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Do "antisense proteins" exist?
K C Chou1, C T Zhang, D W Elrod
1Upjohn Laboratories, Pharmacia * Upjohn Inc., Kalamazoo, Michigan 49007-4940, USA.
Journal of Protein Chemistry
|January 1, 1996
Summary
Antisense DNA chains, typically not protein-coding, were analyzed. Surprisingly, nine proteins showed a 100% sequence match with hypothetical antisense proteins from E. coli.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Bioinformatics
Background:
- DNA consists of sense and antisense strands, with antisense strands generally not involved in protein encoding.
- The inability of antisense strands to encode proteins is often attributed to missing regulatory elements like promoters.
- This study investigates the potential of antisense DNA to encode proteins under specific conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if antisense DNA chains can encode functional proteins if provided with necessary regulatory elements.
- To explore the existence of natural antisense proteins within existing biological databases.
Main Methods:
- Bioinformatic analysis of existing DNA and protein databases.
- Generation of hypothetical antisense protein sequences from known antisense DNA chains.
- Sequence matching to identify potential antisense proteins.
Main Results:
- Nine proteins were identified with a 100% sequence match to hypothetical antisense proteins.
- These matches were derived from antisense chains within the Escherichia coli genome.
- This suggests that antisense DNA can, under certain circumstances, encode proteins.
Conclusions:
- Antisense DNA has the potential to encode proteins, challenging previous assumptions.
- The discovery of natural antisense proteins in E. coli has significant implications for gene expression and regulation.
- Further research is warranted to explore the function and prevalence of these antisense proteins.