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Ruleminer: a knowledge system for supporting high-throughput protein function annotations.

In this paper, we present RuleMiner, a knowledge system to facilitate a seamless integration of multi-sequence analysis tools and define profile-based rules for supporting high-throughput protein function annotations. This system consists of three essential components, Protein Function Groups (PFGs), PFG profiles and rules. The PFGs, established from an integrated analysis of current knowledge of protein functions from Swiss-Prot database and protein family-based sequence classifications, cover all possible cellular functions available in the database. The PFG profiles illustrate detailed protein features in the PFGs as in sequence conservations, the occurrences of sequence-based motifs, domains and species distributions. The rules, extracted from the PFG profiles, describe the clear relationships between these PFGs and all possible features. As a result, the RuleMiner is able to provide an enhanced capability for protein function analysis, such as results from the integrated sequence analysis tools for given proteins can be comparatively analyzed due to the clear feature-PFG relationships. Also, much needed guidance is readily available for such analysis. If the rules describe one-to-one (unique) relationships between the protein features and the PFGs, then these features can be utilized as unique functional identifiers and cellular functions of unknown proteins can be reliably determined. Otherwise, additional information has to be provided.

Algorithms↗

Automatic annotation of protein function.

The annotation of protein function at genomic scale is essential for day-to-day work in biology and for any systematic approach to the modeling of biological systems. Currently, functional annotation is essentially based on the expansion of the relatively small number of experimentally determined functions to large collections of proteins. The task of systematic annotation faces formidable practical problems related to the accuracy of the input experimental information, the reliability of current systems for transferring information between related sequences, and the reproducibility of the links between database information and the original experiments reported in publications. These technical difficulties merely lie on the surface of the deeper problem of the evolution of protein function in the context of protein sequences and structures. Given the mixture of technical and scientific challenges, it is not surprising that errors are introduced, and expanded, in database annotations. In this situation, a more realistic option is the development of a reliability index for database annotations, instead of depending exclusively on efforts to correct databases. Several groups have attempted to compare the database annotations of similar proteins, which constitutes the first steps toward the calibration of the relationship between sequence and annotation space.

Artificial Intelligence↗

JAFA: a protein function annotation meta-server.

With the high number of sequences and structures streaming in from genomic projects, there is a need for more powerful and sophisticated annotation tools. Most problematic of the annotation efforts is predicting gene and protein function. Over the past few years there has been considerable progress in automated protein function prediction, using a diverse set of methods. Nevertheless, no single method reports all the information possible, and molecular biologists resort to 'shopping around' using different methods: a cumbersome and time-consuming practice. Here we present the Joined Assembly of Function Annotations, or JAFA server. JAFA queries several function prediction servers with a protein sequence and assembles the returned predictions in a legible, non-redundant format. In this manner, JAFA combines the predictions of several servers to provide a comprehensive view of what are the predicted functions of the proteins. JAFA also offers its own output, and the individual programs' predictions for further processing. JAFA is available for use from http://jafa.burnham.org.

Internet↗

Global protein function annotation through mining genome-scale data in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

As we are moving into the post genome-sequencing era, various high-throughput experimental techniques have been developed to characterize biological systems on the genomic scale. Discovering new biological knowledge from the high-throughput biological data is a major challenge to bioinformatics today. To address this challenge, we developed a Bayesian statistical method together with Boltzmann machine and simulated annealing for protein functional annotation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae through integrating various high-throughput biological data, including yeast two-hybrid data, protein complexes and microarray gene expression profiles. In our approach, we quantified the relationship between functional similarity and high-throughput data, and coded the relationship into 'functional linkage graph', where each node represents one protein and the weight of each edge is characterized by the Bayesian probability of function similarity between two proteins. We also integrated the evolution information and protein subcellular localization information into the prediction. Based on our method, 1802 out of 2280 unannotated proteins in yeast were assigned functions systematically.

Bayes Theorem↗

Automatic annotation of protein function based on family identification.

