Question

Which are the correct statements regarding INSDC....
(A). Promotion of Human Genome Project
(B). It is collaboration of GenBank, EMBL and DDBJ databases.
(C). Facilitating exchange of sequence data on daily basis
(D). Validation of 3D model of protein with respect to structure solved by either X-ray crystallography or NMR spectroscopy
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

• (B) and (D) only.
• (A) and (B) only.
• (B) and (C) only.
• (C) and (D) only.

Hint:

Remember INSDC = \textbf{I}nternational \textbf{N}ucleotide \textbf{S}equence \textbf{D}atabase \textbf{C}ollaboration. The key is "Nucleotide Sequence." This helps you distinguish it from protein structure databases like PDB. The three main partners (NCBI/GenBank, ENA/EMBL, DDBJ) are essential to know.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
INSDC stands for the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration. It is a long-standing partnership between the world's major primary nucleotide sequence archives. The question asks for correct statements describing this collaboration.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let's analyze each statement:
(A) Promotion of Human Genome Project: While the INSDC databases were absolutely essential for the Human Genome Project (as they were the repositories for all the data), the INSDC's role is not limited to promoting one specific project. Its mission is to archive all public sequence data from all organisms.
(B) It is collaboration of GenBank, EMBL and DDBJ databases: This is the core definition of the INSDC. The collaboration consists of three partners: GenBank (hosted by NCBI in the USA), the European Nucleotide Archive (ENA, hosted at EMBL-EBI in Europe), and the DNA Data Bank of Japan (DDBJ, hosted in Japan). This statement is correct.
(C) Facilitating exchange of sequence data on daily basis: This is the key operational function of the INSDC. The three member databases synchronize their data with each other every day. This means that a sequence submitted to any one of the three databases will be available through the other two, typically within 24 hours. This ensures that the scientific community has access to a complete and up-to-date collection of all public nucleotide sequences, regardless of which database they query. This statement is correct.
(D) Validation of 3D model of protein...: This describes the process of structural bioinformatics and protein structure validation. The databases involved in this are primarily the Protein Data Bank (PDB). INSDC deals with nucleotide sequences (DNA, RNA), not protein structures. This statement is incorrect.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The correct statements describing the INSDC are that it is a collaboration between GenBank, ENA (EMBL), and DDBJ, and that they exchange data daily. Therefore, (B) and (C) are the correct statements.