Waltz

We have developed the WALTZ algorithm for the identification of amyloid forming hexapeptides in amino acid sequences. WALTZ combines terms from amino acid sequence scoring in the learning set, physical property analysis and homology modelling. The method shows ~84% sensitivity at ~92% specificity on the AmylHex dataset, and correctly identifies mutations in human proteins known to be associated with amyloid deposition. The combination of the aggregation predicting algorithm TANGO with WALTZ, provides a complete cover of aggregation and amyloid tendency in protein sequences.

WALTZ is being developed by Joost Schymkowitz and Frederic Rousseau and their team at the SWITCH Laboratory of VIB in Brussels, Belgium, in collaboration with Luis Serrano and his team at the CRG in Barcelona, Spain.