Mapping the surface properties of macromolecules

Methods are presented for the rapid computation of schematic projections of the surfaces of macromolecules, similar to the “roadmaps” used to illustrate the surfaces of viruses (Rossmann, M.G. & Palmenberg, A.C., 1988, Virology 164, 373–382). Several types of projections are described, extending the application of “roadmaps” to the external surfaces of all macromolecules and their interior binding pockets and pores. The surface projections, showing the positions of residues, can be colored, shaded, contoured, and annotated to show physical, sequence, or functional properties such as surface topology, hydrophobicity, or sequence conservation, for example. The automated procedures are useful for surveys of the surface features of proteins sharing similar functional properties.