A three-state prediction of single point mutations on protein stability changes

BACKGROUND: A basic question of protein structural studies is to which extent mutations affect the stability. This question may be addressed starting from sequence and/or from structure. In proteomics and genomics studies prediction of protein stability free energy change (DeltaDeltaG) upon single point mutation may also help the annotation process. The experimental DeltaDeltaG values are affected by uncertainty as measured by standard deviations. Most of the DeltaDeltaG values are nearly zero (about 32% of the DeltaDeltaG data set ranges from -0.5 to 0.5 kcal/mole) and both the value and sign of DeltaDeltaG may be either positive or negative for the same mutation blurring the relationship among mutations and expected DeltaDeltaG value. In order to overcome this problem we describe a new predictor that discriminates between 3 mutation classes: destabilizing mutations (DeltaDeltaG1.0 kcal/mole) and neutral mutations (-1.0