title: The Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD).
abstract: The Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory in Salsbury Cove, Maine, USA, is developing the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD), a community-supported genomic resource devoted to genes and proteins of human toxicologic significance. CTD will be the first publicly available database to a) provide annotated associations among genes, proteins, references, and toxic agents, with a focus on annotating data from aquatic and mammalian organisms; b) include nucleotide and protein sequences from diverse species; c) offer a range of analysis tools for customized comparative studies; and d) provide information to investigators on available molecular reagents. This combination of features will facilitate cross-species comparisons of toxicologically significant genes and proteins. These comparisons will promote understanding of molecular evolution, the significance of conserved sequences, the genetic basis of variable sensitivity to environmental agents, and the complex interactions between the environment and human health. CTD is currently under development, and the planned scope and functions of the database are described herein. The intent of this report is to invite community participation in the development of CTD to ensure that it will be a valuable resource for environmental health, molecular biology, and toxicology research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioinformatics, Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, Salsbury Cove, Maine 04672, USA. cmattin@mdibl.org
authors.forename: Carolyn J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Mattingly
authors.forename: Glenn T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Colby
authors.forename: John N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Forrest
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Boyer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004782:Environmental Health; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D010597:Pharmacogenetics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D012106:Research / Q000639:trends; D014116:Toxicology / Q000639:trends*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants