UniParc

UniParc, short for Universal Protein Archive, is a comprehensive, non-redundant repository of protein sequences maintained by the UniProt Consortium. It aggregates protein sequences from multiple public data sources and stores each unique protein sequence once, providing a complete historical archive of deposited sequences and their provenance. The primary goal is to enable cross-database integration, traceability of sequence changes, and non-redundant data resources for large-scale analyses.

In UniParc, each unique amino acid sequence has a single record. Sequences reported by different sources that are identical are merged into one UniParc entry, which includes the deposition date, source information, and cross-references to the originating records. The database preserves historical versions, allowing researchers to track how a sequence has appeared across submissions and over time.

Access and interoperability: UniParc is accessible through the UniProt website and related data services, including FTP. It provides cross-references to entries in major resources such as UniProtKB, RefSeq, and Ensembl, enabling researchers to map sequences across databases and to construct non-redundant datasets suitable for comparative and evolutionary studies.

Relationship to UniProt: UniParc is part of the UniProt ecosystem and underpins other UniProt resources by supplying a stable, non-redundant backbone of protein sequences. It does not provide functional or structural annotations itself, focusing instead on sequence data, provenance, and historical records.

History and maintenance: UniParc was developed to consolidate public protein sequences and is regularly updated to reflect new submissions and revisions. It complements curated databases such as UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot by providing a non-redundant, provenance-rich sequence archive.