Circular permutation in proteins

Circular permutation in proteins refers to a specific type of structural rearrangement where the N-terminus and C-terminus of a protein are joined to form a continuous loop. In this process, the sequence of amino acids may be rearranged such that regions of the protein that were originally at the N-terminus and the C-terminus are now adjacent in the circular form. This can result in a protein that has new termini but is still functionally similar to the original linear version.