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The aim of the UniProt Knowledgebase is to provide users with a comprehensive, high-quality and freely accessible set of protein sequences annotated with functional information. In this publication we describe enhancements made to our data processing pipeline and to our website to adapt to an ever-increasing information content. The number of sequences in UniProtKB has risen to over 227 million and we are working towards including a reference proteome for each taxonomic group. We continue to extract detailed annotations from the literature to update or create reviewed entries, while unreviewed entries are supplemented with annotations provided by automated systems using a variety of machine-learning techniques. In addition, the scientific community continues their contributions of publications and annotations to UniProt entries of their interest. Finally, we describe our new website (https://www.uniprot.org/), designed to enhance our users’ experience and make our data easily accessible to the research community. This interface includes access to AlphaFold structures for more than 85% of all entries as well as improved visualisations for subcellular localisation of proteins.

Motivation The number of protein records in the UniProt Knowledgebase (UniProtKB: https://www.uniprot.org) continues to grow rapidly as a result of genome sequencing and the prediction of protein-coding genes. Providing functional annotation for these proteins presents a significant and continuing challenge. Results In response to this challenge, UniProt has developed a method of annotation, known as UniRule, based on expertly curated rules, which integrates related systems (RuleBase, HAMAP, PIRSR, PIRNR) developed by the members of the UniProt consortium. UniRule uses protein family signatures from InterPro, combined with taxonomic and other constraints, to select sets of reviewed proteins which have common functional properties supported by experimental evidence. This annotation is propagated to unreviewed records in UniProtKB that meet the same selection criteria, most of which do not have (and are never likely to have) experimentally verified functional annotation. Release 2020_01 of UniProtKB contains 6496 UniRule rules which provide annotation for 53 million proteins, accounting for 30% of the 178 million records in UniProtKB. UniRule provides scalable enrichment of annotation in UniProtKB. Availability and implementation UniRule rules are integrated into UniProtKB and can be viewed at https://www.uniprot.org/unirule/. UniRule rules and the code required to run the rules, are publicly available for researchers who wish to annotate their own sequences. The implementation used to run the rules is known as UniFIRE and is available at https://gitlab.ebi.ac.uk/uniprot-public/unifire.

MalariaGEN is a data-sharing network that enables groups around the world to work together on the genomic epidemiology of malaria. Here we describe a new release of curated genome variation data on 7,000 Plasmodium falciparum samples from MalariaGEN partner studies in 28 malaria-endemic countries. High-quality genotype calls on 3 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and short indels were produced using a standardised analysis pipeline. Copy number variants associated with drug resistance and structural variants that cause failure of rapid diagnostic tests were also analysed. Almost all samples showed genetic evidence of resistance to at least one antimalarial drug, and some samples from Southeast Asia carried markers of resistance to six commonly-used drugs. Genes expressed during the mosquito stage of the parasite life-cycle are prominent among loci that show strong geographic differentiation. By continuing to enlarge this open data resource we aim to facilitate research into the evolutionary processes affecting malaria control and to accelerate development of the surveillance toolkit required for malaria elimination.

Vector population control using insecticides is a key element of current strategies to prevent malaria transmission in Africa. The introduction of effective insecticides, such as the organophosphate pirimiphos-methyl, is essential to overcome the recurrent emergence of resistance driven by the highly diverse Anopheles genomes. Here, we use a population genomic approach to investigate the basis of pirimiphos-methyl resistance in the major malaria vectors Anopheles gambiae and A. coluzzii. A combination of copy number variation and a single non-synonymous substitution in the acetylcholinesterase gene, Ace1, provides the key resistance diagnostic in an A. coluzzii population from Côte d’Ivoire that we used for sequence-based association mapping, with replication in other West African populations. The Ace1 substitution and duplications occur on a unique resistance haplotype that evolved in A. gambiae and introgressed into A. coluzzii, and is now common in West Africa primarily due to selection imposed by other organophosphate or carbamate insecticides. Our findings highlight the predictive value of this complex resistance haplotype for phenotypic resistance and clarify its evolutionary history, providing tools to for molecular surveillance of the current and future effectiveness of pirimiphos-methyl based interventions., Author summary Control of mosquito populations via insecticidal tools or interventions is a mainstay of campaigns to reduce malaria transmission. However, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, continued insecticidal selection pressure on the most important species of Anopheles malaria mosquitoes has favoured the evolutionary selection of increasingly effective resistance mechanisms. We investigate the genetic basis of resistance to the organophosphate pirimiphos-methyl, the dominant insecticide now used for indoor residual spraying campaigns in Africa. Genome-wide association analysis of a population from Cote d’Ivoire showed that resistant specimens share a unique combination of mutations in one gene, the acetylcholinesterase enzyme, which constitute the prime cause of pirimiphos-methyl resistance. Further testing of these mutations in diagnostic assays involving two major malaria vectors, A. coluzzii and A. gambiae, validate their use as informative predictors of pirimiphos-methyl resistance. Using data from a large collection of whole genome sequenced specimens from a broader range of locations (Burkina-Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Guinea), our evolutionary analyses demonstrate that these mutations emerged in A. gambiae and transferred into A. coluzzii by inter-specific hybridisation. Our results show how resistance mechanisms in key malaria vectors have developed and spread, and provide validated tools for molecular surveillance to inform public health campaigns.

