ACNUC - a portable retrieval system for nucleic acid sequence databases: logical and physical designs and usage

ACNUC is a database structure and retrieval software for usewith either the GenBank or EMBL nucleic acid sequence data collections.The nucleotide and textual data furnished by both collectionsare each restructured into a database that allows sequence retrievalon a multi-criterion basis. The main selection criteria are:species (or higher order taxon), keyword, reference, journal,author, and organelle; all logical combinations of these criteriacan be used. Direct access to sequence regions that code fora specific product (protein, tRNA or rRNA) is provided. A versatileextraction procedure copies selected sequences, or fragmentsof them, from the database to user files suitable to be analysedby user-supplied application programs. A detailed help mechanismis provided to aid the user at any time during the retrievalsession. All software has been written in FORTRAN 77 which guaranteesa high degree of transportability to minicomputers or mainframes.reference, journal, author, and organelle; all logical combinationsof these criteria can be used. Direct access to sequence regionsthat code for a specific product (protein, tRNA or rRNA) isprovided. A versatile extraction procedure copies selected sequences,or fragments of them, from the database to user files suitableto be analysed by user-supplied application programs. A detailedhelp mechanism is provided to aid the user at any time duringthe retrieval session. All software has been written in FORTRAN77 which guarantees a high degree of transportability to minicomputersor mainframes. Received on May 1, 1985; accepted on June 13, 1985