Author(s): Heike Sandhoff*
The predictive powerhouse of protein structure and function that is protein sequence coevolution analysis has recently matured. The prediction of membrane and disordered protein structures, protein complex architectures, and the functional effects of protein mutations have been made possible by direct methods that make use of global statistical models of sequence coevolution. These computational methods, which provide functional and structural information in an otherwise experimentally, challenging field, have been adopted by the membrane protein biochemistry and structural biology fields. In this section, we discuss the most recent applications of protein sequence coevolution analysis to the structure and function of membrane proteins, as well as the promising directions and challenges that lie ahead. Membrane protein biochemists who want to apply sequence coevolution analysis to a specific experimental system can benefit from our insights and instructions.
