UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot, the Manually Annotated Section of the UniProt KnowledgeBase: How to Use the Entry View

Area of Science:

• Bioinformatics
• Proteomics
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• The Universal Protein Resource (UniProt) is a collaborative initiative providing comprehensive protein data.
• UniProt maintains the UniProt KnowledgeBase (UniProtKB), updated regularly, alongside supplementary databases like UniRef and UniParc.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a guided tour of a UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot entry.
• To introduce associated tools and databases linked to UniProt entries.

Main Methods:

• Manual annotation of protein sequences by experts.
• Development of supplementary databases for protein clusters and archives.
• Automatic pipelines for predicting protein annotation.

Main Results:

• UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot offers expertly annotated protein sequences from diverse organisms.
• Specialized annotation programs, like PPAP, focus on specific proteomes (e.g., Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa).
• High-level annotations facilitate the prediction of new protein functions.

Conclusions:

• UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot serves as a crucial resource for protein information.
• Understanding UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot entries and linked tools enhances protein research.
• The resource supports the broader scientific community in exploring protein sequences and functions.