Keeping it in the family: folding studies of related proteins

Investigators have recently turned to studies of protein families to shed l ight on the mechanism of protein folding. In small proteins for which detai led analysis has been performed, recent studies show that transition-state structure is generally conserved. The number and structures of populated fo lding intermediates have been found to vary in homologous families of large r (greater than 100-residue) proteins, reflecting a balance of local and gl obal interactions.