N4: a precise and highly sensitive promoter predictor using neural network fed by nearest neighbors.
Promoters, the genomic regions proximal to the transcriptional start sites (TSSs) play pivotal roles in determining the rate of transcription initiation by serving as direct docking platforms for the RNA polymerase II complex. In the post-genomic era, correct gene prediction has become one of the biggest challenges in genome annotation. Species-independent promoter prediction tools could also be useful in meta-genomics, since transcription data will not be available for micro-organisms which are not cultivated. Promoter prediction in prokaryotic genomes presents unique challenges owing to their organizational properties. Several methods have been developed to predict the promoter regions of genomes in prokaryotes, including algorithms for recognition of sequence motifs, artificial neural networks, and algorithms based on genome's structure. However, none of them satisfies both criteria of sensitivity and precision. In this work, we present a modified artificial neural network fed by nearest neighbors based on DNA duplex stability, named N4, which can predict the transcription start sites of Escherichia coli with sensitivity and precision both above 94%, better than most of the existed algorithms.
Laboratory of Systems Biology and Bioinformatics (LBB), Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics and COE in Biomathematics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. LBB@ibb.ut.ac.ir
Amjad
A
Askary
Ali
A
Masoudi-Nejad
Roozbeh
R
Sharafi
Amir
A
Mizbani
Sobhan Naderi
SN
Parizi
Malihe
M
Purmasjedi
D000465:Algorithms; D001483:Base Sequence; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D016680:Genome, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D016571:Neural Networks, Computer; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000379:methods; D024363:Transcription Initiation Site; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D004269:DNA, Bacterial