WORFDB

WORFDB provides access to a curated collection of Gateway Entry clones representing approximately 12,500 Caenorhabditis elegans open reading frames (ORFs) to support experimental verification and iterative refinement of gene models and to enable reverse proteomics and functional genomics studies.

Key Features:

• Iterative Cloning and Validation: Demonstrates iterative refinement of gene predictions across project progression (e.g., WormBase release WS9 to WS100) through successive rounds of cloning and validation.
• Experimental Verification (Touched vs Untouched ORFs): Distinguishes "touched" ORFs with supporting experimental evidence from "untouched" ORFs lacking such evidence to indicate prediction reliability.
• Correction of Gene Structures: Identifies that approximately 13% of cloned full-length ORFs required corrections to exon/intron structures relative to initial predictions.
• Comprehensive Repository: Hosts approximately 12,500 ORFs as Gateway Entry clones to support reverse proteomics and functional genomics experiments.

Scientific Applications:

• Protein Interaction Screening: Enables high-throughput screening for protein–protein interactions using Gateway Entry clones.
• Functional Analysis of Developmental Genes: Supports investigation of gene roles in Caenorhabditis elegans developmental processes via expressed ORFs.
• Validation of Computational Gene Predictions: Provides empirical data to validate and refine computational gene model predictions.

Methodology:

PCR amplification and Gateway cloning from a representative Caenorhabditis elegans cDNA library were used to generate and experimentally verify Gateway Entry clones.