CCT: a coordinate conversion tool for hepatitis B virus.

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Bioinformatics
• Genomics

Background:

• The hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome comprises approximately 3,200 nucleotides and encodes seven proteins within four overlapping open reading frames (ORFs).
• Accurate comparison of genomic coordinates across diverse HBV samples and published literature is often hindered by the need for complex manual conversions.
• Standardizing coordinate systems is crucial for advancing HBV research and understanding viral diversity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and present an accessible online tool for converting nucleotide and amino acid positions within the HBV genome.
• To facilitate seamless data integration and comparison among researchers studying hepatitis B virus.

Main Methods:

• An interactive web-based tool was created to accept user-inputted genomic positions (nucleotide or amino acid).
• The tool automatically converts the input position across all relevant ORFs, regions, and domains of the HBV genome.
• A diagrammatic representation of the HBV genome is utilized to visualize the converted positions.

Main Results:

• The developed tool successfully converts genomic positions across different reference frames within the HBV genome.
• Users can input a single position and instantly view its corresponding locations in all other applicable genomic contexts.
• The tool provides a clear, visual representation of the HBV genome with the converted positions plotted.

Conclusions:

• The online tool significantly simplifies the process of HBV genomic coordinate conversion.
• This resource will enhance the comparability of HBV data, accelerating research and discovery in the field.
• Facilitating coordinate conversion aids researchers in comparing HBV samples and published findings more effectively.