Institutional review board approval was obtained for the collection of the initial database, waiving the requirement for written informed consent due to the observational nature of the study.
Another limitation of this study lies in dependence on the data collection of the RDP database.
The CiHox1, CiHox4 and Stac cDNA clones were from the Ciona gene collection of the Ghost Database, ID: citb014p24, ciad029a11 and ciad017p01 respectively [ 53].
For the fine analysis of the tCWCH2-containing sequences, we performed TBLASTN and PBLAST searches of the non-redundant sequence collection of the NCBI database using the representative sequences of the initial 11 gene classes and 3 specific genes (two Dictyostelium genes and one Monosiga gene) as the key sequences.
The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2474/14/323/prepub We thank Marian Bakker and Nicole Siemensma-Muhlenberg (EUROCAT-NNL, Groningen, The Netherlands) for their contribution to the description of the EUROCAT-NNL registry, collection of data, preparation and correction of the database, and for methodological advice.
The data management systems should ensure accurate and complete data collection; efficient design of the database; easy data entry through the use of data collection forms; security of the databases; structured methods for detecting and correcting keypunching errors, implausible values, false zeros, and inconsistencies; and integrity of the data sets and the protection of privacy.
Methods of data collection and quality of the database have been described in details elsewhere [ 10].
To ensure continuation of data collection and curation of the database, MuteinDB will be integrated into future projects.
HR was responsible for subject selection, data collection and management of the database.
MS, JB and JN contributed to preparation of study protocol and were involved in the management of study protocol, data collection and management of the database.
Compounds were identified by mass spectral and retention index matching to the reference collection of the Golm metabolome database (GMD, [ 80- 82] and to the mass spectra of the NIST08 database [ 83]).
