The self-assembly and evolution of homomeric protein complexes
  We introduce a simple "patchy particle" model to study the thermodynamics and dynamics of self-assembly of homomeric protein complexes. Our calculations allow us to rationalize recent results for dihedral complexes. Namely, why evolution of such complexes naturally takes the system into a region of interaction space where (i) the evolutionarily newer interactions are weaker, (ii) subcomplexes involving the stronger interactions are observed to be thermodynamically stable on destabilization of the protein-protein interactions and (iii) the self-assembly dynamics are hierarchical with these same subcomplexes acting as kinetic intermediates. 
Gabriel Villar, Alex W. Wilber, Alex J. Williamson, Parvinder Thiara,   Jonathan P.K. Doye, Ard A. Louis, Mara N. Jochum, An...