Abstract
A change in the perception of the protein folding problem has taken
place recently. The nature of the change is outlined and the reasons
for it are presented. An essential element is the recognition that a
bias toward the native state over much of the effective energy surface
may govern the folding process. This has replaced the random search
paradigm of Levinthal and suggests that there are many ways of reaching
the native state in a reasonable time so that a specific pathway does
not have to be postulated. The change in perception is due primarily to
the application of statistical mechanical models and lattice
simulations to protein folding. Examples of lattice model results on
protein folding are presented. It is pointed out that the new optimism
about the protein folding problem must be complemented by more detailed
studies to determine the structural and energetic factors that
introduce the biases which make possible the folding of real proteins.
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