Ribosome Binding Site (RBS) Motifs

This document provides information on Ribosome Binding Site (RBS) motifs based on the Prodigal paper. The RBS motifs are categorized by spacer ranges, which indicate the number of base pairs (bp) between the RBS and the start codon.

Spacer Ranges and Representative RBS Motifs

Example sequence with RBS motif:

Spacer Range	Representative RBS Motif(s)
3-4 bp	GGA, GAG, AGG, AGxAG, AGGAG
5-10 bp	GGAG, GAGG, GGxGG, AGGAGG
11-12 bp	GGA, GAG, AGG, AGxAG, AGGAG
13-15 bp	GGA, GAG, AGG, AGGA, AGGAG

Window Checking Ranges

Three different window checking ranges are defined to identify potential RBS motifs relative to the start codon (ATG):

• Window Checking A:

                 -10    -3  |-> start codon
               ...|......|..ATG...

• Window Checking B:

           -16        -5    |-> start codon
         ...|..........|....ATG...

• Window Checking C:

       -20      -11         |-> start codon
       .|........|..........ATG...

RBS Motif Scoring

The RBS motif scoring is based on the Prodigal paper, which uses a scoring system to identify potential RBS motifs. The scoring system is as follows:

Example

An example of an exact search query for an RBS motif is provided:

• ExactSearchQuery(dna"ATACG", iscompatible) returns 5, indicating the position of the motif.

       -20  -15  -10  -5    |-> start codon
        |....|....|....|....ATG...
                  GGAGGACCCCATGACACACACAACAC  
                  |----|:RBS(dna"GGAGGA", 1:5, :A, 27, STRAND_POS)

To inspect the RBS motifs of a given ORF, we can use the _findrbs function. This function returns the RBS motifs of a given ORF:

