The Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD): a resource for comparative toxicological studies

Abstract

The etiology of most chronic diseases involves interactions between environmental factors and genes that modulate important biological processes (Olden and Wilson, 2000. Nat Rev Genet 1(2):149-153). We are developing the publicly available Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD) to promote understanding about the effects of environmental chemicals on human health. CTD identifies interactions between chemicals and genes and facilitates cross-species comparative studies of these genes. The use of diverse animal models and cross-species comparative sequence studies has been critical for understanding basic physiological mechanisms and gene and protein functions. Similarly, these approaches will be valuable for exploring the molecular mechanisms of action of environmental chemicals and the genetic basis of differential susceptibility.

Fig. 1. CTD Home Page

The CTD Home Page provides access to sequence, reference, chemical, and curated gene data. Information about CTD updates and mechanisms for joining the CTD email list and providing feedback are also presented.

Fig. 2. Comparative Sequence Query Form and Results

The Comparative Sequence Query form is used to retrieve molecular sequences. Comparative Sequence Query results are presented in a summary format, which includes the associated Gene Set and gene (where curated), source organism, chemicals, molecule type, Gene Ontology annotations, accession identifier, and description for each item. From this results page, one may access individual sequence detail pages which provide information about a selected sequence, or view or download selected FASTA-formatted sequences.