New thematic dataset of intrinsic disorder in autophagy-related proteins

The DisProt “autophagy-related proteins” dataset focuses on the IDRs and IDPs involved in selective macroautophagy and on the LIR motifs - localized inside these IDRs - that have been experimentally tested for their ability to bind Atg8 homologs in autophagy. Information about the LIR motifs have been annotated based on LIRcentral, manually curated resource of experimentally confirmed LIR motifs from literature hosted in the laboratory of Prof. Vasilis Promponas. The “autophagy-related proteins” thematic dataset was indeed created thanks to the collaboration with Prof. Vasilis Promponas and LIRcentral biocurator, Vasileios Sagris.

Examples from the “autophagy-related proteins” dataset include:

• the Autophagy-related protein 3 (Atg3) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (DisProt:DP02826, LIRcentral:P40344). Atg3 is characterized by three IDRs, one of them including the canonical LIR motif “WEDL” involved in the interaction of Atg3 with Atg8.
• the Serine/threonine-protein kinase 3 (STK3) of Homo sapiens (DisProt:DP01461, LIRcentral:Q13188). STK3 is characterized by the presence of one IDR, spanning residues 314-427, that includes the non canonical LIR motif “MVI” involved in the interaction with LC3C and GABARAP.

The “autophagy-related proteins”, currently including 100 protein entries, can be accessed from the Datasets section in the DisProt home page and here.

New thematic dataset of intrinsic disorder in cancer-related proteins

The DisProt “cancer-related proteins” dataset focuses on the intrinsically disordered regions found in proteins involved in cancer. The “cancer-related proteins’’ thematic dataset was created thanks to the collaboration with Prof. Zsuzsanna Dosztanyi and Dr. Matyas Pajkos. Proteins included in our dataset have been selected using COSMIC and relevant literature to explore the role of intrinsic disorder in the context of cancer progression and somatic mutations driving cancer.

Examples from the “cancer-related proteins” dataset include:

• the Breast cancer type 1 susceptibility protein (BRCA1) from Homo sapiens (DisProt:DP00238), whose 1500-residue long central region (100 - 1649) is intrinsically disordered.
• the Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B (CDKN1B) from Homo sapiens (DisProt:DP00018), a fully disordered protein.
• the von Hippel-Lindau disease tumor suppressor (VHL) from Homo sapiens (DisProt:DP00287), including an intrinsically disordered N-terminal tail spanning residues 1-53. Residues 54-213 of the protein are instead characterized by a molten globule conformation under native conditions.

The “cancer-related proteins”, currently including more than 140 protein entries, can be accessed from the Datasets section in the DisProt home page and here.