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We review a wide range of programs for micro- and minicomputers that facilitate the collection and analysis of DNA, RNA, or protein sequences. Special-purpose programs that perform a single function and general-purpose programs that perform a set of functions are both considered. The information presented should be useful to any biologist who wishes to obtain a computer program to aid in sequence investigations.

We have devised an algorithm for finding partial homologies among a set of nucleotide sequences. The algorithm and other improvements have been incorporated into a commonly used computer program for the analysis of sequence data.

We describe a computer program designed to facilitate the analysis of nucleic acid sequences. The program can search several nucleic acid sequences for oligonucleotides common to all of them. It can examine a DNA or RNA sequence for two kinds of homologous regions--repetitions and dyad symmetries. The homologies need not be perfect: mismatches and "looping out" of nucleotides are allowed. The program also finds (A+T)- and (G+C)-rich regions, locates restriction enzyme recognition sites, determines the distribution of di- and trinucleotides, and performs various other functions. We include two representative applications of the program. All published prokaryotic transcription termination sequences (June 1977) were found to share the following features: (i) a string of at least five T residues, (ii) the sequence CGGGC or a close analog immediately preceding the T cluster, (iii) a region of strong dyad symmetry preceding the Ts and including the CGGGC sequence. A sequence of 221 nucleotides consisting of the Escherichia coli trp promoter, operator, and leader was found to contain two strong dyad symmetries. These homologies both occur at known regulatory sites; no comparable homologies occur in regions without regulatory significance.

We have developed a versatile program for the analysis of nucleic acid and protein sequences on the IBM Personal Computer. The program is interactive and self-instructing. It contains all the features generally found in sequence analysis programs on large computers, including extensive homology routines, as well as new procedures for the entry of sequence data. The program contains facilities to store and utilize the entire Nucleic Acid Sequence Data Bank. We have devised a new algorithm to find restriction enzyme sites, which allows our microcomputer program to find all sites on a small plasmid for 100 different enzymes in 1 to 2 minutes.