Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026

10:41
Leveraging CyVerse Resources for De Novo Comparative Transcriptomics of Underserved (Non-model) Organisms
Published on: May 9, 2017
IDBA-tran: a more robust de novo de Bruijn graph assembler for transcriptomes with uneven expression levels
Yu Peng1, Henry C M Leung, Siu-Ming Yiu
1Department of Computer Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Bioinformatics (Oxford, England)
|July 2, 2013
Summary
This study introduces IDBA-Tran, a novel tool for de novo transcriptome assembly. IDBA-Tran effectively identifies low-expressed isoforms by using a probabilistic approach to remove erroneous data, improving RNA sequencing analysis.
Area of Science:
- Bioinformatics
- Computational Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Next-generation sequencing (NGS) enables transcriptome analysis.
- De novo transcriptome assembly is challenging due to uneven isoform expression levels.
- Distinguishing low-expressed isoforms from erroneous data in de Bruijn graphs is difficult.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a method for accurate de novo transcriptome assembly.
- To improve the identification of low-expressed isoforms.
- To enhance the sensitivity and specificity of transcriptome assemblers.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a probabilistic progressive approach for de Bruijn graph error correction.
- Employed local thresholds for iterative removal of erroneous vertices/edges.
- Decomposed graphs into single- or few-gene components.
Main Results:
- Successfully retained correct vertices/edges for low-expressed isoforms.
- IDBA-Tran assembled both high- and low-expressed transcripts.
- Outperformed existing assemblers in sensitivity and specificity on simulated and real data.
Conclusions:
- IDBA-Tran offers improved de novo transcriptome assembly.
- The probabilistic approach effectively handles uneven expression levels.
- This method enhances the analysis of transcriptomes from RNA sequencing data.
Related Concept Videos
RNA-seq
RNA sequencing, or RNA-Seq, is a high-throughput sequencing technology used to study the transcriptome of a cell. Transcriptomics helps to interpret the functional elements of a genome and identify the molecular constituents of an organism. Additionally, it also helps in understanding the development of an organism and the occurrence of diseases.
Before the discovery of RNA-seq, microarray-based methods and Sanger sequencing were used for transcriptome analysis. However, while microarray-based...
Before the discovery of RNA-seq, microarray-based methods and Sanger sequencing were used for transcriptome analysis. However, while microarray-based...
Improving Translational Accuracy
Base complementarity between the three base pairs of mRNA codon and the tRNA anticodon is not a failsafe mechanism. Inaccuracies can range from a single mismatch to no correct base pairing at all. The free energy difference between the correct and nearly correct base pairs can be as small as 3 kcal/ mol. With complementarity being the only proofreading step, the estimated error frequency would be one wrong amino acid in every 100 amino acids incorporated. However, error frequencies observed in...
Improving Translational Accuracy
Base complementarity between the three base pairs of mRNA codon and the tRNA anticodon is not a failsafe mechanism. Inaccuracies can range from a single mismatch to no correct base pairing at all. The free energy difference between the correct and nearly correct base pairs can be as small as 3 kcal/ mol. With complementarity being the only proofreading step, the estimated error frequency would be one wrong amino acid in every 100 amino acids incorporated. However, error frequencies observed in...
Genome Annotation and Assembly
The genome refers to all of the genetic material in an organism. It can range from a few million base pairs in microbial cells to several billion base pairs in many eukaryotic organisms. Genome assembly refers to the process of taking the DNA sequencing data and putting it all back together in a correct order to create a close representation of the original genome. This is followed by the identification of functional elements on the newly assembled genome, a process called genome annotation.
DNA Microarrays
Microarrays are high-throughput and relatively inexpensive assays that can be automated to analyze large quantities of data at a time. They are used in genome-wide studies to compare gene or protein expression under two varied conditions, such as healthy and diseased states. Microarrays consist of glass or silica slides on which probe molecules are covalently attached through surface functionalization. Most commonly, the slides are prepared through the chemisorption of silanes to silica...
Alternative RNA Splicing
Alternative RNA splicing is the regulated splicing of exons and introns to produce different mature mRNAs from a single pre-mRNA. Unlike in constitutive splicing where a single gene produces a single type of mRNA, alternative splicing allows an organism to produce multiple proteins from a single gene and plays an important role in protein diversity.
There are five types of alternative RNA splicing that vary in the ways the pre-mRNA segments are removed or retained in the mature mRNA. The first...
There are five types of alternative RNA splicing that vary in the ways the pre-mRNA segments are removed or retained in the mature mRNA. The first...
