Title:The Virulent Hypothetical Proteins: The Potential Drug Target Involved
in Bacterial Pathogenesis
Volume: 22
Issue: 20
Author(s): Muhammad Naveed*, Syeda Izma Makhdoom, Ghulam Abbas, Mohammadreza Safdari, Amin Farhadi, Solomon Habtemariam, Muhammad Aqib Shabbir, Khizra Jabeen, Muhammad Farrukh Asif and Sana Tehreem
Affiliation:
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
Keywords:
Hypothetical proteins, pathogenesis, virulence, bacteria, viruses, drug.
Abstract: Hypothetical proteins (HPs) are non-predicted sequences that are identified only by open
reading frames in sequenced genomes, but their protein products remain uncharacterized by any
experimental means. The genome of every species consists of HPs that are involved in various cellular
processes and signaling pathways. Annotation of HPs is important as they play a key role in
disease mechanisms, drug designing, vaccine production, antibiotic production, and host adaptation.
In the case of bacteria, 25-50% of the genome comprises HPs, which are involved in metabolic
pathways and pathogenesis. The characterization of bacterial HPs helps to identify virulent proteins
that are involved in pathogenesis. This can be done using in-silico studies, which provide sequence
analogs, physiochemical properties, cellular or subcellular localization, structure and function validation,
and protein-protein interactions. The most diverse types of virulent proteins are exotoxins,
endotoxins, and adherent virulent factors that are encoded by virulent genes present on the chromosomal
DNA of the bacteria. This review evaluates virulent HPs of pathogenic bacteria, such as
Staphylococcus aureus, Chlamydia trachomatis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Yersinia pestis. The
potential of these HPs as a drug target in bacteria-caused infectious diseases, along with the mode of
action and treatment approaches, has been discussed.
