Molecular recognition plays a central role in biology, and protein dynamics has been acknowledged to be important in this process. However, it is highly debated whether conformational changes happen before ligand binding to produce a binding-competent state (conformational selection) or are caused in response to ligand binding (induced fit).

Proposals for both mechanisms in protein/protein recognition have been primarily based on structural arguments. However, the distinction between them is a question of the probabilities of going via these two opposing pathways.

Researchers present a direct demonstration of exclusive conformational selection in protein/protein recognition by measuring the flux for rhodopsin kinase binding to its regulator recoverin, an important molecular recognition in the vision system.

Using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, stopped-flow kinetics, and isothermal titration calorimetry, they show that recoverin populates a minor conformation in solution that exposes a hydrophobic binding pocket responsible for binding rhodopsin kinase.

Protein dynamics in free recoverin limits the overall rate of binding.

http://www.cell.com/cell-reports/abstract/S2211-1247(15)01423-0