Signal sequence analysis of protein sequences from the filarial nematode parasite Brugia malayi and the evolution of secreted proteins in parasites

Taking a genomic approach to characterize potential secreted products, we analyzed putative protein sequences from Brugia malayi whole-genome shotgun sequencing project. SignalP analysis was applied to predict protein sequences and to identify potential signal peptides and anchors. We randomly analyzed 552 sequences, of which 88 (15.9%) bear predicted signal sequence coding regions. Through comparisons of sequences with homologs from other species, we found that although some of the sequences with signal sequences have no homologs with others, there are almost the same amounts of the sequences with signals which are highly conserved. Considering the distribution of secretory proteins of B. malayi in three categories has not made big differences, and most of the homologues of free-living nematodes of these secretory proteins also contained either N-signal signal peptides or signal anchors; we speculated that secretory proteins may be in the same evolutional status as the non-secretory proteins.