Shared Proteins Between Ustilago maydis and Humans
Author Information
Author(s): Münsterkötter Martin, Steinberg Gero
Primary Institution: Munich Information Center for Protein Sequences/Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Helmholz Zentrum München, Germany
Hypothesis
Ustilago maydis and humans share disease-related proteins that are not found in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Conclusion
The identification of functionally un-characterized genes that are conserved in humans and U. maydis opens the door for experimental work, which promises new insight in the cell biology of the mammalian cell.
Supporting Evidence
- U. maydis and humans share 681 proteins when applying a stringent criterion.
- 42 proteins in the U. maydis-to-H. sapiens set are related to serious human diseases.
- U. maydis has a long history as a model system for DNA repair and recombination.
Takeaway
Scientists found that a fungus called Ustilago maydis shares many proteins with humans, which could help us understand human diseases better.
Methodology
Comparative analysis of the predicted proteome of U. maydis, S. cerevisiae, and humans using bioinformatics tools.
Limitations
A large portion of the shared proteins are of unknown function.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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