Sequence identity

It is generally considered that a sequence identity below 30% is insufficient to build a useful homology model. Success stories of GPCR homology modeling 

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A sequence alignment establishes the correspondences between the amino adds in th unknown protein and the template protein (or proteins) from wliich it will be built. Th three-dimensional structures of two or more related proteins are conveniently divided int structurally conserved regions (SCRs) and structurally variable regions (SVRs). Ihe structural conserved regions correspond to those stretches of maximum sequence identity or sequenc... 

Ithough knowledge-based potentials are most popular, it is also possible to use other types potential function. Some of these are more firmly rooted in the fundamental physics of iteratomic interactions whereas others do not necessarily have any physical interpretation all but are able to discriminate the correct fold from decoy structures. These decoy ructures are generated so as to satisfy the basic principles of protein structure such as a ose-packed, hydrophobic core [Park and Levitt 1996]. The fold library is also clearly nportant in threading. For practical purposes the library should obviously not be too irge, but it should be as representative of the different protein folds as possible. To erive a fold database one would typically first use a relatively fast sequence comparison lethod in conjunction with cluster analysis to identify families of homologues, which are ssumed to have the same fold. A sequence identity threshold of about 30% is commonly... 

Human insulin was the first animal protein to be made in bacteria in a sequence identical to the human pancreatic peptide. Expression of separate insulin A and B chains were achieved in Echerichia coli K-12 using genes for the insulin A and B chains synthesized and cloned in frame with the... 

The VFe protein also has the equivalent of P-cluster pairs which have similar properties to those found in the MoFe protein (159). No information is available on whether P-cluster pairs exist in the FeFe protein, but because of the relatively high sequence identity and the similar genetic basis of its biosynthesis, the occurrence seems highly likely. The catalytic role assigned to the P-cluster pair involves accepting electrons from the Fe protein for storage and future deUvery to the substrate via the FeMo-cofactor centers. As of this writing (ca early 1995), this role has yet to be proved. 

Figure 1 The basis of comparative protein structure modeling. Comparative modeling is possible because evolution resulted in families of proteins, such as the flavodoxin family, modeled here, which share both similar sequences and 3D structures. In this illustration, the 3D structure of the flavodoxin sequence from C. crispus (target) can be modeled using other structures in the same family (templates). The tree shows the sequence similarity (percent sequence identity) and structural similarity (the percentage of the atoms that superpose within 3.8 A of each other and the RMS difference between them) among the members of the family.

Figure 9 Relative accuracy of comparative models. Upper left panel, comparison of homologous structures that share 40% sequence identity. Upper right panel, conformations of ileal lipid-binding protein that satisfy the NMR restraints set equally well. Lower left panel, comparison of two independently determined X-ray structures of interleukin 1(3. Lower right panel, comparison of the X-ray and NMR structures of erabutoxin. The figure was prepared using the program MOLSCRIPT [236].

Eortunately, a 3D model does not have to be absolutely perfect to be helpful in biology, as demonstrated by the applications listed above. However, the type of question that can be addressed with a particular model does depend on the model s accuracy. At the low end of the accuracy spectrum, there are models that are based on less than 25% sequence identity and have sometimes less than 50% of their atoms within 3.5 A of their correct positions. However, such models still have the correct fold, and even knowing only the fold of a protein is frequently sufficient to predict its approximate biochemical function. More specifically, only nine out of 80 fold families known in 1994 contained proteins (domains) that were not in the same functional class, although 32% of all protein structures belonged to one of the nine superfolds [229]. Models in this low range of accuracy combined with model evaluation can be used for confirming or rejecting a match between remotely related proteins [9,58]. 

In the middle of the accuracy spectrum are the models based on approximately 35% sequence identity, corresponding to 85% of the Ca atoms modeled within 3.5 A of their correct positions. Eortunately, the active and binding sites are frequently more conserved... 

RL Dunbrack Jr. Culling the PDB by resolution and sequence identity. 1999. http // www.fccc.edu/research/labs/dunbrack/culledpdb.html... 

One might expect these positions to exhibit a higher degree of amino acid conservation and hence sequence homology than the rest of the molecule. This is not, however, the case for distantly related molecules that have low sequence homology and derive from distantly related species. The sequence identity of these residues is no greater than in the rest of the... 

The 434 Cro molecule contains 71 amino acid residues that show 48% sequence identity to the 69 residues that form the N-terminal DNA-binding domain of 434 repressor. It is not surprising, therefore, that their three-dimensional structures are very similar (Figure 8.11). The main difference lies in two extra amino acids at the N-terminus of the Cro molecule. These are not involved in the function of Cro. By choosing the 434 Cro and repressor molecules for his studies, Harrison eliminated the possibility that any gross structural difference of these two molecules can account for their different DNA-binding properties. 

The first x-ray structure of a porin was determined by the group of Georg Schulz and Wolfram Welte at Ereiburg University, Germany, who succeeded in growing crystals of a porin from Rhodobacter capsulatus that diffracted to 1.8 A resolution. Since then the x-ray structures of several other porin molecules have been determined and found to be very similar to the R. capsulatus porin despite having no significant sequence identity. 

The L and M subunits show about 25% sequence identity and are therefore homologous and evolutionarily related proteins. The H subunit, on the other hand, has a completely different sequence. The fourth subunit of the reaction center is a cytochrome that has 336 amino acids with a sequence that is not similar to any other known cytochrome sequence. 

C-terminal tail (Tyr 527 in c-Src). Phosphorylation of Tyr 419 activates the kinase phosphorylation of Tyr 527 inhibits it. Crystal structures of a fragment containing the last four domains of two members of this family were reported simultaneously in 1997—cellular Src by the group of Stephen Harrison and Hck by the group of John Kuriyan. The two structures are very similar, as expected since the 440 residue polypeptide chains have 60% sequence identity. The crucial C-proximal tyrosine that inhibits the activity of the kinases was phosphorylated in both cases the activation loop was not. 

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