FAST DB: a website resource for the study of the expression regulation of human gene products

Human genes use various mechanisms to generate different transcripts having different exon content, which in turn generate multiple protein isoforms having differential and even opposite biological activities. To understand the biological consequences of gene transcriptional activity modulation, it is necessary to integrate the capability of genes to generate distinct functional products, particularly because transcriptional stimuli also affect the exon content of their target gene products. For this purpose, we have developed a bioinformatics suite, FAST DB, which defines easily and accurately the exon content of all known transcripts produced by human genes. In addition, several tools have been developed, including a graphical presentation of all gene products, a sequence multi-alignment of all gene transcripts and an in silico PCR computer program. The FAST DB interface also offers extensive links to website resources for promoter analysis and transcription factor binding site prediction, splicing regulatory sequence prediction, as well as 5'- and 3'-untranslated region analysis. FAST DB has been designed to facilitate studies that integrate transcriptional and post-transcriptional events to investigate the expression regulation of human gene products.