UniProtKB Swiss-Prot

UniProtKB Swiss-Prot provides a manually curated, evidence-based repository of protein sequences and detailed functional annotations to support biological and bioinformatics research.

Key Features:

• Manual curation: Records are manually annotated and reviewed by expert biologists using literature sources and curator-evaluated computational analyses.
• Comprehensive annotations: Entries include functional descriptions, domain structures, post-translational modifications, variants, and interaction data.
• Cross-references: Annotations are enriched with cross-links to approximately 100 external databases.
• Integration with UniProt ecosystem: Swiss-Prot is integrated with UniRef (UniProt Reference Clusters) and UniParc (UniProt Archive) for sequence clustering and archival of public protein sequences.
• Regular updates: The database is updated bi-weekly.
• Consortium maintenance: Swiss-Prot is maintained by the UniProt consortium, including the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI), and the Protein Information Resource (PIR).

Scientific Applications:

• Protein function analysis: Supports interpretation of protein roles via curated functional descriptions and interaction data.
• Comparative genomics: Enables comparison of protein sequences across species using UniRef clustering for evolutionary studies.
• Plant protein research: Provides curated annotations relevant to plant protein characterization.

Methodology:

Annotations are produced by a combination of manual curation by expert biologists and computational analyses, with literature evidence and curator-evaluated computational results informing entries.