Informed use of protein–protein interaction data: A focus on the integrated interactions database (IID)

Abstract

Protein–protein interaction data is fundamental in molecular biology, and numerous online databases provide access to this data. However, the huge quantity, complexity, and variety of PPI data can be overwhelming, and rather than helping to address research problems, the data may add to their complexity and reduce interpretability. This protocol focuses on solutions for some of the main challenges of using PPI data, including accessing data, ensuring relevance by integrating useful annotations, and improving interpretability. While the issues are generic, we highlight how to perform such operations using Integrated Interactions Database (IID; http://ophid.utoronto.ca/iid ).