VarDB: a pathogen-specific sequence database of protein families involved in antigenic variation.

ABSTRACT:

Unlabelled

Infectious diseases are a major threat to global public health and prosperity. The causative agents consist of a suite of pathogens, ranging from bacteria to viruses, including fungi, helminthes and protozoa. Although these organisms are extremely varied in their biological structure and interactions with the host, they share similar methods of evading the host immune system. Antigenic variation and drift are mechanisms by which pathogens change their exposed epitopes while maintaining protein function. Accordingly, these traits enable pathogens to establish chronic infections in the host. The varDB database was developed to serve as a central repository of protein and nucleotide sequences as well as associated features (e.g. field isolate data, clinical parameters, etc.

SUBMITTER: Hayes CN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2572703 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature