Co-evolution between codon usage and Protein-Protein Interaction Networks in Bacterial genomes

Abstract

In this work, we study the correlation between codon usage and the network features of the PPI in bacteria genomes. We want to extend the information by Dilucca et al. (2015) about E.Colis genome for a set of other 34 bacteria. We use PCA techniques in the space of codon bias indices (compAI, compAI_w, tAI, NC) and GC content to show that genes with similar patterns of codon usage feature have a significantly higher probability that their encoded proteins interact within the PPI. And vice-versa, we show that interacting in the PPI have a coherent codon usage. This work could allow for future investigations into the possible effects that codon bias signal can have on the topology of protein interaction network and, as such, to improve existing bioinformatics methods for predicting protein interactions.