Nature (May 6): TransCODE Consortium Adds 1,785 Microproteins to Human Proteome — Expanding It by ~10% and Codifying 'Peptideins' Conceptual Framework
The international TransCODE Consortium published a Nature paper May 6 reporting that roughly 25% of 7,264 non-canonical open reading frames (ncORFs) give rise to detectable peptides, based on a meta-analysis of 95,520 proteomics experiments. The work identifies 1,785 previously unrecognized microproteins, expands the human proteome by ~10%, and introduces the conceptual model of 'peptideins' — microproteins with indeterminate functional potential. Most peptideins are under 50 amino acids and lack similarity to traditional proteins. The consortium, launched in 2022, includes GENCODE, PeptideAtlas, HUPO-HPP, and HUPO-HIPP and aims to set the reference annotation standard for ncORF-encoded microproteins.