The Functional Human C-Terminome.

Area of Science:

• Proteomics
• Bioinformatics
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Proteins terminate with a C-terminus, often containing short functional sequences called minimotifs.
• Existing knowledge on C-termini function is fragmented, lacking a centralized resource.
• Understanding C-termini is crucial for deciphering protein function and regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a comprehensive database and web system, the "C-terminome," for human protein C-termini.
• To consolidate and expand information on minimotifs and their functions at protein C-termini.
• To provide tools for predicting and evaluating the function of uncharacterized C-termini.

Main Methods:

• Developed a "C-terminome" database and web system for human proteins.
• Integrated experimentally identified minimotifs with predicted and novel sequences.
• Employed consensus sequence matching and Gene Evolutionary Rate Profiling (GERP) for predictions.
• Identified new consensus sequences within the last 10 amino acids of human proteins.

Main Results:

• The database covers approximately 3,600 human C-termini with known functional minimotifs.
• Predicted minimotifs and novel sequences were identified for a significant portion of the human proteome.
• New consensus sequences were discovered, applicable to the majority of human genes.
• Functional predictions based on consensus sequences were assigned to nearly half of the human proteome.

Conclusions:

• The C-terminome database provides a unified resource for human protein C-termini and minimotif functions.
• The developed prediction methods enhance the functional annotation of the human proteome.
• This resource facilitates further research into the roles of C-termini in protein regulation and function.