TIGR Gene Indices

TIGR Gene Indices constructs species-specific collections of Tentative Consensus (TC) virtual transcripts from expressed sequence tag (EST) data and annotated GenBank sequences for gene identification, categorization, and functional annotation.

Key Features:

• High-Fidelity Virtual Transcripts: Generates Tentative Consensus (TC) sequences by clustering and assembling ESTs together with annotated GenBank sequences to represent high-accuracy virtual transcripts.
• Functional Annotation: Produces TC sequences that serve as putative genes for downstream functional annotation to infer biological roles.
• Integration with Mapping and Genomic Data: Links TC transcripts to existing mapping and genomic sequence data to provide genomic context for gene sequences.
• Orthologous and Paralogous Gene Linkage: Provides connections between orthologous and paralogous genes to support comparative sequence and evolutionary analyses.

Scientific Applications:

• Gene Identification and Categorization: Uses EST clustering and assembly into TC sequences to identify and categorize gene sequences across species.
• Genomic Annotation: Supplies TC-derived putative genes for incorporation into genome annotation and gene model refinement.
• Comparative Genomics: Facilitates comparative genomics and evolutionary studies by linking orthologous and paralogous genes.

Methodology:

EST sequences are clustered to reduce redundancy and then assembled with annotated GenBank sequences to produce Tentative Consensus (TC) sequences.