Paradigm development: comparative and predictive 3D modeling of HIV-1 Virion Infectivity Factor (Vif).

Obtaining structural information about Vif is of interest for several reasons that include the study of the interaction of Vif with APOBEC3G, a resistance factor. Vif is a potential drug target and its function is essential for the HIV-1 infectivity process. To study Vif mechanism of action, we need to decipher its structure.

PIR pairwise alignment - a slip up for signal peptides.

The ability to calculate the correct sequence alignment is crucial to many types of studies. The accuracy in alignment is critical in predicting gene ancestry, the number and location of point mutations, evolutionary distance and phylogeny. A study was conducted to test the biological significance of PIR pairwise alignment using 40 N-terminal signal peptides of different taxonomic origin and having various functions.