PROSITE

PROSITE

Developer
Released
Latest version
Update model
Database model
License
Website	[PROSITE Official website]

PROSITE is a comprehensive database of protein domains, families, and functional sites. It is a resource used by researchers and students in the field of bioinformatics and molecular biology to identify and analyze protein sequences. PROSITE provides a collection of biologically significant sites, patterns, and profiles that help in the annotation of protein sequences.

History

PROSITE was established in 1988 by Amos Bairoch at the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics. It was developed to assist in the identification of protein domains and functional sites using patterns and profiles derived from known protein sequences. Over the years, PROSITE has evolved to include more sophisticated tools and data, becoming an essential resource in the field of protein sequence analysis.

Structure and Content

PROSITE entries are composed of:

• Patterns: Regular expressions that describe conserved motifs in protein sequences.
• Profiles: Position-specific scoring matrices that provide a more sensitive means of detecting distant relationships between proteins.
• Documentation: Detailed information about the biological significance of the patterns and profiles, including references to scientific literature.

Each entry in PROSITE is assigned a unique identifier, known as a PS number, which is used to reference the entry in scientific publications and databases.

Applications

PROSITE is widely used in the annotation of protein sequences. It helps in:

• Identifying potential functional sites in newly sequenced proteins.
• Classifying proteins into families based on shared domains and motifs.
• Predicting the function of proteins based on the presence of known domains.

Researchers use PROSITE in conjunction with other databases such as Pfam, InterPro, and UniProt to gain a comprehensive understanding of protein function and evolution.

Access and Tools

PROSITE is accessible through the PROSITE website, where users can search for patterns and profiles, submit sequences for analysis, and download data. The database is integrated with the ExPASy bioinformatics resource portal, providing access to a wide range of tools for protein sequence analysis.

Also see

• Pfam
• InterPro
• UniProt
• ExPASy
• Protein domain
• Bioinformatics

References

• Bairoch, A. (1991). PROSITE: A dictionary of sites and patterns in proteins. Nucleic Acids Research, 19(Suppl), 2241-2245.
• Sigrist, C. J. A., et al. (2013). New and continuing developments at PROSITE. Nucleic Acids Research, 41(D1), D344-D347.