CysDuF database: annotation and characterization of Cysteine
post-translational modifications on Domain of Unknown Function (DUF)
proteins based on biochemical pathways, diseases, taxonomy, and protein
microenvironments
Abstract
Experimental characterization of amino acid functions of Domains of
Unknown Function (DUF) proteins is expensive, and time-consuming which
could be complemented by computational methods. Cysteine, being the
second most reactive amino acid at the catalytic sites of enzymes, was
selected for functional annotation and characterization on DUF proteins.
Earlier we reported functional annotation of Cysteine on DUF proteins
belonging to the COX-II family. However, holistic characterization of
Cysteine functions on DUF proteins was not known, to the best of our
knowledge. Here, we annotated and characterized Cysteine
post-translational modifications (PTMs) based on biochemical pathways,
diseases, taxonomy, and protein microenvironment. The information on
uncharacterized DUF proteins was initially obtained from the literature
and the sequence, structure, pathways, taxonomy, and disease information
were retrieved from the SCOP database using DUF IDs. Protein
microenvironments (MENV) around Cysteine were computed using protein
structures. The Cysteine PTMs were predicted using the in-house
Cysteine-function prediction server, DeepCys
(https:/deepcys.bits-hyderabad.ac.in). The information was consolidated
in the database
([http://cysduf.bits-hyderabad.ac.in/](http://cysduf.bits-hyderabad.ac.in/)
), retrievable in downloadable formats (CSV, JSON, or TXT) using the
following inputs, DUF ID, PFAM ID, or PDB ID. For the first time, we
annotated Cysteine PTMs in DUF proteins belonging to seven different
biochemical pathways. For the first time, the Cysteine PTMs in DUF
proteins were elucidated in Viruses, namely, SARS-COV2. The nature of
MENV around Cysteine from DUF proteins (reported for the first time) was
mainly buried and hydrophobic in nature; however, in viruses, a
significant number of Cysteine residues were embedded in the exposed and
hydrophilic microenvironment.