KEGG

KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) is a comprehensive database resource for understanding high-level functions and utilities of the biological system, such as the cell, the organism, and the ecosystem, from molecular-level information, especially large-scale molecular datasets generated by genome sequencing and other high-throughput experimental technologies.

Overview

KEGG is a collection of databases dealing with genomes, biological pathways, diseases, drugs, and chemical substances. It is widely used in bioinformatics research and education, particularly in the fields of genomics, metabolomics, and systems biology.

Components

KEGG consists of several main databases:

• KEGG PATHWAY: A collection of manually drawn pathway maps representing molecular interaction and reaction networks.
• KEGG GENES: A database of gene catalogs for all complete genomes.
• KEGG ORTHOLOGY (KO): A database of ortholog groups for functional annotation.
• KEGG COMPOUND: A database of chemical compounds.
• KEGG DRUG: A database of approved drugs in Japan, the USA, and Europe.
• KEGG DISEASE: A database of human diseases.

Applications

KEGG is used for:

• Pathway analysis: Understanding the complex biological pathways and networks.
• Functional annotation: Assigning functions to genes and proteins based on orthology.
• Drug discovery: Identifying potential drug targets and understanding drug interactions.
• Disease research: Investigating the molecular basis of diseases.

Access and Tools

KEGG provides various tools for data analysis and visualization, including:

• KEGG Mapper: A suite of tools for mapping and analyzing data in the context of KEGG pathways.
• KEGG REST API: A web service for accessing KEGG data programmatically.

Related pages

• Bioinformatics
• Genomics
• Metabolomics
• Systems biology