Functional annotation of a full-length Arabidopsis cDNA collection

Full-length complementary DNAs (cDNAs) are essential for the correct annotation of genomic sequences and for the functional analysis of genes and their products. We isolated 155,144 RIKEN Arabidopsis full-length (RAFL) cDNA clones. The 3'-end expressed sequence tags (ESTs) of 155,144 RAFL cDNAs were clustered into 14,668 nonredundant cDNA groups, about 60% of predicted genes. We also obtained 5' ESTs from 14,034 nonredundant cDNA groups and constructed a promoter database. The sequence database of the RAFL cDNAs is useful for promoter analysis and correct annotation of predicted transcription units and gene products. Furthermore, the full-length cDNAs are useful resources for analyses of the expression profiles, functions, and structures of plant proteins.