Rare Peptide Segments Are Found Significantly More Often In Proto-Oncoproteins Than Control Proteins: Implications For Immunology And Oncology

Main Category: Biology / Biochemistry
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology;  Immune System / Vaccines
Article Date: 22 Oct 2008 - 8:00 PDT

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There is some evidence to suggest that peptide segments that are found rarely or never in the host proteome play a role in the immune response to disease-related proteins, both those derived from microbes and those derived from the host itself.

We conjecture that this pattern may extend to human proto-oncoproteins. Our hypothesis in this study is that the frequency of rare peptide segments in sets of human proto-oncoproteins is significantly higher than the frequency in sets of control proteins, and we show that this is the case.

Possible immunological implications of this observation are discussed.

Journal of the Royal Society Interface

Journal of the Royal Society Interface is the Society's cross-disciplinary publication promoting research at the interface between the physical and life sciences. It offers rapidity, visibility and high-quality peer review and is ranked fifth in JCR's multidisciplinary category. The journal also incorporates Interface Focus, a peer-reviewed, themed supplement, each issue of which concentrates on a specific cross-disciplinary subject.

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