FASTA format description
  • A sequence in FASTA format consists of:
    1. One line starting with a ">" sign, followed by a sequence description or identification.
    2. One or more lines containing the sequence itself.
  • There is only one line of descriptive text.
  • Everything after the first line is sequence.
  • A file in FASTA format may comprise more than one sequence.
  • It is recommended that all lines of text be shorter than 80 characters in length.
  • The FASTA format is sometimes also referred to as the "Pearson" format (after the author of the FASTA program and ditto format).

  • FASTA format example
    >MyGene                 
    CCTCTCGGAGCTGGAAATGCAGCTATTGAGATCTTCGAATGCTGCGGAGCTGGAGGCGGA
    GGCAGCTGGGGAGGTCCGAGCGATGTGACCAGGCCGCCATCGCTCGTCTCTTCCTCTCTC
    CTGCCGCCTCCTGTGTCGAAAATAACTTTTTTAGTCTAAAGAAAGAAAGACAAAAGTAGT
    CGTCCGCCCCTCACGCCCTCTCTTCCTCTCAGCCTTCCGCCCGGTGAGGAAGCCCGGGGT
    GGCTGCTCCGCCGTCGGGGCCGCGCCGCCGAGCCCCAGCGCCCCGGGCCGCCCCCGCACG
    CCGCCCCCATGCATCCCTTCTACACCCGGGCCGCCACCATGATAGGCGAGATCGCCGCCG
    CCGTGTCCTTCATCTCCAAGTTTCTCCGCACCAAGGGGCTGACGAGCGAGCGACAGCTGC
    AGACCTTCAGCCAGAGCCTGCAGGAGCTGCTGGCAGAACATTATAAACATCACTGGTTCC
    CAGAAAAGCCATGCAAGGGATCGGGTTACCGTTGTATTCGCATCAACCATAAAATGGATC
    
    or
    >MyProtein
    MAVTQTAQACDLVIFGAKGDLARRKLLPSLYQLEKAGQLNPDTRIIGVGRADWDKAAYTK
    VVREALETFMKETIDEGLWDTLSARLDFCNLDVNDTAAFSRLGAMLDQKNRITINYFAMP
    PSTFGAICKGLGEAKLNAKPARVVMEKPLGTSLATSQEINDQVGEYFEECQVYRIDHYLG
    KETVLNLLALRFANSLFVNNWDNRTIDHVEITV
    
    More examples:
    > species one
    ACCTACAGATGGTGAATATCTCCCTGCGAGTGTTGTCTCGACCCAATGCTCAGGAGCTTC
    CTAGCATGTACCAGCGCCTAGGGCTGGACTACGAGGAACGAGTGTTGCCGTCCATTGTCA
    ACGAGGTGCTCAAGAGTGTGGTGGCCAAGTTCAATGCCTCACAGCTGATCACCCAGCGGG
    CCCAG
    > species two
    ATGGTGAACATCTCCCTGCGGGTGCTGTCCCGACCCAATGCCATGGAGCTGCCCAGCATG
    TACCAGCGCCTGGGGCTGGACTACGAGGAGCGAGTGCTGCCGTCCATTGTCAACGAGGTG
    CTCAAGAGCGTGGTGGCCAAGTTCAACGCCTCCCAGCTGATCACTCAACGGGCCCAG
    > species three
    ACCTGCAGATGGTGAACATCTCCCTGCGGGTGCTGTCCCGACCCAACGCCATGGAGCTGC
    CCAGCATGTACCAGCGCCTGGGGCTGGACTATGAGGAGCGAGTGCTGCCCTCCATTGTCA
    ACGAGGTGCTCAAGAGTGTGGTGGCCAAGTTCAACGCCTCCCAGCTGATCACCCAGCGGG
    CCCAG
    > species four
    ACCTGCAGATGGTGAACATCTCCCTGCGCGTCCTCACCCGCCCCAATGCTGCAGAGCTGC
    CCAGCATGTATCAGCGCCTGGGCCTGGACTACGAGGAGCGAGTCCTGCCCTCCATCGTCA
    ACGAGGTGCTCAAGAGCGTGGTGGCCAAATTCAACGCCTCGCAGCTCATCACACAGAGAG
    CCCAG
    

    See Wikipedia site for more information.