The lamprey holds the clue to the link between supramolecular self-assembly and allosteric ligand binding. Chelate cooperativity in self-assembled structures results in denaturation behavior that is indistinguishable from allosteric ligand binding. The chelate effect is the most common origin of positive cooperativity, yet its significance has been widely overlooked. © 2009 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.
