Modeling by homology

Abstract

The structures of proteins can be modeled reasonably accurately on the basis of their relationships with homologous proteins, the structures of which have been experimentally determined. Recent advances in techniques for detecting distant homologs have increased the potential of this approach considerably. Combined with the availability of increasing numbers of genome sequences and experimentally defined protein structures, new methods for modeling by homology now provide great opportunities in areas raging from research into molecular and cellular processes to structure‐based drug design.