Scientists at Université de Montréal's Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer have developed a new database that integrates the molecular structure of microRNAs and messenger RNAs to systematically model their interactions.
Called RIMap-RISC and developed by PhD student Simon Chasles in the laboratory of UdeM professor François Major, director of IRIC’s RNA engineering research unit, the database is detailed in a study published in Genome Biology.
Various types of ribonucleic acids (RNA) are found in cells. Messenger RNA acts as an intermediary between the genetic information contained in DNA and protein synthesis. MicroRNAs are very short molecules that target messenger RNAs to degrade or inhibit them, preventing the translation of certain genes into proteins.
The approach developed in Major's lab allows for the integration of detailed structural information about microRNAs. This goes beyond models based solely on the microRNAs' sequence to understand how they recognize messenger RNAs and regulate gene expression in both normal and pathological contexts.
“This is the first time such modeling has been done systematically,” said Major, a professor in UdeM's Department of Computer Science and Operations Research.
Accessible online, the RIMap-RISC platform has a programmable interface. It will be useful both for basic research in biology and for the study of complex diseases such as cancer, the IRIC scientists say.
“Our new tool will promote the reuse of data, its integration into bioinformatics pipelines, and the development of new approaches to research and innovation in RNA biology,” said Major.
