Fragmentomics of proteins and natural oligopeptides

Abstract

The substantiation and definition of the term "fragmentomics" are given. Within the framework of this scientific direction, a theoretical structural and functional analysis of all possible fragments of one protein molecule was performed to determine the sites that could be potential sources of the regulatory oligopeptides. For this purpose, the data on the primary structure of bovine hemoglobin, the information of the database EROP-Moscow on the structure and functions of natural oligopeptides, and a special computer program complex were used. As a result, natural nonhemoglobin oligopeptides containing hemoglobin fragments and natural oligopeptides representing the exact structures of hemoglobin fragments were found. Most abundant among them are neuropeptides, antimicrobial oligopeptides, and hormones. It has been shown that bovine tetrapeptide fragments identified in nonhemoglobin oligopeptides possessing the given functions occur in the amino acid sequences of experimentally obtained hemoglobin oligopeptides having the same functions. The method described has allowed one to reveal also potentially active sites of hemoglobin amino acid sequence not yet investigated experimentally. The possibility of the natural formation of regulatory oligopeptides from hemoglobin molecules and other food proteins, the formation of an exogenous oligopeptide pool in the gastrointestinal tract, and the conformity of the results to the ideas about the natural continuum of regulatory oligopeptides is considered.