Evaluation and development of deep neural networks for RNA 5-Methyluridine classifications using autoBioSeqpy

Post-transcriptionally RNA modifications, also known as the epitranscriptome, play crucial roles in the regulation of gene expression during development. Recently, deep learning (DL) has been employed for RNA modification site prediction and has shown promising results. However, due to the lack of relevant studies, it is unclear which DL architecture is best suited for some pyrimidine modifications, such as 5-methyluridine (m5U). To fill this knowledge gap, we first performed a comparative evaluation of various commonly used DL models for epigenetic studies with the help of autoBioSeqpy. We identified optimal architectural variations for m5U site classification, optimizing the layer depth and neuron width. Second, we used this knowledge to develop Deepm5U, an improved convolutional-recurrent neural network that accurately predicts m5U sites from RNA sequences. We successfully applied Deepm5U to transcriptomewide m5U profiling data across different sequencing technologies and cell types. Third, we showed that the techniques for interpreting deep neural networks, including LayerUMAP and DeepSHAP, can provide important insights into the internal operation and behavior of models. Overall, we offered practical guidance for the development, benchmark, and analysis of deep learning models when designing new algorithms for RNA modifications.