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The Pfam protein families database
Alex Bateman1, Lachlan Coin, Richard Durbin
1Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK. agb@sanger.ac.uk
Nucleic Acids Research
|December 19, 2003
Summary
The Pfam database now contains 6190 protein families and domains, doubling its size in two years. Recent updates improve searching and model discontinuous domains for better structural alignment.
Area of Science:
- Bioinformatics
- Structural Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Pfam is a comprehensive database of protein families and domains.
- The database has experienced significant growth, doubling its content in the last two years.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe recent improvements in the Pfam database.
- To highlight innovations in searching methodologies and domain modeling.
Main Methods:
- Methodology enhancements for local and web-based searching of the Pfam collection.
- Development of models for discontinuous domains to align with structure databases.
Main Results:
- The Pfam database (version 10.0) now includes 6190 protein families.
- Improved search functionalities and enhanced domain definitions are now available.
- Pfam is accessible globally through multiple web servers.
Conclusions:
- Pfam continues to expand rapidly, offering a valuable resource for protein family and domain analysis.
- Recent updates enhance the utility of Pfam for researchers by improving accessibility and accuracy of domain definitions.