UniProt

Definition

UniProt is a comprehensive protein sequence and functional information database that provides a central repository for protein data, facilitating research and discovery in the field of genomics. It integrates information from various sources, such as protein sequences, functional annotations, and literature references, making it an essential tool for sequence alignment and homology searches, which are critical for understanding protein functions and evolutionary relationships.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. UniProt consists of three main databases: UniProt Knowledgebase (UniProtKB), UniProt Archive (UniParc), and UniProt Computational Analysis Resource (UniPROT-CR), which serve different purposes in protein information storage and retrieval.
2. UniProtKB is further divided into two sections: Swiss-Prot, which contains manually curated entries with high-quality annotations, and TrEMBL, which includes automatically annotated entries from translated nucleotide sequences.
3. The database supports various search options allowing researchers to find proteins based on different criteria such as sequence similarity, functional characteristics, and organism-specific information.
4. UniProt plays a crucial role in functional genomics by providing vital links between gene sequences, proteins they encode, and their biological functions across different organisms.
5. It is updated regularly with new protein data from ongoing research efforts and ensures that users have access to the latest findings in protein science.

Review Questions

• How does UniProt contribute to our understanding of protein functions in genomic studies?
  • UniProt contributes significantly to genomic studies by providing a centralized platform for accessing detailed protein sequences and their functional annotations. This resource enables researchers to analyze protein interactions, functions, and evolutionary relationships efficiently. By integrating diverse datasets from literature and experimental findings, UniProt helps scientists make informed conclusions about the roles proteins play within biological systems.
• Discuss the differences between the Swiss-Prot and TrEMBL sections of the UniProt Knowledgebase.
  • Swiss-Prot is characterized by its manually curated entries with high-quality annotations that provide reliable functional information about proteins. In contrast, TrEMBL contains automatically annotated entries derived from translated nucleotide sequences but lacks the same level of review. The differentiation allows users to choose between thoroughly vetted data or a broader range of protein sequences that may require further verification.
• Evaluate how the integration of multiple sources in UniProt affects its reliability and usability for researchers conducting homology searches.
  • The integration of multiple sources in UniProt enhances its reliability by ensuring that the information is comprehensive and continually updated with new discoveries in the field. This robustness allows researchers conducting homology searches to find not only sequence similarities but also functional annotations that are critical for understanding protein behavior across different organisms. By leveraging data from experimental results, literature references, and cross-references with other databases, UniProt serves as a trusted resource that aids in making significant biological insights.

Related terms

Protein Database: A structured collection of protein sequences and related information used for research and analysis in bioinformatics.

Sequence Alignment: A method used to identify regions of similarity between protein or nucleotide sequences, which can indicate functional or evolutionary relationships.

BLAST:

Basic Local Alignment Search Tool, a widely used algorithm for comparing an input sequence against a database of sequences to find regions of similarity.