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SeqAPASS tool briefing
Citation:
LaLone, C. SeqAPASS tool briefing. Chemicals Committee and the Working Party on Chemicals, Pesticides and Biotechnology, Paris, N/A, FRANCE, October 25 - 26, 2018.
Impact/Purpose:
The publicly accessible Sequence Alignment to Predict Across Species Susceptibility Tool has increasingly been recognized internationally as a useful tool for understanding species similarities and differences to predict chemical susceptibility across taxa. The intergovernmental organization, The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, has requested a briefing about the developmental status of the SeqAPASS tool and its applications. Updated Guidance documents for identifying chemicals that adversely affect the endocrine system are being drafted that include the use of SeqAPASS for understanding cross species chemical susceptibility. This presentation will serve to inform the international community of the status of this work.
Description:
Sequence alignment to predict across-species susceptibilty (SeqAPASS) is a web-based tool that allows the user to begin to understand how broadly high-throguput screening results or adverse outcome pathway constructs may plausibly be extrapolated across species, while describing the relative intrinsic susceptibiltiy of different taxa to chemicals with known modes of action (e.g., pharmaceuticals and pesticides). The tool rapidly and strategically assesses available molecular target information to describe protein sequence similarity at the primary amino acid sequence, conserved domain, and individual amino acid residue levels. This in silico approach to species extrapolation was designed to automate and streamline the relatively complex and time-consuming process of comparing protein sequences in a consistent, logical, and criteria driven manner intended for predicting across species susceptibility to a chemical perturbation. Over the last year advanvcements have been made to the tool to automate the susceptility prediction for evlauations of individual amino acid residues imporatant for direct interaction with chemicals. Additionally, interactive data visualization capabilites have been incorportated. These new features, along with others in development will enhace interpretation of the results.