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Updated: Nov 1, 2025

Probing RNA Structure with Dimethyl Sulfate Mutational Profiling with Sequencing In Vitro and in Cells
Published on: December 9, 2022
RNA structure probing uncovers RNA structure-dependent biological functions
Xi-Wen Wang1,2, Chu-Xiao Liu3, Ling-Ling Chen4,5,6
1MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology and Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
Abstract:
RNA molecules fold into complex structures that enable their diverse functions in cells. Recent revolutionary innovations in transcriptome-wide RNA structural probing of living cells have ushered in a new era in understanding RNA functions. Here, we summarize the latest technological advances for probing RNA secondary structures and discuss striking discoveries that have linked RNA regulation and biological processes through interrogation of RNA structures. In particular, we highlight how different long noncoding RNAs form into distinct secondary structures that determine their modes of interactions with protein partners to realize their unique functions. These dynamic structures mediate RNA regulatory functions through altering interactions with proteins and other RNAs. We also outline current methodological hurdles and speculate about future directions for development of the next generation of RNA structure-probing technologies of higher sensitivity and resolution, which could then be applied in increasingly physiologically relevant studies.
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