What we do
In the Proteome Informatics Group (PIG), we are involved in software and database development for the benefit of the proteomics and glycomics communities. These resources are made available through the Expasy server. Software tools support experimental mass spectrometry data analysis, mainly for the detection of posttranslational modifications, with a strong focus on glycosylation. We also develop integrated tools and databases to query knowledge of carbohydrates attached to proteins, carbohydrate structures and protein-carbohydrate interactions.
The group develops the Glycomics@Expasy portal that provides access to a large collection of web-based glycoinformatics resources, through interactive charts.
Highlights 2021
- Our lectin prediction software was used to screen bacterial genomes of the vaginal microbiome. Commensal and pathogen species were shown to have distinct lectomes. These differences may explain mechanisms of colonisation by commensals and potential pathogens of the reproductive tract that underpin health and disease states.
- The same software was applied to 1200 fungal genomes and the resulting identified lectomes can shed light on the evolution of the lectin gene families in fungi.
- We introduced a new ontology with a tree logical structure to represent glycan structures and cope with their commonly uneven levels of molecular resolution. It resulted in the creation of the GlySTreeM knowledge base.
Main publications 2021
- Bonnardel F et al.
Proteome-wide prediction of bacterial carbohydrate-binding proteins as a tool for understanding commensal and pathogen colonisation of the vaginal microbiome
NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes, 10.1038/s41522-021-00220-9 - Lebreton A et al.
A Comprehensive Phylogenetic and Bioinformatics Survey of Lectins in the Fungal Kingdom
J Fungi, 10.3390/jof7060453 - Daponte V et al.
Dealing with the Ambiguity of Glycan Substructure Search
Molecules, 10.3390/molecules27010065
