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Updated: Jul 18, 2026
09:40
Novel Sequence Discovery by Subtractive Genomics
Published on: January 25, 2019
NCBI reference sequences (RefSeq): a curated non-redundant sequence database of genomes, transcripts and proteins.
Kim D Pruitt1, Tatiana Tatusova, Donna R Maglott
1National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Rm 6An.12J, 45 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-6510, USA. pruitt@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Nucleic Acids Research
|November 30, 2006
Summary
The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) RefSeq database provides a comprehensive, curated collection of genomic, transcript, and protein sequences for over 3,700 organisms. It ensures high-quality data through rigorous review and annotation processes.
Area of Science:
- Bioinformatics
- Genomics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Reference Sequence (RefSeq) database is a vital resource for biological research.
- It serves as a curated, non-redundant collection of genomic, transcript, and protein sequences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the scope and content of the RefSeq database.
- To highlight the data integration, annotation, and quality control processes.
Main Methods:
- Data integration from multiple sources.
- Sequence review and feature annotation by NCBI staff and community collaboration.
- Validation of record formats and quality assessment of sequence and annotation.
Main Results:
- RefSeq release 19 contains records for 3,774 organisms and 2,879,860 proteins.
- Records integrate diverse information including coding regions, conserved domains, variations, and cross-references.
- A robust curation process ensures data quality and currency.
Conclusions:
- The RefSeq database provides a high-quality, comprehensive, and up-to-date resource for genomic and protein information.
- Its rigorous curation and validation processes support reliable biological research.
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