Multiple sequence alignment (MSA) tutorial

Use the biophysical variation across an alignment to identify unusual residues and sequence changes worth investigating.

The first plot is the selected protein’s single-sequence prediction. The second plot compares that sequence with the MSA-derived distribution for the selected property. The red line is the selected protein; quartiles and outlier ranges show the variation permitted by its homologues.

Single-sequence overview

MSA distribution

What to look for

A selected protein outside the quartile range can be unusual relative to its homologues. In the TIM-barrel example, compare backbone dynamics, early-folding propensity, helix propensity, and sheet propensity between natural proteins, sTIM-11, and OctaV1.

Start with the Single Sequence tutorial for plot basics, or analyse your own alignment with the MSA predictor.