Annotating Genomes using InterProScan

Once the initial sequencing, assembly and gene prediction work has been completed, it is then necessary to move on to the next phase of genome annotation, which includes an analysis of the protein coding genes. InterPro (http://www.ebi.ac.uk/interpro/) is a database that integrates diverse information about protein families, domains and functional sites, and makes it freely available to the public via Web-based interfaces and services. Central to the database are diagnostic models, known as signatures, against which protein sequences can be searched to determine their potential function. InterPro is used in the large-scale analysis of whole genomes and meta-genomes via InterProScan, a widely used tool which allows the classification of a genome or proteome and links to the underlying InterPro database to provide more detailed annotation.