>" ▁( gre ater - than ) ▁symbol ▁or , ▁less ▁frequently , ▁a ▁"; " ▁( sem icol on ) ▁was ▁taken ▁as ▁a ▁comment . ▁Sub sequ ent ▁lines ▁starting ▁with ▁a ▁sem icol on ▁would ▁be ▁ignored ▁by ▁software . ▁Since ▁the ▁only ▁comment ▁used ▁was ▁the ▁first , ▁it ▁quickly ▁became ▁used ▁to ▁hold ▁a ▁summary ▁description ▁of ▁the ▁sequence , ▁often ▁starting ▁with ▁a ▁unique ▁library ▁acc ession ▁number , ▁and ▁with ▁time ▁it ▁has ▁become ▁common place ▁to ▁always ▁use ▁" >" ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁line ▁and ▁to ▁not ▁use ▁"; " ▁comments ▁( which ▁would ▁otherwise ▁be ▁ignored ). ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁initial ▁line ▁( used ▁for ▁a ▁unique ▁description ▁of ▁the ▁sequence ) ▁was ▁the ▁actual ▁sequence ▁itself ▁in ▁standard ▁one - letter ▁character ▁string . ▁An yth ing ▁other ▁than ▁a ▁valid ▁character ▁would ▁be ▁ignored ▁( including ▁spaces , ▁tab ul ators , ▁a ster is ks , ▁etc ... ). ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁common ▁to ▁end ▁the ▁sequence ▁with ▁an ▁" *" ▁( aster isk ) ▁character ▁( in ▁anal ogy ▁with ▁use ▁in ▁P IR ▁formatted ▁sequences ) ▁and , ▁for ▁the ▁same ▁reason , ▁to ▁leave ▁a ▁blank ▁line ▁between ▁the ▁description ▁and ▁the ▁sequence . ▁Below ▁are ▁a ▁few ▁sample ▁sequences : ▁; LC BO ▁- ▁Pro la ct in ▁prec ursor ▁- ▁B ov ine ▁; ▁a ▁sample ▁sequence ▁in ▁FA ST A ▁format ▁M DS K G SS Q K GS R LL LL L V V