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Review
. 2000;1(5):REVIEWS0005.
doi: 10.1186/gb-2000-1-5-reviews0005. Epub 2000 Nov 8.

Can sequence determine function?

J A Gerlt  1 , P C Babbitt
Affiliations
Review

Can sequence determine function?

J A Gerlt et al. Genome Biol. 2000.

Abstract

The functional annotation of proteins identified in genome sequencing projects is based on similarities to homologs in the databases. As a result of the possible strategies for divergent evolution, homologous enzymes frequently do not catalyze the same reaction, and we conclude that assignment of function from sequence information alone should be viewed with some skepticism.

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Figures

Box 1
Box 1
A glossary for divergent evolution.
Figure 1
Figure 1
Different oxidation reactions from proteins of similar sequence: reactions catalyzed by members of the oleic-acid-oxidizing 'family'.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Different reactions catalyzed by members of a mechanistically diverse superfamily: reactions catalyzed by members of the crotonase superfamily.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Reactions catalyzed by homologs of (a) MR and (b) MLE in the enolase superfamily. See text for details
Figure 4
Figure 4
Reactions catalyzed by members of the metabolically linked suprafamilies in the (a) tryptophan and (b) histidine biosynthetic pathways.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Reactions catalyzed by OMPDC and HUPS in a metabolically distinct suprafamily. See text for details.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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