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gb4gv: a genome browser for geminivirus
Eric S Ho1,2, Catherine M Newsom-Stewart1, Lysa Diarra1
1Department of Biology, Lafayette College, Easton, PA, United States.
Peerj
|April 18, 2017
Summary
Geminiviruses cause significant agricultural damage globally. A new database, gb4gv, preserves unique viral genome characteristics and provides valuable annotations for better understanding these plant viruses.
Area of Science:
- Plant Virology
- Genomics
- Bioinformatics
Background:
- Geminiviruses are major plant pathogens impacting global agriculture.
- Their rapid evolution and unique genome structures pose challenges for traditional databases.
- Existing repositories like NCBI do not adequately represent geminivirus-specific features, such as bipartite genomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a comprehensive Geminivirus genomics database (gb4gv).
- To preserve the distinct genomic characteristics of Geminiviridae.
- To provide biologically relevant annotations for enhanced virus interrogation.
Main Methods:
- Manual and automatic curation of 508 Geminiviridae genomes and 161 associated satellites.
- Data sourced from NCBI RefSeq and PubMed.
- Integration of visualization capabilities from UCSC Genome Browser.
Main Results:
- The gb4gv database is now available.
- It offers free, unrestricted access to curated geminivirus genomic data.
- Includes visualization tools for exploring genomic content.
Conclusions:
- The gb4gv database facilitates access to diverse geminivirus genomic information.
- It aims to foster a deeper understanding of Geminiviridae diversity and interrelationships.
- Encourages further research into plant virus biology and evolution.