DeepRibo: precise gene annotation of prokaryotes using deep learning and ribosome profiling data

Annotation of gene expression in prokaryotes often finds itself corrected due to small variations of the annotated gene regions observed between different (sub-species. It has become apparent that traditional sequence alignment algorithms, used for the curation of genomes, are not able to map the full complexity of the genomic landscape. We present DeepRibo, a novel neural network applying ribosome profiling data that shows to be a precise tool for the delineation and annotation of expressed genes in prokaryotes. The neural network combines recurrent memory cells and convolutional layers, adapting the information gained from both the high-throughput ribosome profiling data and Shine-Dalgarno region into one model. DeepRibo is designed as a single model trained on a variety of ribosome profiling experiments, and is therefore evaluated on independent datasets. Through extensive validation of the model, including the use of multiple species sequence similarity and mass spectrometry, the effectiveness of the model is highlighted.