There are two ways to access the current listings:

• On the web, go to the Genome homepage and select the Prokaryotic reference genomes link located under Custom resources. By default, the table displays Reference genomes only. Use the Download button above the table to obtain your local copy of the listing. To display Representative genomes:
  • Uncheck the "refseq_category:reference" search term in the search box.
  • Click the Filters button above the table.
  • In the displayed menu, check the "representative" RefSeq category.
• On the Genomes FTP site, download the assembly_summary_refseq.txt file located in the ASSEMBLY_REPORTS directory. The summary file contains information for all organisms.
  • Use your own script to parse the file and extract relevant information for prokaryotes or another taxonomic group.
  • Note that the Genomes FTP site also contains the GENOME_REPORTS directory with similar information. This directory is part of the old Genome FTP directory. Check the update date to assure that you are downloading the current data.
  • Check the article on navigating Genome FTP site for more information on what FTP data are currently updated.