Protein Clustering and Classification

• Main Authors: SASSON, Ori, Linial, Michal
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2004
• Subjects: Bioinformatics; Computer Sciences
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sis_research/877; https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-2834-2_15
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Proteins are the building blocks of all organisms. The name protein is derived from the Greek word ‘protos’ which means first or primal. Indeed proteins are the most fundamental substance of life, as they are the key component of the protoplasm of all cells. In addition to their role as the building blocks of cells and tissue, proteins also play a role in executing and regulating most biological processes. Enzymes, hormones, transcription factors, pumps and antibodies are examples for the diverse functions fulfilled by proteins in a living organism. In the study of proteins, there are three important attributes of proteins: sequence, structure, and function. The sequence is essentially the string of amino acids which comprises the protein. The structure of the protein is the way the protein is outlaid in the three dimensional space. Perhaps most important, yet most elusive, is the protein function. The protein function is its actual role in the specific organism in which it exists. Understanding the protein function is critical for most applications, such as drug design, genetic engineering, or pure biological research.