MRC Functional Genetics Unit, University of Oxford, Department of Human Anatomy and Genetics, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK. nicholas.dickens@anat.ox.ac.uk
We describe a tool, THoR, that automatically creates and curates multiple sequence alignments representing protein domains. This exploits both PSI-BLAST and HMMER algorithms and provides an accurate and comprehensive alignment for any domain family. The entire process is designed for use via a web-browser, with simple links and cross-references to relevant information, to assist the assessment of biological significance. THoR has been benchmarked for accuracy using the SMART and pufferfish genome databases.