Target-decoy search strategy for mass spectrometry-based proteomics

JE Elias, SP Gygi - Proteome bioinformatics, 2010 - Springer
Proteome bioinformatics, 2010Springer
Accurate and precise methods for estimating incorrect peptide and protein identifications are
crucial for effective large-scale proteome analyses by tandem mass spectrometry. The target-
decoy search strategy has emerged as a simple, effective tool for generating such
estimations. This strategy is based on the premise that obvious, necessarily incorrect
“decoy” sequences added to the search space will correspond with incorrect search results
that might otherwise be deemed to be correct. With this knowledge, it is possible not only to …
Abstract
Accurate and precise methods for estimating incorrect peptide and protein identifications are crucial for effective large-scale proteome analyses by tandem mass spectrometry. The target-decoy search strategy has emerged as a simple, effective tool for generating such estimations. This strategy is based on the premise that obvious, necessarily incorrect “decoy” sequences added to the search space will correspond with incorrect search results that might otherwise be deemed to be correct. With this knowledge, it is possible not only to estimate how many incorrect results are in a final data set but also to use decoy hits to guide the design of filtering criteria that sensitively partition a data set into correct and incorrect identifications.
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