Abstract
The thermodynamic principle of cooperativity is used to drive the formation of specific macromolecular complexes during the assembly of a macromolecular machine. Understanding cooperativity provides insight into the mechanisms that govern assembly and disassembly of multicomponent complexes. Our understanding of assembly mechanisms is lagging considerably behind our understanding of the structure and function of these complexes. A significant challenge remains in tackling the thermodynamics and kinetics of the intermolecular interactions required for all cellular functions.
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Acknowledgements
The author thanks S. Edgcomb for helpful discussions and critical reading of the manuscript, S. Blacklow for critical comments and E. Vogel of Leonardo's Basement for the photo of the large Soma cube. This work was supported by a grant from the US National Institutes of Health (GM-53757 to J.R.W.).
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Williamson, J. Cooperativity in macromolecular assembly. Nat Chem Biol 4, 458–465 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.102
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.102
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