Visualizing the nanoscale: protein internal dynamics and neutron spin echo spectroscopy

•Nanoscale protein dynamics affects cell signaling propagation via long-range allostery in a largely unknown fashion.•It is difficult at best to probe protein dynamics at these nanoscales since techniques are lacking.•Neutron spin echo spectroscopy reveals nanoscale dynamics controlling proteins and complexes.

The most complex molecular machines are proteins found within cells. Protein dynamics, in particular dynamics on nanoscales, presents us with a novel paradigm for cell signaling: the idea that proteins and protein complexes can communicate directly within themselves to effect long-range information transfer, via coupled domains and correlated residue clusters. This idea has been little explored, in large part because of a paucity of experimental techniques that can address the necessary questions. Here we review recent progress in developing a promising new approach, neutron spin echo spectroscopy.

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