Protein Complex Formation and Function

Protein complex formation explains how proteins join together to carry out specific jobs in cells. These groups are called protein complexes, and they can form in more than one way. Some complexes are homomeric, which means they contain the same kind of protein subunit. Others are heteromeric, which means they contain differ...

Most proteins do not function as fully extended polypeptide chains but assemble into compact multicomponent complexes. During assembly, the growing complex must distinguish its specific components from a mixture of hundreds of different protein and non-protein species present in the cell. 

Protein complexes can be either homomeric, consis...