Homology modelling of protein-protein complexes: a simple method and its possibilities and limitations
2008

Homology Modelling of Protein-Protein Complexes

Sample size: 743 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Launay Guillaume, Simonson Thomas

Primary Institution: Ecole Polytechnique

Hypothesis

Can a simple extension of homology modelling effectively identify and characterize protein-protein complexes?

Conclusion

The simple modelling procedure could help identify and characterize protein-protein complexes, especially when applied on a genomic scale.

Supporting Evidence

  • Complexes sharing more than 35% sequence identity tend to have similar structures and interaction modes.
  • The DFIREβ energy function successfully ranked the experimental structure above 92% of alternate structures.
  • Most near-native structures were ranked above distinctly non-native models.

Takeaway

This study shows that proteins that are similar in their building blocks often interact in similar ways, which can help scientists understand how they work together.

Methodology

The study used a simple homology modelling approach to compare known protein-protein complexes and assess their structural and sequence similarities.

Potential Biases

Potential biases may arise from using datasets that include non-biological complexes or artefacts from crystal environments.

Limitations

The method may not accurately identify all interaction modes, especially for weakly stable complexes or those influenced by crystal environments.

Participant Demographics

The study focused on binary complexes formed from pairs of single-domain proteins.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2105-9-427

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