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Optimization of Synthetic Proteins: Identification of Interpositional Dependencies Indicating Structurally and/or Functionally Linked Residues
Published on: July 14, 2015
Conserved 'hypothetical' proteins: new hints and new puzzles.
1National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA. galperin@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Comparative and Functional Genomics
|July 17, 2008
Summary
Conserved hypothetical proteins present a challenge in biology. Experimental research is crucial for uncovering their specific functions, leading to significant discoveries like the deoxyxylulose pathway.
Area of Science:
- Genomics and Proteomics
- Biochemistry
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Conserved hypothetical proteins, with unknown functions, pose significant challenges to functional genomics and broader biological understanding.
- Computational analysis often yields only general predictions for these conserved proteins, necessitating experimental validation for precise functional determination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the importance of experimental approaches in elucidating the functions of conserved hypothetical proteins.
- To showcase how resolving these functions can lead to major biological insights and discoveries.
Main Methods:
- Comparative genome analysis to identify conserved proteins and potential functional roles.
- Direct experimental investigation to determine the precise biological functions of selected conserved hypothetical proteins.
Main Results:
- Experimental studies on conserved hypothetical proteins have led to remarkable discoveries, including the identification of the deoxyxylulose pathway.
- A novel essential enzyme, ITP pyrophosphatase, was discovered through functional characterization of a conserved hypothetical protein.
- Comparative genomics aids in understanding complex biological processes like FtsZ-independent cell division and the roles of uncharacterized domains in signal transduction.
Conclusions:
- Experimental validation is indispensable for uncovering the specific biological roles of conserved hypothetical proteins.
- The functional characterization of these proteins drives significant advancements in fundamental biology and reveals novel biochemical pathways and enzymes.
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Binding sites are often located in large pockets, and if their location on a protein’s surface is unknown, it can be predicted using various approaches. The energetic method computationally analyses the...
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