ViruSITE - Integrated database for viral genomics

Abstract

Viruses are the most abundant biological entities and the reservoir of most of the genetic diversity in the Earth's biosphere. Viral genomes are very diverse, generally short in length and compared to other organisms carry only few genes. viruSITE is a novel database which brings together high-value information compiled from various resources. viruSITE covers the whole universe of viruses and focuses on viral genomes, genes and proteins. The database contains information on virus taxonomy, host range, genome features, sequential relatedness as well as the properties and functions of viral genes and proteins. All entries in the database are linked to numerous information resources. The above-mentioned features make viruSITE a comprehensive knowledge hub in the field of viral genomics. The web interface of the database was designed so as to offer an easy-to-navigate, intuitive and user-friendly environment. It provides sophisticated text searching and a taxonomy-based browsing system. viruSITE also allows for an alternative approach based on sequence search. A proprietary genome browser generates a graphical representation of viral genomes. In addition to retrieving and visualising data, users can perform comparative genomics analyses using a variety of tools.