Open AccessClassifying a Protein in the CATH Database of Domain Structures
Author(s) -
Orengo C. A.,
Martin A. M.,
Hutchinson G.,
Jones S.,
Jones D. T.,
Michie A. D.,
Swindells M. B.,
Thornton J. M.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
acta crystallographica section d
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1399-0047
DOI - 10.1107/s0907444998007501
Subject(s) - domain (mathematical analysis) , computer science , database , sequence (biology) , protein structure database , web server , sequence database , operating system , biology , the internet , mathematics , genetics , mathematical analysis , gene
The CATH database of protein domain structures classifies structures according to their (C)lass, (A)rchitecture, (T)opology or fold and (H)omologous family (http://www.biochem.ucl.ac.uk/bsm/cath). Although the protocol used is mostly automatic, manual inspection is used to check assignments at some critical stages, such as the detection of very distantly related homologues and anologues and the assignment of novel architectures. Described in this article is a recently established facility to search the database with the coordinates of a newly determined structure. The CATH server first locates domain boundaries and then uses automatic sequence and structure comparison methods to assign this new structure to one or more of the domain families within CATH. Diagnostic reports are generated, together with multiple structural alignments for close relatives. The Server can be accessed over the World Wide Web (WWW) and mirror sites are planned to improve access.