phi = dna"GTGTGAGGTTATAACGCCGAAGCGGTAAAAATTTTAATTTTTGCCGCTGAGGGGTTGACCAAGCGAAGCGCGGTAGGTTTTCTGCTTAGGAGTTTAATCATGTTTCAGACTTTTATTTCTCGCCATAATTCAAACTTTTTTTCTGATAAGCTGGTTCTCACTTCTGTTACTCCAGCTTCTTCGGCACCTGTTTTACAGACACCTAAAGCTACATCGTCAACGTTATATTTTGATAGTTTGACGGTTAATGCTGGTAATGGTGGTTTTCTTCATTGCATTCAGATGGATACATCTGTCAACGCCGCTAATCAGGTTGTTTCTGTTGGTGCTGATATTGCTTTTGATGCCGACCCTAAATTTTTTGCCTGTTTGGTTCGCTTTGAGTCTTCTTCGGTTCCGACTACCCTCCCGACTGCCTATGATGTTTATCCTTTGAATGGTCGCCATGATGGTGGTTATTATACCGTCAAGGACTGTGTGACTATTGACGTCCTTCCCCGTACGCCGGGCAATAACGTTTATGTTGGTTTCATGGTTTGGTCTAACTTTACCGCTACTAAATGCCGCGGATTGGTTTCGCTGAATCAGGTTATTAAAGAGATTATTTGTCTCCAGCCACTTAAGTGAGGTGATTTATGTTTGGTGCTATTGCTGGCGGTATTGCTTCTGCTCTTGCTGGTGGCGCCATGTCTAAATTGTTTGGAGGCGGTCAAAAAGCCGCCTCCGGTGGCATTCAAGGTGATGTGCTTGCTACCGATAACAATACTGTAGGCATGGGTGATGCTGGTATTAAATCTGCCATTCAAGGCTCTAATGTTCCTAACCCTGATGAGGCCGCCCCTAGTTTTGTTTCTGGTGCTATGGCTAAAGCTGGTAAAGGACTTCTTGAAGGTACGTTGCAGGCTGGCACTTCTGCCGTTTCTGATAAGTTGCTTGATTTGGTTGGACTTGGTGGCAAGTCTGCCGCTGATAAAGGAAAGGATACTCGTGATTATCTTGCTGCTGCATTTCCTGAGCTTAATGCTTGGGAGCGTGCTGGTGCTGATGCTTCCTCTGCTGGTATGGTTGACGCCGGATTTGAGAATCAAAAAGAGCTTACTAAAATGCAACTGGACAATCAGAAAGAGATTGCCGAGATGCAAAATGAGACTCAAAAAGAGATTGCTGGCATTCAGTCGGCGACTTCACGCCAGAATACGAAAGACCAGGTATATGCACAAAATGAGATGCTTGCTTATCAACAGAAGGAGTCTACTGCTCGCGTTGCGTCTATTATGGAAAACACCAATCTTTCCAAGCAACAGCAGGTTTCCGAGATTATGCGCCAAATGCTTACTCAAGCTCAAACGGCTGGTCAGTATTTTACCAATGACCAAATCAAAGAAATGACTCGCAAGGTTAGTGCTGAGGTTGACTTAGTTCATCAGCAAACGCAGAATCAGCGGTATGGCTCTTCTCATATTGGCGCTACTGCAAAGGATATTTCTAATGTCGTCACTGATGCTGCTTCTGGTGTGGTTGATATTTTTCATGGTATTGATAAAGCTGTTGCCGATACTTGGAACAATTTCTGGAAAGACGGTAAAGCTGATGGTATTGGCTCTAATTTGTCTAGGAAATAACCGTCAGGATTGACACCCTCCCAATTGTATGTTTTCATGCCTCCAAATCTTGGAGGCTTTTTTATGGTTCGTTCTTATTACCCTTCTGAATGTCACGCTGATTATTTTGACTTTGAGCGTATCGAGGCTCTTAAACCTGCTATTGAGGCTTGTGGCATTTCTACTCTTTCTCAATCCCCAATGCTTGGCTTCCATAAGCAGATGGATAACCGCATCAAGCTCTTGGAAGAGATTCTGTCTTTTCGTATGCAGGGCGTTGAGTTCGATAATGGTGATATGTATGTTGACGGCCATAAGGCTGCTTCTGACGTTCGTGATGAGTTTGTATCTGTTACTGAGAAGTTAATGGATGAATTGGCACAATGCTACAATGTGCTCCCCCAACTTGATATTAATAACACTATAGACCACCGCCCCGAAGGGGACGAAAAATGGTTTTTAGAGAACGAGAAGACGGTTACGCAGTTTTGCCGCAAGCTGGCTGCTGAACGCCCTCTTAAGGATATTCGCGATGAGTATAATTACCCCAAAAAGAAAGGTATTAAGGATGAGTGTTCAAGATTGCTGGAGGCCTCCACTATGAAATCGCGTAGAGGCTTTGCTATTCAGCGTTTGATGAATGCAATGCGACAGGCTCATGCTGATGGTTGGTTTATCGTTTTTGACACTCTCACGTTGGCTGACGACCGATTAGAGGCGTTTTATGATAATCCCAATGCTTTGCGTGACTATTTTCGTGATATTGGTCGTATGGTTCTTGCTGCCGAGGGTCGCAAGGCTAATGATTCACACGCCGACTGCTATCAGTATTTTTGTGTGCCTGAGTATGGTACAGCTAATGGCCGTCTTCATTTCCATGCGGTGCACTTTATGCGGACACTTCCTACAGGTAGCGTTGACCCTAATTTTGGTCGTCGGGTACGCAATCGCCGCCAGTTAAATAGCTTGCAAAATACGTGGCCTTATGGTTACAGTATGCCCATCGCAGTTCGCTACACGCAGGACGCTTTTTCACGTTCTGGTTGGTTGTGGCCTGTTGATGCTAAAGGTGAGCCGCTTAAAGCTACCAGTTATATGGCTGTTGGTTTCTATGTGGCTAAATACGTTAACAAAAAGTCAGATATGGACCTTGCTGCTAAAGGTCTAGGAGCTAAAGAATGGAACAACTCACTAAAAACCAAGCTGTCGCTACTTCCCAAGAAGCTGTTCAGAATCAGAATGAGCCGCAACTTCGGGATGAAAATGCTCACAATGACAAATCTGTCCACGGAGTGCTTAATCCAACTTACCAAGCTGGGTTACGACGCGACGCCGTTCAACCAGATATTGAAGCAGAACGCAAAAAGAGAGATGAGATTGAGGCTGGGAAAAGTTACTGTAGCCGACGTTTTGGCGGCGCAACCTGTGACGACAAATCTGCTCAAATTTATGCGCGCTTCGATAAAAATGATTGGCGTATCCAACCTGCAGAGTTTTATCGCTTCCATGACGCAGAAGTTAACACTTTCGGATATTTCTGATGAGTCGAAAAATTATCTTGATAAAGCAGGAATTACTACTGCTTGTTTACGAATTAAATCGAAGTGGACTGCTGGCGGAAAATGAGAAAATTCGACCTATCCTTGCGCAGCTCGAGAAGCTCTTACTTTGCGACCTTTCGCCATCAACTAACGATTCTGTCAAAAACTGACGCGTTGGATGAGGAGAAGTGGCTTAATATGCTTGGCACGTTCGTCAAGGACTGGTTTAGATATGAGTCACATTTTGTTCATGGTAGAGATTCTCTTGTTGACATTTTAAAAGAGCGTGGATTACTATCTGAGTCCGATGCTGTTCAACCACTAATAGGTAAGAAATCATGAGTCAAGTTACTGAACAATCCGTACGTTTCCAGACCGCTTTGGCCTCTATTAAGCTCATTCAGGCTTCTGCCGTTTTGGATTTAACCGAAGATGATTTCGATTTTCTGACGAGTAACAAAGTTTGGATTGCTACTGACCGCTCTCGTGCTCGTCGCTGCGTTGAGGCTTGCGTTTATGGTACGCTGGACTTTGTGGGATACCCTCGCTTTCCTGCTCCTGTTGAGTTTATTGCTGCCGTCATTGCTTATTATGTTCATCCCGTCAACATTCAAACGGCCTGTCTCATCATGGAAGGCGCTGAATTTACGGAAAACATTATTAATGGCGTCGAGCGTCCGGTTAAAGCCGCTGAATTGTTCGCGTTTACCTTGCGTGTACGCGCAGGAAACACTGACGTTCTTACTGACGCAGAAGAAAACGTGCGTCAAAAATTACGTGCGGAAGGAGTGATGTAATGTCTAAAGGTAAAAAACGTTCTGGCGCTCGCCCTGGTCGTCCGCAGCCGTTGCGAGGTACTAAAGGCAAGCGTAAAGGCGCTCGTCTTTGGTATGTAGGTGGTCAACAATTTTAATTGCAGGGGCTTCGGCCCCTTACTTGAGGATAAATTATGTCTAATATTCAAACTGGCGCCGAGCGTATGCCGCATGACCTTTCCCATCTTGGCTTCCTTGCTGGTCAGATTGGTCGTCTTATTACCATTTCAACTACTCCGGTTATCGCTGGCGACTCCTTCGAGATGGACGCCGTTGGCGCTCTCCGTCTTTCTCCATTGCGTCGTGGCCTTGCTATTGACTCTACTGTAGACATTTTTACTTTTTATGTCCCTCATCGTCACGTTTATGGTGAACAGTGGATTAAGTTCATGAAGGATGGTGTTAATGCCACTCCTCTCCCGACTGTTAACACTACTGGTTATATTGACCATGCCGCTTTTCTTGGCACGATTAACCCTGATACCAATAAAATCCCTAAGCATTTGTTTCAGGGTTATTTGAATATCTATAACAACTATTTTAAAGCGCCGTGGATGCCTGACCGTACCGAGGCTAACCCTAATGAGCTTAATCAAGATGATGCTCGTTATGGTTTCCGTTGCTGCCATCTCAAAAACATTTGGACTGCTCCGCTTCCTCCTGAGACTGAGCTTTCTCGCCAAATGACGACTTCTACCACATCTATTGACATTATGGGTCTGCAAGCTGCTTATGCTAATTTGCATACTGACCAAGAACGTGATTACTTCATGCAGCGTTACCATGATGTTATTTCTTCATTTGGAGGTAAAACCTCTTATGACGCTGACAACCGTCCTTTACTTGTCATGCGCTCTAATCTCTGGGCATCTGGCTATGATGTTGATGGAACTGACCAAACGTCGTTAGGCCAGTTTTCTGGTCGTGTTCAACAGACCTATAAACATTCTGTGCCGCGTTTCTTTGTTCCTGAGCATGGCACTATGTTTACTCTTGCGCTTGTTCGTTTTCCGCCTACTGCGACTAAAGAGATTCAGTACCTTAACGCTAAAGGTGCTTTGACTTATACCGATATTGCTGGCGACCCTGTTTTGTATGGCAACTTGCCGCCGCGTGAAATTTCTATGAAGGATGTTTTCCGTTCTGGTGATTCGTCTAAGAAGTTTAAGATTGCTGAGGGTCAGTGGTATCGTTATGCGCCTTCGTATGTTTCTCCTGCTTATCACCTTCTTGAAGGCTTCCCATTCATTCAGGAACCGCCTTCTGGTGATTTGCAAGAACGCGTACTTATTCGCCACCATGATTATGACCAGTGTTTCCAGTCCGTTCAGTTGTTGCAGTGGAATAGTCAGGTTAAATTTAATGT ACCGTTTATCGCAATCTGCCGACCACTCGCGATTCAATCATGACTTCGTGATAAAAGATTGA"

orf = findorfs(phi)[3]

GeneFinder._findrbs(orf)

6-element Vector{RBS}:
 RBS(GAG, 90:92, :A, 13, STRAND_POS)
 RBS(GGAG, 89:92, :B, 16, STRAND_POS)
 RBS(AGG, 88:90, :B, 13, STRAND_POS)
 RBS(GGA, 89:91, :B, 13, STRAND_POS)
 RBS(GAG, 90:92, :B, 13, STRAND_POS)
 RBS(AGGA, 88:91, :B, 16, STRAND_POS)

Now, following the scoring scheme mentioned above, we can calculate the RBS score for each motif. This criteria is implemented in the orf_rbs_score or simply aliased to orbs function:

orf_rbs_score(orf)
29