MetaFASTA sequence format

Description

The MetaFASTA format "extends" the popular FASTA sequence format to store meta-sequence information on a per-base (or per-amino acid) basis.

It can be also used as a multiple alignment format.

This file format can be parsed by the Bio::SeqIO system using the Bio::SeqIO::metafasta module.

Heikki Lehväslaiho's original specs for this format and the responses can be found here:

Example

>test
ABCDEFHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
&charge
NBNAANCNJCNNNONNCNNUNNXNZ
&chemical
LBSAARCLJCLSMOIMCHHULRXRZ
&functional
HBPAAHCHJCHHPOHPCPPUHHXPZ
&hydrophobic
I & OIOIJOIIOOIOOOOUIIXOZ
&structural
ABAEEIEIJEIIEOAEEAAUIAXAZ