Biological Role of the 3β-Corner Structural Motif in Proteins

In this study, we analyze the occurrence of the unique structural motif, the 3 beta-corner, belonging to the Structural Classification of Proteins (SCOP) folds, in proteins of various origins. We further assess the structural and functional role of this motif as well as the clustering of the biological functions of proteins in which it occurs. It has been shown previously that the 3 beta-corner occurs with different probabilities in all beta proteins, alpha and beta proteins (alpha + beta and alpha/beta), and alpha classes occur most often in the composition of beta-proteins. The 3 beta-corner is often found as a building block in protein structures, such as beta-barrels, -sandwiches, and -sheets/-layers.