Related Experiment Videos
Classifying a protein in the CATH database of domain structures
C A Orengo1, A M Martin, G Hutchinson
1Biomolecular Structure and Modelling Unit, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Gower St, London WC1E 6BT, England. orengo@biochemistry.ucl.ac.uk
Summary
The CATH database classifies protein domain structures. A new server allows researchers to submit new structures for automatic classification and comparison within the CATH protein domain database.
Area of Science:
- Structural bioinformatics
- Protein domain classification
Background:
- The CATH database provides a hierarchical classification of protein domain structures.
- Current classification relies on a combination of automatic and manual methods.
- Accurate protein structure classification is crucial for understanding protein function and evolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a new CATH server for searching and classifying newly determined protein structures.
- To enable researchers to integrate novel structures into the existing CATH framework.
Main Methods:
- The CATH server identifies domain boundaries in new structures.
- It employs automatic sequence and structure comparison algorithms for classification.
- The server assigns new structures to existing CATH domain families.
Main Results:
- The CATH server successfully classifies new protein structures.
- It generates diagnostic reports and structural alignments for related domains.
- The server is accessible via the World Wide Web.
Conclusions:
- The new CATH server facilitates the integration of novel protein structures into a comprehensive classification system.
- This tool enhances the utility of the CATH database for the research community.
- Improved accessibility through WWW and planned mirror sites will benefit global researchers.