title: Comparasite: a database for comparative study of transcriptomes of parasites defined by full-length cDNAs.
abstract: Comparasite is a database for comparative studies of transcriptomes of parasites. In this database, each data is defined by the full-length cDNAs from various apicomplexan parasites. It integrates seven individual databases, Full-Parasites, consisting of numerous full-length cDNA clones that we have produced and sequenced: 12,484 cDNA sequences from Plasmodium falciparum, 11,262 from Plasmodium yoelii, 9633 from Plasmodium vivax, 1518 from Plasmodium berghei, 7400 from Toxoplasma gondii, 5921 from Cryptosporidium parvum and 10,966 from the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis. Putatively counterpart gene groups are clustered and comparative analysis of any combination of six apicomplexa species is implemented, such as interspecies comparisons regarding protein motifs (InterPro), predicted subcellular localization signals (PSORT), transmembrane regions (SOSUI) or upstream promoter elements. By specifying keywords and other search conditions, Comparasite retrieves putative counterpart gene groups containing a given feature in common or in a species-specific manner. By enabling multi-faceted comparative analyses of genes of apicomplexa protozoa, monophyletic organisms that have evolved to diversify to parasitize various hosts by adopting complex life cycles, Comparasite should help elucidate the mechanism behind parasitism. Our full-length cDNA databases and Comparasite are accessible from http://fullmal.ims.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Institute of Medical Science, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1, Shirokanedai, Minatoku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan. jwatanab@ims.u-tokyo.ac.jp
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wakaguri
authors.forename: Masahide
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Sumio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sugano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016782:Apicomplexa / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry*; D030561:Databases, Nucleic Acid; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D020407:Internet; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D018511:Systems Integration; D024363:Transcription Initiation Site; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014584:User-Computer Interface
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary