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Assessment of Selective mRNA Translation in Mammalian Cells by Polysome Profiling
Published on: October 28, 2014
Global profiling of stimulus-induced polyadenylation in cells using a poly(A) trap
Dusica Curanovic1, Michael Cohen, Irtisha Singh
1Department of Pharmacology, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, New York, New York, USA.
Nature Chemical Biology
|September 3, 2013
Summary
Researchers developed a novel nucleoside analog for tracking mRNA polyadenylation in living cells. This method enables transcriptome-wide analysis, revealing sequence elements linked to polyadenylation.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genomics
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Polyadenylation of messenger RNA (mRNA) enhances protein expression.
- Identifying polyadenylated mRNAs in living cells is challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a method for labeling and profiling polyadenylated mRNAs in live cells.
- To identify sequence elements correlated with mRNA polyadenylation.
Main Methods:
- A click chemistry-compatible nucleoside analog was designed for selective incorporation into poly(A) tails.
- Next-generation sequencing was used to analyze labeled mRNAs.
- Bioinformatic analysis identified sequence elements associated with polyadenylation.
Main Results:
- The nucleoside analog successfully labeled poly(A) tails in cellular environments.
- Transcriptome-wide profiling of polyadenylation was achieved.
- Specific mRNA sequence elements correlated with polyadenylation were identified.
Conclusions:
- This novel chemical biology approach allows for the study of mRNA polyadenylation dynamics in living cells.
- The findings provide insights into the regulation of mRNA polyadenylation and its sequence determinants.
