ToothPrint, a proteomic database for dental tissues

Increasing demand exists to disseminate and integrate proteomic data as pro teome analysis assumes a commanding role in the postgenome era. Databases o n the World Wide Web are an effective means to share information obtained f rom two-dimensional gels and allied proteomic approaches. Here we report th e establishment of ToothPrint, a proteomic database for dental tissues acce ssed at http://toothprint.otago.ac.nz. Using developing rat enamel as a pro totype, ToothPrint provides a variety of functionally relevant data (ligand binding, subcellular localisation, developmental regulation) in addition t o protein identification maps. Features designed to enhance usability of th e website and simplify its computing requirements are also outlined. Custom ised for mineralising tissues, ToothPrint should prove to be an effective b ioinformatic resource for investigations of dental biology.