A DNA structural alphabet provides new insight into DNA flexibility.

DNA is a structurally plastic molecule, and its biological function is enabled by adaptation to its binding partners. To identify the DNA structural polymorphisms that are possible in such adaptations, the dinucleotide structures of 60 000 DNA steps from sequentially nonredundant crystal structures were classified and an automated protocol assigning 44 distinct structural (conformational) classes called NtC (for Nucleotide Conformers) was developed. To further facilitate understanding of the DNA structure, the NtC were assembled into the DNA structural alphabet CANA (Conformational Alphabet of Nucleic Acids) and the projection of CANA onto the graphical representation of the molecular structure was proposed.

A DNA Structural Alphabet Distinguishes Structural Features of DNA Bound to Regulatory Proteins and in the Nucleosome Core Particle.

We analyzed the structural behavior of DNA complexed with regulatory proteins and the nucleosome core particle (NCP). The three-dimensional structures of almost 25 thousand dinucleotide steps from more than 500 sequentially non-redundant crystal structures were classified by using DNA structural alphabet CANA (Conformational Alphabet of Nucleic Acids) and associations between ten CANA letters and sixteen dinucleotide sequences were investigated. The associations showed features discriminating between specific and non-specific binding of DNA to proteins.

MultiSETTER: web server for multiple RNA structure comparison.

Background: Understanding the architecture and function of RNA molecules requires methods for comparing and analyzing their tertiary and quaternary structures. While structural superposition of short RNAs is achievable in a reasonable time, large structures represent much bigger challenge. Therefore, we have developed a fast and accurate algorithm for RNA pairwise structure superposition called SETTER and implemented it in the SETTER web server.

Bioinformatic analysis of the protein/DNA interface.

To investigate the principles driving recognition between proteins and DNA, we analyzed more than thousand crystal structures of protein/DNA complexes. We classified protein and DNA conformations by structural alphabets, protein blocks [de Brevern, Etchebest and Hazout (2000) (Bayesian probabilistic approach for predicting backbone structures in terms of protein blocks. Prots.

Automatic workflow for the classification of local DNA conformations.

Background: A growing number of crystal and NMR structures reveals a considerable structural polymorphism of DNA architecture going well beyond the usual image of a double helical molecule. DNA is highly variable with dinucleotide steps exhibiting a substantial flexibility in a sequence-dependent manner. An analysis of the conformational space of the DNA backbone and the enhancement of our understanding of the conformational dependencies in DNA are therefore important for full comprehension of DNA structural polymorphism.

Benchmark quantum-chemical calculations on a complete set of rotameric families of the DNA sugar-phosphate backbone and their comparison with modern density functional theory.

The DNA sugar-phosphate backbone has a substantial influence on the DNA structural dynamics. Structural biology and bioinformatics studies revealed that the DNA backbone in experimental structures samples a wide range of distinct conformational substates, known as rotameric DNA backbone conformational families. Their correct description is essential for methods used to model nucleic acids and is known to be the Achilles heel of force field computations.

SETTER: web server for RNA structure comparison.

The recent discoveries of regulatory non-coding RNAs changed our view of RNA as a simple information transfer molecule. Understanding the architecture and function of active RNA molecules requires methods for comparing and analyzing their 3D structures. While structural alignment of short RNAs is achievable in a reasonable amount of time, large structures represent much bigger challenge.

The mystery of angiographically silent macular oedema due to taxanes.

Taxanes are widely used anticancer agents, produced from the plants of the genus Taxus (yews). One of the rare side-effects caused by taxanes is a bilateral cystoid macular oedema (CMO). The particularity of this type of CMO is that it is angiographically silent showing no leakage or pooling on fluorescein angiography (FA).

mmView: a web-based viewer of the mmCIF format.

Background: Structural biomolecular data are commonly stored in the PDB format. The PDB format is widely supported by software vendors because of its simplicity and readability. However, the PDB format cannot fully address many informatics challenges related to the growing amount of structural data.