Library of Apicomplexan Metabolic Pathways: a manually curated database for metabolic pathways of apicomplexan parasites

Nucleic Acids Res. 2012 Nov 27. [Epub ahead of print]

Library of Apicomplexan Metabolic Pathways: a manually curated database for metabolic pathways of apicomplexan parasites

Shanmugasundram A, Gonzalez-Galarza FF, Wastling JM, Vasieva O, Jones AR.

Department of Functional and Comparative Genomics, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Biosciences Building, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB and Department of Infection Biology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool Science Park Innovation Centre 2, 146 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool L3 5RF, UK.

The Library of Apicomplexan Metabolic Pathways (LAMP, http://www.llamp.net) is a web database that provides near complete mapping from genes to the central metabolic functions for some of the prominent intracellular parasites of the phylum Apicomplexa. This phylum includes the causative agents of malaria, toxoplasmosis and theileriosis-diseases with a huge economic and social impact. A number of apicomplexan genomes have been sequenced, but the accurate annotation of gene function remains challenging. We have adopted an approach called metabolic reconstruction, in which genes are systematically assigned to functions within pathways/networks for Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, Cryptosporidium and Theileria species, and Babesia bovis. Several functions missing from pathways have been identified, where the corresponding gene for an essential process appears to be absent from the current genome annotation. For each species, LAMP contains interactive diagrams of each pathway, hyperlinked to external resources and annotated with detailed information, including the sources of evidence used. We have also developed a section to highlight the overall metabolic capabilities of each species, such as the ability to synthesize or the dependence on the host for a particular metabolite. We expect this new database will become a valuable resource for fundamental and applied research on the Apicomplexa.

PMID: 23193253 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]