PPI Network Analysis (STRING)

STRING (Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins) is a bioinformatics database and online resource that focuses on protein-protein interactions (PPIs). It aims to provide comprehensive information about known and predicted interactions between proteins, enabling researchers to explore and analyze protein networks and their functional associations.

Here are key features and functionalities of STRING:

1. Protein Interaction Data: STRING integrates various sources of experimental and computational data to compile a comprehensive collection of known and predicted protein interactions. These interactions can include physical interactions, co-expression, co-occurrence, and information derived from curated databases, scientific literature, and high-throughput experiments.

2. Protein Network Visualization: STRING allows users to visualize protein interactions as networks or graphs, where proteins are represented as nodes and interactions are depicted as edges. The network visualization provides an intuitive and graphical representation of the relationships between proteins, enabling the identification of densely connected protein clusters or functional modules.

3. Functional Enrichment Analysis: STRING offers functional enrichment analysis tools that help identify enriched biological processes, molecular functions, and cellular components within a set of proteins of interest. This analysis can reveal functional themes and associations among the proteins, providing insights into their roles in biological pathways or processes.

4. Gene Neighborhood and Fusion Information: STRING incorporates gene neighborhood and gene fusion data to predict potential protein-protein interactions. Gene neighborhood refers to the co-occurrence of genes in the genomes of different species, suggesting a functional relationship. Gene fusion occurs when two separate genes merge into a single coding sequence, indicating potential interaction between the corresponding proteins.

STRING is widely used by researchers in the fields of molecular biology, genetics, and systems biology to explore protein-protein interactions, construct protein networks, and investigate the functional relationships between proteins. It provides a valuable resource for studying protein interactions in the context of cellular processes, signaling pathways, and disease mechanisms.

Here are some videos from the creator of STRING:

Network Biology Introduction

Network Analysis Introduction

Introduction to STRING

Introduction to Enrichment Analysis

Introduction to STRING Enrichment Analysis