Although genomes are being sequenced at an impressive rate, the information generated tells us little about protein function, which is slow to characterize by traditional methods. Automatic protein function annotation based on computational methods has alleviated this imbalance. The most powerful current approach for inferring the function of new proteins is by studying the annotations of their homologues, since their common origin is assumed to be reflected in their structure and function. Unfortunately, as proteins evolve they acquire new functions, so annotation based on homology must be carried out in the context of orthologues or subfamilies. Evolution adds new complications through domain shuffling: homology (or orthology) frequently corresponds to domains rather than complete proteins. Moreover, the function of a protein may be seen as the result of combining the functions of its domains. Additionally, automatic annotation has to deal with problems related to the annotations in the databases: errors (which are likely to be propagated), inconsistencies, or different degrees of function specification. We describe a method that addresses these difficulties for the annotation of protein function. Sequence relationships are detected and measured to obtain a map of the sequence space, which is searched for differentiated groups of proteins (similar to islands on the map), which are expected to have a common function and correspond to groups of orthologues or subfamilies. This mapmaking is done by applying a clustering algorithm based on Normalized cuts in graphs. The domain problem is addressed in a simple way: pairwise local alignments are analyzed to determine the extent to which they cover the entire sequence lengths of the two proteins. This analysis determines both what homologues are preferred for functional inheritance and the level of confidence of the annotation. To alleviate the problems associated with database annotations, the information on all the homologues that are grouped together with the query protein are taken into account to select the most representative functional descriptors. This method has been applied for the annotation of the genome of Buchnera aphidicola (specific host Baizongia pistaciae). Human inspection of the annotations allowed an estimation of accuracy of 94%; the different kinds of error that may appear when using this approach are described. Results can be accessed at http://www.pdg.cnb.uam.es/funcut.html. The programs are available upon request, although installation in other systems may be complicated.

Algorithms↗

Knowledge-based voting algorithm for automated protein functional annotation.

Automated annotation of high-throughput genome sequences is one of the earliest steps toward a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic behavior of living organisms. However, the step is often error-prone because of its underlying algorithms, which rely mainly on a simple similarity analysis, and lack of guidance from biological rules. We present herein a knowledge-based protein annotation algorithm. Our objectives are to reduce errors and to improve annotation confidences. This algorithm consists of two major components: a knowledge system, called "RuleMiner," and a voting procedure. The knowledge system, which includes biological rules and functional profiles for each function, provides a platform for seamless integration of multiple sequence analysis tools and guidance for function annotation. The voting procedure, which relies on the knowledge system, is designed to make (possibly) unbiased judgments in functional assignments among complicated, sometimes conflicting, information. We have applied this algorithm to 10 prokaryotic bacterial genomes and observed a significant improvement in annotation confidences. We also discuss the current limitations of the algorithm and the potential for future improvement.

Algorithms↗

Position-specific annotation of protein function based on multiple homologs.

I present in this work an algorithm for deriving protein functional annotations which are position-specific. The input is based on the results of a sequence similarity search of the query sequence against a sequence database. Strings of words are extracted from the descriptions of the proteins, and the correlation between proteins having the same descriptors and the amino acid conservation is used to compute a score that indicates which descriptor is likely to describe better the function of each particular residue. Analysis of the score curves and comparison of different functions allows an easy detection of parts of the sequence associated to different function. Different levels of functional specificity can be compared, allowing to choose the one that suits better the function of the protein. Immediate applications of this algorithm are, support for (automated) methods of protein functional annotation, and database coherence check.

Algorithms↗

Automated discovery of 3D motifs for protein function annotation.

MOTIVATION: Function inference from structure is facilitated by the use of patterns of residues (3D motifs), normally identified by expert knowledge, that correlate with function. As an alternative to often limited expert knowledge, we use machine-learning techniques to identify patterns of 3-10 residues that maximize function prediction. This approach allows us to test the assumption that residues that provide function are the most informative for predicting function. RESULTS: We apply our method, GASPS, to the haloacid dehalogenase, enolase, amidohydrolase and crotonase superfamilies and to the serine proteases. The motifs found by GASPS are as good at function prediction as 3D motifs based on expert knowledge. The GASPS motifs with the greatest ability to predict protein function consist mainly of known functional residues. However, several residues with no known functional role are equally predictive. For four groups, we show that the predictive power of our 3D motifs is comparable with or better than approaches that use the entire fold (Combinatorial-Extension) or sequence profiles (PSI-BLAST). AVAILABILITY: Source code is freely available for academic use by contacting the authors. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Algorithms↗

The Mouse Functional Genome Database (MfunGD): functional annotation of proteins in the light of their cellular context.

MfunGD (http://mips.gsf.de/genre/proj/mfungd/) provides a resource for annotated mouse proteins and their occurrence in protein networks. Manual annotation concentrates on proteins which are found to interact physically with other proteins. Accordingly, manually curated information from a protein-protein interaction database (MPPI) and a database of mammalian protein complexes is interconnected with MfunGD. Protein function annotation is performed using the Functional Catalogue (FunCat) annotation scheme which is widely used for the analysis of protein networks. The dataset is also supplemented with information about the literature that was used in the annotation process as well as links to the SIMAP Fasta database, the Pedant protein analysis system and cross-references to external resources. Proteins that so far were not manually inspected are annotated automatically by a graphical probabilistic model and/or superparamagnetic clustering. The database is continuously expanding to include the rapidly growing amount of functional information about gene products from mouse. MfunGD is implemented in GenRE, a J2EE-based component-oriented multi-tier architecture following the separation of concern principle.

Animals↗

ProFAT: a web-based tool for the functional annotation of protein sequences.

BACKGROUND: The functional annotation of proteins relies on published information concerning their close and remote homologues in sequence databases. Evidence for remote sequence similarity can be further strengthened by a similar biological background of the query sequence and identified database sequences. However, few tools exist so far, that provide a means to include functional information in sequence database searches. RESULTS: We present ProFAT, a web-based tool for the functional annotation of protein sequences based on remote sequence similarity. ProFAT combines sensitive sequence database search methods and a fold recognition algorithm with a simple text-mining approach. ProFAT extracts identified hits based on their biological background by keyword-mining of annotations, features and most importantly, literature associated with a sequence entry. A user-provided keyword list enables the user to specifically search for weak, but biologically relevant homologues of an input query. The ProFAT server has been evaluated using the complete set of proteins from three different domain families, including their weak relatives and could correctly identify between 90% and 100% of all domain family members studied in this context. ProFAT has furthermore been applied to a variety of proteins from different cellular contexts and we provide evidence on how ProFAT can help in functional prediction of proteins based on remotely conserved proteins. CONCLUSION: By employing sensitive database search programs as well as exploiting the functional information associated with database sequences, ProFAT can detect remote, but biologically relevant relationships between proteins and will assist researchers in the prediction of protein function based on remote homologies.

Algorithms↗

Automatic prediction of protein function.

Most methods annotating protein function utilise sequence homology to proteins of experimentally known function. Such a homology-based annotation transfer is problematic and limited in scope. Therefore, computational biologists have begun to develop ab initio methods that predict aspects of function, including subcellular localization, post-translational modifications, functional type and protein-protein interactions. For the first two cases, the most accurate approaches rely on identifying short signalling motifs, while the most general methods utilise tools of artificial intelligence. An outstanding new method predicts classes of cellular function directly from sequence. Similarly, promising methods have been developed predicting protein-protein interaction partners at acceptable levels of accuracy for some pairs in entire proteomes. No matter how difficult the task, successes over the last few years have clearly paved the way for ab initio prediction of protein function.

Computational Biology↗

The Protein Information Resource: an integrated public resource of functional annotation of proteins.

The Protein Information Resource (PIR) serves as an integrated public resource of functional annotation of protein data to support genomic/proteomic research and scientific discovery. The PIR, in collaboration with the Munich Information Center for Protein Sequences (MIPS) and the Japan International Protein Information Database (JIPID), produces the PIR-International Protein Sequence Database (PSD), the major annotated protein sequence database in the public domain, containing about 250 000 proteins. To improve protein annotation and the coverage of experimentally validated data, a bibliography submission system is developed for scientists to submit, categorize and retrieve literature information. Comprehensive protein information is available from iProClass, which includes family classification at the superfamily, domain and motif levels, structural and functional features of proteins, as well as cross-references to over 40 biological databases. To provide timely and comprehensive protein data with source attribution, we have introduced a non-redundant reference protein database, PIR-NREF. The database consists of about 800 000 proteins collected from PIR-PSD, SWISS-PROT, TrEMBL, GenPept, RefSeq and PDB, with composite protein names and literature data. To promote database interoperability, we provide XML data distribution and open database schema, and adopt common ontologies. The PIR web site (http://pir.georgetown.edu/) features data mining and sequence analysis tools for information retrieval and functional identification of proteins based on both sequence and annotation information. The PIR databases and other files are also available by FTP (ftp://nbrfa.georgetown.edu/pir_databases).

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Comparison of protein active site structures for functional annotation of proteins and drug design.

Rapid and accurate functional assignment of novel proteins is increasing in importance, given the completion of numerous genome sequencing projects and the vastly expanding list of unannotated proteins. Traditionally, global primary-sequence and structure comparisons have been used to determine putative function. These approaches, however, do not emphasize similarities in active site configurations that are fundamental to a protein's activity and highly conserved relative to the global and more variable structural features. The Comparison of Protein Active Site Structures (CPASS) database and software enable the comparison of experimentally identified ligand-binding sites to infer biological function and aid in drug discovery. The CPASS database comprises the ligand-defined active sites identified in the protein data bank, where the CPASS program compares these ligand-defined active sites to determine sequence and structural similarity without maintaining sequence connectivity. CPASS will compare any set of ligand-defined protein active sites, irrespective of the identity of the bound ligand.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Recurrent use of evolutionary importance for functional annotation of proteins based on local structural similarity.

