CHAPERONE

Chaperone

In molecular biology, molecular chaperones are proteins that assist the non-covalent folding or unfolding and the assembly or disassembly of other macromolecular structures. Chaperones are not present when the macromolecules perform their normal biological functions and have correctly completed the processes of folding and/or assembly. The common perception that chaperones are concerned primarily with protein folding is incorrect. The first protein to be called a chaperone assists the assembly of nucleosomes from folded histones and DNA and such assembly chaperones, especially in the nucleus, are concerned with the assembly of folded subunits into oligomeric structures.

The above text is a snippet from Wikipedia: Chaperone (protein)
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chaperone

Noun

  1. An older person who accompanies other younger people to ensure the propriety of their behaviour, often an older woman accompanying a young woman.
  2. A protein that assists the non-covalent folding/unfolding and the assembly/disassembly of other macromolecular structures, but does not occur in these structures when the latter are performing their normal biological functions.

Verb

  1. to act as a chaperone


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: chaperone
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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