HIVToolbox, an integrated web application for investigating HIV

PLoS One. 2011;6(5):e20122. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0020122. Epub 2011 May 25.

Abstract

Many bioinformatic databases and applications focus on a limited domain of knowledge federating links to information in other databases. This segregated data structure likely limits our ability to investigate and understand complex biological systems. To facilitate research, therefore, we have built HIVToolbox, which integrates much of the knowledge about HIV proteins and allows virologists and structural biologists to access sequence, structure, and functional relationships in an intuitive web application. HIV-1 integrase protein was used as a case study to show the utility of this application. We show how data integration facilitates identification of new questions and hypotheses much more rapid and convenient than current approaches using isolated repositories. Several new hypotheses for integrase were created as an example, and we experimentally confirmed a predicted CK2 phosphorylation site. Weblink: [http://hivtoolbox.bio-toolkit.com].

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Binding Sites
  • Casein Kinase II / metabolism
  • Computational Biology / methods*
  • Databases, Protein*
  • HIV Integrase / chemistry
  • HIV Integrase / metabolism
  • HIV-1* / enzymology
  • HIV-1* / physiology
  • Internet*
  • Models, Molecular
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Multimerization
  • Protein Structure, Quaternary
  • Systems Integration*
  • User-Computer Interface

Substances

  • Casein Kinase II
  • HIV Integrase