Bioinformatics programs are highly accurate in identifying protein families directly from protein sequences, even when the sequence identity is very low. The transthyretin-related proteins (TRPs) are one example of a protein family that has been identified. Whereas transthyretin (TTR) is well-characterized both in vivo and in vitro, only recently has research focused on the TRPs. Their structural similarity to TTR has been verified, and their function as a 5-hydroxyisourate (HIU) hydrolase has been established. In this review we discuss structural aspects of TRP function. We also discuss the still unknown transthyretin-like proteins (TLPs) that are seemingly unique to nematodes.
Richardson, Samantha J.; Cody, Vivian (Eds.) Approx. 375 p. 65 illus., 23 in color