ELM-the eukaryotic linear motif resource in 2020

Area of Science:

• Molecular Biology
• Bioinformatics
• Proteomics

Background:

• The Eukaryotic Linear Motif (ELM) resource is a curated database of experimentally validated short linear motifs (SLiMs).
• ELM has been an essential tool for molecular biologists for nearly two decades, aiding in the study of functional protein regions.
• SLiMs play critical roles in diverse biological processes, including protein-protein interactions and signaling pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

• To update and expand the ELM resource with novel motif classes and instances.
• To incorporate new data focusing on DNA damage, cytoskeleton, phosphotyrosine motifs, and pathogen mimicry.
• To maintain ELM as an indispensable, up-to-date resource for the scientific community.

Main Methods:

• Manual curation of experimentally validated short linear motifs from scientific literature.
• Addition of 21 new motif classes and revision of 12 existing classes.
• Incorporation of over 400 new motif instances, with a focus on specific biological areas.

Main Results:

• The ELM database now contains 289 motif classes and 3523 curated motif instances.
• New data includes motifs related to DNA damage, cytoskeleton, SH2-binding phosphotyrosine interactions, and bacterial effector mimicry.
• All entries are manually curated from 3467 scientific publications.

Conclusions:

• The updated ELM resource provides a comprehensive and expanded collection of SLiMs.
• This enhanced database will continue to support research in molecular biology, protein function, and disease mechanisms.
• ELM remains a critical resource for identifying and analyzing functional motifs in eukaryotic proteins.