ARDB--Antibiotic Resistance Genes Database

TLDR

Bacterial infections are increasingly hard to treat as bacteria acquire resistance genes or mutations, and these genes could also be weaponized for bioterrorism. We created the Antibiotic Resistance Genes Database (ARDB) to facilitate identification and characterization of resistance genes. ARDB curates each gene with detailed annotations—resistance profile, mechanism, ontology, COG/CDD, and external links—and offers sequence similarity searches and a mutation‑characterization tool. ARDB compiles 13,293 genes, 377 types, 257 antibiotics, 632 genomes, 933 species, and 124 genera, serving as a comprehensive resource for identifying resistance genes in new sequences. ARDB is available at http://ardb.cbcb.umd.edu/.

Abstract

The treatment of infections is increasingly compromised by the ability of bacteria to develop resistance to antibiotics through mutations or through the acquisition of resistance genes. Antibiotic resistance genes also have the potential to be used for bio-terror purposes through genetically modified organisms. In order to facilitate the identification and characterization of these genes, we have created a manually curated database—the Antibiotic Resistance Genes Database (ARDB)—unifying most of the publicly available information on antibiotic resistance. Each gene and resistance type is annotated with rich information, including resistance profile, mechanism of action, ontology, COG and CDD annotations, as well as external links to sequence and protein databases. Our database also supports sequence similarity searches and implements an initial version of a tool for characterizing common mutations that confer antibiotic resistance. The information we provide can be used as compendium of antibiotic resistance factors as well as to identify the resistance genes of newly sequenced genes, genomes, or metagenomes. Currently, ARDB contains resistance information for 13 293 genes, 377 types, 257 antibiotics, 632 genomes, 933 species and 124 genera. ARDB is available at http://ardb.cbcb.umd.edu/.