Selecting the right protein-scoring matrix.

Every program for searching protein sequences against a database includes a choice of a protein weight matrix, also called a scoring matrix. Weight matrices add sensitivity to the search, while statistical significance adds selectivity. Virtually every user chooses the default, typically PAM 250 or BLOSUM62. Despite the fact that the choice of matrix can strongly influence the outcome of the analysis, most users do not know why a particular matrix should be used. In general, scoring matrices implicitly represent a particular theory of protein sequence evolution. Understanding the assumptions underlying the PAM and BLOSUM scoring matrices can aid in making the proper choice. The purpose of this unit is to guide the choice of a scoring matrix. It covers the selection of PAM matrices, BLOSUM matrices and provides a brief overview of the wide variety of specialized scoring matrices.