Myths in modern science: The hydrogen bond and its surroundings. Part 1. The hydrogen-bond-myth

Abstract

Widespread arguments of the hydrogen bond are criticized with respect to theories of protein folding and interactions of proteins with their specific ligands. Contrary to popular belief, by no means does the hydrogen bond play an important role in determining the conformation of proteins and the interactions of proteins with specific substrates. Stereotypical thinking on the hydrogen bond constitutes a myth in modern science and seriously restricts the success of structure-based drug design.