Development of a Grape Genomics Database Using IBM DB2 Content Manager Software

Diseases are a limiting factor for the growth non-native grapes in many areas of the United States. For example, Pierce’s disease limits the production of European grapes ( Vitis vinifera ) in most part of the southeastern United States. Disease resistance of the non-native grape could be enhanced by incorporation of the resistance traits of native American grape species such as Vitis shuttleworthii, V. aestivalis, V. riparia , and V. rotundifolia through the use of cross pollination. Alternatively, a ‘molecular breeding approach’ could be used to assist and accelerate the conventional breeding process. The recent development and availability of large number of gene sequence data makes the molecular approach more realistic than ever before. Florida A&M University (FAMU) has developed a grape genomics database using IBM DB2 Content Manager to store genetic sequences such as Expressed Sequence Tags (EST), genomic sequences, molecular markers, chromatograms, graphic information, blast hits, and functional annotations in an organized and coherent fashion. The system provides a convenient way to associate heterogeneous data sets such as genetic sequences, and various annotations with extensive search capabilities. This database system will be better served for the biological data integration and information retrieval relative to Vitis spp.