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Updated: Oct 20, 2025

Characterizing RNA Modifications in Single Neurons Using Mass Spectrometry
Published on: April 21, 2022
Mass spectrometric analysis of mRNA 5' terminal modifications
Shinichiro Akichika1, Takeo Suzuki1, Tsutomu Suzuki1
1Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Abstract:
The 7-methylguanosine (m7G) cap structure, an essential epitranscriptomic mark at the 5' terminus of eukaryotic mRNAs, plays critical roles in mRNA stability, export, and translation. Following the cap structure, the first and second nucleotides at the 5' ends of mRNAs are frequently methylated to give more diverse modifications, especially in vertebrates. To understand the biological roles of the cap structures, precise analyses of the 5' terminal modifications are necessary. Here, we describe a detailed protocol for mass spectrometric analysis of 5' terminal fragments of mRNAs.
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