R2DT: a comprehensive platform for visualizing RNA secondary structure
Holly McCann, Caeden D. Meade, Loren Dean Williams, Anton S. Petrov, Philip Z. Johnson, Anne E. Simon, David Hoksza, Eric P. Nawrocki, Patricia P. Chan, Todd M. Lowe, Carlos Eduardo Ribas, Blake Sweeney, Fábio Madeira, Stephen Anyango, Sri Devan Appasamy, Mandar Deshpande, Mihály Váradi, Sameer Velankar, Craig L. Zirbel, Aleksei Naiden, Fabrice Jossinet, Anton I. Petrov
Abstract
RNA secondary (2D) structure visualization is an essential tool for understanding RNA function. R2DT is a software package designed to visualize RNA 2D structures in consistent, recognizable, and reproducible layouts. The latest release, R2DT 2.0, introduces multiple significant features, including the ability to display position-specific information, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms or SHAPE reactivities. It also offers a new template-free mode allowing visualization of RNAs without pre-existing templates, alongside a constrained folding mode and support for animated visualizations. Users can interactively modify R2DT diagrams, either manually or using natural language prompts, to generate new templates or create publication-quality images. Additionally, R2DT features faster performance, an expanded template library, and a growing collection of compatible tools and utilities. Already integrated into multiple biological databases, R2DT has evolved into a comprehensive platform for RNA 2D visualization, accessible at https://r2dt.bio.