Affecting Peptides Folding and Functionality within Synthetic Networks by External Triggers

Various factors can affect the conformations and folding
states of protein molecules and as a consequence their
activity. These factors include amino acid mutations,
interactions with other macromolecules, binding to
regulatory molecules, and also external changes such as
pH jump or shining light. In order to control the folding
states and to modulate the functions of peptides and
proteins by light, photocleavable groups are usually
incorporated into specific residues to mask critical
interactions.