GIF-DB, A WWW DATABASE ON GENE INTERACTIONS INVOLVED IN DROSOPHILA-MELANOGASTER DEVELOPMENT

GIF-DB (Gene Interactions in the Fly Database) is a new WWW database ( http://www-biol.univ-mrs.fr/similar to lgpd/GIFTS_home_page.html) desc ribing gene molecular interactions involved in the process of embryoni c pattern formation in the fly Drosophila melanogaster, The detailed i nformation is distributed in specific lines arranged into an EMBL- (or SWISS-PROT-) like format, GIF-DB achieves a high level of integration with other databases such as FlyBase, EMBL and SWISS-PROT through num erous hyperlinks, The original concept of interaction databases exampl ified by GIF-DB could be extended to other biological subjects and org anisms so as to study gene regulatory networks in an evolutionary pers pective.