Format of Sequence Record
PubMed Entrez BLAST OMIM Taxonomy Structure
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Course Description

Schedule

Introduction

Genetics Review

Types of Databases

Format of Sequence Record

Entrez

BLAST

3-D Structures

Genomes and Maps

Librarian Roles

WWW Sites

Glossaries and Dictionaries

 

Three Main Parts to Sequence Record *

  • Header

    • title of record ("Definition Line," or "Def Line")
    • unique identifiers (accession number, sequence ID number, etc.)
    • summary information, such as length of sequence, molecule type, GenBank division, date of last modification

  • Descriptive information

    • source organism
    • published references, or tentative title for an unpublished reference
    • submitter block (last reference, with contact information for submitter)
    • biological features of sequence, such as coding region (CDS) and its amino acid translation; the Feature Key field provides a 'road map' or 'index' to the sequence data that follows

  • Sequence Data

    • single, contiguous sequence from a single molecule type
    • experimentally sequenced in a lab; not a hypothetical or consensus sequence based on the analysis or merger of third party data
* Regular font items represent similarities with bibliographic records; italicized items represent differences. The main difference between a sequence record and a bibliographic record is that a sequence record contains sequence data rather than an abstract at the end.

Sample Archival Database Records
Database Accession GI Number
GenBank U49845  (detailed) 1293613
GenPept
CDS #1 AAA98665 1293614
CDS #2 AAA98666 1293615
CDS #3 AAA98667 1293616

Sample Curated Database Records
Database Accession GI Number
SwissProt P39076 730917
(contains xref to gi|1293614
RefSeq NM_002111 4755137
RefSeq NP_002102 4755137


Exercise back to top

For an example GenBank of record that was updated with new sequence data, see U46667.
  • How many nucleotide sequences are in the record?

  • How many protein sequences are in the record?

  • How many corresponding GenPept records will there be?

  • Notice that the GI numbers of the nucleotide and protein sequences are no longer consecutive. Which sequences in the record have been changed? How can you tell?

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  Revised January 20, 2000
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