A Tail of Multiple Calcium-sensing Domains

Why does she do the things that she does? In the process of evolution Mother Nature has come up with some very complicated, seemingly illogical solutions. Probing the structure–function relationships of ion channel proteins by site-directed mutagenesis has led to many marvelous insights, but more commonly we find that molecular evolution is devilishly difficult to understand and predict; for every published success using the techniques of site-directed mutagenesis, there are many other attempts by hardworking talented researchers that don't work out. Rather than logical “intelligent design” molecular evolution is opportunistic and desultory; trying to figure out what Mother Nature had in mind in designing these complex proteins often puts researchers in the same frame of mind as, legend tells us, Segmund Freud, was in after a particularly exasperating session with a female patient, when he exclaimed “What do women want? Dear God, what do they...