IMGT/HLA Database - a sequence database for the human major histocompatibility complex

The IMGT/HLA Database is a specialist database for sequences of the human m ajor histocompatibility (MHC) system. It includes all the HLA sequences off icially recognised and named by the WHO Nomenclature Committee for Factors of the HLA System. The database provides users With online tools and facili ties for the retrieval and analysis of these sequences. These include allel e reports, alignment tools and a detailed database of all source cells. The online IMGT/HLA submission tool allows the submission of both new and conf irmatory allele sequences directly to the WHO Nomenclature Committee for Fa ctors of the HLA System, The latest version (release 1.4.1, November 1999) contains 1,015 HLA alleles from over 2,270 component sequences derived from the EMBL/GenBank/DDBJ databases, From its release in December 1998 until D ecember 1999 the IMGT/HLA website received approximately 100,000 hits. The database currently focuses on the human major histocompatibility complex bu t will be used as a model system to provide specialist databases for the MH C sequences of other species.