Functional Classification Using Phylogenomic Inference
Author Information
Author(s): Duncan Brown, Kimmen Sjölander
Primary Institution: University of California Berkeley
Hypothesis
What function does this protein perform in an evolutionary context?
Conclusion
Phylogenomic inference can help detect existing database annotation errors and improve functional predictions for uncharacterized genes.
Supporting Evidence
- 97% of proteins with informative annotations were annotated using electronic evidence alone.
- Only 3% of proteins with functional annotations have experimental support.
- Phylogenomic inference can avoid systematic errors associated with traditional annotation protocols.
Takeaway
Scientists are trying to figure out what proteins do by looking at their family tree, but many proteins are still labeled incorrectly.
Methodology
The study involved phylogenomic inference, which includes selecting homologs, multiple sequence alignment, and phylogenetic tree construction.
Potential Biases
Existing errors in database annotations can propagate and lead to incorrect functional assignments.
Limitations
The accuracy of phylogenomic inference is limited by the quality of existing database annotations and the complexity of evolutionary relationships.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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