Systematic analysis of snake neurotoxins' functional classification using a data warehousing approach.
BACKGROUND
Sequence annotations, functional and structural data on snake venom neurotoxins (svNTXs) are scattered across multiple databases and literature sources. Sequence annotations and structural data are available in the public molecular databases, while functional data are almost exclusively available in the published articles. There is a need for a specialized svNTXs database that contains NTX entries, which are organized, well annotated and classified in a systematic manner.


RESULTS
We have systematically analyzed svNTXs and classified them using structure-function groups based on their structural, functional and phylogenetic properties. Using conserved motifs in each phylogenetic group, we built an intelligent module for the prediction of structural and functional properties of unknown NTXs. We also developed an annotation tool to aid the functional prediction of newly identified NTXs as an additional resource for the venom research community.


BACKGROUND
We created a searchable online database of NTX proteins sequences (http://research.i2r.a-star.edu.sg/Templar/DB/snake_neurotoxin). This database can also be found under Swiss-Prot Toxin Annotation Project website (http://www.expasy.org/sprot/).
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 8 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597.
Joyce Phui Yee
JP
Siew
Asif M
AM
Khan
Paul T J
PT
Tan
Judice L Y
JL
Koh
Seng Hong
SH
Seah
Chuay Yeng
CY
Koo
Siaw Ching
SC
Chai
Arunmozhiarasi
A
Armugam
Vladimir
V
Brusic
Kandiah
K
Jeyaseelan
D000818:Animals; D003628:Database Management Systems; D016206:Databases, Bibliographic; D030562:Databases, Protein; D004282:Documentation / Q000379:methods; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000379:methods*; D009323:Natural Language Processing; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D020539:Sequence Analysis, Protein; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012910:Snake Venoms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification*; D012911:Snakes; D018511:Systems Integration
D009498:Neurotoxins; D012910:Snake Venoms