GHOSTX: A fast sequence homology search tool for functional annotation of metagenomic data

Abstract

Metagenomic analysis based on whole genome shotgun sequencing data requires fast protein sequence homology searches for predicting the function of proteins coded on metagenome short reads. However, huge amounts of sequence data cause even general homology search analyses using BLASTX to become difficult in terms of computational cost. GHOSTX is a sequence homology search tool specifically developed for functional annotation of metagenome sequences. The tool is more than 160 times faster than BLASTX and has sufficient search sensitivity for metagenomic analysis. Using this tool, user can perform functional annotation of metagenomic data within a short time and infer metabolic pathways within an environment.