FASTA format description
  • A sequence in FASTA format consists of:
    1. One line starting with a ">" sign, followed by a sequence description or identification.
    2. One or more lines containing the sequence itself.
  • There is only one line of descriptive text.
  • Everything after the first line is sequence.
  • A file in FASTA format may comprise more than one sequence.
  • It is recommended that all lines of text be shorter than 80 characters in length.
  • The FASTA format is sometimes also referred to as the "Pearson" format (after the author of the FASTA program and ditto format).
    • FASTA format example 
    >MyGene                 
CCTCTCGGAGCTGGAAATGCAGCTATTGAGATCTTCGAATGCTGCGGAGCTGGAGGCGGA
GGCAGCTGGGGAGGTCCGAGCGATGTGACCAGGCCGCCATCGCTCGTCTCTTCCTCTCTC
CTGCCGCCTCCTGTGTCGAAAATAACTTTTTTAGTCTAAAGAAAGAAAGACAAAAGTAGT
CGTCCGCCCCTCACGCCCTCTCTTCCTCTCAGCCTTCCGCCCGGTGAGGAAGCCCGGGGT
GGCTGCTCCGCCGTCGGGGCCGCGCCGCCGAGCCCCAGCGCCCCGGGCCGCCCCCGCACG
CCGCCCCCATGCATCCCTTCTACACCCGGGCCGCCACCATGATAGGCGAGATCGCCGCCG
CCGTGTCCTTCATCTCCAAGTTTCTCCGCACCAAGGGGCTGACGAGCGAGCGACAGCTGC
AGACCTTCAGCCAGAGCCTGCAGGAGCTGCTGGCAGAACATTATAAACATCACTGGTTCC
CAGAAAAGCCATGCAAGGGATCGGGTTACCGTTGTATTCGCATCAACCATAAAATGGATC
    or 
    >MyProtein
MAVTQTAQACDLVIFGAKGDLARRKLLPSLYQLEKAGQLNPDTRIIGVGRADWDKAAYTK
VVREALETFMKETIDEGLWDTLSARLDFCNLDVNDTAAFSRLGAMLDQKNRITINYFAMP
PSTFGAICKGLGEAKLNAKPARVVMEKPLGTSLATSQEINDQVGEYFEECQVYRIDHYLG
KETVLNLLALRFANSLFVNNWDNRTIDHVEITV
    More examples: 
    > species one
ACCTACAGATGGTGAATATCTCCCTGCGAGTGTTGTCTCGACCCAATGCTCAGGAGCTTC
CTAGCATGTACCAGCGCCTAGGGCTGGACTACGAGGAACGAGTGTTGCCGTCCATTGTCA
ACGAGGTGCTCAAGAGTGTGGTGGCCAAGTTCAATGCCTCACAGCTGATCACCCAGCGGG
CCCAG
> species two
ATGGTGAACATCTCCCTGCGGGTGCTGTCCCGACCCAATGCCATGGAGCTGCCCAGCATG
TACCAGCGCCTGGGGCTGGACTACGAGGAGCGAGTGCTGCCGTCCATTGTCAACGAGGTG
CTCAAGAGCGTGGTGGCCAAGTTCAACGCCTCCCAGCTGATCACTCAACGGGCCCAG
> species three
ACCTGCAGATGGTGAACATCTCCCTGCGGGTGCTGTCCCGACCCAACGCCATGGAGCTGC
CCAGCATGTACCAGCGCCTGGGGCTGGACTATGAGGAGCGAGTGCTGCCCTCCATTGTCA
ACGAGGTGCTCAAGAGTGTGGTGGCCAAGTTCAACGCCTCCCAGCTGATCACCCAGCGGG
CCCAG
> species four
ACCTGCAGATGGTGAACATCTCCCTGCGCGTCCTCACCCGCCCCAATGCTGCAGAGCTGC
CCAGCATGTATCAGCGCCTGGGCCTGGACTACGAGGAGCGAGTCCTGCCCTCCATCGTCA
ACGAGGTGCTCAAGAGCGTGGTGGCCAAATTCAACGCCTCGCAGCTCATCACACAGAGAG
CCCAG
    See Wikipedia site for more information.