HPDB: a comprehensive Human Pigmentation Database
PI: Chandana Basu, PhD., BHU, Varanasi chandana.basu@bhu.ac.in
Database Developer: VS Sundararajan, PhD, Adviser-in-Chief, Bioclues.org
Other contributors: Shwetotpal Mrinal and Prashanth Suravajhala
With the reduction in sequencing costs and advent of next generation sequencing, there is an increase in the growing lists of identified variants in pigmentation biology, thus creating an urgent need to catalog these variants. The only existing database includes 688 genes, coalescing zebrafish, mouse and humans including only 128 genes reported in humans. Hence, there was an urgent need for an integrated updated database which could list all the pigmentation genes in humans reported till date. Here, we present, Human Pigmentation Database (HPDB), a web resource that has an annotated list of pigmentation genes in humans expanding our knowledge on pigmentation biology and associated molecular pathways. In the current study, we have compiled the data through a host of publicly available NCBI tools. The current version of the database enlists 971 unique human pigmentation genes, 7251 variants, amino acid change, protein, and effect sizes. Having a user-friendly interface, HPDB version 1.0 allows easy browsing using multiple search engines and is freely accessible and can be accessed at https://bioclues.org/HPDB/. The database complies to minimum information about bioinformatics investigation (MIABi) guidelines with interoperability of biological data, information, knowledge and computational resources. The HPDB provides valuable data for researchers working in the field of pigmentation biology to understand the complex pigmentation traits in humans and many pigmentation-related disorders and give further impetus in the research.