UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot

Definition

UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot is a curated protein sequence database that provides high-quality annotations of protein sequences, integrating functional information and structural data. It is a key resource for researchers in molecular biology and bioinformatics, offering insights into protein functions, interactions, and involvement in various biological processes.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot is known for its high level of manual curation, ensuring that the information is reliable and up-to-date.
2. The database includes detailed functional annotations, such as enzyme activity, binding sites, and post-translational modifications.
3. Swiss-Prot is part of the larger UniProt Knowledgebase, which also includes UniProtKB/TrEMBL, a section with automatically annotated entries.
4. Researchers can access UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot through various tools that allow for sequence searching, functional analysis, and data retrieval.
5. The database plays a crucial role in supporting research in areas such as genomics, proteomics, and drug discovery by providing comprehensive protein information.

Review Questions

• How does UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot enhance the understanding of protein functions through its curated annotations?
  • UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot enhances the understanding of protein functions by providing meticulously curated annotations that include details on enzyme activities, biological processes, and molecular interactions. These annotations are created by expert curators who evaluate scientific literature and experimental data, ensuring high reliability. This makes Swiss-Prot an invaluable resource for researchers looking to gain insights into specific proteins and their roles within biological systems.
• Discuss the differences between UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot and UniProtKB/TrEMBL in terms of data quality and curation methods.
  • UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot differs from UniProtKB/TrEMBL primarily in its curation methods and data quality. Swiss-Prot entries are manually curated by experts who verify the accuracy of the annotations based on experimental evidence and published research. In contrast, TrEMBL contains entries that are automatically annotated from unreviewed sequences without manual verification. As a result, Swiss-Prot is generally more reliable for researchers seeking validated information on protein functions.
• Evaluate the impact of UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot on molecular biology research and its role in advancing our understanding of proteomics.
  • UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot significantly impacts molecular biology research by providing a centralized repository of high-quality protein sequence data and functional annotations. Its comprehensive coverage supports the field of proteomics by enabling researchers to identify proteins within complex mixtures and understand their roles in cellular processes. By facilitating data sharing and integration with other biological databases, Swiss-Prot accelerates discoveries related to disease mechanisms, drug targets, and biomarker identification, ultimately advancing our understanding of life at the molecular level.

Related terms

Protein Annotation: The process of adding information about a protein's function, structure, and interactions to a protein database.

Sequence Alignment:

A method used to identify regions of similarity between protein or nucleotide sequences, which can provide insights into their functions and evolutionary relationships.

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