The Rat Genome Database 2009: variation, ontologies and pathways

Melinda R. Dwinell1,2,*, Elizabeth A. Worthey2, Mary Shimoyama2, Burcu Bakir-Gungor2, Jeffrey DePons2, Stanley Laulederkind2, Timothy Lowry2, Rajni Nigram2, Victoria Petri2, Jennifer Smith2, Alexander Stoddard2, Simon N. Twigger1,2, Howard J. Jacob1,2 and the RGD Team

1Department of Physiology and 2Human and Molecular Genetics Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA

*To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +1 414 456 4498; Fax: + 414 456 6516; Email: mrdwinel@mcw.edu

Received September 15, 2008. Revised October 13, 2008. Accepted October 14, 2008.

The Rat Genome Database (RGD, http://rgd.mcw.edu) was developed to provide a core resource for rat researchers combining genetic, genomic, pathway, phenotype and strain information with a focus on disease. RGD users are provided with access to structured and curated data from the molecular level through to the level of the whole organism, including the variations associated with disease phenotypes. To fully support use of the rat as a translational model for biological systems and human disease, RGD continues to curate these datasets while enhancing and developing tools to allow efficient and effective access to the data in a variety of formats including linear genome viewers, pathway diagrams and biological ontologies. To support pathophysiological analysis of data, RGD Disease Portals provide an entryway to integrated gene, QTL and strain data specific to a particular disease. In addition to tool and content development and maintenance, RGD promotes rat research and provides user education by creating and disseminating tutorials on the curated datasets, submission processes, and tools available at RGD. By curating, storing, integrating, visualizing and promoting rat data, RGD ensures that the investment made into rat genomics and genetics can be leveraged by all interested investigators.

Abstract:

http://nar.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/gkn842?
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Full Text:

http://nar.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/gkn842?
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http://nar.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/gkn842?
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