Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2025

An Integrated Approach for Microprotein Identification and Sequence Analysis
Published on: July 12, 2022
Evolutionary origins and interactomes of human, young microproteins and small peptides translated from short open
Clara-L Sandmann1, Jana F Schulz1, Jorge Ruiz-Orera2
1Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), 13125 Berlin, Germany; DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Berlin, 13347 Berlin, Germany.
Abstract:
All species continuously evolve short open reading frames (sORFs) that can be templated for protein synthesis and may provide raw materials for evolutionary adaptation. We analyzed the evolutionary origins of 7,264 recently cataloged human sORFs and found that most were evolutionarily young and had emerged de novo. We additionally identified 221 previously missed sORFs potentially translated into peptides of up to 15 amino acids-all of which are smaller than the smallest human microprotein annotated to date. To investigate the bioactivity of sORF-encoded small peptides and young microproteins, we subjected 266 candidates to a mass-spectrometry-based interactome screen with motif resolution. Based on these interactomes and additional cellular assays, we can associate several candidates with mRNA splicing, translational regulation, and endocytosis. Our work provides insights into the evolutionary origins and interaction potential of young and small proteins, thereby helping to elucidate this underexplored territory of the human proteome.
More Related Videos
07:38Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomics Analyses Using the OpenProt Database to Unveil Novel Proteins Translated from Non-Canonical Open Reading Frames
Published on: April 11, 2019
06:01Extracellular Protein Microarray Technology for High Throughput Detection of Low Affinity Receptor-Ligand Interactions
Published on: January 7, 2019
Related Concept Videos
Conservation of Protein Domains Over Different Proteins
A limited set of protein domains often duplicate and recombine during evolution. These domains can be organized in different combinations to...
Protein Networks
These interactions can be represented through maps depicting protein-protein interaction networks, represented as nodes and edges. Nodes are circles that are representative of a protein,...
Protein-protein Interfaces
The Proteasome Structure
The proteasome is an...
Leaky Scanning
Signal Sequences and Sorting Receptors