MalariaGEN is a data-sharing network that enables groups around the world to work together on the genomic epidemiology of malaria. Here we describe a new release of curated genome variation data on 7,000 Plasmodium falciparum samples from MalariaGEN partner studies in 28 malaria-endemic countries. High-quality genotype calls on 3 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and short indels were produced using a standardised analysis pipeline. Copy number variants associated with drug resistance and structural variants that cause failure of rapid diagnostic tests were also analysed. Almost all samples showed genetic evidence of resistance to at least one antimalarial drug, and some samples from Southeast Asia carried markers of resistance to six commonly-used drugs. Genes expressed during the mosquito stage of the parasite life-cycle are prominent among loci that show strong geographic differentiation. By continuing to enlarge this open data resource we aim to facilitate research into the evolutionary processes affecting malaria control and to accelerate development of the surveillance toolkit required for malaria elimination.

The aim of the UniProt Knowledgebase is to provide users with a comprehensive, high-quality and freely accessible set of protein sequences annotated with functional information. In this article, we describe significant updates that we have made over the last two years to the resource. The number of sequences in UniProtKB has risen to approximately 190 million, despite continued work to reduce sequence redundancy at the proteome level. We have adopted new methods of assessing proteome completeness and quality. We continue to extract detailed annotations from the literature to add to reviewed entries and supplement these in unreviewed entries with annotations provided by automated systems such as the newly implemented Association-Rule-Based Annotator (ARBA). We have developed a credit-based publication submission interface to allow the community to contribute publications and annotations to UniProt entries. We describe how UniProtKB responded to the COVID-19 pandemic through expert curation of relevant entries that were rapidly made available to the research community through a dedicated portal. UniProt resources are available under a CC-BY (4.0) license via the web at https://www.uniprot.org/.

The UniProt Knowledgebase is a collection of sequences and annotations for over 120 million proteins across all branches of life. Detailed annotations extracted from the literature by expert curators have been collected for over half a million of these proteins. These annotations are supplemented by annotations provided by rule based automated systems, and those imported from other resources. In this article we describe significant updates that we have made over the last 2 years to the resource. We have greatly expanded the number of Reference Proteomes that we provide and in particular we have focussed on improving the number of viral Reference Proteomes. The UniProt website has been augmented with new data visualizations for the subcellular localization of proteins as well as their structure and interactions. UniProt resources are available under a CC-BY (4.0) license via the web at https://www.uniprot.org/.

The sustainability of malaria control in Africa is threatened by the rise of insecticide resistance in Anopheles mosquitoes, which transmit the disease(1). To gain a deeper understanding of how mosquito populations are evolving, here we sequenced the genomes of 765 specimens of Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles coluzzii sampled from 15 locations across Africa, and identified over 50 million single nucleotide polymorphisms within the accessible genome. These data revealed complex population structure and patterns of gene flow, with evidence of ancient expansions, recent bottlenecks, and local variation in effective population size. Strong signals of recent selection were observed in insecticide-resistance genes, with several sweeps spreading over large geographical distances and between species. The design of new tools for mosquito control using gene-drive systems will need to take account of high levels of genetic diversity in natural mosquito populations.

UniProt continues to support the ongoing process of making scientific data FAIR. Here we contribute to this process with a FAIRness assessment of our UniProtKB dataset followed by a critical reflection on the challenges and future directions of the adoption and validation of the FAIR principles and metrics.

The sustainability of malaria control in Africa is threatened by rising levels of insecticide resistance, and new tools to prevent malaria transmission are urgently needed. To gain a better understanding of the mosquito populations that transmit malaria, we sequenced the genomes of 765 wild specimens ofAnopheles gambiaeandAnopheles coluzziisampled from 15 locations across Africa. The data reveal high levels of genetic diversity, with over 50 million single nucleotide polymorphisms across the 230 Mbp genome. We observe complex patterns of population structure and marked variations in local population size, some of which may be due at least in part to malaria control interventions. Insecticide resistance genes show strong signatures of recent selection associated with multiple independent mutations spreading over large geographical distances and between species. The genetic variability of natural populations substantially reduces the target space for novel gene-drive strategies for mosquito control. This large dataset provides a foundation for tracking the emergence and spread of insecticide resistance and developing new vector control tools.

Summary Background As the prevalence of artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria increases in the Greater Mekong subregion, emerging resistance to partner drugs in artemisinin combination therapies seriously threatens global efforts to treat and eliminate this disease. Molecular markers that predict failure of artemisinin combination therapy are urgently needed to monitor the spread of partner drug resistance, and to recommend alternative treatments in southeast Asia and beyond. Methods We did a genome-wide association study of 297 P falciparum isolates from Cambodia to investigate the relationship of 11 630 exonic single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 43 copy number variations (CNVs) with in-vitro piperaquine 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC 50 s), and tested whether these genetic variants are markers of treatment failure with dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine. We then did a survival analysis of 133 patients to determine whether candidate molecular markers predicted parasite recrudescence following dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine treatment. Findings Piperaquine IC 50 s increased significantly from 2011 to 2013 in three Cambodian provinces (2011 vs 2013 median IC 50 s: 20·0 nmol/L [IQR 13·7–29·0] vs 39·2 nmol/L [32·8–48·1] for Ratanakiri, 19·3 nmol/L [15·1–26·2] vs 66·2 nmol/L [49·9–83·0] for Preah Vihear, and 19·6 nmol/L [11·9–33·9] vs 81·1 nmol/L [61·3–113·1] for Pursat; all p≤10 −3 ; Kruskal-Wallis test). Genome-wide analysis of SNPs identified a chromosome 13 region that associates with raised piperaquine IC 50 s. A non-synonymous SNP (encoding a Glu415Gly substitution) in this region, within a gene encoding an exonuclease, associates with parasite recrudescence following dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine treatment. Genome-wide analysis of CNVs revealed that a single copy of the mdr1 gene on chromosome 5 and a novel amplification of the plasmepsin 2 and plasmepsin 3 genes on chromosome 14 also associate with raised piperaquine IC 50 s. After adjusting for covariates, both exo-E415G and plasmepsin 2–3 markers significantly associate (p=3·0 × 10 −8 and p=1·7 × 10 −7 , respectively) with decreased treatment efficacy (survival rates 0·38 [95% CI 0·25–0·51] and 0·41 [0·28–0·53], respectively). Interpretation The exo-E415G SNP and plasmepsin 2–3 amplification are markers of piperaquine resistance and dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine failures in Cambodia, and can help monitor the spread of these phenotypes into other countries of the Greater Mekong subregion, and elucidate the mechanism of piperaquine resistance. Since plasmepsins are involved in the parasite's haemoglobin-to-haemozoin conversion pathway, targeted by related antimalarials, plasmepsin 2–3 amplification probably mediates piperaquine resistance. Funding Intramural Research Program of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Wellcome Trust, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Medical Research Council, and UK Department for International Development.

Similarity between two individuals in the combination of genetic markers along their chromosomes indicates shared ancestry and can be used to identify historical connections between different population groups due to admixture. We use a genome-wide, haplotype-based, analysis to characterise the structure of genetic diversity and gene-flow in a collection of 48 sub-Saharan African groups. We show that coastal populations experienced an influx of Eurasian haplotypes over the last 7000 years, and that Eastern and Southern Niger-Congo speaking groups share ancestry with Central West Africans as a result of recent population expansions. In fact, most sub-Saharan populations share ancestry with groups from outside of their current geographic region as a result of gene-flow within the last 4000 years. Our in-depth analysis provides insight into haplotype sharing across different ethno-linguistic groups and the recent movement of alleles into new environments, both of which are relevant to studies of genetic epidemiology. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.15266.001, eLife digest Our genomes contain a record of historical events. This is because when groups of people are separated for generations, the DNA sequence in the two groups’ genomes will change in different ways. Looking at the differences in the genomes of people from the same population can help researchers to understand and reconstruct the historical interactions that brought their ancestors together. The mixing of two populations that were previously separate is known as admixture. Africa as a continent has few written records of its history. This means that it is somewhat unknown which important movements of people in the past generated the populations found in modern-day Africa. Busby et al. have now attempted to use DNA to look into this and reconstruct the last 4000 years of genetic history in African populations. As has been shown in other regions of the world, the new analysis showed that all African populations are the result of historical admixture events. However, Busby et al. could characterize these events to unprecedented level of detail. For example, multiple ethnic groups from The Gambia and Mali all show signs of sharing the same set of ancestors from West Africa, Europe and Asia who mixed around 2000 years ago. Evidence of a migration of people from Central West Africa, known as the Bantu expansion, could also be detected, and was shown to carry genes to the south and east. An important next step will be to now look at the consequences of the observed gene-flow, and ask if it has contributed to spreading beneficial, or detrimental, mutations around Africa. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.15266.002

Public availability of biological sequences is essential for their widespread access and use by the research community. The Universal Protein Resource (UniProt) is a comprehensive resource for protein sequence and functional data. While most protein sequences entering UniProt are imported from other source databases containing nucleotide or 3-D structure data, protein sequences determined at the protein level can be submitted directly to UniProt. To this end, UniProt provides a Web interface called SPIN. This service enables researchers to make their de novo-sequenced proteins available to the scientific community and acquire UniProt accession numbers for use in publications. This unit explains the process of submitting a protein sequence to UniProt using SPIN. The basic protocol describes all the necessary steps for a single sequence. A support protocol gives guidance on how best to deal with exceptionally large datasets. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Summary Background The global prevalence of X-linked glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is thought to be a result of selection by malaria, but epidemiological studies have yielded confusing results. We investigated the relationships between G6PD deficiency and both malaria and non-malarial illnesses among children in Kenya. Methods We did this study in Kilifi County, Kenya, where the G6PD c.202T allele is the only significant cause of G6PD deficiency. We tested the associations between G6PD deficiency and severe and complicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria through a case-control study of 2220 case and 3940 control children. Cases were children aged younger than 14 years, who visited the high dependency ward of Kilifi County Hospital with severe malaria between March 1, 1998, and Feb 28, 2010. Controls were children aged between 3–12 months who were born within the same study area between August 2006, and September 2010. We assessed the association between G6PD deficiency and both uncomplicated malaria and other common diseases of childhood in a cohort study of 752 children aged younger than 10 years. Participants of this study were recruited from a representative sample of households within the Ngerenya and Chonyi areas of Kilifi County between Aug 1, 1998, and July 31, 2001. The primary outcome measure for the case-control study was the odds ratio for hospital admission with severe malaria (computed by logistic regression) while for the cohort study it was the incidence rate ratio for uncomplicated malaria and non-malaria illnesses (computed by Poisson regression), by G6PD deficiency category. Findings 2863 (73%) children in the control group versus 1643 (74%) in the case group had the G6PD normal genotype, 639 (16%) versus 306 (14%) were girls heterozygous for G6PD c.202T, and 438 (11%) versus 271 (12%) children were either homozygous girls or hemizygous boys. Compared with boys and girls without G6PD deficiency, we found significant protection from severe malaria (odds ratio [OR] 0·82, 95% CI 0·70–0·97; p=0·020) among G6PD c.202T heterozygous girls but no evidence for protection among G6PD c.202T hemizygous boys and homozygous girls (OR 1·18, 0·99–1·40; p=0·056). Median follow-up for the mild disease cohort study was 2·24 years (IQR 2·22–2·85). G6PD c.202T had no effect on other common diseases of childhood in heterozygous girls (incidence rate ratio 0·98, 95% CI 0·86–1·11; p=0·82) or homozygous girls or hemizygous boys (0·93, 0·82–1·04; p=0·25), with the sole exception of a marginally significant increase in the incidence of helminth infections among heterozygous girls. Interpretation Heterozygous girls might be the driving force for the positive selection of G6PD deficiency alleles. Further studies are needed to definitively establish the mechanisms by which G6PD deficiency confers an advantage against malaria in heterozygous individuals. Such studies could lead to the development of new treatments. Funding Wellcome Trust, UK Medical Research Council, European Union, and Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (as part of the Bill & Melinda Gates Grand Challenges in Global Health Initiative).

