THE YEAST SWISS-2DPAGE DATABASE

The systematic sequencing of the yeast genome will soon be completed. A new challenge has been launched by the EUROFAN (European Functional Analysis) project whose goal is to elucidate the physiological and bio chemical function of newly discovered open reading frames (ORF) from y east. One of the approaches is to use protein-based technologies such as two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and protein identification in o rder to establish a yeast reference map. Modified protein patterns can be compared to the reference map which hopefully will help identify c hanges related, for example, to growth processes or developmental even ts. This paper describes the yeast SWISS-2DPAGE database in which char ge separation was obtained using immobilized pH gradient (IPG). Protei ns identified by gel comparison, amino acid composition analysis and/o r microsequencing are recorded and described in an accessible uniform format. We have identified more than one hundred polypeptides, several of which were newly mapped. In addition, the yeast SWISS-2DPAGE datab ase can be freely accessed through the World Wide Web (WWW) network on the ExPASy molecular biology server.