PWAS Atlas: a comprehensive knowledgebase of proteome-wide association studies.

Abstract

Proteome-wide association studies (PWASs) have emerged as a powerful approach for investigating associations between genetically regulated proteins and complex traits, offering valuable insights into the mechanisms linking genetic variation, protein abundance, and phenotypes. Despite the rapid expansion of PWAS research, no resource currently exists to systematically collect, integrate, and organize publicly accessible PWAS findings and related knowledge, limiting efficient use and exploration of these valuable assets. To address this urgent need, we introduce PWAS Atlas (https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/pwas/), a comprehensive knowledgebase that consolidates literature-curated information and large-scale, standardized PWAS analyses. The PWAS Atlas encompasses 40 609 associations among 4585 genes/proteins and 763 traits, derived from 118 publications and 841 GWAS datasets. It implements interactive knowledge graphs that reveal associations among genes, proteins, tissues, and traits, as well as online comparative analysis tools that enable systematic comparisons across multiple genes or traits. PWAS Atlas also provides a user-friendly web platform for browsing, searching, exploring, and downloading data. By enabling standardized retrieval, visualization, comparison, and reuse of PWAS information, PWAS Atlas serves as an extensive resource for investigating protein-trait associations and deriving insights into disease biology.