WormBase: a core data resource for C elegans and other nematodes

描述(申请人提供)：秀丽线虫是基础生物学和生物医学研究的主要模式系统，也是第一个对其基因组、解剖和发育以及其~22,000个基因的每一个都有一些信息的动物。需要五年的资金来维护和扩大WormBase，这是一个模式生物数据库(MOD)，包括关于这种线虫和其他线虫的核心基因组、遗传、解剖和功能信息。为了使整个生物医学研究界能够充分利用线虫基因组序列，这样的数据库是必要的。两个首要任务将是密集的数据精选和用户界面改进。WormBase将包括基因组数据的最新注释、当前的遗传和物理地图以及许多实验数据，例如与细胞和基因的功能和相互作用以及发育、生理和行为有关的基因组规模数据集。将提供对生物材料来源的直接访问，例如线虫遗传中心的菌株收集，以及与其他机构维护的数据集的直接链接。数据将从现有资源、个别实验室的直接贡献和文献中恢复。虽然WormBase将作为一个中心论坛，通过该论坛，每个实验室将能够为全面了解这种后生生物的全球努力做出建设性贡献，但WormBase的专业馆长将确保数据源的详细归属，并检查一致性和完整性。为了方便沟通，WormBase将尽可能使用与其他数据库一致的技术、术语和风格。WormBase将维护线虫解剖和表型的本体。WormBase将是基于Web的，并且易于使用。将使用多个关系数据库进行数据管理；将使用基于对象的Acedb数据库系统进行整合，并将使用这种整合的数据库加上“从属”关系数据库来驱动网站。该项目和主要管理地点的协调将在加州理工大学进行，由线虫生物学家监督。基因组序列的整理和注释将在产生整个基因组序列的中心--桑格研究所和华盛顿大学--进行。牛津大学将保留基因命名法。线虫(蛔虫)是人类、牲畜和农作物的主要寄生虫，将WormBase扩展到更广泛的线虫基因组学将有助于线虫疾病诊断和治疗的研究。对线虫的研究使我们了解了线虫正常发育的基本原理和衰老、癌症、尼古丁成瘾的分子基础，以及细胞迁移、细胞分化和细胞死亡等各种基本生物学过程。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Caenorhabditis elegans is a major model system for basic biological and biomedical research and the first animal for which there is a complete description of its genome, anatomy and development, and some information about each of its ~22,000 genes. Five years of funding is requested to maintain and expand WormBase, a Model Organism Database (MOD), with complete coverage of core genomic, genetic, anatomical and functional information about this and other nematodes. Such a database is necessary to allow the entire biomedical research community to make full use of nematode genomic sequences. The two top priorities will be intensive data curation and user interface improvement. WormBase will include up-to-date annotation of the genomic data, the current genetic and physical maps and many experimental data such as genome-scale datasets connected to the function and interactions of cells and genes, as well as development, physiology and behavior. Direct access to the sources of biological material, such as the strain collection of the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center and direct links to data sets maintained by others will be provided. Data will be recovered from the existing resources, from direct contribution of the individual laboratories, and from the literature. While WormBase will act as a central forum through which every laboratory will be able to contribute constructively to the global effort to fully comprehend this metazoan organism, WormBase professional curators will ensure detailed attribution of data sources and check consistency and integrity. To facilitate communication, WormBase will use technology, terminology and style concordant with other databases wherever possible. WormBase will maintain ontologies for nematode anatomy and phenotypes. WormBase will be Web-based and easy to use. Multiple relational databases will be used for data management; the object-based Acedb database system will be used for integration, and this integrated database plus "slave" relational databases will be used to drive the website. Coordination of the project and the main curation site will be at Caltech under the supervision of a C. elegans biologist. Curation and annotation of genomic sequence will take place at the centers - the Sanger Institute and Washington University - that generated the entire genome sequence. Oxford University will maintain genetic nomenclature. Nematodes (roundworms) are major parasites of humans, livestock and crops, and extension of WormBase to broader coverage of nematode genomics will facilitate research into the diagnosis and treatment of nematode-based disease. Studies of C. elegans have informed us of basic principles of normal development and the molecular basis of aging, cancer, nicotine addiction, as well as a variety of fundamental biological processes such as cell migration, cell differentiation and cell death.