SEA-PHAGES Logo

The official website of the HHMI Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science program.

Welcome to the forums at seaphages.org. Please feel free to ask any questions related to the SEA-PHAGES program. Any logged-in user may post new topics and reply to existing topics. If you'd like to see a new forum created, please contact us using our form or email us at info@seaphages.org.

5’nucleotidase v. phosphatase

| posted 18 Apr, 2023 12:26
We’re having trouble deciding between two functions (5' nucleotidase v. phosphatase). The BLAST and HHPred results as well as the summary page on PhagesDB are split between “5’nucleotidase” and “phosphatase”. Are there any suggestions for how to differentiate between these two calls?

Gene in question: Phage Culver, Gene stop 77577

Culver_136
| posted 18 Apr, 2023 14:08
Can I add a wrinkle to your question (I also have a phage that we are currently annotating that has a member of this Phamily)? In the Official Functions list it gives ClubL144 as the example for the 5'nucleotidase function but when I look it up on PhagesDB that gene has a function of "phosphatase" showing on the Pham page.

Lee
| posted 18 Apr, 2023 23:16
Lee,
My guess is when we first called ClubL144, we called it a 5'nucleotidase and upon further review of pham functions, we reduced the function to phosphatase. However, we didn't go back to the example on the approved function list to make the change.
I'll change it.

Today, when deciding between “5’nucleotidase” and “phosphatase”, I'm going to recommend phosphatase. A phosphatase is a more general term (that likely includes 5’nucleotidase. I would need evidence that the ends has 5' specificity to be able to call that. By that I mean, what other genes would be needed for that function to occur.
debbie
Edited 18 Apr, 2023 23:25
| posted 19 Apr, 2023 20:31
Thanks, Debbie. I noticed all of our (UNT) more recent genomes that have a member of this Pham have used the "phosphatase" function so that makes the most sense given that we would need more evidence in order to call the more specific function.

Lee
| posted 19 Apr, 2023 23:55
Lee,
glad it makes sense. it is not that the 5'nucleotidase could be correct, we just don't know enough to be that specific…..yet.
debbie
 
Login to post a reply.