4. Conclusion

This article describes enzyme structures (primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary), the methods used to establish them, and the modes of chemical binding and involved interactions. This information is illustrated by the study of three different types of enzyme: carbonic anhydrase, glycogen phosphorylase and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) protease.

NMR and X-ray crystallography techniques, coupled with increasingly powerful computing tools, are used to solve secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures with high resolution. They enable us to precisely visualize the stereoelectronic structure of these macromolecules, so we can better understand how they work, and thus gain access to the best conditions for their various applications.

Molecular modeling is already making it possible to predict binding and affinity between a molecule...