Journal of Applied Crystallography

Volume 40, Part 6 (December 2007)

research papers

J. Appl. Cryst. (2007). 40, 986-989 [ doi:10.1107/S0021889807041076 ]

A structural proteomics filter: prediction of the quaternary structural type of hetero-oligomeric proteins on the basis of their sequences

O. Carugo

Abstract: A protein chain can correspond to a monomeric protein or it can form, together with other chains, oligomeric assemblies, which can be either homo-oligomers or hetero-oligomers. In the latter case, the three-dimensional structure of the single protein chain is unlikely to be determined, since it will probably be difficult to express and crystallize. A computational method is presented here that allows one to predict if a chain participates in hetero-oligomeric assemblies, on the basis of its amino acid composition, with accuracy close to 80%. Such a technique should improve the success rate of structural biology projects.

Keywords: protein structures; structural genomics; crystallization likelihood.