Moonlighting Protein Database (MoonProt): A Database for Proteins That Are Known to Moonlight

The Moonlighting Proteins Database (MoonProt) contains information about proteins that are specifically categorized as ‘moonlighting’. A moonlighting protein is a multifunctional protein in which the two or more different functions are performed by one polypeptide chain. Moonlighting proteins do not include proteins in which the multiple functions are due to gene fusions or multiple splice variants. This database will allow people to access the name of a moonlighting protein, its functions, its sequence, the species in which both functions are found, and a picture of the protein structure (if available). Additional information will be added for some proteins, for example, the metabolic pathway it belongs to or any unique chemical/physical properties it may have. The members of the Jeffery laboratory will curate the database. Data about the moonlighting proteins was input from an Excel file that was composed by Dr. Constance Jeffery. Dr. Jeffery has been working on moonlighting proteins since the 90’s, and the Excel file contained a list of about 150 proteins that have been shown by biochemical or biophysical methods to moonlight. The file contains information about the characteristics of each protein, such as the name of the moonlighting protein, its functions, its sequence, and the species in which both functions are found. I have included all these characteristics into the MoonProt database and added a few others. This database will help users learn more about the proteins that have been found to moonlight for their own research. It will serve as a benchmark for future projects in developing methods to identify additional proteins that moonlight. The main purpose of this database is to serve as a resource for researchers and scientists to help them with their own experiments.