title: Multiple sequence alignments.
abstract: Multiple sequence alignments are very widely used in all areas of DNA and protein sequence analysis. The main methods that are still in use are based on 'progressive alignment' and date from the mid to late 1980s. Recently, some dramatic improvements have been made to the methodology with respect either to speed and capacity to deal with large numbers of sequences or to accuracy. There have also been some practical advances concerning how to combine three-dimensional structural information with primary sequences to give more accurate alignments, when structures are available.
authors.affiliation: The Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Iain M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: Gordon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Blackshields
authors.forename: Desmond G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Higgins
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification; D016415:Sequence Alignment / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D017421:Sequence Analysis / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D017385:Sequence Homology; D012984:Software; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins; D004247:DNA