Background

Protein structural analysis provides a fascinating approach for examining the molecular world in which the chemical reactions that confer life to organisms occurs. In order to fully understand what the discovery of novel structural elements in eukaryotic PII means, you must first understand the regulatory pathway in which the PII protein is involved.

Nitrogen metabolism regulation is a complex process involving numerous proteins and enzymes with many 'on' and 'off' switches triggered by the fluctuating concentrations of certain molecules. PII is directly involved in the assimilation of nitrogen into biological molecules.

After discussing nitrogen metabolism regulation, we will explore PII protein's role in particular. Some of the structural characteristics and functions of prokaryotic PII proteins have been studied in detail.

Finally, it is important to understand some key ideas involved in protein evolution and the types of differences in protein structure and function that arise from mutation and genetic drift.

Previous | Next