Prediction of type III secretion signals in genomes of gram-negative bacteria.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Pathogenic bacteria infecting both animals as well as plants use various mechanisms to transport virulence factors across their cell membranes and channel these proteins into the infected host cell. The type III secretion system represents such a mechanism. Proteins transported via this pathway ("effector proteins") have to be distinguished from all other proteins that are not exported from the bacterial cell. Although a special targeting signal at the N-terminal end of effector proteins has been proposed in literature its exact characteristics remain unknown.

Methodology/principal findings

In this study, we demonstrate that the signals encoded in the sequences of type III secretion system effectors can be consistently recognized and predicted by machine learning

SUBMITTER: Lower M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2690842 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature