Perspectives on evolutionary and functional importance of intrinsically disordered proteins

Abstract

Structural biology of proteins emphasises that proteins ought to have an ordered structure to perform their biological role optimally. The over-reliance on the ordered structure of proteins is now slowly shifting towards a more comprehensive discussion platform. Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and intrinsically disordered protein regions (IDPRs) are gaining momentum in protein structural biology as we update ourselves with evolutionary traits and functional importance in various organisms. The evolution and functional significance of this diverse class of protein conformations are based on sequence exhibition, structural attainment, and interactions with their immediate surroundings. In this review, we emphasise the evolutionary status of disordered proteins and correlate their functional importance in the physiology of specific organisms. We aim to close this review by establishing a positive correlation between IDPs and their importance in human health and future medicine. Establishing firm roles of IDPs and IDPRs with extensive research will help expand the field of structural biology, helping us understand the fundamentals of protein folding and misfolding, associated diseases and drug design. © 2022 Elsevier B.V.