REPAIRtoire is the first comprehensive database resource for systems biology of DNA damage and repair. The database collects and organizes the following types of information: (i) DNA damage linked to environmental mutagenic and cytotoxic agents, (ii) pathways comprising individual processes and enzymatic reactions involved in the removal of damage, (iii) proteins participating in DNA repair and (iv) diseases correlated with mutations in genes encoding DNA repair proteins. REPAIRtoire provides also links to publications and external databases. REPAIRtoire contains information about eight main DNA damage checkpoint, repair and tolerance pathways: DNA damage signaling, direct reversal repair, base excision repair, nucleotide excision repair, mismatch repair, homologous recombination repair, nonhomologous end-joining and translesion synthesis. The pathway/protein dataset is currently limited to three model organisms: Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Homo sapiens. The DNA repair and tolerance pathways are represented as graphs and in tabular form with descriptions of each repair step and corresponding proteins, and individual entries are cross-referenced to supporting literature and primary databases. REPAIRtoire can be queried by the name of pathway, protein, enzymatic complex, damage and disease. In addition, a tool for drawing custom DNA–protein complexes is available online. REPAIRtoire is freely available and can be accessed at http://repairtoire.genesilico.pl/.

For a long time, retrocopies were considered ‘junk DNA’, but numerous studies have shown that retrocopies may gain functionality and become so-called retrogenes. Retrogenes may code fully functional proteins that coexist with parental gene products or may even replace them. Retrocopies may also function as regulatory RNAs and, for example, become a source of small interfering RNAs, act as trans natural antisense transcripts or as alternative targets for miRNAs. Numerous researchers have emphasized that retrogenes play a crucial role in various organisms’ developmental stages and diseases. Despite the ever-growing evidence of the importance of retrocopies, resources dedicated to retroposition are very limited. Here, we report an update of the RetrogeneDB, which, to the best of our knowledge, is the largest database dedicated to retrocopies. It provides annotations of 86 458 retrocopies in 62 animal and 37 plant species. The database contains information about the retrocopies’ localization, open reading frame conservation, expression, RNA Polymerase II activity and the alternative transcription start site studies. Orthologous relationships between retrogenes were also determined, which made retrocopy conservation studies much more valuable. Additionally, based on the RNA-Seq data from the Geuvadis project, the expression levels of retrocopies were estimated in a total of 50 individuals from 5 human populations. The information is now presented in a new, more user-friendly web interface, with easy access to the source data, which may be used for the downstream analysis. RetrogeneDB is freely available at http://yeti.amu.edu.pl/retrogenedb. Database URL: http://yeti.amu.edu.pl/retrogenedb Secondary database URL: http://rhesus.amu.edu.pl/retrogenedb

The floral development in an important legume crop yellow lupine (Lupinus luteus L., Taper cv.) is often affected by the abscission of flowers leading to significant economic losses. Small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs), which have a proven effect on almost all developmental processes in other plants, might be of key players in a complex net of molecular interactions regulating flower development and abscission. This study represents the first comprehensive sncRNA identification and analysis of small RNA, transcriptome and degradome sequencing data in lupine flowers to elucidate their role in the regulation of lupine generative development. As shedding in lupine primarily concerns flowers formed at the upper part of the inflorescence, we analyzed samples from extreme parts of raceme separately and conducted an additional analysis of pedicels from abscising and non-abscising flowers where abscission zone forms. A total of 394 known and 28 novel miRNAs and 316 phased siRNAs were identified. In flowers at different stages of development 59 miRNAs displayed differential expression (DE) and 46 DE miRNAs were found while comparing the upper and lower flowers. Identified tasiR-ARFs were DE in developing flowers and were strongly expressed in flower pedicels. The DEmiR-targeted genes were preferentially enriched in the functional categories related to carbohydrate metabolism and plant hormone transduction pathways. This study not only contributes to the current understanding of how lupine flowers develop or undergo abscission but also holds potential for research aimed at crop improvement.

Due to the high exposition to changing environmental conditions, bacteria have developed many mechanisms enabling immediate adjustments of gene expression. In many cases, the required speed and plasticity of the response are provided by RNA-dependent regulatory mechanisms. This is possible due to the very high dynamics and flexibility of an RNA structure, which provide the necessary sensitivity and specificity for efficient sensing and transduction of environmental signals. In this review, we will discuss the current knowledge about known bacterial regulatory mechanisms which rely on RNA structure. To better understand the structure-driven modulation of gene expression, we describe the basic theory on RNA structure folding and dynamics. Next, we present examples of multiple mechanisms employed by RNA regulators in the control of bacterial transcription and translation.