The protein common interface database (ProtCID) is a database that contains clusters of similar homodimeric and heterodimeric interfaces observed in multiple crystal forms (CFs). Such interfaces, especially of homologous but non-identical proteins, have been associated with biologically relevant interactions. In ProtCID, protein chains in the protein data bank (PDB) are grouped based on their PFAM domain architectures. For a single PFAM architecture, all the dimers present in each CF are constructed and compared with those in other CFs that contain the same domain architecture. Interfaces occurring in two or more CFs comprise an interface cluster in the database. The same process is used to compare heterodimers of chains with different domain architectures. By examining interfaces that are shared by many homologous proteins in different CFs, we find that the PDB and the Protein Interfaces, Surfaces, and Assemblies (PISA) are not always consistent in their annotations of biological ass...
Qifang Xu, Roland L. Dunbrack Jr.