FAST (Flexible Analysis by Software Tool) and CHAMP (CHemico-physical AMinoacidic Parameter data bank): a new tool to investigate protein structure

Abstract
A flexible package designed to study protein structure is described. The package is devoted to the analysis of protein sequences by drawing structural profiles of specific structure-related amino acid parameters. An Aminoacidic Parameters Data Bank (CHAMP) containing 32 different series of physico-chemical parameters of amino acids is available. Sequences can be loaded from any ASCII format data bank or from keyboard. The program possesses a routine which enables easy updating of the protein data bank and CHAMP Data Bank. FAST reads statistical correlations between two plots in order to identify structural similarities. Plots can be printed, saved or used for correlation, comparison or graph overlap by using common spreadsheets (e.g. Lotus 123). Plots can be smoothed by a running mean or a running median. The program also has a special feature—a global flexibility analysis of proteins. The package runs on IBM or compatibles and requires DOS 3.0 or later.