Identification of functional similarities between proteins using directed evolution.

ABSTRACT: Protein sequences are often highly redundant and evolution can change them beyond recognition. It can therefore be difficult to identify proteins with functional or structural similarities by inspection of their sequences. Here we have used an experimental evolutionary approach to detect hidden similarities between the antisense RNA-binding protein Rop and other proteins. We created an envelope of functional Rop mutants by combinatorial mutagenesis, used the compilation of mutant sequences to search a database of protein structures, and thereby identified a segment of the enzyme valyl-tRNA-synthetase (ValRS). Further inspection revealed that the structures of the RNA-binding sites of both proteins are highly related, as indeed are the RNA ligands. From the known 3D structure of the ValRS i

SUBMITTER: Christ D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC263750 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature