The RDP-II (Ribosomal Database Project)

The Ribosomal Database Project (RDP-II), previously described by Maidak ef al. [Nucleic Acids Res. (2000), 28, 173-174], continued during the past yea r to add new rRNA sequences to the aligned data and to improve the analysis commands. Release 8.0 (June 1, 2000) consisted of 16 277 aligned prokaryot ic small subunit (SSU) rRNA sequences white the number of eukaryotic and mi tochondrial SSU rRNA sequences in aligned form remained at 2055 and 1503, r espectively. The number of prokaryotic SSU rRNA sequences more than doubled from the previous release 14 months earlier, and similar to 75% are longer than 899 bp. An RDP-II mirror site in Japan is now available (http:// wdcm .nig.ac.jp/RDP/html/index.html). RDP-II provides aligned and annotated rRNA sequences, derived phylogenetic trees and taxonomic hierarchies, and analy sis services through its WWW sewer (http:// rdp.cme.msu.edul). Analysis ser vices include rRNA probe checking, approximate phylogenetic placement of us er sequences, screening user sequences for possible chimeric rRNA sequences , automated alignment, production of similarity matrices and services to pl an and analyze terminal restriction fragment polymorphism experiments. The RDP-II email address for questions and comments has been changed from curat or@cme.msu.edu to rdpstaff@msu.edu.