MITOMAP: A human mitochondrial genome database

Abstract

We have developed a comprehensive database (MITOMAP) for the human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), the first component of the human genome to be completely sequenced. MITOMAP uses the mtDNA sequence as the unifying element for bringing together information on mitochondrial genome structure and function, pathogenic mutations and their clinical characteristics, population associated variation, and gene-gene interactions. As increasingly larger regions of the human genome are sequenced and characterized, the need for integrating such information will grow. Consequently, MITOMAP not only provides a valuable reference for the mitochondrial biologist, it may also provide a model for the development of information storage and retrieval systems for other components of the human genome.