The GDB Human Genome Data Base: a source of integrated genetic mapping and disease data

The GDB Human Genome Data Base refers collectively to GDB and OMIM, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man. GDB and OMIM are linked databases that provide an international repository for information generated by the Human Genome Initiative. GDB contains human gene mapping data, while OMIM offers the text of Dr. Victor A. McKusick's catalog of genetic disease and phenotype descriptions. These databases, updated and edited continuously, integrate bibliographic and full-text information with several types of mapping data. They are accessible through a flexible interface and are available through SprintNet and the Internet to the scientific community without cost. This paper provides an overview of the context, development, structure, content, and use of these databases.