Application of protein structure predictions
US6377893B1 · kind B1 · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 19, 1997 |
| Grant date | Apr 23, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 19, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N33/6803
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method for making a model for the folded structure of a set of proteins from an evolutionary analysis of a set of aligned homologous protein sequences was claimed in Ser. No. 07/857,224. The instant application concerns methods for using these models. The first method is used to confirm or deny a hypothesis that two proteins are homologous, and is comprised of comparing a predicted structure model for one family of proteins with a predicted structure model for a second family of proteins, or an experimental structure for the second family, and deducing the presence or absence of homology based on the presence or absence of structural similarity flanking key residue motifs in the polypeptide sequence. The second method identifies mutations during the divergent evolution of a protein sequence that are potentially adaptive by identifying episodes during the divergent evolution of a family of proteins where there is a high absolute rate of amino acid substitution, or a high ratio of non-silent substitutions to non-silent substitutions. Amino acids that are changing during this episode are likely to be adaptive. The third is a method for identifying specific in vitro properties of the…
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