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RNA: state memory and mediator of cellular phenotype
1Penn Genome Frontiers Institute, Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania Medical School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. junhyong@sas.upenn.edu
Trends in Cell Biology
|April 13, 2010
Summary
The genome and cellular phenotype are dynamic, not static. Relative RNA abundances act as a
Area of Science:
- Genomics and Molecular Biology
- Cellular Biology and Phenotypic Plasticity
Background:
- The genome and cellular phenotype are increasingly recognized as dynamic and sensitive to various stimuli.
- Cellular phenotype, traditionally seen as stable, exhibits plasticity and can be redefined as a 'homeostatic phenotype'.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify key drivers and stabilizers of cellular phenotype transitions.
- To explore the role of relative RNA abundances in mediating phenotypic changes and memory.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of dynamic gene expression patterns.
- Investigation of cellular identity spaces and transitions.
- Quantification of relative cellular RNA abundances.
Main Results:
- Relative RNA abundances are identified as a critical factor in phenotype transitions.
- RNA quantitative states function as a form of cellular memory.
- Transferring RNA quantitative states between cells predictably alters cellular phenotype.
Conclusions:
- Cellular phenotype is a plastic, homeostatic state influenced by dynamic gene expression.
- Relative RNA abundances serve as a key determinant and memory of cellular phenotype.
- RNA quantitative states offer a mechanism for predictable, transferable phenotypic alterations.
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