The object of this paper is to review briefly the studies on the interaction of red blood cell membrane skeletal proteins and their non-erythroid analogues with lipids in model systems as well as in natural membranes. An important question to be addressed is the physiological significance and possible regulatory molecular mechanisms in which these interactions are engaged.
Several protein families of different nature were studied for genetic relationship, correct alignment at non-homologous fragments, optimal sequence consensus construction, and confirmation of their actual relevance. A comparison of the genetic semihomology approach with statistical approaches indicates a high accuracy and cognition significance of the former. This is particularly pronounced in the study of related proteins that show a low degree of homology. The sequence multiple alignments were verified and corrected with respect to the questionable, non-homologous fragments. The verified alignments were the basis for consensus sequence formation. The frequency of six-codon amino acids occurrence versus position variability was studied and their possible role in amino acid mutational exchange at variable positions is discussed.
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