QUESTIONS: alpha-helix "signals" in proteins

[Cornelius Krasel]

Joshua Cherry (cherry at watneys.med.utah.edu) wrote:

[about the speed of protein folding]

: I wouldn't say that fast folding MUST be sequence independent just 
: because "all" proteins fold fast.

What does "fast" mean in the context of protein folding? I am not a
structural biologist (heaven forbid), but the beta-2-adrenergic receptor
needs apparently about 30 min to be correctly folded and/or processed
(B. K. Kobilka, JBC 265, 7610-7618, 1990). Admittedly this is a
membrane protein, but nevertheless the process does not seem to be
"fast" :-)

--Cornelius.

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