Phosprof: pathway analysis database of drug response based on phosphorylation activity measurements

Protein phosphorylation plays a fundamental role in many cellular processes. Proteins are phosphorylated by kinases, which have been studied as drug targets for the treatment of various diseases, particularly cancer. Because kinases have multiple roles in interconnected molecular pathways, their specific regulation is required to enhance beneficial and reduce adversarial effects of drugs. Using our previously developed platform, we measured phosphorylation profiles of MCF7 and K562 cells treated with 94 clinical drugs. These phosphorylation profiles can provide insights into pathway activities and biological functions. Here, we introduce Phosprof, a novel database of drug response based on phosphorylation activity. Phosprof is able to present up- or downregulated phosphorylated signature proteins on pathway maps, significant pathways on the hierarchal tree in signal transduction and commonly perturbed pathways affected by the selected drugs. It also serves as a useful web interface for new or known drug profile search based on their molecular similarity with the 94 drugs. Phosprof can be helpful for further investigation of drug responses in terms of phosphorylation by utilizing the various approved drugs whose target phenotypes are known.