Tormentor: An obelisk prediction and annotation pipeline

Obelisks are circular RNA viroid-like elements first described in January 2024 and identified through RNA-Seq data analysis. These elements are widespread in human gut samples. and characterized by their rod-like secondary structure reminiscent of obelisk monuments, exhibiting an average size of approximately 1,000 base pairs. Despite their initial identification, little is known about their biogenesis and their potential impact on human physiology and the microbiome. To facilitate further exploration in this emerging field, we developed Tormentor, an automated pipeline designed for the identification and annotation of Obelisks from stranded RNA-Seq data, leveraging methodologies similar to those employed in their initial discovery. To our knowledge, this is the first tool specialized for the identification of these elements.