title: ESSA: an integrated and interactive computer tool for analysing RNA secondary structure.
abstract: With ESSA, we propose an approach of RNA secondary structure analysis based on extensive viewing within a friendly graphical interface. This computer program is organized around the display of folding models produced by two complementary methods suitable to draw long RNA molecules. Any feature of interest can be managed directly on the display and highlighted by a rich combination of colours and symbols with emphasis given to structural probe accessibilities. ESSA also includes a word searching procedure allowing easy visual identification of structural features even complex and degenerated. Analysis functions make it possible to calculate the thermodynamic stability of any part of a folding using several models and compare homologous aligned RNA both in primary and secondary structure. The predictive capacities of ESSA which brings together the experimental, thermodynamic and comparative methods, are increased by coupling it with a program dedicated to RNA folding prediction based on constraints management and propagation. The potentialities of ESSA are illustrated by the identification of a possible tertiary motif in the LSU rRNA and the visualization of a pseudoknot in S15 mRNA.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire Eucaryote du C.N.R.S., Université Paul Sabatier, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse Cedex, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chetouani
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Monestié
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thébault
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gaspin
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Michot
mesh_terms: D001482:Base Composition; D001483:Base Sequence; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004355:Drug Stability; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry; D012984:Software; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; D012313:RNA