PICKLUSTER: a protein-interface clustering and analysis plug-in for UCSF ChimeraX

Abstract

Abstract Summary The identification and characterization of interfaces in protein complexes is crucial for understanding the mechanisms of molecular recognition. These interfaces are also attractive targets for protein inhibition. However, targeting protein interfaces can be challenging for large interfaces that consist of multiple interacting regions. We present PICKLUSTER [Protein Interface C(K)luster]—a program for identifying “sub-interfaces” in protein–protein complexes using distance clustering. The division of the interface into smaller “sub-interfaces” offers a more focused approach for targeting protein–protein interfaces. Availability and implementation PICKLUSTER is implemented as a plug-in for the molecular visualization program UCSF ChimeraX 1.4 and subsequent versions. It is freely available for download in the ChimeraX Toolshed and https://gitlab.com/topf-lab/pickluster.git.