RNAbridge: a database of extended non-canonical helices

RNAbridge catalogs 153,148 extended non-canonical helices and junction structural elements from the Protein Data Bank, including 4,998 multi-segment helices with measurable bend angles.

• Why it matters: Standard 2D RNA models based on Watson-Crick pairing miss non-canonical interruptions, tertiary contacts, and coaxial stacking that shape biological 3D architecture.
• What they did: The team built a geometry- and stacking-based pipeline to systematically identify and quantify extended non-canonical helices and multi-way junctions, then compiled a web database with interactive 2D/3D views and bend-angle and stacking-path data.
• The result: The November 8, 2026 release provides a representative view of 7,453 elements and enables structural biologists to connect simplified 2D topologies with complex 3D structures, supporting future machine learning for RNA structure prediction.

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