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Dtar-Finder: program for drug target identification and characterization in bacteria
Purushottam Prasad1, Rati Sudha1
1P.G. Department of Zoology, ANS College, Magadh University, Patna (Barh) 803213, India.
Bioinformation
|July 30, 2019
Summary
This study introduces Dtar-Finder, an automated Perl program for identifying essential bacterial drug targets. The tool efficiently predicts druggable and broad-spectrum candidates, aiding in novel drug discovery.
Area of Science:
- Computational Biology
- Drug Discovery
- Bioinformatics
Background:
- Drug target identification is crucial for drug discovery but often lacks automation.
- Advancements in computational methods and sequencing data offer opportunities for automated target identification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a fully automated, robust, and generic Perl program (Dtar-Finder) for identifying and characterizing bacterial drug targets.
- To predict essential pathogen targets, human anti-targets, and gut microflora, assessing druggability and broad-spectrum potential.
Main Methods:
- Developed Dtar-Finder, a 6-module Perl program for drug target identification.
- Modules 1-4 extract potential targets; modules 5-6 assess druggability and broad-spectrum activity.
- Evaluated program performance using sensitivity and specificity metrics.
Main Results:
- Dtar-Finder identified 35 potential drug targets in *C. botulinum*.
- 16 broad-spectrum candidates and 8 druggable candidates were predicted.
- Literature cross-validation confirmed 77.14% accuracy for the identified drug targets.
Conclusions:
- Dtar-Finder successfully provides a fast, robust, and generic solution for bacterial drug target identification.
- The program aids in discovering novel, druggable, and broad-spectrum drug candidates, advancing drug discovery pipelines.
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