SNP data has grown exponentially over the last two years, SNP database evolution hasmatched this growth, as initial development of several independent SNP databases hasgiven way to one central SNP database, dbSNP. Other SNP databases have insteadevolved to complement this central database by providing gene specific focus and anincreased level of curation and analysis on subsets of data, derived from the central dataset. By contrast, human mutation data, which has been collected over many years, is stillstored in disparate sources, although moves are afoot to move to a similar centraldatabase. These developments are timely, human mutation and polymorphism data bothhold complementary keys to a better understanding of how genes function and malfunctionin disease. The impending availability of a complete human genome presents us with anideal framework to integrate both these forms of data, as our understanding of themechanisms of disease increase, the full genomic context of variation may becomeincreasingly significant.
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