Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 31, 2026

16:41
A Protocol for Computer-Based Protein Structure and Function Prediction
Published on: November 3, 2011
Refinement of protein termini in template-based modeling using conformational space annealing
Hahnbeom Park1, Junsu Ko, Keehyoung Joo
1Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-747, Republic of Korea.
Proteins
|July 15, 2011
Summary
This study introduces a novel protein terminus modeling method to refine unreliable structures. The approach significantly improves accuracy, offering a new strategy for protein structure refinement.
Area of Science:
- Structural Biology
- Computational Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Template-based modeling provides reliable protein tertiary structure models.
- Refinement of template-based models is crucial for understanding protein function at atomic detail.
- Existing methods struggle with refining unreliable terminus structures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a new method for protein terminus modeling.
- To refine protein models with unreliable terminus structures.
- To improve the accuracy of protein tertiary structure models.
Main Methods:
- Developed a new energy function for terminus modeling, combining physics-based and knowledge-based potentials.
- Utilized conformational space annealing for effective sampling of framework and terminus.
- Optimized relative weights of potential terms.
Main Results:
- The new terminus modeling method significantly improved performance over previous approaches.
- The method demonstrated comparable or superior results to top-performing server methods in CASP8.
- Successfully refined terminus structures in tested datasets.
Conclusions:
- The developed method is effective for refining protein models with unreliable termini.
- This strategy shows potential for application in other refinement problems like loop modeling.
- Advances in protein structure modeling are critical for functional analysis.
Related Concept Videos
Protein Folding
Proteins are chains of amino acids linked together by peptide bonds. Upon synthesis, a protein folds into a three-dimensional conformation, critical to its biological function. Interactions between its constituent amino acids guide protein folding, and hence the protein structure is primarily dependent on its amino acid sequence.
Protein Structure Is Critical to Its Biological Function
Proteins perform a wide range of biological functions such as catalyzing chemical reactions, providing...
Protein Structure Is Critical to Its Biological Function
Proteins perform a wide range of biological functions such as catalyzing chemical reactions, providing...
Protein Folding
Overview
Protein Folding Quality Check in the RER
ER is the primary site for the maturation and folding of soluble and transmembrane secretory proteins. The calnexin cycle is a specific chaperone system that folds and assesses the confirmation of N-glycosylated proteins before they can exit the ER lumen. The primary players of this quality check pipeline are the lectins, ER-resident chaperones, and a glucosyl transferase enzyme. In case the calnexin system in the lumen fails to salvage a misfolded protein, it is transported to the cytoplasm...
Tail-anchoring of Proteins in the ER Membrane
Tail-anchored, or TA, proteins are estimated to make up to 3-5% of membrane proteins found in the eukaryotic cell. Such proteins have a single transmembrane domain located approximately 30 amino acid residues upstream from the C-terminal end. As a result, the signal recognition particle (SRP) cannot guide a TA protein to the ER membrane for cotranslational insertion. Hence, they are integrated into the ER membrane post-translationally using their C-terminal end as the anchor. TA proteins...
Bacterial Protein Maturation
Bacterial protein maturation is a tightly regulated process that ensures newly synthesized polypeptides achieve correct functional conformations. This maturation involves a series of modifications, folding events, and quality control steps, often assisted by specialized chaperone proteins.N-Terminal ModificationsThe maturation of bacterial polypeptides begins cotranslationally as the polypeptide exits the ribosome. The first amino acid, N-formylmethionine (fMet), is typically modified at the...
Molecular Chaperones and Protein Folding
The native conformation of a protein is formed by interactions between the side chains of its constituent amino acids. When the amino acids cannot form these interactions, the protein cannot fold by itself and needs chaperones. Notably, chaperones do not relay any additional information required for the folding of polypeptides; the native conformation of a protein is determined solely by its amino acid sequence. Chaperones catalyze protein folding without being a part of the folded protein.
The...
The...