VEuPathDB Resources: A Platform for Free Online Data Exploration, Integration, and Analysis.

Abstract

The Eukaryotic Pathogen, Vector and Host Informatics Resources ( VEuPathDB.org ) provide free online access to omic data from eukaryotic protozoan and fungal pathogens, arthropod vectors of disease, and host responses to pathogen infection. The goal of VEuPathDB is to make data easily accessible, findable, and importantly, re-usable by laboratory scientists. All integrated data and analyses follow standard workflows and methods to ensure data accuracy and enable data interoperability. Integrated data include genomes and annotation, transcriptomic (e.g., single-cell/bulk RNA-sequence and microarray data), proteomic (e.g., mass spectrometry evidence and quantitative data), isolate sequencing data used for variant calling and copy number variation determination, epigenomics, whole-genome phenotyping data (e.g., CRISPR screens and large-scale imaging and subcellular localization data), etc. Standard analyses provide additional data such as InterPro domains, signal peptide and transmembrane domain predictions, and metabolic pathways. Comparative genomic analysis in VEuPathDB is facilitated by leveraging orthology to enable the transformation of results between organisms and identifying genes with specific phyletic patterns. In addition, synteny between genomes is facilitated by shading orthologs across species and strains. Accessibility to and re-usability of the data is made possible through specialized searches and a graphical search strategy system that enables scientists to build in silico experiments combining results from multiple experiments with diverse data types.