| This thesis is a historical study of the origins of the chaperone concept in molecular biology. Since the 1990s it has become generally accepted that many large proteins require chaperones, proteins that aid in the assembly of macromolecular complexes, in order to achieve a proper three-dimensional structure and in turn proper biological function. It was previously held that all information required for the formation of this final protein structure was contained within the sequence of amino acids in the peptide chain. The formation and acceptance of the molecular chaperone concept, the change within molecular biology which resulted and the significance of that change make up the focus of this thesis. |
