CABRA: Cluster and Annotate Blast Results Algorithm

BMC Res Notes. 2016 Apr 30:9:253. doi: 10.1186/s13104-016-2062-y.

Abstract

Background: Basic local alignment search tool (BLAST) searches are frequently used to look for homologous sequences and to annotate a query protein, but the increasing size of protein databases makes it difficult to review all results from a similarity search.

Findings: We developed a web tool called Cluster and Annotate Blast Results Algorithm (CABRA), which enables a rapid BLAST search in a variety of updated reference proteomes, and provides a new way to functionally evaluate the results by the subsequent clustering of the hits and annotation of the clusters. The tool can be accessed from the following web-resource: http://cbdm-01.zdv.uni-mainz.de/~munoz/CABRA .

Conclusions: Cluster and Annotate Blast Results Algorithm simplifies the analysis of the results of a BLAST search by providing an overview of the result's annotations organized in clusters that can be iteratively modified by the user.

Keywords: BLAST search; Clustering; Computational biology; Web tool.

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms*
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Internet
  • Sequence Alignment*
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • User-Computer Interface