Database bias and the identification of protein coding sequences.

A simple quantitative test for the probability that an open reading frame actually codes for a protein has been described by Tramontano and Macchiato (1986). However, their test is only valid for the special case in which both coding and noncoding sequences are represented equally. We present a generalized adaptation of their method that uses estimates for the relative proportions of coding and noncoding sequences to provide a more accurate prediction.