MultitaskProtDB: a database of multitasking proteins

Sergio Hernández,Juan Cedano,Enrique Querol,Angel Mozo-Villarias,Jaume Piñol,Josepantoni Perez-Pons,Gabriela Ferragut,Isaac Amela

doi:10.1093/nar/gkt1153

Abstract

We have compiled MultitaskProtDB, available online at http://wallace.uab.es/multitask, to provide a repository where the many multitasking proteins found in the literature can be stored. Multitasking or moonlighting is the capability of some proteins to execute two or more biological functions. Usually, multitasking proteins are experimentally revealed by serendipity. This ability of proteins to perform multitasking functions helps us to understand one of the ways used by cells to perform many complex functions with a limited number of genes. Even so, the study of this phenomenon is complex because, among other things, there is no database of moonlighting proteins. The existence of such a tool facilitates the collection and dissemination of these important data. This work reports the database, MultitaskProtDB, which is designed as a friendly user web page containing >288 multitasking proteins with their NCBI and UniProt accession numbers, canonical and additional biological functions, monomeric/oligomeric states, PDB codes when available and bibliographic references. This database also serves to gain insight into some characteristics of multitasking proteins such as frequencies of the different pairs of functions, phylogenetic conservation and so forth.

Highlights

Multitasking or moonlighting refers to those proteins presenting two or more functions performed by a single polypeptide chain
Some findings suggest involvement of a protein in extra functions, i.e. multitasking proteins can be found in different cellular localizations or in amounts exceeding those required for their canonical function; usually multitasking proteins are experimentally revealed by serendipity
There are examples of multitasking proteins belonging to the Intrinsically Disordered Protein Class (i.e. p53), in a recent work we found that multitasking proteins are not more prone to belong to the Intrinsically Disordered Proteins (IDP) class than the average [17]

Summary

Introduction

Multitasking or moonlighting refers to those proteins presenting two or more functions performed by a single polypeptide chain. They were initially reported by Wistow and Piatigorsky in the late 1980s when lens crystallins turned out to be the previously known metabolic enzymes [1,2]. Some findings suggest involvement of a protein in extra functions, i.e. multitasking proteins can be found in different cellular localizations or in amounts exceeding those required for their canonical function; usually multitasking proteins are experimentally revealed by serendipity. We have explored the possibility of identifying multitasking proteins using bioinformatics approaches [13] and protein interactomics database information [14]. There are examples of multitasking proteins belonging to the Intrinsically Disordered Protein Class (i.e. p53), in a recent work we found that multitasking proteins are not more prone to belong to the Intrinsically Disordered Proteins (IDP) class than the average [17]

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Conclusion