An Introduction to Internet Resources for the Molecular and Genetic Analysis of the Lipases

In recent years, cDNA and genomic DNA clones have been isolated for many of the mammalian lipases and phospholipases described in this volume. These DNA clones have provided essential tools for the analysis of lipase expression, structure, and function. In addition, DNA sequence analysis has generated a wealth of information about lipase protein and gene structure, including nucleotide and amino acid sequence, exon/intron organization, chromosome localization, phylogenetic relationships among lipases, and the elucidation of lipase mutations that underlie lipase deficiencies and dyslipidemias. Much of the information derived from the molecular and genetic characterization of genes and proteins has been deposited into electronic databases. With the advent of widespread access to the Internet, researchers throughout the world can contribute to and retrieve information from a wide array of databases that are continuously updated to include the most recent findings.