UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot

Definition

UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot is a curated protein sequence database that provides high-quality and detailed information about protein sequences, their functions, and their biological significance. It serves as a crucial resource for researchers in bioinformatics, allowing easy access to protein data for analysis, research, and understanding biological processes.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Swiss-Prot is part of the larger UniProt database, which also includes TrEMBL, providing both curated and uncurated data.
2. The entries in Swiss-Prot include comprehensive details such as protein names, functions, structure information, post-translational modifications, and interaction data.
3. UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot relies on expert biocurators who review literature to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information presented in the database.
4. The database is constantly updated to include new findings in protein science, ensuring that users have access to the latest research developments.
5. Users can retrieve data from UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot through various tools and APIs that facilitate integration into bioinformatics pipelines.

Review Questions

• What is the role of curation in the functionality of UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot, and how does it differ from other sections of the UniProt database?
  • Curation in UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot involves expert biocurators who manually review scientific literature to compile accurate and detailed information about proteins. This process ensures that the data is reliable and of high quality. In contrast, the TrEMBL section of UniProt contains automatically annotated entries that are less detailed and may not have undergone rigorous expert review. This distinction highlights the emphasis on quality in Swiss-Prot compared to the broader, less curated data found in TrEMBL.
• Discuss the significance of comprehensive protein annotation in UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot for bioinformatics research.
  • Comprehensive protein annotation in UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot is crucial for bioinformatics research as it provides detailed insights into protein functions, structures, interactions, and biological processes. This rich set of information allows researchers to understand the roles of proteins in various pathways and diseases, facilitating advancements in drug discovery, systems biology, and personalized medicine. The availability of high-quality annotations helps guide experimental designs and hypotheses in both basic and applied biological research.
• Evaluate the impact of continuous updates to UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot on scientific research and data integration in bioinformatics.
  • Continuous updates to UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot significantly enhance scientific research by ensuring that researchers have access to the latest findings related to protein sequences and functions. This dynamic nature of the database fosters collaboration across disciplines and aids in data integration within bioinformatics workflows. By incorporating new data regularly, researchers can rely on a consistently updated resource that reflects current knowledge, thereby improving the accuracy of analyses and supporting innovation in fields such as genomics, proteomics, and systems biology.

Related terms

UniProt:

A comprehensive protein sequence and functional information database that includes both Swiss-Prot (manually curated) and TrEMBL (automatically annotated) sections.

Protein Annotation: The process of adding information to protein sequences, including details about function, structure, localization, and interactions to enhance understanding.

FASTA format: A text-based format for representing nucleotide or protein sequences, which is commonly used for storing and sharing biological data.