Prototype of a database for rapid protein classification based on solution scattering data

Finding similarities in sequences and/or structures is one of the fastest ways of characterizing proteins. Similarity in atomic structure of proteins is generally more recognizable than similarity in sequence and may be more closely related to similarity in function. If the atomic structure is not available, useful information can be obtained by X-ray solution scattering. Ab initio methods to analyse the scattering data require longer computation time and yield low resolution models only. We present an approach to rapidly characterize proteins with unknown structure based on comparison of experimental scattering profiles with a database of scattering patterns calculated from known structures.