Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41413030›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Designing molecular RNA switches with Restricted Boltzmann machines.

Jorge Fernandez-de-Cossio-Diaz, Pierre Hardouin, Francois-Xavier Lyonnet du Moutier, Andrea Di Gioacchino, Bertrand Marchand, Yann Ponty, Bruno Sargueil, Rémi Monasson, Simona Cocco

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Jorge Fernandez-de-Cossio-Diaz *CNRS UMR 8023, Laboratory of Physics of the Ecole Normale Supérieure & PSL Research, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4476-805X
Pierre Hardouin *CNRS UMR 8038, CitCoM, Université de Paris, Paris, France.
Francois-Xavier Lyonnet du MoutierCNRS UMR 8038, CitCoM, Université de Paris, Paris, France.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2491-0266
Andrea Di GioacchinoCNRS UMR 8023, Laboratory of Physics of the Ecole Normale Supérieure & PSL Research, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6085-7589
Bertrand MarchandCNRS UMR 7161, LIX, Ecole Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, Palaiseau, France.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8060-6640
Yann PontyCNRS UMR 7161, LIX, Ecole Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, Palaiseau, France.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7615-3930
Bruno SargueilCNRS UMR 8038, CitCoM, Université de Paris, Paris, France. bruno.sargueil@parisdescartes.fr.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4483-355X
Rémi MonassonCNRS UMR 8023, Laboratory of Physics of the Ecole Normale Supérieure & PSL Research, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France. remi.monasson@phys.ens.fr.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4459-0204
Simona CoccoCNRS UMR 8023, Laboratory of Physics of the Ecole Normale Supérieure & PSL Research, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France. simona.cocco@phys.ens.fr.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1852-7789

Funding

Agence Nationale de la Recherche (French National Research Agency) ANR 19-CE30-0021-03Agence Nationale de la Recherche (French National Research Agency) ANR 19-CE45-0023-02Agence Nationale de la Recherche (French National Research Agency) ANR 20-CE12-0026-02Agence Nationale de la Recherche (French National Research Agency) ANR 21-CE45-0034-03Agence Nationale de la Recherche (French National Research Agency) ANR DECRYPTED 19-CE30-0021-03Université de Recherche Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL Research University) AI Junior Fellow program
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Riboswitches are structured allosteric RNA molecules that change conformation upon metabolite binding, triggering a regulatory response. Here we focus on the de novo design of riboswitch-like aptamers, the core part of the riboswitch undergoing structural changes. We use Restricted Boltzmann machines (RBM) to learn generative models from homologous sequence data. We first verify, on four different riboswitch families, that RBM-generated sequences correctly capture the conservation, covariation and diversity of natural aptamers. The RBM model is then used to design new SAM-I riboswitch aptamers. To experimentally validate the properties of the structural switch in designed molecules, we resort to chemical probing (SHAPE and DMS), and develop a tailored analysis pipeline adequate for high-throughput tests of diverse sequences. We probe a total of 476 RBM-designed and 201 natural sequences. Designed molecules with high RBM scores, with 20% to 40% divergence from any natural sequence, display  ≈ 30% success rate of responding to SAM with a structural switch similar to their natural counterparts. We show how the capability of the designed molecules to switch conformation is connected to fine energetic features of their structural components.

Indexed as

Aptamers, NucleotideRiboswitchRNAModels, MolecularNucleic Acid ConformationAptamers, NucleotideRiboswitchRNA

Identifiers

PMID41413030
PMCPMC12714719

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.