Reduction strategies for hierarchical multi-label classification in protein function prediction.

Journal: BMC bioinformatics
Published Date:

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Hierarchical Multi-Label Classification is a classification task where the classes to be predicted are hierarchically organized. Each instance can be assigned to classes belonging to more than one path in the hierarchy. This scenario is typically found in protein function prediction, considering that each protein may perform many functions, which can be further specialized into sub-functions. We present a new hierarchical multi-label classification method based on multiple neural networks for the task of protein function prediction. A set of neural networks are incrementally training, each being responsible for the prediction of the classes belonging to a given level.

Authors

  • Ricardo Cerri
    Department of Computer Science, UFSCar Federal University of São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luís, Km 235, São Carlos, 13565-905, SP, Brazil. cerri@dc.ufscar.br.
  • Rodrigo C Barros
    Grupo de Pesquisa em Aprendizado de Máquina e Inteligência de Negócio (GPIN), Faculdade de Informática, PUCRS, Prédio 32, Sala 628, 90619-900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
  • André C P L F de Carvalho
    Instituto de Ciências Matemáticas e de Computação, Universidade de São Paulo, Campus de São Carlos 135, São Carlos, 13566-590, SP, Brazil.
  • Yaochu Jin
    Department of Computer Science, University of Surrey, GU2 7XH Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom.