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Published on: April 10, 2018
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Structural analysis of MALAT1 long noncoding RNA in cells and in evolution
Anais Monroy-Eklund1, Colin Taylor1, Chase A Weidmann2
1Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA.
RNA (New York, N.Y.)
|February 15, 2023
Summary
The long noncoding RNA MALAT1 has a conserved triple helix structure critical for stability. Its overall structure remains remarkably conserved across cell types and species, despite sequence variations.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genomics
- RNA Biology
Background:
- The long noncoding RNA MALAT1 is crucial in various biological processes.
- MALAT1 features a conserved 76-nt triple helix structure at its 3' end, essential for stability.
- Primary sequence analysis alone does not fully capture MALAT1's structural conservation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the in-cell and cell-free structures of human and green monkey MALAT1 transcripts.
- To assess structural conservation across different cell lines, conditions, and species.
Main Methods:
- Utilized SHAPE chemical probing for structural analysis.
- Examined full-length MALAT1 transcripts from human and green monkey (Chlorocebus sabaeus).
- Analyzed transcripts in multiple tissue-derived cell lines, both in-cell and cell-free.
Main Results:
- Revealed uniform structural conservation of MALAT1 across diverse cell lines and conditions.
- Demonstrated significant structural conservation between human and green monkey MALAT1 transcripts.
- Observed consistent structural stability despite variations in primary sequence.
Conclusions:
- MALAT1 exhibits remarkable structural conservation throughout its entire transcript, extending beyond the known triple helix region.
- This conservation is maintained across different cellular contexts and primate species.
- The findings highlight the importance of MALAT1's overall structure for its function.
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