********************************************************************
* Prokaryotic sulfate- and thiosulfate-binding proteins signatures *
********************************************************************

Sulfate-binding  protein (gene sbp or sbpA)  and  thiosulfate-binding  protein
(gene cysP) are  two structurally related periplasmic bacterial proteins which
specifically bind sulfate and thiosulfate and  are  involved  in the transport
systems for these nutrients [1,2].

As signature patterns for these  proteins  we  selected two conserved regions;
one located  in  the  N-terminal  region  and the other in the central part of
these proteins. The second pattern includes two adjacent amino acids (Ser-Gly)
that, in sbp, are known to be essential for sulfate binding [3].

-Consensus pattern: K-x-[NQEK]-[GT]-G-[DQ]-x-[LIVM]-x(3)-Q-S
-Sequences known to belong to this class detected by the pattern: ALL.
-Other sequence(s) detected in SWISS-PROT: NONE.

-Consensus pattern: N-P-K-[ST]-S-G-x-A-R
-Sequences known to belong to this class detected by the pattern: ALL.
-Other sequence(s) detected in SWISS-PROT: NONE.

-Last update: October 1993 / Patterns and text revised.

[ 1] Hryniewicz M., Sirko A., Palucha A., Boeck A., Hulanicka D.
     J. Bacteriol. 172:3358-3366(1990).
[ 2] Laudenbach D.E., Grossman A.R.
     J. Bacteriol. 173:2739-2750(1991).
[ 3] Pflugrath J.W., Quiocho F.A.
     J. Mol. Biol. 200:163-180(1988).
