Protein conformational changes

Proteins are major components of living cells and perform a vast array of tasks. To perform their functions most proteins undergo conformational changes that can be either local or global, involving secondary structural changes and/or domain repositioning. These structural transitions need to be finely regulated in both time and space. This chapter first presents general features about protein conformational changes. The case of conformational changes in fusion glycoproteins of enveloped viruses will then be described in detail as an impressive example of huge structural transitions. As a second example, protein misfolding leading to amyloidosis and prion diseases will be also presented. Recent results indicating that functional amyloids exist and may act in support of information or cell memory will be also discussed.