Predicting a set of minimal free energy RNA secondary structures common to two sequences.
BACKGROUND
Function derives from structure, therefore, there is need for methods to predict functional RNA structures.


RESULTS
The Dynalign algorithm, which predicts the lowest free energy secondary structure common to two unaligned RNA sequences, is extended to the prediction of a set of low-energy structures. Dot plots can be drawn to show all base pairs in structures within an energy increment. Dynalign predicts more well-defined structures than structure prediction using a single sequence; in 5S rRNA sequences, the average number of base pairs in structures with energy within 20% of the lowest energy structure is 317 using Dynalign, but 569 using a single sequence. Structure prediction with Dynalign can also be constrained according to experiment or comparative analysis. The accuracy, measured as sensitivity and positive predictive value, of Dynalign is greater than predictions with a single sequence.


BACKGROUND
Dynalign can be downloaded at http://rna.urmc.rochester.edu
Mathews
David H
DH
Center for Human Genetics and Molecular Pediatric Disease, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 703, Rochester, NY 14642, USA. David_Mathews@urmc.rochester.edu
D000465:Algorithms; D020137:Base Pair Mismatch; D001483:Base Sequence; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D011382:Programming, Linear; D012313:RNA / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D016415:Sequence Alignment / Q000379:methods*; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA / Q000379:methods*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
D012313:RNA