Theoretical conformational analysis of a family of alpha-helical immunocytokines

According to the results of the theoretical conformation analysis and available experimental data, the known immunocytokines can be divided into two groups: alpha-helical (IFNs-alpha, beta, gamma, omega; IL-2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7; G-, M-, GM-CSFs; cMGF, PDGF) and beta-pleated proteins (ILs-1 alpha, beta; TNFS-alpha, beta). IFNs-alpha, beta, gamma, omega, IL-6, G-CSF, cMGF were shown to form a family of alpha-helical globular proteins characterized by a statistically significant homology in amino acid sequences and by common features of the secondary structure formation. Comparison of the sequences of 72 IFNs-alpha, beta, omega reveals three clusters of conservative amino acid positions. Their participation in the formation of active sites of IFN-alpha, beta, omega is supposed.