WWWWhy does nature stutter? A survey of strands of repeated amino acids

Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr. 2001 Feb;57(Pt 2):181-6. doi: 10.1107/s0907444900018023.

Abstract

Human stuttering is a simple example of the repetition of sounds or symbols, sometimes associated with single letters, and may be used to illustrate the amazing repetition of amino acids (symbolized by a letter, e.g. W) in proteins. A survey of available databases with highly improbable strings of single amino acids is tabulated. This paper concludes with a challenge to the crystallographic community to probe the structural origins of the structure-function relationship in this neglected area. When nature stutters, we should pay attention.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acids*
  • Animals
  • Databases, Factual*
  • Humans
  • Proteins / chemistry*
  • Repetitive Sequences, Amino Acid*

Substances

  • Amino Acids
  • Proteins

Associated data

  • PDB/1A4Z
  • PDB/1AG8
  • PDB/1C9R
  • PDB/1CW3
  • PDB/1CZZ
  • PDB/1JVR
  • PDB/1QBK
  • PDB/1QDP