Comparative genomics-based prediction of protein function

Abstract

The era of genomics has opened new possibilities for the computational prediction of protein function. In particular, the comparison of fully sequenced genomes allows us to investigate the so-called genomic context of a gene, which includes its chromosomal positioning relative to other genes as well as its evolutionary record among the genomes considered. This information can be exploited to find functionally interacting partners for a protein of unknown function and thus obtain information on the biological process in which it is playing a role. Such comparative genomics-based techniques are increasingly being used in the process of genome annotation and in the development of testable working hypothesis. © 2008 Humana Press.