SigCS base: an integrated genetic information resource for human cerebral stroke.
BACKGROUND
To understand how stroke risk factors mechanistically contribute to stroke, the genetic components regulating each risk factor need to be integrated and evaluated with respect to biological function and through pathway-based algorithms. This resource will provide information to researchers studying the molecular and genetic causes of stroke in terms of genomic variants, genes, and pathways.


METHODS
Reported genetic variants, gene structure, phenotypes, and literature information regarding stroke were collected and extracted from publicly available databases describing variants, genome, proteome, functional annotation, and disease subtypes. Stroke related candidate pathways and etiologic genes that participate significantly in risk were analyzed in terms of canonical pathways in public biological pathway databases. These efforts resulted in a relational database of genetic signals of cerebral stroke, SigCS base, which implements an effective web retrieval system.


RESULTS
The current version of SigCS base documents 1943 non-redundant genes with 11472 genetic variants and 165 non-redundant pathways. The web retrieval system of SigCS base consists of two principal search flows, including: 1) a gene-based variant search using gene table browsing or a keyword search, and, 2) a pathway-based variant search using pathway table browsing. SigCS base is freely accessible at http://sysbio.kribb.re.kr/sigcs.


CONCLUSIONS
SigCS base is an effective tool that can assist researchers in the identification of the genetic factors associated with stroke by utilizing existing literature information, selecting candidate genes and variants for experimental studies, and examining the pathways that contribute to the pathophysiological mechanisms of stroke.
Medical Genome Research Center, KRIBB, Daejeon 305-806, Korea.
Young-Kyu
YK
Park
Ok Sun
OS
Bang
Min-Ho
MH
Cha
Jaeheup
J
Kim
John W
JW
Cole
Doheon
D
Lee
Young Joo
YJ
Kim
D000465:Algorithms; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D015894:Genome, Human; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000379:methods*; D007256:Information Systems; D020407:Internet; D010641:Phenotype; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D015398:Signal Transduction; D020521:Stroke / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology