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Encyclopedia of Metagenomics pp 1–5Cite as

Metaxa, Overview

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Synonyms

16S extraction; rRNA extraction; SSU extraction; Taxonomic assignment

Definition

Metaxa is a software tool for extracting full-length and partial ribosomal small subunit (SSU; 16S/18S/12S) sequences from metagenomic datasets and for classifying the extracted sequences to taxonomic domains and organelle of origin. Metaxa is freely available from http://microbiology.se/software/metaxa/.

Introduction

A common question in metagenomic studies concerns the species composition of the community sampled (Desai et al. 2012). This is frequently addressed using a specific genetic marker, typically the ribosomal RNA (rRNA) small subunit (SSU) gene sequence (also referred to as the 16S, 18S, or 12S subunit depending on the lineage under scrutiny). In some studies, the SSU gene is amplified by PCR and sequenced separately in order to study microbial diversity. However, even if the SSU sequences are not targeted for separate sequencing, it is still possible to identify and extract the SSU...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 11, Box 434, SE-405 30, Göteborg, Sweden

    Johan Bengtsson-Palme

  2. Molecular Ecology, Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon Research Station ART, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland

    Martin Hartmann

  3. Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 461, SE-405, 30, Göteborg, Sweden

    K. Martin Eriksson & R Henrik Nilsson

Authors
  1. Johan Bengtsson-Palme
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  2. Martin Hartmann
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  3. K. Martin Eriksson
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  4. R Henrik Nilsson
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Johan Bengtsson-Palme .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), Rockville, Maryland, USA

    Karen E. Nelson

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Bengtsson-Palme, J., Hartmann, M., Eriksson, K.M., Nilsson, R.H. (2014). Metaxa, Overview. In: Nelson, K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Metagenomics. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6418-1_239-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6418-1_239-6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6418-1

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