TargetIdentifier

TargetIdentifier identifies full-length complementary DNA (cDNA) sequences from contig and singleton expressed sequence tag (EST) datasets and assigns putative functional annotations based on BLASTX alignments.

Key Features:

• Identification of Full-Length cDNA Sequences: Identifies complete cDNA sequences within contig and singleton EST data to provide accurate representations of gene transcripts.
• BLASTX-Based Alignment: Uses BLASTX alignments to locate protein-coding regions and to identify potential start and stop codons.
• Translation Start Codon Determination: Analyzes alignment data to determine whether translation start codons are included in EST-derived sequences.
• Functional Annotation: Assigns putative functions to query sequences based on BLASTX output.

Scientific Applications:

• Gene Discovery: Enables discovery of novel genes by identifying complete coding sequences from ESTs.
• Functional Genomics: Supports functional genomics studies by providing annotated cDNA sequences for analysis of gene function and expression.
• Comparative Genomics: Facilitates comparison of cDNA sequences across species or strains for evolutionary analyses.

Methodology:

Integrates BLASTX alignments with algorithms that pinpoint coding regions, determine translation start and stop codons from alignment data, and assign putative functional annotations.