Towards a proteomics meta-classification

There is a recognized need for a meta-classification that can serve as a foundation for more refined ontologies in the field of proteomics. Standard data sources classify proteins in terms of just one or two specific aspects. Thus SCOP (structural classification of proteins) is described as classifying proteins on the basis of structural features; SWlSS-PROT annotates proteins on the basis of their structure and of parameters like post-translational modifications. Such data sources are connected to each other by pairwise term-to-term mappings. However, there are obstacles which stand in the way of combining them together to form a robust meta-classification of the needed sort. We discuss some formal ontological principles which should be taken into account within the existing data sources in order to make such a meta-classification possible, taking into account also the gene ontology (GO) and its application to the annotation of proteins.