Understanding RNA modifications: the promises and technological bottlenecks of the ‘epitranscriptome’
The discovery of mechanisms that alter genetic information via RNA editing or introducing covalent RNA modifications points towards a complexity in gene expression that challenges long-standing concepts. Understanding the biology of RNA modifications represents one of the next frontiers in molecular...
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The Royal Society
2017-01-01
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doaj-b46dc36881cf4eb89242d3ca3a2763252020-11-25T03:52:00ZengThe Royal SocietyOpen Biology2046-24412017-01-017510.1098/rsob.170077170077Understanding RNA modifications: the promises and technological bottlenecks of the ‘epitranscriptome’Matthias SchaeferUtkarsh KapoorMichael F. JantschThe discovery of mechanisms that alter genetic information via RNA editing or introducing covalent RNA modifications points towards a complexity in gene expression that challenges long-standing concepts. Understanding the biology of RNA modifications represents one of the next frontiers in molecular biology. To this date, over 130 different RNA modifications have been identified, and improved mass spectrometry approaches are still adding to this list. However, only recently has it been possible to map selected RNA modifications at single-nucleotide resolution, which has created a number of exciting hypotheses about the biological function of RNA modifications, culminating in the proposition of the ‘epitranscriptome’. Here, we review some of the technological advances in this rapidly developing field, identify the conceptual challenges and discuss approaches that are needed to rigorously test the biological function of specific RNA modifications.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsob.170077rnatranscriptomechemical modificationepigenetics |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Matthias Schaefer Utkarsh Kapoor Michael F. Jantsch |
spellingShingle |
Matthias Schaefer Utkarsh Kapoor Michael F. Jantsch Understanding RNA modifications: the promises and technological bottlenecks of the ‘epitranscriptome’ Open Biology rna transcriptome chemical modification epigenetics |
author_facet |
Matthias Schaefer Utkarsh Kapoor Michael F. Jantsch |
author_sort |
Matthias Schaefer |
title |
Understanding RNA modifications: the promises and technological bottlenecks of the ‘epitranscriptome’ |
title_short |
Understanding RNA modifications: the promises and technological bottlenecks of the ‘epitranscriptome’ |
title_full |
Understanding RNA modifications: the promises and technological bottlenecks of the ‘epitranscriptome’ |
title_fullStr |
Understanding RNA modifications: the promises and technological bottlenecks of the ‘epitranscriptome’ |
title_full_unstemmed |
Understanding RNA modifications: the promises and technological bottlenecks of the ‘epitranscriptome’ |
title_sort |
understanding rna modifications: the promises and technological bottlenecks of the ‘epitranscriptome’ |
publisher |
The Royal Society |
series |
Open Biology |
issn |
2046-2441 |
publishDate |
2017-01-01 |
description |
The discovery of mechanisms that alter genetic information via RNA editing or introducing covalent RNA modifications points towards a complexity in gene expression that challenges long-standing concepts. Understanding the biology of RNA modifications represents one of the next frontiers in molecular biology. To this date, over 130 different RNA modifications have been identified, and improved mass spectrometry approaches are still adding to this list. However, only recently has it been possible to map selected RNA modifications at single-nucleotide resolution, which has created a number of exciting hypotheses about the biological function of RNA modifications, culminating in the proposition of the ‘epitranscriptome’. Here, we review some of the technological advances in this rapidly developing field, identify the conceptual challenges and discuss approaches that are needed to rigorously test the biological function of specific RNA modifications. |
topic |
rna transcriptome chemical modification epigenetics |
url |
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsob.170077 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT matthiasschaefer understandingrnamodificationsthepromisesandtechnologicalbottlenecksoftheepitranscriptome AT utkarshkapoor understandingrnamodificationsthepromisesandtechnologicalbottlenecksoftheepitranscriptome AT michaelfjantsch understandingrnamodificationsthepromisesandtechnologicalbottlenecksoftheepitranscriptome |
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1724484997437456384 |