
The server lets users mutate proteins in
various ways and study mutation effects in 3D.
The only required inputs are a structural model and a list of mutations of
interest.
Alternatively, the user can upload human SNPs in the VCF format.
You can click on the buttons at each field in the forms to get further information.
Main steps
Either:
- create an alignment on AlignMe webserver
- forward the results to MutationExplorer
- select base and target sequence
- upload base (and optionally target) structure
- get homology model (or optionally superimposed models)
- upload human SNPs in VCF format
- upload structure
- define mutations
- explore: mutate again and again ...
- mutation forecast using RaSP
- color by: absolute/differences energy/hydrophobicity/conservation
Structure upload
Structures can be uploaded in three different ways:
- PDB ID,
- AlphaFold ID
- upload local PDB file
Define mutations
Mutations can be defined in three different ways:
- key or paste into GUI, using a simple syntax: [chain]:[residue number][target mutation], example: ”A:12G,B:134T". The residue number has to be present in and match the uploaded PDB
- upload alignment in ClustalW format
- upload target sequence either by pasting the sequence, uploading a FASTA file or specifying a Uniprot ID
Mutation syntax
- a comma separated list of CHAIN ':' RESIDUE-ID TARGET-AA-TYPE
- example: 'A:23G,B:123A'
- this mutates the residue in chain A with the PDB residue ID 23 to glycine and in chain B the residue with residue ID 123 to alanine
Explorations
You can select a model and further mutate this using the mutation window.
Expected time requirements
Actual times depend on the size of the system and may vary significantly.
- initial basic minimization: 1-3 min
- per round of mutations: ~2 min
- VCF processing (plus minimization): 5 min
Details can be found in the FAQs.