diff --git a/src/obi_align.c b/src/obi_align.c
index 9fd747e..8453a7c 100644
--- a/src/obi_align.c
+++ b/src/obi_align.c
@@ -51,7 +51,15 @@ int obi_align_one_column(Obiview_p seq_view, OBIDMS_column_p seq_column, const c
 
 	k = 0;
 
-	if ((seq_column->header)->returned_data_type != OBI_SEQ)
+	// If no sequence column is given and the view has the type NUC_SEQS_VIEW, the default sequence column is aligned
+	if ((seq_column == NULL) && (strcmp((seq_view->infos)->view_type, VIEW_TYPE_NUC_SEQS) == 0))
+	{
+		seq_column = obi_view_get_column(seq_view, NUC_SEQUENCE_COLUMN);
+		if (seq_column == NULL)
+			return -1;
+	}
+	// Check that the given sequence column contains nucleotide sequences
+	else if ((seq_column->header)->returned_data_type != OBI_SEQ)
 	{
 		obi_set_errno(OBI_ALIGN_ERROR);
 		obidebug(1, "\nTrying to align a column of a different type than OBI_SEQ");