ICEberg

ICEberg catalogs integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) in bacterial genomes to support analysis of horizontal gene transfer and the dissemination of virulence factors and antibiotic resistance genes.

Key Features:

• Database contents: Detailed records for 428 distinct ICEs identified across 124 bacterial species, supported by over 400 literature references and including both predicted and experimentally validated entries.
• Integration and Excision Modules: Details the mechanisms by which ICEs integrate into and excise from host chromosomes.
• Conjugation Module: Documents conjugative processes that enable ICE transfer between bacteria.
• Regulation Modules: Describes regulatory networks governing ICE activity and control of expression and integration/excision cycles.
• Functional Analysis Tools: Implements similarity searches, sequence alignments, genome context browsers, and phylogenetic analyses for ICE characterization.

Scientific Applications:

• Horizontal gene transfer studies: Enables analysis of mechanisms and dynamics of ICE-mediated lateral gene flow.
• Prokaryotic evolution: Facilitates investigation of ICE contributions to bacterial genome evolution.
• Pathogenesis and antimicrobial resistance: Supports tracking and characterization of dissemination of virulence factors and antibiotic resistance genes.
• Biotechnology and metabolism: Supports exploration of ICE-encoded traits relevant to biotechnology and metabolic functions.

Methodology:

Provides similarity searches, sequence alignments, genome context browsing and phylogenetic analyses and contains both predicted and experimentally validated ICE entries.