The mechanism of protein folding

Recent advances in spectroscopy, peptide synthesis, and protein engineering have provided new evidence on the mechanisms of protein folding which supports the hypothesis that there are some events common to the early, middle and late stages of folding. By focusing on these common events rather than the specific differences, the essential aspects of the mechanisms by which the amino acid sequence of a protein directs its rapid and efficient folding to yield the native conformation can be highlighted.