---
layout: rule
id: GORULE:0000002
title: "No 'NOT' annotations to binding ; GO:0005488 or 'protein binding ; GO:0005515'"
type: report
fail_mode: hard
status: implemented
contact: "go-quality@lists.stanford.edu"
implementations:
  - language: java 
    source: https://github.com/owlcollab/owltools/
  - language: python
    source: https://github.com/biolink/ontobio/blob/master/ontobio/io/qc.py
examples:
  fail:
    - comment: Fails because it has an annotation to GO:0005515 protein binding and a NOT qualifier.
      format: gaf
      input: "PomBase	SPAC23H4.18c	rbx1	NOT	GO:0005515	PMID:12167173	IPI	PomBase:SPBC1718.01	F	SCF complex, Cul4-RING and CLRC ubiquitin ligase ligase E3 subunit Rbx1	pip1	protein	NCBITaxon:4896	20041130	PomBase"
  pass:
    - comment: Should pass
      format: gaf
      input: "PomBase	SPAC23H4.18c	rbx1		GO:0005515	PMID:12167173	IPI	PomBase:SPBC1718.01	F	SCF complex, Cul4-RING and CLRC ubiquitin ligase ligase E3 subunit Rbx1	pip1	protein	NCBITaxon:4896	20041130	PomBase"
---

An annotation to binding ; GO:0005488 or protein binding ; GO:0005515 with the 'not' qualifier implies that the annotated protein cannot bind anything. There are no characterized examples of a protein with no interactions.

The presence of an identifier in the 'with' column or in an annotation extension would not justify a 'not' annotation either, since a qualifier 
add precision to the GO term; it does not imply that a protein does not have the activity designated by the GO term under the specific context specified by the annotation extension. 

This rule *only* applies to direct annotations to GO:0005488  and GO:0005515; children of these terms can be
qualified with 'not', as further information on the type of binding is
then supplied in the GO term. For more information, see the [binding
guidelines](http://wiki.geneontology.org/index.php/Binding_Guidelines) on the GO wiki.