristic even for random sequences of amino acid residues. Therefore it may be possible that primary structures of proteins are mainly examples of random amino acid sequences slightly edited in the course of biological evolution to impart them some additional (functional) meaning.