Some viral proteins involved in interaction with the host cell surface adopt a very rigid and stable triple–β-helix fold. In order to attain this complex fold, these proteins contain an intramolecular chaperone domain that is auto-cleaved after assembly. Now structural work on two such chaperone domains indicates how they can promote correct folding of the β-helices.
- Eike C Schulz
- Achim Dickmanns
- Ralf Ficner