ELM - a bioinformatical resource for linear motifs in proteins

Classes of linear motifs Foto: Rein Aasland

It is most common to describe the function of proteins by their large globular domains. Typical examples of globular domains are catalytic domains that are responsible for enzymatic activity or DNA-binding domains. Yet, many functions are mediated by short linear motifs. Such motifs typically consist of 3-5 amino acids long and can serve three types of molecular functions: 1) binding to other proteins; 2) sites for post-translational modification; and 3) proteolytical cleavage sites. 

While many bioinformatical tools and databases are available for analysis of globular domains, few resources deal with short, linear motifs. One of the reasons for this is that short linear motifs are difficult to deal with when using traditional bioinformatical methods.