Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

MicroRNAs01:22

MicroRNAs

4.4K
MicroRNA (miRNA) are short, regulatory RNA transcribed from introns (non-coding regions of a gene) or intergenic regions (stretches of DNA present between genes). Several processing steps are required to form biologically active, mature miRNA. The initial transcript, called primary miRNA (pri-mRNA), base-pairs with itself, forming a stem-loop structure. Within the nucleus, an endonuclease enzyme, called Drosha, shortens the stem-loop structure into hairpin-shaped pre-miRNA. After the pre-miRNA...
4.4K
MicroRNAs01:22

MicroRNAs

24.9K
MicroRNA (miRNA) are short, regulatory RNA transcribed from introns—non-coding regions of a gene—or intergenic regions—stretches of DNA present between genes. Several processing steps are required to form biologically active, mature miRNA. The initial transcript, called primary miRNA (pri-mRNA), base-pairs with itself forming a stem-loop structure. Within the nucleus, an endonuclease enzyme, called Drosha, shortens the stem-loop structure into hairpin-shaped pre-miRNA. After...
24.9K
MicroRNAs01:22

MicroRNAs

12.1K
12.1K
RNA Stability01:53

RNA Stability

36.5K
Intact DNA strands can be found in fossils, while scientists sometimes struggle to keep RNA intact under laboratory conditions. The structural variations between RNA and DNA underlie the differences in their stability and longevity. Because DNA is double-stranded, it is inherently more stable. The single-stranded structure of RNA is less stable but also more flexible and can form weak internal bonds. Additionally, most RNAs in the cell are relatively short, while DNA can be up to 250 million...
36.5K
RNA Editing02:23

RNA Editing

10.2K
RNA editing is a post-transcriptional modification where a precursor mRNA (pre-mRNA) nucleotide sequence is changed by base insertion, deletion, or modification. The extent of RNA editing varies from a few hundred bases, in mitochondrial DNA of trypanosomes, to a just single base, in nuclear genes of mammals. Even a single base change in the pre-mRNA can convert a codon for one amino acid into the codon for another amino acid or a stop codon. This type of re-coding can significantly affect the...
10.2K
Nucleic Acid Structure01:25

Nucleic Acid Structure

10.5K
The pentose sugar in DNA is deoxyribose, while in RNA the pentose sugar is ribose. The difference between the sugars is the presence of the hydroxyl group on the ribose's second carbon and a hydrogen on the deoxyribose's second carbon. The phosphate residue attaches to the hydroxyl group of the 5′ carbon of one sugar and the hydroxyl group of the 3′ carbon of the sugar of the next nucleotide, which forms  a 5′ to 3′ phosphodiester linkage.
DNA Structure
DNA...
10.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

50 Jahre Humangenetik am Universitätsklinikum Essen.

Medizinische Genetik : Mitteilungsblatt des Berufsverbandes Medizinische Genetik e.V·2026
Same author

EpiATLAS - a reference for human epigenomic research.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Integrated flexible DNA methylation-chromatin segmentation modeling enhances epigenomic state annotation.

Nucleic acids research·2026
Same author

Cleanifier: contamination removal from microbial sequences using spaced seeds of a human pangenome index.

Bioinformatics (Oxford, England)·2025
Same author

Sustainable data analysis with Snakemake.

F1000Research·2025
Same author

No indications of weight gain associated DNA methylation changes in patients with anorexia nervosa.

Scientific reports·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 16, 2026

A Method for Measuring RNA N6-methyladenosine Modifications in Cells and Tissues
08:56

A Method for Measuring RNA N6-methyladenosine Modifications in Cells and Tissues

Published on: December 5, 2016

11.4K

N6-adenosine methylation in MiRNAs.

Tea Berulava1, Sven Rahmann2, Katrin Rademacher1

  • 1Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.

Plos One
|February 28, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Methylation of N6-adenosine (m6A) was found in microRNAs (miRNAs), impacting their levels. This epigenetic mark on miRNAs adds complexity to gene expression regulation.

More Related Videos

Characterizing RNA Modifications in Single Neurons Using Mass Spectrometry
08:45

Characterizing RNA Modifications in Single Neurons Using Mass Spectrometry

Published on: April 21, 2022

2.9K
MeRIP-qPCR Assay for Detecting m6A Modification Levels of Specific RNA in Osteosarcoma Cells
05:16

MeRIP-qPCR Assay for Detecting m6A Modification Levels of Specific RNA in Osteosarcoma Cells

Published on: December 30, 2025

440

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 16, 2026

A Method for Measuring RNA N6-methyladenosine Modifications in Cells and Tissues
08:56

A Method for Measuring RNA N6-methyladenosine Modifications in Cells and Tissues

Published on: December 5, 2016

11.4K
Characterizing RNA Modifications in Single Neurons Using Mass Spectrometry
08:45

Characterizing RNA Modifications in Single Neurons Using Mass Spectrometry

Published on: April 21, 2022

2.9K
MeRIP-qPCR Assay for Detecting m6A Modification Levels of Specific RNA in Osteosarcoma Cells
05:16

MeRIP-qPCR Assay for Detecting m6A Modification Levels of Specific RNA in Osteosarcoma Cells

Published on: December 30, 2025

440

Area of Science:

  • Epigenetics
  • RNA biology
  • Gene regulation

Background:

  • N6-adenosine (m6A) methylation is a prevalent RNA modification found across various RNA types.
  • The presence and role of m6A in microRNAs (miRNAs) have remained largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of m6A methylation in miRNAs.
  • To explore the functional impact of m6A on miRNA stability and gene expression regulation.

Main Methods:

  • Knockdown of the m6A demethylase FTO to observe effects on miRNA levels.
  • RNA immunoprecipitation followed by RNA sequencing (RIP-seq) to identify m6A-modified miRNAs.
  • Bioinformatic analysis including motif searches to identify methylation patterns.

Main Results:

  • FTO knockdown significantly altered the steady-state levels of several miRNAs.
  • A substantial portion of miRNAs were found to be m6A-methylated.
  • Consensus sequence motifs were identified that distinguish between methylated and unmethylated miRNAs.

Conclusions:

  • MicroRNAs are subject to m6A epigenetic modification.
  • m6A methylation represents a novel layer of post-transcriptional regulation for miRNAs.
  • This discovery deepens the understanding of epigenetic control over gene expression via miRNAs.