Intrinsically Disordered Proteins: An Overview

Abstract

Many proteins and protein segments cannot attain a single stable three-dimensional structure under physiological conditions; instead, they adopt multiple interconverting conformational states. Such intrinsically disordered proteins or protein segments are highly abundant across proteomes, and are involved in various effector functions. This review focuses on different aspects of disordered proteins and disordered protein regions, which form the basis of the so-called “Disorder–function paradigm” of proteins. Additionally, various experimental approaches and computational tools used for characterizing disordered regions in proteins are discussed. Finally, the role of disordered proteins in diseases and their utility as potential drug targets are explored.