Protein-protein interaction (PPI)

Protein-protein interaction refers to the specific and intentional physical contact between two or more protein molecules, mediated by various non-covalent and sometimes covalent forces, to regulate almost every biological process in a cell or organism. PPIs can be stable (permanent complexes) or transient (signal transduction, enzymatic regulation), and are fundamental to processes such as signal transduction, gene regulation, immune response, cell cycle, and metabolism. Aberrant PPIs are implicated in diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration, making individual PPIs attractive but challenging therapeutic targets. Experimentally, PPIs are studied via in vitro (e.g., co-immunoprecipitation), in vivo (e.g., yeast two-hybrid), and in silico (computational prediction) methods.

Other names

PPIsProtein interactionProtein–protein interaction

Inhibition or stabilization of a specific PPI, typically by blocking or enhancing the interface between the protein binding partners