A topology-based investigation of protein interaction sites using Hydrophobic Cluster Analysis

Hydrophobic clusters, as defined by Hydrophobic Cluster Analysis (HCA), are conditioned binary patterns, made of hydrophobic and non-hydrophobic positions, whose limits fit well those of regular secondary structures. They were proved to be useful for predicting secondary structures in proteins from the only information of a single amino acid sequence and have permitted to assess, in a comprehensive way, the leading role of binary patterns in secondary structure preference towards a particular state. Here, we considered the available experimental 3D structures of protein globular domains to enlarge our previously reported hydrophobic cluster database (HCDB), almost doubling the number of hydrophobic cluster species (each species being defined by a unique binary pattern) that represent the most frequent structural bricks encountered within protein globular domains. We then used this updated HCDB to show that the hydrophobic amino acids of discordant clusters, i.e. those less abundant clusters for which the observed secondary structure is in disagreement with the binary pattern preference of the species to which they belong, are more exposed to solvent and are more involved in protein interfaces than the hydrophobic amino acids of concordant clusters. As amino acid composition differs between concordant/discordant clusters, considering binary patterns may be used to gain novel insights into key features of protein globular domain cores and surfaces. It can also provide useful information on possible conformational plasticity, including disorder to order transitions.