ARTS

ARTS performs target-directed genome mining to identify biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), resistance genes, and essential genes in microbial genomes and to prioritize candidate novel antibiotic targets.

Key Features:

• Target-Directed Genome Mining: Employs genome mining focused on genes associated with antibiotic production and resistance to link BGCs to potential targets.
• Antibiotic Gene Cluster Prediction: Predicts biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) within microbial genomes to identify loci that may encode antibiotic compounds and associated resistance mechanisms.
• Essential Gene Screening: Screens essential genes to prioritize gene clusters encoding compounds that may act on essential cellular targets.
• Data Integration: Integrates genomic sequence data and known BGC annotations from sequence databases.
• Automated Screening: Automates screening of large-scale genomic datasets to narrow candidate BGCs for further analysis.
• Predictive Analysis: Uses predictive models to assess the likelihood that specific gene clusters encode novel antibiotics with unique targets.

Scientific Applications:

• Novel antibiotic discovery: Enables systematic identification and prioritization of candidate antibiotic-producing BGCs and targets from microbial genomes.
• Prioritization of producer strains: Ranks strains and gene clusters for experimental follow-up based on BGC predictions, resistance genes, and essential gene associations.
• Target identification for drug development: Supports identification of previously unexplored antimicrobial targets by focusing on essential genes within or linked to BGCs.
• Combatting antibiotic resistance: Informs drug development efforts aimed at addressing multi-drug resistant pathogens by highlighting novel targets and resistance-linked genes.

Methodology:

Integrates genomic sequences and known BGC annotations; automates screening of large-scale genomic datasets; applies predictive models to assess the likelihood that specific gene clusters encode novel antibiotics with unique targets.