Zinc-dependent protein folding.

Studies of classic zinc-finger peptides over the past 15 years have offered insights into the coupled processes of metal binding and protein folding. Within the past two years, this insight has been used to increase our understanding of the importance of first and second shell contributions (i.e. contributions from direct and indirect metal ligands) to metal binding and protein-folding stability, and led to advances in de novo protein design and protein redesign.