WormBase: expanding the reference resource for helminth research

现代医学的许多发展都是基于过去50年来我们对基因如何工作的理解所取得的巨大进步。许多疾病都是由基因在某种程度上的故障引起的，了解基因的功能可以设计针对特定故障的诊断工具和治疗方法。导致这一进展的许多研究很难在人类身上进行。因为所有的动物都是通过进化联系在一起的，所以对简单动物的研究有助于理解人类生物学。某些关键模式生物一直是深入研究的焦点。其中一种是微小的蛔虫或线虫，秀丽隐杆线虫。50多年来，秀丽隐杆线虫的研究得到了MRC的支持，获得了两项诺贝尔奖，并且对我们理解细胞死亡和衰老等基本过程做出了重要贡献。除了与理解人类生物学相关外，对秀丽隐杆线虫的研究对我们理解寄生虫生物学尤为重要。在全球范围内，有超过10亿人感染了寄生线虫，包括丝线虫，如引起河盲症的盘尾丝虫病和引起象皮病的布鲁氏线虫；肠内线虫，如钩虫、鞭虫和巨型蛔虫。感染通常与贫穷有关，并助长贫穷。基因研究通过获得被研究生物的完整DNA序列（基因组）而发生了革命性的变化，其中包含了所有的基因序列。秀丽隐杆线虫是第一个进行基因组测序的动物，现在主要的项目正在收集寄生物种的基因组序列。要使用基因组序列和所有关于基因的新信息，需要将DNA信息与实验数据联系在一起，并将动物之间的相应基因联系起来的信息资源。该应用程序将支持虫库的开发，虫库是线虫所有基因组和生物学数据的参考信息资源，对使用这种模式生物进行基础研究至关重要。该应用程序还将支持扩展WormBase，以包括对越来越多的寄生线虫的基因组和实验信息的管理，并扩展范围以包括寄生扁形虫曼索尼血吸虫。尽管两种寄生虫（扁形虫和线虫）的进化距离较远，但对它们的研究有很多共同点，现在，WormBase将支持这两个领域的基础研究。通过将寄生虫学与基础科学研究相结合，WormBase具有独特的优势，可以通过应用为秀丽隐杆线虫开发的信息、技术基础设施和管理专业知识，实现社区范围内寄生虫数据的开发。

Many developments in modern medicine are based on the enormous progress made over the last 50 years in our understanding of how our genes work. Many diseases are caused by genes malfunctioning in some way, and understanding the function of genes allows to design diagnostic tools and treatments against specific malfunctions. Much of the research that has led to this progress is difficult to do in humans. Because all animals are related by evolution, study of simple animals helps to understand human biology. Certain key model organisms have been the focus of intensive study. One of these is the tiny roundworm, or nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans. C. elegans research has been supported by the MRC for over 50 years, leading to two Nobel prizes, and is a key contributor to our understanding of basic processes such as cell death and ageing. In addition to its relevance for understanding human biology, research on C. elegans is particularly important to our understanding of the biology of parasitic worms. Globally, more than one billion people are infected with parasitic nematodes, including filarial nematodes, such as Onchocerca that causes river blindness, and Brugia that causes elephantiasis; intestinal nematodes such as hookworms, whipworms and giant roundworms. Typically infections are associated with and promote poverty. Genetic research has been revolutionized by obtaining the complete DNA sequence (the genome) of the organism being studied, which contains all the gene sequences. C. elegans was the first animal to have its genome sequenced and now major programmes are collecting genome sequences for parasitic species. To use genome sequences and all the new information about genes requires information resources that tie together DNA information with experimental data, and relate corresponding genes across animals. This application will support the development of WormBase, the reference information resource for all genomic and biological data for C. elegans that is essential for fundamental research using this model organism. The application will also support the expansion of WormBase to include the curation of genomic and experimental information for increasing numbers of parasitic nematodes, and an expansion in scope to include Schistosoma mansoni, a parasitic flatworm. Research into both types of parasitic worms (flatworms and nematodes) has much in common despite their evolutionary distance and WormBase will now support fundamental research in both these areas. By relating parasitology and basic science research, WormBase is uniquely placed to enable community-wide exploitation of data emerging for parasites by applying information, technological infrastructure, and curatorial expertise developed for C. elegans.