FURNA: a database for function annotations of RNA structures.

Area of Science:

• Structural Biology
• Bioinformatics
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• The Protein Data Bank has many 3D RNA structures, but most lack functional annotations.
• Understanding non-coding RNA functions is crucial as their importance grows.
• There is a pressing need for comprehensive functional annotation of experimental RNA structures.

Approach:

• Developed FURNA (Functions of RNAs), the first database dedicated to experimental RNA structures.
• Integrated high-quality functional annotations including Gene Ontology terms, Enzyme Commission numbers, and ligand/protein binding sites.
• Included RNA families and cross-references to facilitate comprehensive data retrieval.

Key Points:

• FURNA offers a centralized repository for RNA structure-based functional annotations.
• Annotations cover diverse functional aspects, crucial for understanding RNA roles.
• The database supports discovery from both RNA structures and sequences.

Conclusions:

• FURNA addresses the critical gap in functional annotation for experimental RNA structures.
• It serves as a valuable resource for researchers investigating RNA function.
• The database promotes efficient exploration of RNA functions through structure and sequence data.