Comprehensive annotation and analysis of human microproteins by human microprotein atlas platform

Small open reading frames (sORFs) and their encoded microproteins are increasingly recognized as a widespread but poorly characterized components of the human proteome. Here we show a Human Microprotein Atlas (HMPA) platform that integrates 617,462 human microproteins with sequence features, predicted three-dimensional structures, variant effect predictions, subcellular localization, essentiality, and bioactivity annotations. Structural analyses revealed substantial conformational diversity, and structure-based functional inference suggested roles in cellular regulation, signaling, and cell-cell communication. Deep learning-based analyses further prioritized microproteins with tissue-specific essentiality and enabled the prediction of diverse bioactivities across multiple functional categories. To support the exploration of these data, we also provide an interactive web server with sequence-, structure-, and function-oriented search and analysis utilities. This resource provides a systematic framework for studying microprotein biology and supports the discovery of functional and therapeutically relevant microproteins.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Communications Chemistry
Published
2026-05-12
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-026-02054-y
Primary Topic
Advanced Proteomics Techniques and Applications
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Comprehensive annotation and analysis of human microproteins by human microprotein atlas platform

Qinghua Cui, Chunmei Cui, Boming Kang, Rui Fan et al.
Communications Chemistry
Advanced Proteomics Techniques and Applications
article

Comprehensive annotation and analysis of human microproteins by human microprotein atlas platform

Qinghua Cui, Chunmei Cui, Boming Kang, Rui Fan, Yuan Zhou, Xiangwen Ji
article en

Abstract

Small open reading frames (sORFs) and their encoded microproteins are increasingly recognized as a widespread but poorly characterized components of the human proteome. Here we show a Human Microprotein Atlas (HMPA) platform that integrates 617,462 human microproteins with sequence features, predicted three-dimensional structures, variant effect predictions, subcellular localization, essentiality, and bioactivity annotations. Structural analyses revealed substantial conformational diversity, and structure-based functional inference suggested roles in cellular regulation, signaling, and cell-cell communication. Deep learning-based analyses further prioritized microproteins with tissue-specific essentiality and enabled the prediction of diverse bioactivities across multiple functional categories. To support the exploration of these data, we also provide an interactive web server with sequence-, structure-, and function-oriented search and analysis utilities. This resource provides a systematic framework for studying microprotein biology and supports the discovery of functional and therapeutically relevant microproteins.

Communications Chemistry
Peking University (CN), Wuhan Sports University (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Zero hunger
Openalex Percentile: Top 10%
Advanced Proteomics Techniques and Applications
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.