Enzymes/non-enzymes classification model complexity based on composition, sequence, 3D and topological indices

The huge amount of new proteins that need a fast enzymatic activity characterization creates demands of protein QSAR theoretical models. The protein parameters that can be used for an enzyme/non-enzyme classification includes the simpler indices such as composition, sequence and connectivity, also called topological indices (TIs) and the computationally expensive 3D descriptors. A comparison of the 3D versus lower dimension indices has not been reported with respect to the power of discrimination of proteins according to enzyme action. A set of 966 proteins (enzymes and non-enzymes) whose structural characteristics are provided by PDB/DSSP files was analyzed with Python/Biopython scripts, STATISTICA and Weka. The list of indices includes, but it is not restricted to pure composition indices (residue fractions), DSSP secondary structure protein composition and 3D indices (surface and access). We also used mixed indices such as composition-sequence indices (Chou's pseudo-amino acid compositions or coupling numbers), 3D-composition (surface fractions) and DSSP secondary structure amino acid composition/propensities (obtained with our Prot-2S Web tool). In addition, we extend and test for the first time several classic TIs for the Randic's protein sequence Star graphs using our Sequence to Star Graph (S2SG) Python application. All the indices were processed with general discriminant analysis models (GDA), neural networks (NN) and machine learning (ML) methods and the results are presented versus complexity, average of Shannon's information entropy (Sh) and data/method type. This study compares for the first time all these classes of indices to assess the ratios between model accuracy and indices/model complexity in enzyme/non-enzyme discrimination. The use of different methods and complexity of data shows that one cannot establish a direct relation between the complexity and the accuracy of the model.