Evolutionary studies of ligand binding sites in proteins

Biological processes at their most fundamental molecular aspects are defined by molecular interactions with ligand protein interactions in particular at the core of cellular functions such as metabolism and signalling. Divergent and convergent processes shape the evolution of ligand binding sites. The competition between similar ligands and binding sites across protein families create evolutionary pressures that affect the specificity and selectivity of interactions. This short review showcases recent studies of the evolution of ligand binding sites and methods used to detect binding-site similarities.