The Human Plasma Membrane Peripherome: Visualization and Analysis of Interactions

TL;DR

This study constructs and analyzes the human plasma membrane peripheral protein interaction network, revealing functional modules, drug target potential, and novel biological insights into peripheral membrane proteins.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive interaction network of human plasma membrane peripheral proteins, including functional modules and drug target analysis.

Findings

Approximately 10% of peripheral proteins are drug targets.

Identification of functional modules within the interaction network.

Revealed novel properties of peripheral membrane protein interactions.

Abstract

A major part of membrane function is conducted by proteins, both integral and peripheral. Peripheral membrane proteins temporarily adhere to biological membranes, either to the lipid bilayer or to integral membrane proteins with non-covalent interactions. The aim of this study was to construct and analyze the interactions of the human plasma membrane peripheral proteins (peripherome hereinafter). For this purpose, we collected a dataset of peripheral proteins of the human plasma membrane. We also collected a dataset of experimentally verified interactions for these proteins. The interaction network created from this dataset has been visualized using Cytoscape. We grouped the proteins based on their subcellular location and clustered them using the MCL algorithm in order to detect functional modules. Moreover, functional and graph theory based analyses have been performed to assess biological features of the network. Interaction data with drug molecules show that ~10% of peripheral membrane proteins are targets for approved drugs, suggesting their potential implications in disease. In conclusion, we reveal novel features and properties regarding the protein-protein interaction network created by peripheral proteins of the human plasma membrane.