WebSTR

WebSTR catalogs and analyzes short tandem repeat (STR) variation across human populations to enable genome‑wide study of STR loci and their associations with traits and disease.

Key Features:

• STR characterization: Catalogs loci consisting of 1–6 nucleotide motifs and records hypervariable alleles produced primarily by polymerase slippage.
• Dataset scale: Contains nearly two million genomic loci and reference panels comprising over 1.7 million human STRs across thousands of individuals.
• Cohort composition: Integrates STR genotypes from the 1000 Genomes Project, H3Africa, the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) Project, and colorectal cancer patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).
• Annotation methods: Built using state-of-the-art repeat annotation methods.
• Implementation: Implemented as a relational database with programmatic access via an API.
• Extensibility: Structured to allow extension to additional cohorts or other species.
• Genome-wide analysis support: Supports genome-wide analysis of STR variation across populations.

Scientific Applications:

• Gene expression: Enables investigation of STR effects on gene expression using genome-wide STR genotype data.
• Cancer genomics: Supports analysis of STR variation in cancer risk and tumor cohorts, including TCGA colorectal cancer patients.
• Neurodevelopmental disorders: Facilitates study of STR contributions to autism spectrum disorders.
• Population genetics and association studies: Supports analyses of population diversity and association studies of STRs with human traits and diseases.

Methodology:

STR loci were annotated using repeat annotation methods and integrated from multiple large-scale cohorts into a relational database and reference panels (>1.7 million STRs), with programmatic access provided via an API.