Draw-RNA 0.1.0
Draw RNA secondary structures in Python
Requires Python: >=3.7

# draw_rna

Generate quick secondary structures of nucleic acids via jupyter notebook or command line.

A communal and continuing effort by the Das Lab, Eterna Players, M. Wu, H. Wayment-Steele.

## Dependencies

The default behavior is to output the secondary structure visualization to both svg and png. The png requires Inkscape, whose directory must be set by environmental variable `INKSCAPEDIR`.

## Install

Clone this repository to your hard drive and install as follows:

```
git clone git@github.com:DasLab/draw_rna.git
cd draw_rna/
python setup.py install
```

*Warning* if you see errors in using the repository, it maybe due to your `draw_rna` directory sitting in a folder like `src/` which already is in your Python Path. in that case, *rename* `draw_rna` to `draw_rna_directory` and/or move it to another spot in your system.

## Basic Usage

### Jupyter notebook

See `example_files/demo.ipynb` for more. In brief:

```

```

### Input file

An input file is used to specify the sequence, secondary structure, and coloring of the desired drawing. The format is as follows

```
filename      # image will be written to filename.svg
GTGANNNNNTCAC # nucleic acid sequence
((((.....)))) # nucleic acid secondary structure in dot-bracket notation
rrrrbbbbbgggg # optional: coloring of each base (e.g. r for red, g for green, b for blue)
```

Multiple sequences can be specified in one file as in `example_input.txt`.

### Execution

The draw script can be run with

```
python draw_rna/draw_all.py example_files/command_line/example_input.txt
```

You'll get files `example_contours.svg`, `example_sequence_colors.svg`, `example_specific_colors.svg`. Example output available in [example_files/command_line/](example_files/command_line/).
  
### Sample secondary structure diagrams:

![](example_files/command_line/example_sequence_colors.png) ![](example_files/command_line/example_specific_colors.png) ![](example_files/command_line/example_contours.png)

## Notes on usage

## Multistrand drawing

At the moment, current practice is to include blanks between strands such as:
```
filename     
GTGANN NNTCAC
((((.....))))
rrrrbbwbbgggg
```
And then remove nucleotides corresponding to blanks afterwards. (This would be a quick fix.)

## NOTE ON render_rna and render_rna_flip:

'render_rna_flip.py' is what is currently called in the main routine and where major edits have been made. `render_rna.py` renders 3' -> 5'. TODO: handle 3' -> 5' drawing better.

## Extended options

### Draw a large thing with linear exterior loop and with a custom color vector:

`python draw_all.py covid19_5primeUTR.txt --large_mode --color_values perc_conserved_5UTR.txt --png`

If you use `--color_values` with an input file with multiple structures, the same colors will be applied to all the structures.

![](example_files/COVID_5UTR.png)

### Draw from RDAT file containing reactivity

Requires RDATkit to be in working python path. Example command:

`python draw_from_rdat.py ETERNA_R69_0000.rdat 297 --png`

![](example_files/ETERNA_R69_0000_297.png)

### Movie mode

More coming eventually. For now, if you generate a bunch of stills, say from a cotranscriptional simulation, can string them together with ImageMagick:

`convert -delay 25 my_stills_*.png my_great_trajectory.gif`