Different folding options for a protein?

[icakeov]

Hello, I was wondering whether one same protein can assume different foldings that can do different functions in the organism? (each folding still having the usual active/inactive state)

And if the is a specific example for this?

Many thanks for any thoughts!

 

[Ygggdrasil]

Functional prion proteins (the most studied examples come from yeast and other related fungi) come to mind as one example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungal_prion

 

[bbondi]

Have you been to https://fold.it yet? You may find that folding proteins is fun and challenging.

 

[BillTre]

assume different foldings that can do different functions in the organism? (each folding still having the usual active/inactive state)

I think, generally, motor proteins fulfill your conditions.
As they move back and forth (different conformations), they will be doing functions (moving things or different steps in the overall movement cycle), and to some degree maintain their active sites (binding sites?).
An example is the http://muscle.ucsd.edu/musintro/bridge.shtml.

Another similar example could be proteins involved in membrane fusion during vesicle release in response to calcium ions entering a nerve terminal.
Go to SNARE protein and pore formation in this link.
This is a complex system with many parts binding other parts at different times during the process (which has a lot of other steps in addition).

Going the opposite way (from the membrane's point of view), clathrin is involved in vesicles pinching off from a membrane sheet. These molecules are flexible (implying a continuum of shapes) and bind to themselves and other proteins in order to form vesicles.

Another possible group could be enzymes moving along a linear molecule like DNA or RNA. I am guessing these are changing conformation as they cycle along, but I don't really know for sure.

 

[icakeov]

Super helpful responses! Thank you so much!