R2R - software to speed the depiction of aesthetic consensus RNA secondary structures

Background: With continuing identification of novel structured noncoding RNAs, there is an increasing need to create schematic diagrams showing the consensus features of these molecules. RNA structural diagrams are typically made either with general-purpose drawing programs like Adobe Illustrator, or with automated or interactive programs specific to RNA. Unfortunately, the use of applications like Illustrator is extremely time consuming, while existing RNA-specific programs produce figures that are useful, but usually not of the same aesthetic quality as those produced at great cost in Illustrator. Additionally, most existing RNA-specific applications are designed for drawing single RNA molecules, not consensus diagrams. Results: We created R2R, a computer program that facilitates the generation of aesthetic and readable drawings of RNA consensus diagrams in a fraction of the time required with general-purpose drawing programs. Since the inference of a consensus RNA structure typical...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2011
• Where: BMCBI
• Authors: Zasha Weinberg, Ronald R. Breaker
• Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, BMCBI 2011, General-purpose Drawing Programs, RNA Classes, RNA Structures