Scorecons

Scorecons computes quantitative residue conservation scores from multiple sequence alignments (MSAs) to assess positional importance for protein structure and function.

Key Features:

• Quantitative Conservation Scoring: Implements a general formula that produces standardized conservation scores usable as independent measures or for direct comparison.
• Comparative Analysis Capability: Integrates and evaluates various conservation scores developed over the past two decades to enable comparative assessment of their relative behavior.
• Addressing Intrinsic Challenges: Explicitly addresses intrinsic problems in developing and evaluating residue conservation metrics to improve robustness and reliability of conservation estimates.

Scientific Applications:

• Protein Structure and Function Analysis: Identifies conserved residues in MSAs to infer positions important for protein structural stability and biochemical function.
• Homology Modeling and Evolutionary Studies: Highlights conserved regions across homologous sequences to inform homology modeling and evolutionary analyses.

Methodology:

Computes conservation using a general formula that standardizes and integrates existing conservation scores, enabling their direct comparison.