ISSN:
1574-6968
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Biology
Notes:
We describe a query-based web-accessible system () for facilitating comparative microbial genomics. A variety of query pages are available, each with numerous options, that allow a biologist to pose relevant questions of genomic data. We illustrate with a characterization of species-specific protein-coding genes (so-called ‘ORFans’), finding that they are on average smaller, faster evolving, and less G+C-rich, and that they encode proteins more basic in their predicted isoelectric point, compared with non-species-specific genes. Using a dual-threshold approach, we conclude that these are characteristics of true species-specific genes, rather than artifacts of mis-annotation.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1097(03)00512-3
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