Related Experiment Videos
Comparative modelling: an essential methodology for protein structure prediction in the post-genomic era
Bruno Contreras-Moreira1, Paul W Fitzjohn, Paul A Bates
1Biomolecular Modelling Laboratory, Cancer Research UK London Research Institute, London, United Kingdom.
Applied Bioinformatics
|May 8, 2004
Summary
Comparative protein modeling rapidly predicts protein structures, bridging the gap between available sequences and experimentally determined structures. This computational approach enhances biological research and experimental design.
Area of Science:
- Structural biology
- Computational biology
- Bioinformatics
Background:
- The number of known protein sequences vastly exceeds experimentally determined protein structures.
- Genome projects contribute significantly to this growing data gap.
- Experimental methods like X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy are time-consuming.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the importance of comparative protein modeling in addressing the protein structure data gap.
- To discuss the growing applications of 3D protein models in molecular biology.
- To review the current state and future potential of web-based comparative modeling tools.
Main Methods:
- Comparative protein modeling.
- High-throughput, automated modeling pipelines.
- Web-based servers for model construction and assessment.
Main Results:
- Comparative modeling is the most accurate method for predicting protein 3D shapes.
- Automated modeling increases access to protein structures.
- Web servers provide tools for model building, accuracy assessment, and experimental prediction.
Conclusions:
- Comparative protein modeling is crucial for understanding protein function and guiding experiments.
- Web-based tools empower molecular biologists with powerful modeling capabilities.
- Further algorithmic development is needed for comparative modeling to rival experimental structure determination.