Related Experiment Videos
Biological function made crystal clear - annotation of hypothetical proteins via structural genomics
E Eisenstein1, G L Gilliland, O Herzberg
1Center for Advanced Research in Biotechnology, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Rockville, MD 20850, USA.
Current Opinion in Biotechnology
|February 19, 2000
Summary
Determining the structures of hypothetical proteins from Haemophilus influenzae offers a path to understanding their unknown functions. Structural genomics projects are successfully deducing protein functions from solved structures.
Area of Science:
- Structural biology
- Genomics
- Protein science
Background:
- Many sequenced genes yield hypothetical proteins with unknown functions.
- Structural studies are crucial for elucidating protein function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the structures of 50 hypothetical proteins from Haemophilus influenzae.
- To understand the function of these uncharacterized proteins through structural analysis.
Main Methods:
- Target selection and protein production.
- Crystallization, structure determination, and analysis.
- Utilizing advancements to streamline structural genomics procedures.
Main Results:
- Experimental structures were determined for hypothetical proteins.
- Functional insights were gained from solved protein structures.
- Early results indicate the viability of structural genomics for function prediction.
Conclusions:
- Structural genomics is an effective strategy for assigning function to hypothetical proteins.
- Experimental structure determination provides valuable functional information.
- This approach aids in understanding the proteomes of sequenced organisms.