Title（标题）：Statistical approaches to RNA secondary structure prediction and applications

Speaker（汇报人）：Prof.Ye Ding Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health

Time（功夫）：2011年6月23日（周四）下午3:00-4:00

Place（地址）：北京大学理科一号楼（数学学院）1418教室

Abstract（提要）：RNAs are versatile regulators of gene expression. RNA secondary structures are known to be important for regulatory functions by various types of RNAs. An RNA molecule, particularly a long-chain mRNA, may have a population of structures in the cell. Furthermore, multiple structures have been demonstrated to play important functional roles. Thus a representation of the ensemble of probable structures is of interest. We developed a statistical algorithm to sample rigorously and exactly from the Boltzmann ensemble of secondary structures. This algorithm overcomes inherent limitations in conventional algorithms and is the basis for our Sfold RNA folding program (http://sfold.wadsworth.org).

MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that repress protein synthesis by binding to target mRNAs in multicellular eukaryotes. Target identification of microRNA targets is essential to fully understand this new dimension of the complex gene regulatory networks. By employing our and a two-step model for modeling microRNA:target hybridization, we found that target secondary structure has a major impact on target recognition by microRNAs. Based on analyses of large microRNA targeting data using the model parameters and other sequence and conservation features, we have recently developed a novel computational framework that offers major improvement over established algorithms for prediction of microRNA targets. Computational tools are available through Sfold web server.

About the speaker（汇报人介绍）：Dr. Ye Ding is a statistician by training, and a Principal Investigator at Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health. In 1985, he obtained a BS in Mathematics (Probability and Statistics major) from Beijing University, Beijing, P.R. China. In 1986 and 1990, respectively, he received a MS and a Ph.D. in Statistics from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Since late 1990s, he has been working on novel algorithms for RNA secondary structure predictions and applications to the rational design of RNA-targeting nucleic acids and the identification of targets for regulatory RNAs. He is the developer of the now widely used Sfold software for RNA folding and applications (http://sfold.wadsworth.org), available to the scientific community since April 2003. The Sfold web server has been accessed by over 200,000 scientists around the world to fold over 120,000 nucleotide sequences. Sfold has been featured by Science NetWatch, Nature Research Highlights, a NAR front cover, Genome Technology, Faculty of 1000 Biology evaluations, and Research Media.

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