Protein superfamily
group of proteins that share a common evolutionary origin, reflected by similarity in their structure
A protein superfamily is the largest grouping (clade) of proteins for which common ancestry can be inferred (see homology). Usually this common ancestry is inferred from structural alignment and mechanistic similarity, even if no sequence similarity is evident. Sequence homology can then be deduced even if not apparent (due to low sequence similarity). Superfamilies typically contain several protein families which show sequence similarity within each family. The term protein clan is commonly used for protease and glycosyl hydrolases superfamilies based on the MEROPS and CAZy classification systems.
The term protein fold refers to a similar concept based on structural comparison. In some schemes such as SCOP and CATH it is treated as a level above the superfamily (with common ancestry at the fold level being not as strongly supported as the superfamily level), while other schemes treat them as synonymous. The level beyond the fold is the fold class, which describes a rough topology of the protein (e.g. all-α, all-β, α+β, α/β).
Identification
Superfamilies of proteins are identified using a number of methods.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Protein superfamily” as group of proteins that share a common evolutionary origin, reflected by similarity in their structure. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as group of proteins that share a common evolutionary origin, reflected by similarity in their structure. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 12, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7251477. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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This entry incorporates text from “Protein superfamily” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.