Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China.
Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China.
Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2022 Jul;127:155-165. doi: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.11.009. Epub 2021 Nov 24.
It is well established that DNA base modifications play a key role in gene regulation during development and in response to environmental stress. This type of epigenetic control of development and environmental responses has been intensively studied over the past few decades. Similar to DNA, various RNA species also undergo modifications that play important roles in, for example, RNA splicing, protein translation, and the avoidance of immune surveillance by host. More than 160 different types of RNA modifications have been identified. In addition to base modifications, RNA modification also involves splicing of pre-mRNAs, leading to as many as tens of transcript isoforms from a single pre-RNA, especially in higher organisms. However, the function, prevalence and distribution of RNA modifications are poorly understood. The lack of a suitable method for the reliable identification of RNA modifications constitutes a significant challenge to studying their functions. This review focuses on the technologies that enable de novo identification of RNA base modifications and the alternatively spliced mRNA transcripts.
已经证实，DNA 碱基修饰在发育过程中的基因调控以及对环境应激的反应中起着关键作用。这种对发育和环境反应的表观遗传控制在过去几十年中得到了深入研究。与 DNA 类似，各种 RNA 也会发生修饰，这些修饰在 RNA 剪接、蛋白质翻译和宿主逃避免疫监视等方面发挥着重要作用。已经鉴定出超过 160 种不同类型的 RNA 修饰。除了碱基修饰，RNA 修饰还涉及前体 mRNA 的剪接，导致从单个前 RNA 产生多达数十种转录本异构体，尤其是在高等生物中。然而，RNA 修饰的功能、普遍性和分布尚不清楚。缺乏可靠鉴定 RNA 修饰的合适方法，这对研究其功能构成了重大挑战。本文综述了从头鉴定 RNA 碱基修饰和可变剪接 mRNA 转录本的技术。
