The Physics of Protein Self-Assembly

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent advances in understanding protein self-assembly, emphasizing thermodynamic and kinetic factors across various systems like globular proteins, viruses, and amyloid fibers, from a soft condensed matter perspective.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of recent progress in the physics-based understanding of protein self-assembly mechanisms.

Findings

Protein assemblies share common thermodynamic principles.

Different protein systems exhibit similar self-assembly behaviors.

Unanswered questions remain in the field of protein self-assembly.

Abstract

Understanding protein self-assembly is important for many biological and industrial processes. Proteins can self-assemble into crystals, filaments, gels, and other amorphous aggregates. The final forms include virus capsids and condensed phases associated with diseases, such as amyloid fibrils. Although seemingly different, these assemblies all originate from fundamental protein interactions and are driven by similar thermodynamic and kinetic factors. Here we review recent advances in understanding protein self-assembly through a soft condensed matter perspective with an emphasis on three specific systems: globular proteins, viruses and amyloid fibers. We conclude with a discussion of unanswered questions in the field.