This review brings together the research that counters the fallacy that proteins need to have a defined structure (as seen in crystal structures) to have a function. There has been a range of interesting findings regarding the requirement of disorder in protein structures. And folks are starting to tease out where and how disorder is useful.
To me, I see proteins as jiggly string with a propensity to have a certain shape. If there's a part that hangs out there, it's not necessarily totally disordered – the stretch has a conformation space it prefers, even if that space is large. And in that sampling of conformational space, that "disordered" stretch is honing in on its function.
So, no, I'm not surprised or worried bout the disorder and this paper does a great job in giving disorder its due.
Bookmarked in Delicious.
