Protein Engineering

Protein Engineering: Applications in Science, Medicine, and Industry deals with the scientific, medical, and industrial applications of protein engineering. Topics range from protein structure and design to mutant analysis and complex systems. Applications such as production of novel antibiotics, genetic transformation of plants, and genetic engineering of bioinsecticides are described. This book is comprised of 25 chapters and begins with an overview of trends and developments in protein chemistry and their relevance to protein engineering, followed by a discussion on protein sequence data banks. Subsequent chapters explore the design and construction of biologically active peptides, including hormones; structural and functional analysis of thermophile proteins; the conformation of diphtheria toxin; and applications of surface-simulation synthesis in protein molecular recognition. The use of oligonucleotide-directed site-specific mutagenesis in functional analysis of the signal peptide for protein secretion is also considered. The results of studies on the mechanism of membrane fusion are presented. This monograph will serve as a useful guide for those who are already working on protein engineering and those who are about to start research in this field.