Alternative translational initiation is one of mechanisms to increase the complexity level of an organism by alternative gene expression pathways. The use of alternative translation initiation codons in a singe mRNA contributes to the generation of protein diversity. The genes produce two or more versions of the encoded proteins, and the shorter version, initiated from a downstream in-frame start codon, lacks the N-terminal amino acids fragment of the full-length isoform version.
Since the first discovery of alternative translation initiation, a small, yet growing, number of mRNAs initiating translation from alternative start codons have been reported. Various studies began to emerge focusing on this new field in gene expression and revealed the biological significance of the use of alternative initiation. In response to the need for systematic studies on genes invloving alternative translational initiation, Alternative Translational Initiation Database(ATID) is established to provide data of publicly available genes, alternatively translational isoforms and their detailed annotation.
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