title: Functional significance of conserved amino acid residues.
abstract: A systemic study of single amino acid substitutions in bacteriophage T4 lysozyme permitted a test of the concept that conserved amino acid residues are more functionally important than nonconserved residues. Substitutions of amino acid residues that are conserved among five bacteriophage-encoded lysozymes were found to lead more frequently to loss of function than substitutions of nonconserved residues. Of 163 residues tested, only 74 (45%) are sensitive to at least one substitution; however, all 14 residues that are fully conserved are sensitive to substitutions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Worcester 01655.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Poteete
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rennell
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Bouvier
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009113:Muramidase / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D009113:Muramidase