Dual graphs have been applied to model RNA secondary structures with pseudoknots, or intertwined base pairs. In this paper we present a linear-time algorithm to partition dual graphs into maximal topological components called blocks and determine whether each block contains a pseudoknot or not. We show that a block contains a pseudoknot if and only if the block has a vertex of degree 3 or more; this characterization allows us to efficiently isolate smaller RNA fragments and classify them as pseudoknotted or pseudoknot-free regions, while keeping these sub-structures intact. Applications to RNA design can be envisioned since modular building blocks with intact pseudoknots can be combined to form new constructs.
{"title":"Partitioning and Classification of RNA Secondary Structures into Pseudonotted and Pseudoknot-free Regions Using a Graph-Theoretical Approach.","authors":"Louis Petingi, Tamar Schlick","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Dual graphs have been applied to model RNA secondary structures with pseudoknots, or intertwined base pairs. In this paper we present a linear-time algorithm to partition dual graphs into maximal topological components called blocks and determine whether each block contains a pseudoknot or not. We show that a block contains a pseudoknot if and only if the block has a vertex of degree 3 or more; this characterization allows us to efficiently isolate smaller RNA fragments and classify them as pseudoknotted or pseudoknot-free regions, while keeping these sub-structures intact. Applications to RNA design can be envisioned since modular building blocks with intact pseudoknots can be combined to form new constructs.</p>","PeriodicalId":39642,"journal":{"name":"IAENG International Journal of Computer Science","volume":"44 2","pages":"241-246"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6250053/pdf/nihms-993541.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41159820","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}