Investigation of Atomic Level Patterns in Protein—Small Ligand Interactions
2009

Patterns in Protein-Ligand Interactions

Sample size: 2320 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Chen Ke, Kurgan Lukasz

Primary Institution: University of Alberta

Hypothesis

The study investigates the role of covalent and non-covalent bonds in protein-small ligand interactions using a comprehensive dataset of 2,320 complexes.

Conclusion

The majority of protein-ligand interactions are repetitive and can be summarized with several simple atomic-level patterns.

Supporting Evidence

  • 73% of investigated covalent bonds were summarized with just three patterns.
  • 66% of hydrogen bonds in protein-organic compound complexes are formed between NH- group of protein residues and oxygen atom of ligands.
  • The extracted patterns can improve predictions of binding sites.

Takeaway

This study looks at how proteins and small molecules stick together and finds that there are common ways they do this, which can help in designing new drugs.

Methodology

The study analyzed a dataset of 2,320 protein-ligand complexes to identify interaction patterns based on different types of bonds.

Limitations

The study may not cover all types of protein-ligand interactions, particularly those involving van der Waals contacts.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0004473

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