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Convergent evolution with combinatorial peptides
Author(s) -
Kay Brian K,
Kasanov Jeremy,
Knight Stephen,
Kurakin Alexei
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/s0014-5793(00)01778-6
Subject(s) - computational biology , biology , convergent evolution , function (biology) , genome , protein function , protein sequencing , protein function prediction , sequence (biology) , genetics , peptide sequence , gene , phylogenetics
Once the sequence of a genome is in hand, understanding the function of its encoded proteins becomes a task of paramount importance. Much like the biochemists who first outlined different biochemical pathways, many genomic scientists are engaged in determining which proteins interact with which proteins, thereby establishing a protein interaction network. While these interactions have evolved in regard to their specificity, affinity and cellular function over billions of years, it is possible in the laboratory to isolate peptides from combinatorial libraries that bind to the same proteins with similar specificity, affinity and primary structures, which resemble those of the natural interacting proteins. We have termed this phenomenon ‘convergent evolution’. In this review, we highlight various examples of convergent evolution that have been uncovered in experiments dissecting protein–protein interactions with combinatorial peptides. Thus, a fruitful approach for mapping protein–protein interactions is to isolate peptide ligands to a target protein and identify candidate interacting proteins in a sequenced genome by computer analysis.