Post-translational control can be defined as the mechanisms by which protein structure can be altered after translation. Proteins are polymers of amino acids, and there are twenty different amino acids. Both the order and identity of these amino acids are important for the role that the protein plays in the cell. In some cases, the chemical identity of these amino acids is changed after translation. Alternatively, the sequence or number of the amino acids in a protein can be altered. These changes can alter the structure or function of the protein, or they can target it for destruction.

Alterations of Amino Acids

Post-translational control of protein function or structure can be accomplished by chemical alteration of an amino acid side chain or by modification of the ends of the protein backbone. While there are many diverse chemical modifications of amino acids, three common examples are phosphorylation...