MEROPS Blast

MEROPS Blast performs sequence similarity searches against the MEROPS database to identify and classify peptidases, substrates, and inhibitors for analysis of peptidase function, substrate cleavage and evolutionary conservation.

Key Features:

• Hierarchical classification system: Organizes entries into Protein species (homologous sets), Families (grouped by structural and functional similarity), and Clans (clusters sharing evolutionary relationships).
• Unique identifiers and holotypes: Assigns unique identifiers to protein species, families, and clans and designates holotype examples as reference standards.
• Sequence similarity searches (BLAST): Aligns user-submitted sequences against the MEROPS collection to identify homologous peptidases, potential substrates, and inhibitors.
• Biological pathway integration: Links peptidases and inhibitors to substrate cleavage events and connects entries to KEGG for pathway context.
• Pharmacological links: Integrates entries with the IUPHAR Guide to Pharmacology to expose pharmacological information related to peptidase activity and inhibition.
• Substrate cleavage submission and conservation assessment: Accepts submitted substrate cleavage sites and assesses their evolutionary conservation to evaluate physiological relevance.

Scientific Applications:

• Enzymology and proteomics research: Enables classification and functional analysis of peptidases and their substrate specificities for studies of enzyme function and regulation.
• Drug discovery and development: Supports identification of peptidase-related therapeutic targets through integration with pharmacological data and inhibitor information.
• Biotechnology: Informs engineering of biocatalysts and other applications by revealing substrate specificity and inhibitor interactions.

Methodology:

Performs BLAST sequence similarity searches by aligning user-submitted sequences against the MEROPS database to identify and classify homologous peptidases, potential substrates, and inhibitors, and assesses conservation of submitted substrate cleavage sites.