skills/tooluniverse-protein-modification-analysis/SKILL.md
Post-translational modification (PTM) analysis — phosphorylation, ubiquitination, acetylation, glycosylation, methylation. Uses iPTMnet (sites + enzymes), ProtVar (functional consequences), UniProt (baseline), STRING, ELM (linear motifs), MassIVE/ProteomeXchange (experimental). Use for PTM site annotation, kinase-substrate identification, and PTM-disease associations.
npx skillsauth add mims-harvard/tooluniverse tooluniverse-protein-modification-analysisInstall this skill globally with one command. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf.
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Comprehensive PTM analysis using iPTMnet (primary), ProtVar (functional context), UniProt (baseline), STRING (interactions), ELM (linear motifs), and MassIVE/ProteomeXchange (experimental data).
iPTMnet_get_ptm_sitesProtVar_get_function + iPTMnet_get_ptm_ppiiPTMnet_get_proteoformsELM_get_instancesWhen analysis requires computation (statistics, data processing, scoring, enrichment), write and run Python code via Bash. Don't describe what you would do — execute it and report actual results. Use ToolUniverse tools to retrieve data, then Python (pandas, scipy, statsmodels, matplotlib) to analyze it.
PTMs are context-dependent: same phosphorylation site can activate or inhibit depending on kinase and effectors. Always check: which enzyme, what functional consequence, in what cell context.
operation parameterPhase 0: Protein Disambiguation → UniProt accession
Phase 1: PTM Site Inventory → iPTMnet_get_ptm_sites
Phase 2: Proteoform Analysis → iPTMnet_get_proteoforms
Phase 3: PTM-Dependent Interactions → iPTMnet_get_ptm_ppi
Phase 4: Functional Context → ProtVar_get_function at key sites
Phase 4b: Linear Motif Context → ELM_get_instances for SLiM overlap
Phase 4c: Experimental Data → MassIVE/ProteomeXchange
Phase 5: Synthesis & Report
iPTMnet_search(operation="search", search_term="TP53", role="Substrate") -- find UniProt IDsiPTMnet_get_ptm_sites(operation="get_ptm_sites", uniprot_id="P04637") -- returns position, residue, modification type, enzyme, evidence. Group by modification type. Fallback: UniProt_get_entry_by_accession PTM annotations.
iPTMnet_get_proteoforms(operation="get_proteoforms", uniprot_id=...) -- distinct PTM combinations. Focus on those with functional/disease annotations if >20.
iPTMnet_get_ptm_ppi(operation="get_ptm_ppi", uniprot_id=...) -- interacting protein, PTM site, effect (enables/disrupts). Supplement with STRING_get_interaction_partners(identifiers=gene, species=9606, required_score=700).
ProtVar_get_function(accession=..., position=N, variant_aa=AA) -- domain, active site, binding site, conservation. Grade: active-site PTM > domain-core > disordered region.
ELM_get_instances(operation="get_instances", uniprot_id=..., motif_type="MOD") -- MOD = modification sites, DEG = degradation signals. Cross-reference with Phase 1 PTM positions. ELM_list_classes(operation="list_classes") for motif details.
MassIVE_search_datasets(species="9606"), MassIVE_get_dataset(accession="MSV...") for public MS datasets.
| Tier | Criteria | |------|----------| | T1 | PTM at validated active/binding site with functional data | | T2 | PTM in structured domain with ProtVar annotation | | T3 | Correlation data only (mass spec detection) | | T4 | Predicted, no experimental validation |
| Tool | Key Params |
|------|-----------|
| iPTMnet_search | operation="search", search_term, role |
| iPTMnet_get_ptm_sites | operation="get_ptm_sites", uniprot_id |
| iPTMnet_get_proteoforms | operation="get_proteoforms", uniprot_id |
| iPTMnet_get_ptm_ppi | operation="get_ptm_ppi", uniprot_id |
| ELM_get_instances | operation="get_instances", uniprot_id, motif_type |
| ELM_list_classes | operation="list_classes" |
| MassIVE_search_datasets | page_size, species |
Critical: All iPTMnet and ELM tools require operation as first parameter (SOAP-style).
| Situation | Fallback | |-----------|----------| | Not in iPTMnet | UniProt PTM/processing annotations | | No PTM-PPI data | STRING general PPI | | No ProtVar data | UniProt domain annotations | | No ELM data | Proceed with iPTMnet/UniProt only |
tools
PCR / qPCR primer and oligo design — design forward/reverse primers for a target region (SantaLucia nearest-neighbor thermodynamics), compute melting temperature (Tm) and annealing temperature (Ta), check GC content, and screen an oligo for hairpins and primer-dimers. Use when you need primers for a sequence, want to QC an existing primer pair, or need the Tm of an oligo. Covers the primer-design rules (Tm matching, GC clamp, 3'-end, length) and the tools' constraint quirks.
tools
Pharmacokinetic (PK) analysis of concentration-time data — non-compartmental analysis (NCA) for Cmax, Tmax, AUC (0-t and 0-∞), terminal half-life, clearance (CL), volume of distribution (Vd), MRT, and absolute bioavailability (F). Also one-compartment fitting. Use when you have plasma/serum drug concentrations over time after a dose and need PK parameters, or to compute bioavailability from IV + oral AUCs. NOT for ADMET property prediction from structure (use tooluniverse-admet-prediction).
tools
Molecular cloning assembly design — Gibson Assembly (overlap design for seamless multi-fragment joining) and Golden Gate Assembly (Type IIS / BsaI / BbsI design with unique 4-bp fusion overhangs). Use when you need to plan how to join DNA fragments into a construct, design assembly overlaps/overhangs, or decide between cloning methods. Covers the domestication (internal-site removal), overhang-uniqueness, and overlap-Tm rules. For PCR primers to generate the fragments, see tooluniverse-primer-design.
tools
Meta-analysis / evidence synthesis — pool effect sizes across studies (odds ratios, risk ratios, hazard ratios, mean differences, correlations, GWAS betas) with fixed- or random-effects models, quantify heterogeneity (Q, I², τ²), and build a forest plot. Use when you have results from MULTIPLE studies and need a single pooled estimate, or to synthesize evidence from a systematic review / multiple GWAS / replicated experiments. Handles the error-prone effect-size + standard-error preparation (converting OR/HR/CI, two-group means±SD, proportions, and correlations into the (effect, SE) the pooling step needs).