Predicting the subcellular localization of viral proteins within a mammalian host cell.
BACKGROUND
The bioinformatic prediction of protein subcellular localization has been extensively studied for prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. However, this is not the case for viruses whose proteins are often involved in extensive interactions at various subcellular localizations with host proteins.


RESULTS
Here, we investigate the extent of utilization of human cellular localization mechanisms by viral proteins and we demonstrate that appropriate eukaryotic subcellular localization predictors can be used to predict viral protein localization within the host cell.


CONCLUSIONS
Such predictions provide a method to rapidly annotate viral proteomes with subcellular localization information. They are likely to have widespread applications both in the study of the functions of viral proteins in the host cell and in the design of antiviral drugs.
Scott
M S
MS
McGill Center for Bioinformatics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. michelle.scott@mail.mcgill.ca
Oomen
R
R
Thomas
D Y
DY
Hallett
M T
MT
D019295:Computational Biology / Q000379:methods; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D015894:Genome, Human; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006801:Humans; D042541:Intracellular Space / Q000821:virology*; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals / Q000502:physiology; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D014616:Vaccinia virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology
D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; D011506:Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins