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A Comparative Approach to Characterize the Landscape of Host-Pathogen Protein-Protein Interactions
Published on: July 18, 2013
10.6K
An integrated ontology resource to explore and study host-virus relationships
Patrick Masson1, Chantal Hulo1, Edouard de Castro1
1SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, CMU, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland.
Plos One
|September 19, 2014
Summary
Viruses evade host defenses by hijacking cellular mechanisms. A new controlled vocabulary and ontology link viral gene products to host-virus interactions, improving annotation and understanding of these processes.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Bioinformatics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Viruses possess sophisticated mechanisms to evade innate host defenses.
- Many viruses interfere with host antiviral signaling pathways.
- A standardized vocabulary is needed to describe these complex host-virus interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create a comprehensive dictionary for eukaryotic host-virus interactions.
- To develop a structured ontology for annotating viral gene products.
- To link viral gene functions with host defense mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Developed 57 ViralZone web pages detailing molecular processes in host-virus interactions.
- Built an ontology using UniProt Knowledgebase (UniProtKB) keywords and Gene Ontology (GO) terms.
- Created 65 UniProtKB keywords linked to 57 GO terms.
Main Results:
- Generated extensive annotations: 14,390 manual, 908,723 automatic, and an estimated 922,941 GO annotations.
- Established links between ViralZone pages, UniProtKB keywords, and GO terms.
- Provided a unified vocabulary for host-virus interactions.
Conclusions:
- The developed resources offer complementary tools for researchers studying host-virus interactions.
- This controlled vocabulary enhances the annotation of viral gene products.
- The integrated resources facilitate a deeper understanding of viral evasion strategies.
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