Using Structural Bioinformatics to Model and Design Membrane Proteins

Cells require membrane proteins for a wide spectrum of critical functions. Transmembrane proteins enable cells to communicate with its environment, catalysis, ion transport and scaffolding. The functional roles of membrane proteins are specified by their sequence composition and precise three dimensional folding. The exact mechanisms driving folding of membrane proteins is still not fully understood. Further, the association between membrane proteins occurs with pinpoint specificity. For example, there exists common sequence features within families of transmembrane receptors, yet there is little cross talk between families. Therefore, we ask how membrane proteins dial in their specificity and what factors are responsible for adoption of native structure. Advancements in membrane protein structure determination methods has been followed by a sharp increase in three dimensional structures. Structural bioinfomatics has been utilized effectively to study water soluble proteins. The field is now entering an era where structural bioinformatics can be applied to modeling membrane proteins without structure and engineering novel membrane proteins. The transmembrane domains of membrane proteins were first categorized structurally. From this analysis, we are able to describe the ways in which membrane proteins fold and associate. We further derived sequenc