CABRA: cluster and annotate BLAST results algorithm

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.