We describe an analysis of genome variation in 825 Plasmodium falciparum samples from Asia and Africa that reveals an unusual pattern of parasite population structure at the epicentre of artemisinin resistance in western Cambodia. Within this relatively small geographical area we have discovered several distinct but apparently sympatric parasite subpopulations with extremely high levels of genetic differentiation. Of particular interest are three subpopulations, all associated with clinical resistance to artemisinin, which have skewed allele frequency spectra and remarkably high levels of haplotype homozygosity, indicative of founder effects and recent population expansion. We provide a catalogue of SNPs that show high levels of differentiation in the artemisinin-resistant subpopulations, including codon variants in various transporter proteins and DNA mismatch repair proteins. These data provide a population genetic framework for investigating the biological origins of artemisinin resistance and for defining molecular markers to assist its elimination.

Gram-negative bacterial outer membrane proteins play important roles in the interaction of bacteria with their environment including nutrient acquisition, adhesion and invasion, and antibiotic resistance. In this study we identified 47 proteins within the Sarkosyl-insoluble fraction of Campylobacter jejuni 81-176, using LC–ESI-MS/MS. Comparative analysis of outer membrane protein sequences was visualised to reveal protein distribution within a panel of Campylobacter spp., identifying several C. jejuni-specific proteins. Smith–Waterman analyses of C. jejuni homologues revealed high sequence conservation amongst a number of hypothetical proteins, sequence heterogeneity of other proteins and several proteins which are absent in a proportion of strains.

Mosquito control remains a central pillar of efforts to reduce malaria burden in sub-Saharan Africa. However, insecticide resistance is entrenched in malaria vector populations, and countries with a high malaria burden face a daunting challenge to sustain malaria control with a limited set of surveillance and intervention tools. Here we report on the second phase of a project to build an open resource of high-quality data on genome variation among natural populations of the major African malaria vector species Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles coluzzii. We analyzed whole genomes of 1142 individual mosquitoes sampled from the wild in 13 African countries, as well as a further 234 individuals comprising parents and progeny of 11 laboratory crosses. The data resource includes high-confidence single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) calls at 57 million variable sites, genome-wide copy number variation (CNV) calls, and haplotypes phased at biallelic SNPs. We use these data to analyze genetic population structure and characterize genetic diversity within and between populations. We illustrate the utility of these data by investigating species differences in isolation by distance, genetic variation within proposed gene drive target sequences, and patterns of resistance to pyrethroid insecticides. This data resource provides a foundation for developing new operational systems for molecular surveillance and for accelerating research and development of new vector control tools. It also provides a unique resource for the study of population genomics and evolutionary biology in eukaryotic species with high levels of genetic diversity under strong anthropogenic evolutionary pressures.

Additional file 1: Figure S1. A plot of primers (probes) and their binding distribution on the P. falciparum genome. The topmost panel show cumulating binding positions and distribution profile of all the 28 primers. Black dots (1) show positions where the primer binds and Red (0) dots shows positions with no primer binding. Probes are ordered from bottom to top; the first 10 primers is Probe_10, followed by Probe_20 then Probe_28. Figure S2. Coverage depths frequencies of samples with different parasitaemia levels. Figure S3. Coverage of genes associated with drug resistance. Colours reflect the percentage of genome covered, ranging from 5x (grey) to 30x or more (red). Table S1. Non-reference allele frequencies (NRAF) of major drug resistance genes for venous blood (VB; leucodepleted and unamplified) and dried blood spots (DBS; sWGA) samples. Gene name, chromosome number, position, mutation name, mutation type and the NRAF found in West Africa populations (MalariaGen https://www.malariagen.net/apps/pf/4.0/ ) are shown. Notably, the studied populations have high dhfr mutation frequencies and rare crt mutations. Presumably because the use of SP was widespread and is still being used (e.g. pregnancy prophylaxis), whereas enough time has passed since chloroquine was widely used [26â 28]. Table S2. Probe_10. sWGA primers for Plasmodium falciparum.