ViralGene Atlas: A Curated Database of Viral Protein Interactions with Human Genes

The ViralGene Atlas is a curated database and interactive web application that maps documented protein-level interactions between 50 human viruses and 187 human genes. Users input any set of human genes and the tool identifies which viruses target them, through which viral proteins, and via which regulatory cascades. Each interaction is classified by evidence tier: direct viral protein target, viral receptor, pathway convergence, or computational cascade. The atlas spans 19 virus families including Herpesviridae (9 members), Picornaviridae, Flaviviridae, Retroviridae, and Coronaviridae. As a demonstration, cross-referencing against GWAS risk genes from 25 diseases showed that 20 of 25 had at least one direct viral interaction. The NF-kB pathway emerged as the principal viral convergence hub, with seven viral proteins from four families targeting NFKB1, NFKBIA, and RELA. The atlas is freely accessible at https://viralgeneatlas.org.