Simple Modular Architecture Research Tool SMART

Similar residues in the cores of protein structures especially hydrophobic residues at the same positions, are responsible for common folds of homologous proteins. Certain sequence profiles of conserved residue successions have been identified which give rise to a common fold of protein domains. They are organized in the smart database (simple modular architecture research tool) http //smait.embl-heidelberg.de. 

Schultz, J., et al., SMART, a simple modular architecture research tool identification of signaling domains. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 1998, 95(11), 5857-64. 

SMART (Simple Modular Architecture Research Tool) [12-14] is a Web-based resource used for the annotation of protein domains and the analysis of domain architectures, with particular emphasis on mobile eukaryotic domains. Extensive annotation for each domain family is available, providing information relating to function, subcellular localization, phyletic distribution and tertiary structure. The January 2002 release has added more than 200 hand-curated domain models. This brings the total to over 600 domain families that are widely represented among nuclear, signalling and extracellular proteins. Annotation now includes links to the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database in cases where a human disease is associated with one or more mutations in a particular domain, (http //smart, embl-heidelberg. de/help/smart about. shtml)... 

Here we review different strategies of domain identification at the sequence level from a historical perspective, point to some future directions of domain research, and describe domain discovery in the context of genome analysis. To support our points, we provide illustrative examples of domains that are mostly represented in SMART (Simple Modular Architecture Research Tool Schultz et al., 1998, 2000). Where a SMART domain name is mentioned in the text, we represent it in boldface. 

Schultz, J., Milpetz, R, Bork, R, and Renting, C. R. (1998). Smart, a simple modular architecture research tool Identification of signalling domains. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 95, 5857-5864. 

Science USA, 95, 5857 (1998). SMART, A Simple Modular Architecture Research Tool Identification of Signaling Domains. Available http //smart.embl-heidelberg.de/. 

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