An arsenal of methods for the experimental characterization of intrinsically disordered proteins - How to choose and combine them?

Abstract

In this review, we detail the most common experimental approaches to assess and characterize protein intrinsic structural disorder, with the notable exception of NMR and EPR spectroscopy, two ideally suited approaches that will be described in depth in two other reviews within this special issue. We discuss the advantages, the limitations, as well as the caveats of the various methods. We also describe less common and more demanding approaches that enable achieving further insights into the conformational properties of IDPs. Finally, we present recent developments that have enabled assessment of structural disorder in living cells, and discuss the currently available methods to model IDPs as conformational ensembles.

Keywords: Degree of compactness; Ensemble models; Experimental assessment of protein disorder; In-vivo assessment of disorder; Secondary and tertiary structure content.