What are the pros and cons of homology modelling and threading for protein structure modeling?

The modeling of protein structures is a popular field of study, and several methods have been developed to do so.

Among the many benefits of Homology modeling are:


  • It assumes that the target protein's structure is similar to that of a known protein and uses that information to create a model.
  • Applying a related template can help the model perform better.
  • Gaining the first 3D structure of a protein of interest can be done quickly and cheaply using this technique.

Homology modeling's drawbacks:


  • Needs a similar template with a known structure, which isn't always handy.
  • The quality of the template structure may be a limiting factor in the model's accuracy.
  • However, the model may not account for structural modifications made to the target protein since the template was created.

Threading has its benefits.


  • In the absence of a highly similar template, it can be used to make educated guesses about a protein's three-dimensional structure.
  • The structure of distantly related proteins can be predicted.
  • It has a low computational cost and a high throughput.

The Downside to Threading : 


  • It's possible the predictions will be less precise than with homology modeling.
  • Results may vary depending on the effectiveness of the threading algorithms employed.
  • Changes in the target protein's structure might not be reflected in the model.

In conclusion, the availability of a closely related template and the desired level of accuracy will determine whether homology modeling or threading is the better option. For a more complete picture of protein structure, it is necessary to critically assess the outcomes of both methods and integrate them with other experimental data.