siVirus: web-based antiviral siRNA design software for highly divergent viral sequences

siVirus () is a web-based online software system that provides efficient short interfering RNA (siRNA) design for antiviral RNA interference (RNAi). siVirus searches for functional, off-target minimized siRNAs targeting highly conserved regions of divergent viral sequences. These siRNAs are expected to resist viral mutational escape, since their highly conserved targets likely contain structurally/functionally constrained elements. siVirus will be a useful tool for designing optimal siRNAs targeting highly divergent pathogens, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), influenza virus and SARS coronavirus, all of which pose enormous threats to global human health.

[1]  Aimee L Jackson,et al.  Noise amidst the silence: off-target effects of siRNAs? , 2004, Trends in genetics : TIG.

[2]  Tomoyuki Yamada,et al.  Accelerated off-target search algorithm for siRNA , 2005, Bioinform..

[3]  David L. Wheeler,et al.  GenBank , 2015, Nucleic Acids Res..

[4]  G. Hannon,et al.  Unlocking the potential of the human genome with RNA interference , 2004, Nature.

[5]  K. Ui-Tei,et al.  Guidelines for the selection of highly effective siRNA sequences for mammalian and chick RNA interference. , 2004, Nucleic acids research.

[6]  A. Fire,et al.  Potent and specific genetic interference by double-stranded RNA in Caenorhabditis elegans , 1998, Nature.

[7]  A. Reynolds,et al.  Rational siRNA design for RNA interference , 2004, Nature Biotechnology.

[8]  Tomoyuki Yamada,et al.  siDirect: highly effective, target-specific siRNA design software for mammalian RNA interference , 2004, Nucleic Acids Res..

[9]  M. Amarzguioui,et al.  An algorithm for selection of functional siRNA sequences. , 2004, Biochemical and biophysical research communications.

[10]  D. Schaffer,et al.  Antiviral RNAi therapy: emerging approaches for hitting a moving target , 2005, Gene Therapy.

[11]  Olivier Voinnet,et al.  Induction and suppression of RNA silencing: insights from viral infections , 2005, Nature Reviews Genetics.

[12]  C. Mello,et al.  Revealing the world of RNA interference , 2004, Nature.

[13]  Karina Yusim,et al.  The Los Alamos hepatitis C sequence database , 2005, Bioinform..