SolEST database: a "one-stop shop" approach to the study of Solanaceae transcriptomes.
BACKGROUND
Since no genome sequences of solanaceous plants have yet been completed, expressed sequence tag (EST) collections represent a reliable tool for broad sampling of Solanaceae transcriptomes, an attractive route for understanding Solanaceae genome functionality and a powerful reference for the structural annotation of emerging Solanaceae genome sequences.


METHODS
We describe the SolEST database http://biosrv.cab.unina.it/solestdb which integrates different EST datasets from both cultivated and wild Solanaceae species and from two species of the genus Coffea. Background as well as processed data contained in the database, extensively linked to external related resources, represent an invaluable source of information for these plant families. Two novel features differentiate SolEST from other resources: i) the option of accessing and then visualizing Solanaceae EST/TC alignments along the emerging tomato and potato genome sequences; ii) the opportunity to compare different Solanaceae assemblies generated by diverse research groups in the attempt to address a common complaint in the SOL community.


CONCLUSIONS
Different databases have been established worldwide for collecting Solanaceae ESTs and are related in concept, content and utility to the one presented herein. However, the SolEST database has several distinguishing features that make it appealing for the research community and facilitates a "one-stop shop" for the study of Solanaceae transcriptomes.
D'Agostino
Nunzio
N
University of Naples 'Federico II', Dept of Soil, Plant, Environmental and Animal Production Sciences, Via Università 100, 80055 Portici, Italy. nunzio.dagostino@gmail.com
Traini
Alessandra
A
Frusciante
Luigi
L
Chiusano
Maria Luisa
ML
D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D020224:Expressed Sequence Tags; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018745:Genome, Plant; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D019657:Solanaceae / Q000235:genetics*; D014584:User-Computer Interface
D018744:DNA, Plant