Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 2, 2025

Author Spotlight: Exploring the Frontier of mRNA Research with Poly A Tail Analysis Techniques
08:16

Author Spotlight: Exploring the Frontier of mRNA Research with Poly A Tail Analysis Techniques

Published on: January 12, 2024

1.1K

Implications of Poly(A) Tail Processing in Repeat Expansion Diseases

Paweł Joachimiak1, Adam Ciesiołka1, Grzegorz Figura1

  • 1Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences, 61-704 Poznań, Poland.

Cells
|February 25, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Repeat expansion diseases, like Huntington's, involve gene mutations. This review explores how alternative polyadenylation (APA) of mutant transcripts impacts disease, offering new therapeutic targets.

Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Repeat expansion diseases are a class of over 40 genetic disorders, primarily affecting the nervous and muscular systems.
  • These diseases are characterized by expanded, repetitive DNA sequences within specific genes, leading to pathogenic mutant messenger RNA (mRNA).
  • While the role of mutant mRNA is recognized, the impact of polyadenylation events on these transcripts remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the mechanisms of polyadenylation and alternative polyadenylation (APA).
  • To discuss the role of APA in the pathogenesis of repeat expansion diseases.
  • To highlight methods for studying poly(A) tail length and APA site identification.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of polyadenylation mechanisms and their role in disease.
  • Discussion of transcript-specific and transcriptome-wide methods for poly(A) tail measurement.
  • Overview of techniques for identifying alternative polyadenylation (APA) sites.

Main Results:

  • Alternative polyadenylation (APA) significantly influences transcript stability, localization, and translation efficiency.
  • APA is implicated as a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of various repeat expansion diseases.
  • Current methods allow for detailed analysis of poly(A) tails and APA site usage.

Conclusions:

  • Further research into APA events is crucial for understanding the molecular basis of repeat expansion diseases.
  • Developing and applying advanced methods for poly(A) tail and APA analysis can illuminate disease mechanisms.
  • APA represents a promising area for future therapeutic strategies in repeat expansion disorders.
Keywords:
Huntington’s diseasealternative polyadenylationpoly(A) tailpolyglutamine diseasesrepeat expansion diseases

More Related Videos

Measuring RAN Peptide Toxicity in C. elegans10:49

Measuring RAN Peptide Toxicity in C. elegans

Published on: April 30, 2020

6.7K
Author Spotlight: Characterizing DNA Replication of Pathogenic Repeats to Uncover Mechanisms of Replication Fork Stalling and Expansion05:22

Author Spotlight: Characterizing DNA Replication of Pathogenic Repeats to Uncover Mechanisms of Replication Fork Stalling and Expansion

Published on: September 13, 2024

913

Related Concept Videos

Pre-mRNA Processing: Modification of pre-mRNA Ends01:35

Pre-mRNA Processing: Modification of pre-mRNA Ends

In eukaryotic cells, transcripts made by RNA polymerase are modified and processed before exiting the nucleus. Unprocessed RNA is called precursor mRNA or pre-mRNA to distinguish it from mature mRNA.
Once about 20-40 ribonucleotides have been joined together by RNA polymerase, a group of enzymes adds a cap to the 5' end of the growing transcript. In this process, a 5' phosphate is replaced by modified guanosine that has a methyl group attached (7-methyl guanosine). This 5' cap helps...
10.7K
Translation01:31

Translation

Translation is the process of synthesizing proteins from the genetic information carried by messenger RNA (mRNA). Following transcription, it constitutes the final step in the expression of genes. This process is carried out by ribosomes, complexes of protein and specialized RNA molecules. Ribosomes, transfer RNA (tRNA), and other proteins produce a chain of amino acids—the polypeptide—as the end product of translation.
Translation Produces the Building Blocks of Life
Proteins are...
16.1K
Leaky Scanning02:28

Leaky Scanning

During most eukaryotic translation processes, the small 40S ribosome subunit scans an mRNA from its 5' end until it encounters the first start AUG codon. The large 60S ribosomal subunit then joins the smaller one to initiate protein synthesis. The location of the translation initiation is largely determined by the nucleotides near the start codon as there may be multiple translation initiation sites present on the mRNA.  Marilyn Kozak discovered that the sequence RCCAUGG (where R...
5.3K
RNA Splicing01:32

RNA Splicing

Splicing is the process by which eukaryotic RNA is edited before its translation into protein. The RNA strand transcribed from eukaryotic DNA is called the primary transcript. The primary transcripts that become mRNAs are called precursor messenger RNAs (pre-mRNAs). Eukaryotic pre-mRNA contains alternating sequences of exons and introns. Exons are nucleotide sequences that code for proteins, whereas introns are the non-coding regions. In RNA splicing, introns are removed and exons are bonded...
57.4K
pre-mRNA Processing02:01

pre-mRNA Processing

In eukaryotic cells, transcripts made by RNA polymerase are modified and processed before exiting the nucleus. Unprocessed RNA is called precursor mRNA or pre-mRNA to distinguish it from mature mRNA.
Once about 20-40 ribonucleotides have been joined together by RNA polymerase, a group of enzymes adds a “cap” to the 5’ end of the growing transcript. In this process, a 5’ phosphate is replaced by modified guanosine that has a methyl group attached to it (7-Methyl...
53.9K
Chromatin Structure Regulates pre-mRNA Processing02:41

Chromatin Structure Regulates pre-mRNA Processing

In eukaryotic cells, nascent mRNA transcripts need to undergo many post-transcriptional modifications to reach the cell cytoplasm and translate into functional proteins. For a long time, transcription and pre-mRNA processing were considered two independent events that occur sequentially in the cell. However, it has now been well established that transcription and pre-mRNA processing are two simultaneous processes that are precisely regulated inside the cell.
The chromatin structure, especially...
7.2K