---
title: "Sigma-70 promoter strength"
method: POST
path: "/promoter_predict"
tags: ["Analysis"]
---

# Sigma-70 promoter strength

`POST /promoter_predict`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://seqbench.com/api/v1`
- URL: `https://seqbench.com/api/v1/promoter_predict`
- Auth: none required

Scan DNA for E. coli sigma-70 promoters and estimate each one's transcription initiation rate, with the free-energy terms it is built from: the -35 and -10 boxes, the spacer, the discriminator, the extended -10 and the initial transcribed region. Pairs with rbs_predict — together they separate 'nothing is transcribed' from 'it is transcribed and not translated', which no single measurement on the sequence does. Both strands by default, because a promoter reading into your insert from the other strand is still a promoter.

## Request body

- object
  - `sequence` string, required: DNA to scan, 80-30000 nt. A promoter region, a 5' UTR with its upstream context, a whole cassette, or a plasmid (past 10000 nt it is scanned in overlapping windows).
  - `bothStrands` boolean: Scan the reverse strand too. Leave on unless you know the orientation — cryptic antisense promoters are a common and easily missed cause of trouble.
  - `limit` number: How many of the strongest promoters to return.

## Response `200`

Tool ran successfully.

- SuccessResponse: Standard success envelope returned by every single-tool call.
  - `ok` unknown, required
  - `tool` string, required: The tool slug that ran.
  - `result` object, required: Tool-specific output object. Its shape depends on the tool — call `GET /{tool}` or see the docs for each tool's fields.
  - `gate` GateResult
    - `pass` boolean, required: True if and only if every hard check passed.
    - `checks` GateCheck[], required
      - `id` string, required
      - `label` string, required
      - `severity` 'hard' | 'soft', required
      - `pass` boolean, required
      - `message` string, required
      - `value` number
      - `threshold` string
    - `notChecked` string[], required: Honest list of what this gate does NOT verify.
  - `provenance` Provenance, required
    - `apiVersion` string, required
    - `tool` union, required: Tool slug, or an array of slugs (one per step) for a workflow.
      - string
      - string[]
    - `generatedAt` string, date-time, required: ISO 8601 timestamp of when the result was generated.

## Other responses

- `400`: Invalid argument or the tool could not run.
- `404`: Unknown tool.
- `429`: Rate limited (metered tools only). Body carries code `rate_limited` and retryable `true`; honor the Retry-After header.
- `503`: A metered tool is momentarily at capacity. The identical request should succeed after Retry-After; body carries code `upstream_unavailable`.

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/seqbench/apis/seqbench-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/seqbench/apis/seqbench-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/seqbench/apis/seqbench-api/revisions/132575216865?raw)