Prediction of potent shRNAs with a sequential classification algorithm.

We present SplashRNA, a sequential classifier to predict potent microRNA-based short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs). Trained on published and novel data sets, SplashRNA outperforms previous algorithms and reliably predicts the most efficient shRNAs for a given gene. Combined with an optimized miR-E backbone, >90% of high-scoring SplashRNA predictions trigger >85% protein knockdown when expressed from a single genomic integration.

RiboDiff: detecting changes of mRNA translation efficiency from ribosome footprints.

Motivation: Deep sequencing based ribosome footprint profiling can provide novel insights into the regulatory mechanisms of protein translation. However, the observed ribosome profile is fundamentally confounded by transcriptional activity. In order to decipher principles of translation regulation, tools that can reliably detect changes in translation efficiency in case-control studies are needed.

Oqtans: the RNA-seq workbench in the cloud for complete and reproducible quantitative transcriptome analysis.

We present Oqtans, an open-source workbench for quantitative transcriptome analysis, that is integrated in Galaxy. Its distinguishing features include customizable computational workflows and a modular pipeline architecture that facilitates comparative assessment of tool and data quality. Oqtans integrates an assortment of machine learning-powered tools into Galaxy, which show superior or equal performance to state-of-the-art tools.

MITIE: Simultaneous RNA-Seq-based transcript identification and quantification in multiple samples.

Motivation: High-throughput sequencing of mRNA (RNA-Seq) has led to tremendous improvements in the detection of expressed genes and reconstruction of RNA transcripts. However, the extensive dynamic range of gene expression, technical limitations and biases, as well as the observed complexity of the transcriptional landscape, pose profound computational challenges for transcriptome reconstruction.

Results: We present the novel framework MITIE (Mixed Integer Transcript IdEntification) for simultaneous transcript reconstruction and quantification.

Cohesin rings devoid of Scc3 and Pds5 maintain their stable association with the DNA.

Cohesin is a protein complex that forms a ring around sister chromatids thus holding them together. The ring is composed of three proteins: Smc1, Smc3 and Scc1. The roles of three additional proteins that associate with the ring, Scc3, Pds5 and Wpl1, are not well understood.

Multiple reference genomes and transcriptomes for Arabidopsis thaliana.

Genetic differences between Arabidopsis thaliana accessions underlie the plant's extensive phenotypic variation, and until now these have been interpreted largely in the context of the annotated reference accession Col-0. Here we report the sequencing, assembly and annotation of the genomes of 18 natural A. thaliana accessions, and their transcriptomes.

A spatial and temporal map of C. elegans gene expression.

The C. elegans genome has been completely sequenced, and the developmental anatomy of this model organism is described at single-cell resolution. Here we utilize strategies that exploit this precisely defined architecture to link gene expression to cell type.

RNA-Seq read alignments with PALMapper.

Next-generation sequencing technologies have revolutionized genome and transcriptome sequencing. RNA-Seq experiments are able to generate huge amounts of transcriptome sequence reads at a fraction of the cost of Sanger sequencing. Reads produced by these technologies are relatively short and error prone.

AspAlt: A tool for inter-database, inter-genomic and user-specific comparative analysis of alternative transcription and alternative splicing in 46 eukaryotes.

We have developed AspAlt-a web-based comparative analytical platform for exploring the variations in alternative transcription (AT) events and alternative splicing (AS) events in eukaryotes. AspAlt provides integrated access to 2.1 million AT-AS annotations from 1,58,876 multi-isoform genes and has the following user-friendly analytical features: (1) advanced graphical display to visualize and analyze AT-AS events in 46 eukaryotic genomes; (2) compare and identify the differences in AT-AS patterns among a group of genes specified by the user or among homologous gene groups; (3) inter-database comparative viewer to analyze the differences in the AT-AS annotations for the same gene among Ensembl, RefSeq and AceView databases; (4) dynamically classify and generate graphical plots of AT-AS events from mRNA annotations submitted by the user; and (5) download genomic AT-AS annotations of 46 eukaryotes in XML and tab-delimited formats.