Interferome
Encyclopedia
Interferome is an online bioinformatics
database
of interferon
regulated genes (IRGs). These Interferon
Regulated Genes are also known as Interferon Stimulated Genes (ISGs). The database contains information on type I (IFN alpha, beta), type II (IFN gamma) and type III (IFN lambda) regulated genes and is regularly updated. It is used by the interferon
and cytokine
research community both as an analysis tool and an information resource. Interferons were identified as antiviral proteins more than 50 years ago. However, their involvement in immunomodulation, cell proliferation, inflammation
and other homeostatic processes has been since identified. These cytokine
s are used as therapeutics in many diseases such as chronic viral
infections, cancer
and multiple sclerosis
. These interferons regulate the transcription of approximately 2000 genes in an interferon subtype, dose, cell type and stimulus dependent manner. This database of interferon regulated genes is an attempt at integrating information from high-throughput experiments and molecular biology databases to gain a detailed understanding of interferon biology.
:Monash Institute of Medical Research
and the University of Cambridge
Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics is the application of computer science and information technology to the field of biology and medicine. Bioinformatics deals with algorithms, databases and information systems, web technologies, artificial intelligence and soft computing, information and computation theory, software...
database
Database
A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
of interferon
Interferon
Interferons are proteins made and released by host cells in response to the presence of pathogens—such as viruses, bacteria, or parasites—or tumor cells. They allow communication between cells to trigger the protective defenses of the immune system that eradicate pathogens or tumors.IFNs belong to...
regulated genes (IRGs). These Interferon
Interferon
Interferons are proteins made and released by host cells in response to the presence of pathogens—such as viruses, bacteria, or parasites—or tumor cells. They allow communication between cells to trigger the protective defenses of the immune system that eradicate pathogens or tumors.IFNs belong to...
Regulated Genes are also known as Interferon Stimulated Genes (ISGs). The database contains information on type I (IFN alpha, beta), type II (IFN gamma) and type III (IFN lambda) regulated genes and is regularly updated. It is used by the interferon
Interferon
Interferons are proteins made and released by host cells in response to the presence of pathogens—such as viruses, bacteria, or parasites—or tumor cells. They allow communication between cells to trigger the protective defenses of the immune system that eradicate pathogens or tumors.IFNs belong to...
and cytokine
Cytokine
Cytokines are small cell-signaling protein molecules that are secreted by the glial cells of the nervous system and by numerous cells of the immune system and are a category of signaling molecules used extensively in intercellular communication...
research community both as an analysis tool and an information resource. Interferons were identified as antiviral proteins more than 50 years ago. However, their involvement in immunomodulation, cell proliferation, inflammation
Inflammation
Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...
and other homeostatic processes has been since identified. These cytokine
Cytokine
Cytokines are small cell-signaling protein molecules that are secreted by the glial cells of the nervous system and by numerous cells of the immune system and are a category of signaling molecules used extensively in intercellular communication...
s are used as therapeutics in many diseases such as chronic viral
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
infections, cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
and multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
. These interferons regulate the transcription of approximately 2000 genes in an interferon subtype, dose, cell type and stimulus dependent manner. This database of interferon regulated genes is an attempt at integrating information from high-throughput experiments and molecular biology databases to gain a detailed understanding of interferon biology.
Contents
Interferome comprises the following data sets:- Gene expression data of interferon regulated genes from Homo sapiens, Mus musculus, and Pan troglodytes, manually curated from more than 30 public and inhouse microarrayDNA microarrayA DNA microarray is a collection of microscopic DNA spots attached to a solid surface. Scientists use DNA microarrays to measure the expression levels of large numbers of genes simultaneously or to genotype multiple regions of a genome...
and proteomicProteomeThe proteome is the entire set of proteins expressed by a genome, cell, tissue or organism. More specifically, it is the set of expressed proteins in a given type of cells or an organism at a given time under defined conditions. The term is a portmanteau of proteins and genome.The term has been...
datasets.
Tools
Interferome offers many ways of searching and retrieving data from the database:- Identify interferon regulated gene signatures in microarray data;
- Gene OntologyGene OntologyThe Gene Ontology, or GO, is a major bioinformatics initiative to unify the representation of gene and gene product attributes across all species...
analysis and annotation; - Normal tissueTissue (biology)Tissue is a cellular organizational level intermediate between cells and a complete organism. A tissue is an ensemble of cells, not necessarily identical, but from the same origin, that together carry out a specific function. These are called tissues because of their identical functioning...
expression of interferon regulated genes; - Regulatory analysis of interferon regulated genes;
- BLASTBLASTIn bioinformatics, Basic Local Alignment Search Tool, or BLAST, is an algorithm for comparing primary biological sequence information, such as the amino-acid sequences of different proteins or the nucleotides of DNA sequences...
(Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) analysis and orthologue sequence download;
Interferome Management
Interferome is managed by a team at Monash UniversityMonash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
:Monash Institute of Medical Research
Monash Institute of Medical Research
The Monash Institute of Medical Research, or MIMR, is a research institute in Melbourne, Australia consisting of 400 scientists and students belonging to the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Monash University...
and the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...