The annotation of protein function has not kept pace with the exponential growth of raw sequence and structure data. An emerging solution to this problem is to identify 3D motifs or templates in protein structures that are necessary and sufficient determinants of function. Here, we demonstrate the recurrent use of evolutionary trace information to construct such 3D templates for enzymes, search for them in other structures, and distinguish true from spurious matches. Serine protease templates built from evolutionarily important residues distinguish between proteases and other proteins nearly as well as the classic Ser-His-Asp catalytic triad. In 53 enzymes spanning 33 distinct functions, an automated pipeline identifies functionally related proteins with an average positive predictive power of 62%, including correct matches to proteins with the same function but with low sequence identity (the average identity for some templates is only 17%). Although these template building, searching, and match classification strategies are not yet optimized, their sequential implementation demonstrates a functional annotation pipeline which does not require experimental information, but only local molecular mimicry among a small number of evolutionarily important residues.

Algorithms↗

ProSAT: functional annotation of protein 3D structures.

ProSAT (for Protein Structure Annotation Tool) is a tool to facilitate interactive visualization of non-structure-based functional annotations in protein 3D structures. It performs automated mapping of the functional annotations onto the protein structure and allows functional sites to be readily identified upon visualization. The current version of ProSAT can be applied to large datasets of protein structures for fast visual identification of active and other functional sites derived from the SwissProt and Prosite databases.

Chromosome Mapping↗

FANTASIA suite: a reproducible and configurable framework for embedding-based functional annotation of proteins.

Embedding-based annotation transfer is increasingly used for protein function inference due to protein language models capture sequence, structural, and functional signals that may extend beyond conventional pairwise similarity. However, systematic application of these approaches requires control over model choice, reference composition, lookup parameters, evidence traceability, and output formats. We developed the FANTASIA suite, a configurable framework for embedding-based functional annotation of proteins. The suite combines a database-backed implementation for reproducible and extensible analyses with a portable flat-file implementation for rapid local annotation and pipeline integration. Using non-model and model-organism proteomes, we show that larger neighbourhood sizes remain practical for proteome-scale analyses and that taxonomy and sequence-identity filtering support leakage-aware benchmarking. We also compare the supported models with baseline methods through external CAFA5 evaluation and provide practical guidance based on empirical evidence variables. FANTASIA provides a controlled, scalable, and reproducible framework for extending functional annotation across the rapidly expanding diversity of sequenced organisms.

Software↗

A rigorous method for multigenic families' functional annotation: the peptidyl arginine deiminase (PADs) proteins family example.

BACKGROUND: large scale and reliable proteins' functional annotation is a major challenge in modern biology. Phylogenetic analyses have been shown to be important for such tasks. However, up to now, phylogenetic annotation did not take into account expression data (i.e. ESTs, Microarrays, SAGE, ...). Therefore, integrating such data, like ESTs in phylogenetic annotation could be a major advance in post genomic analyses. We developed an approach enabling the combination of expression data and phylogenetic analysis. To illustrate our method, we used an example protein family, the peptidyl arginine deiminases (PADs), probably implied in Rheumatoid Arthritis. RESULTS: the analysis was performed as follows: we built a phylogeny of PAD proteins from the NCBI's NR protein database. We completed the phylogenetic reconstruction of PADs using an enlarged sequence database containing translations of ESTs contigs. We then extracted all corresponding expression data contained in EST database This analysis allowed us 1/To extend the spectrum of homologs-containing species and to improve the reconstruction of genes' evolutionary history. 2/To deduce an accurate gene expression pattern for each member of this protein family. 3/To show a correlation between paralogous sequences' evolution rate and pattern of tissular expression. CONCLUSION: coupling phylogenetic reconstruction and expression data is a promising way of analysis that could be applied to all multigenic families to investigate the relationship between molecular and transcriptional evolution and to improve functional annotation.

Animals↗

POLYVIEW: a flexible visualization tool for structural and functional annotations of proteins.

UNLABELLED: The POLYVIEW visualization server can be used to generate protein sequence annotations, including secondary structures, relative solvent accessibilities, functional motifs and polymorphic sites. Two-dimensional graphical representations in a customizable format may be generated for both known protein structures and predictions obtained using protein structure prediction servers. POLYVIEW may be used for automated generation of pictures with structural and functional annotations for publications and proteomic on-line resources. AVAILABILITY: http://polyview.cchmc.org.

Algorithms↗