AutoDep: a web-based system for deposition and validation of macromolecular structural information

This paper describes the design and full implementation of a new concept in data deposition and validation: AutoDep (copyright Brookhaven Science Asso ciates LLC). AutoDep changes the traditional procedure for data acceptance and validation of the primary databases into an interactive depositor-drive n operation which almost eliminates the delay between the acceptance of the data and its public release. The system takes full advantage of the knowle dge and expertise of the experimenters, rather than relying on the database curators for the complete and accurate description of the structural exper iment and its results. AutoDep, developed by the Protein Data Bank at Brook haven National Laboratory (BNL) as a flexible and portable system, has alre ady been adopted by other primary databases and implemented on different pl atforms/operating systems. AutoDep was introduced at BNL in 1996 [see Manni ng (1996), Protein Data Bank Quart. Newslett. 77, 2 (ftp://ftp.rcsb.org/pub /pdb/doc/newsletters/bnl/newsletter96jul/newslttr.txt); Manning (1996), Pro tein Data Bank Quart. Newslett. 78, 2 (ftp://ftp.rcsb.org/pub/pdb/doc/newsl etters/bnl/newsletter96oct/newslttr.txt)].