Exploring the role of cation–π interactions in glycoproteins lipid-binding proteins and RNA-binding proteins

We have analyzed and compared the influence of cation–π interactions in glycoproteins (GPs), lipid-binding proteins (LBPs) and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) in this study. We observed that all the proteins included in the study had profound cation–π interactions. There is an average of one energetically significant cation–π interaction for every 71 residues in GPs, for every 58 residues in LBPs and for every 64 residues in RBPs. Long-range contacts are predominant in all the three types of proteins studied. The pair-wise cation–π interaction energy between the positively charged and aromatic residues shows that Arg–Trp pair energy was the strongest among all six possible pairs in all the three types of proteins studied. There were considerable differences in the preference of cation–π interacting residues to different secondary structure elements and ASA and these might contribute to differences in biochemical functions of GPs, LBPs and RBPs. It was interesting to note that all the five residues involved in cation–π interactions were found to have stabilization centers in GPs, LBPs and RBPs. Majority of the cation–π interacting residues investigated in the present study had a conservation score of ⩾6, the cutoff value used to identify the stabilizing residues. A small percentage of cation–π interacting residues were also present as stabilizing residues. The cation–π interaction-forming residues play an important role in the structural stability of in GPs, LBPs and RBPs. The results obtained in this study will be helpful in further understanding the stability, specificity and differences in the biochemical functions of GPs, LBPs and RBPs.