DbMDR: A Relational Database for Multidrug Resistance Genes as Potential Drug Targets

DbMDR is non-redundant reference database ofmultidrug resistance (MDR) genes and their ortho-logs acting as potential drug targets. Drug resis-tance is a common phenomenon of pathogens,creating a serious problem of inactivation of drugsand antibiotics resulting in occurrence of dis-eases. Apart from other factors, the MDR genespresent in pathogens are shown to be responsiblefor multidrug resistance. Much of the unorganizedinformation on MDR genes is scattered across theliterature and other web resources. Thus, consoli-dation of such knowledge about MDR genes intoone database will make the drug discoveryresearch more efficient. Mining of text for MDRgenes has resulted into a large number of publica-tions but in scattered and unorganized form. Thisinformation was compiled into a database, whichenables a user not only to look at a particularMDR gene but also to find out putative homologsbased on sequence similarity, conserved domains,and motifs in proteins encoded by MDR genesmore efficiently. At present, DbMDR databasecontains 2843 MDR genes characterizedexperimentally as well as functionally annotatedwith cross-referencing search support. TheDbMDR database (http://203.190.147.116/dbmdr/)is a comprehensive resource for comparativestudy focused on MDR genes and metabolic path-way efflux pumps and intended to provide a plat-form for researchers for further research in drugresistance.Key words: antibiotics, database, diseases, drug resistance, effluxpumps, multidrug resistance genesReceived 11 December 2009, revised 23 June 2011 and accepted forpublication 1 July 2011