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Reference sequence (RefSeq) database at NCBI: current status, taxonomic expansion, and functional annotation
Nuala A O'Leary1, Mathew W Wright1, J Rodney Brister1
1National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Building 38A, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA.
Nucleic Acids Research
|November 11, 2015
Summary
The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) RefSeq database provides stable, non-redundant reference sequences for over 55,000 organisms. It enhances data with current knowledge and improves access for diverse research applications.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Bioinformatics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) maintains the RefSeq database, a crucial resource for annotated genomic, transcript, and protein sequences.
- RefSeq aims to provide a stable, non-redundant set of reference sequences by leveraging data from the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration (INSDC).
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize the current status and improvements in the viral, prokaryotic, and eukaryotic sections of the RefSeq project.
- To report on enhanced data access and efforts to broaden taxonomic representation within the RefSeq collection.
- To highlight functional curation initiatives supporting various applications of RefSeq data.
Main Methods:
- Leveraging computational analysis, manual curation, and collaborative efforts to generate reference sequences.
- Integrating current knowledge, including publications and functional features, to augment reference sequences.
- Utilizing RNA-Seq and other data types for manual curation in vertebrate, plant, and other species.
Main Results:
- The RefSeq database currently encompasses sequences from over 55,000 organisms, including viruses, prokaryotes, and eukaryotes.
- Improvements have been made to data access, and efforts are underway to expand taxonomic coverage.
- Diverse functional curation initiatives are in place to support applications such as taxonomic validation, genome annotation, comparative genomics, and clinical testing.
Conclusions:
- The RefSeq project continues to be a vital resource, providing high-quality, curated reference sequences for a wide range of organisms.
- Ongoing efforts focus on improving data accessibility, taxonomic diversity, and the integration of new data types for enhanced curation.
- The database supports critical research areas, from fundamental genomics to clinical applications, by offering reliable and comprehensive sequence information.