Methods In Protein Sequence Analysis

The Ninth International Conference on Methods in Protein Sequence Analysis was held for the first time in Asia from September 20 to September 24, 1992 in Otsu (a city near Kyoto), Japan. Approximately 400 delegates attended the meeting. Forty papers were presented orally and 147 poster presentations were discussed. Academic sessions were held from early in the morning until late in the evening. We are confident that the Conference was successful in providing up-to-date information about methods in protein sequence analysis to all participants. Moreover, with the knowledge and understanding of the present standard of various methods of analysis that are being used and will be used, we were able to clarify areas that need to be evaluated, to be improved and be explored further. Major topics in the Conference mostly covered areas in the methodology of protein sequence analysis, such as: micropreparation and microsequencing of proteins, mass spectrometry, post-translational modification, prediction and database analysis, and analysis of protein structures of special interests. The evolution of genetic engineering in molecular biology has greatly accelerated the accumulation of knowledge on the amino acid sequence of novel proteins regardless of whether they are expressed or not expressed in living organisms. In the early stage of accumulation of structural information, the amino acid sequence itself is worthy of notice.

Methods in protein sequence analysis constitute important fields in rapid progress. We have experienced a continuous increase in analytical sensitivity coupled with decreases in time necessary for purification and analysis. Several generations of sequencers, liquid/solid/gas-phase, have passed by and returned in other shapes during just over two decades. Similarly, the introduction of HPLC permitted an enormous leap forward in this as in other fields of biochemistry, and we now start to see new major advances in purification/analysis through capillary electrophoresis. Furthermore, progress in the field of mass spectrometry has matched that in chemical analysis and we witness continuous development, now emphasizing ion spray and other mass spectrometric approaches. In short, protein analysis has progressed in line with other developments in modern science and constitutes an indispensable, integral part of present-day molecular biology. Even the available molecular tools, in the form of proteases with different specificities, have increased in number, although we still have far to go to reach an array of "restriction proteases" like the sets of nucleases available to the molecular geneticist. Of course, conferences have been devoted to protein sequence analysis, in particular the MPSA (Methods in Protein Sequence Analysis) series, of which the 8th conference took place in Kiruna, Sweden, July 1-6 1990. Again, we witnessed much progress, saw new instruments, and experienced further interpretational insights into protein mechanisms and functions.

"Methods in Protein Sequence Analysis - 1988" - contains selected contributions on modern protein- analytical techniques as presented by speakers at the Seventh International Conference on "Methods in Protein Sequence Analysis", held from July 3rd to July 8th, 1988 in Berlin. The book contains information on new methodologies for sensitive amino acid analysis, N- and C-terminal sequence analysis, and protein and peptide purification. In addition recent mass spectrometric approaches are described, as an alter native technique to the common stepwise degradative sequence analysis of polypeptides by the Edman method. The book presents new possibilities in the design of sequencers and sophisticated equipment for the structural analysis of peptides and proteins. It describes practical approaches for the investigation of protein domains and protein complexes, and contains review chapters on the crystallization of cell organelles as well as on recent theoretical aspects of protein folding mechanisms. The nature of protein folding is not yet understood, but further advances in this area would greatly enhance our present knowledge of protein structure and function. Further, the book gives examples of the application of gene technology to protein characterization and to the design of new proteins. This enables new studies on the structure and function of proteins to be made, and opens up efficient approaches to the design of drugs.

Sequence - Evolution - Function is an introduction to the computational approaches that play a critical role in the emerging new branch of biology known as functional genomics. The book provides the reader with an understanding of the principles and approaches of functional genomics and of the potential and limitations of computational and experimental approaches to genome analysis. Sequence - Evolution - Function should help bridge the "digital divide" between biologists and computer scientists, allowing biologists to better grasp the peculiarities of the emerging field of Genome Biology and to learn how to benefit from the enormous amount of sequence data available in the public databases. The book is non-technical with respect to the computer methods for genome analysis and discusses these methods from the user's viewpoint, without addressing mathematical and algorithmic details. Prior practical familiarity with the basic methods for sequence analysis is a major advantage, but a reader without such experience will be able to use the book as an introduction to these methods. This book is perfect for introductory level courses in computational methods for comparative and functional genomics.

Much of the recent spectacular progress in the biological sciences can be at tributed ot the ability to isolate, analyze, and structurally characterize proteins and peptides which are present in cells and cellular organelles in only very small amounts. Recent advances in protein chemistry and in particular the application of new micromethods have led to fruitful advances in the understanding of basic cellular processes. Areas where protein-chemical studies have resulted in interest ing discoveries include the peptide hormones and their release factors, growth factors and oncogenes, bioenergetics, proton pumps and ion pumps and chan nels, topogenesis and protein secretion, molecular virology and immunology, membrane protein analysis, and receptor research. In fact, the key methods are now on hand to unravel many of the major outstanding problems of molecular biology and in particular questions of fundamental interest which relate to devel opmental biology and specificity in cell-cell interaction. In this volume we have assembled descriptions of procedures which have re cently been shown to be efficaceous for the isolation, purification, and chemical characterization of proteins and peptides that are only available in minute amounts. Emphasis is placed on well-established micromethods which have been tested and found useful in many laboratories by experienced investigators. The chapters are written by specialists, and describe a range of sensitive techniques which can be used by researchers working in laboratories with only modest resources and equipment.

The MPSA international conference is held in a different country every two years. It is devoted to methods of determining protein structure with emphasis on chemistry and sequence analysis. Until the ninth conference, MPSA was an acronym for Methods in Protein Sequence Analysis. To give the conference more flexibility and breadth, the Scientific Advisory Committee of the lOth MPSA decided to change the name to Methods in Protein Structure Analysis; however, the emphasis remains on "methods" and on "chemistry. " In fact, this is the only major conference that is devoted to methods. The MPSA conference is truly international, a fact clearly reflected by the composi tion of its Scientific Advisory Committee. The Scientific Advisory Committee oversees the scientific direction of the MPSA and elects the chairman of the conference. Members of the committee are elected by active members, based on scientific standing and activity. The chairman, subject to approval of the Scientific Advisory Committee, appoints the Organizing Committee. It is this latter committee that puts the conference together. The lectures of the MPSA have traditionally been published in a special proceedings issue. This is different from, and more detailed than, the special MPSA issue of the Journal of Protein Chemistry in which only a brief description of the talks is given in short papers and abstracts. In the I Oth MPSA, about half the talks are by invited speakers and the remainder were selected from submitted short papers and abstracts.

Presents up-to-date computer methods for analysing DNA, RNA and protein sequences.