VirHostnet

VirHostNet curates and integrates virus-host molecular interaction networks to enable analysis of protein-protein interactions and support mechanistic studies of viral infection.

Key Features:

• Extensive Interaction Networks: VirHostNet provides a non-redundant dataset of virus-virus, virus-host, and host-host protein-protein interactions, including an initial release of 2,671 interactions across over 180 viral species and a human interactome with 10,672 proteins and 68,252 interactions.
• Functional Annotations: The database integrates molecular function, cellular pathway, and protein domain annotations to enhance biological interpretation of interaction networks.
• Data Formats and Access Points: Interaction data are provided in PSI-MI TAB 2.5 format and made available via a PSICQUIC web service.
• Curation and Integration of High-throughput Data: The resource incorporates literature-curated and high-throughput protein-protein interaction datasets through multiple rounds of manual curation.

Scientific Applications:

• Systems Biology and Proteome-scale Analysis: Enables systems biology analyses and gene-centered studies by mapping virus-host interactions onto host proteome networks.
• Antiviral Target Identification: Supports identification of host and viral molecular targets for antiviral drug design by revealing interaction-based intervention points.
• Study of Viral Pathogenesis and Host Response: Facilitates investigation of viral strategies to hijack host processes and the cellular mechanisms underlying antiviral responses.

Methodology:

VirHostNet applies a network-based approach that integrates literature-curated and publicly available interaction datasets, with an emphasis on manual curation to maintain data quality.