Short linear motifs (blue) use flanking regions outside their core amino acid sequence to recognize proteins such as ENAH (gray). Credit: Theresa Hwang
No protein is an island; most rely on partners to carry out their vital functions. A new screening method from the Keating Lab probes more deeply into how proteins recognize and bind to one another. In studies published in eLife last December and January, researchers used information generated by the new method to guide the design of a synthetic molecule that binds ENAH, a protein implicated in cancer metastasis. Their results could inform the future design of cancer drugs, as well as fundamental understandings about cell function and regulation