proteogenes

Proteogenes is a term used in bioinformatics and genomics to describe genes that encode proteins. This is in contrast to genes that encode functional RNA molecules, such as ribosomal RNA (rRNA) or transfer RNA (tRNA), which are referred to as non-coding RNA genes. The vast majority of genes in most organisms are proteogenes, as proteins perform a wide array of functions within cells, including acting as enzymes, structural components, signaling molecules, and transporters. Identifying and annotating proteogenes is a fundamental task in genome sequencing and analysis, as it helps researchers understand the potential functional repertoire of an organism. Computational methods are commonly employed to predict proteogenes based on sequence features such as open reading frames (ORFs), codon usage bias, and homology to known protein-coding genes. The annotation of proteogenes is crucial for comparative genomics, evolutionary studies, and the development of biotechnology applications. The term itself emphasizes the protein-coding nature of these genetic elements.