Variations within Class-A β-Lactamase Physiochemical Properties Reflect Evolutionary and Environmental Patterns, but not Antibiotic Specificity
Figure 4
Backbone flexibility of β-lactamases is well conserved.
(a) The flexibility for each structure is mapped onto the multiple sequence alignment of the class-A β-lactamase family. The backbone of residues colored red is flexible, whereas blue indicates rigidity. The spectrum bar illustrates the extent of flexibility and rigidity, which ranges from −1 to +1. (b) Flexibility index values averaged across the family are shown in in green, whereas the dashed lines highlight fluctuations (as defined by ±1 standard deviation). (c) Visual observation of backbone flexibility identifies three main flexibility regions that are mapped on to the structure. These flexible loops might have an important role in protein functionality.