  Background. Non-specific Lipid Transfer Proteins (nsLTPs) are widely
distributed in the plant kingdom and constitute a superfamily of related
proteins. More than 800 different sequences have been characterized so far, but
their biological functions remain unclear. It has been clear for years that
they present a certain interest for agronomic and nutritional issues.
Deciphering their functions means collecting and analyzing a variety of data
from gene sequence to protein structure, from cellular localization to the
physiological role. As a huge and growing number of new protein sequences are
available nowadays, extracting meaningful knowledge from
sequence-structure-function relationships calls for the development of new
tools and approaches. As nsLTPs show high evolutionary divergence, but a
conserved common right-handed superhelix structural fold, and as they are
involved in a large number of key roles in plant development and defense, they
are a stimulating case study for validating such an approach.
