Automatic classification of LTR retrotransposons is a big challenge in the area of massive genomics. Many tools were developed to detect them but automatic classification is somehow challenging. Here we propose a simple approach, LTRclassifier, based on HMM recognition followed by BLAST analyses (i) to classify plant LTR retrotransposons in their respective superfamily, and (ii) to provide automatically a basic functional annotation of these elements. The method was tested on various TE databases, and shown to be robust and fast. This tool is available as a web service implemented at IRD bioinformatics facility, http://LTRclassifier.ird.fr/.
Keywords: LTR retrotransposons; classification; superfamily.