Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Transfer RNA Synthesis

Transfer RNA Synthesis

One of the unique features of tRNA is the presence of modified bases. In some tRNAs, modified bases account for nearly 20% of the total bases in the molecule. Altogether, these unusual bases protect the tRNA from enzymatic degradation by RNases.
Each of these chemical modifications is carried by a specific enzyme, post-transcription. All of these enzymes have unique base and site-specificity. Methylation, the most common chemical modification, is carried by at least nine different enzymes, with...

Regulation of Expression at Multiple Steps

Regulation of Expression at Multiple Steps

The gene expression in cells is regulated at different stages: (i) transcription, (ii) RNA processing, (iii) RNA localization, and (iv) translation. Transcriptional regulation is mediated by regulatory proteins such as transcription factors, activators, or repressors—these control gene expression by initiating or inhibiting the transcription of genes. Once a precursor or pre-mRNA is produced, it undergoes post-transcriptional modification, including 5' capping, splicing, and the...

Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps

Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps

Gene expression can be regulated at almost every step from gene to protein. Transcription is the step that is most commonly regulated. This involves the binding of proteins to short regulatory sequences on the DNA. This association can either promote or inhibit the transcription of a gene associated with the respective sequence.
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...

tRNA Activation

tRNA Activation

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are present in both eukaryotes and bacteria. Though eukaryotes have 20 different aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases to couple to 20 amino acids, many bacteria do not have genes for all of these aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. Despite this, they still use all 20 amino acids to synthesize their proteins. For instance, some bacteria do not have the gene encoding the enzyme that couples glutamine with its partner tRNA. In these organisms, one enzyme adds glutamic acid to all of the...

RNA Structure

RNA Structure

The basic structure of RNA consists of a string of ribonucleotides attached by phosphodiester bonds. Although most RNA is single-stranded, it can form complex secondary and tertiary structures. Such structures play essential roles in the regulation of transcription and translation.
Different Types of RNA Have the Same Basic Structure
There are three main types of ribonucleic acid (RNA) involved in protein synthesis: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). All three...

RNA Stability

RNA Stability

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Structure of ergosteryl-aspartate synthase reveals how an entrapped tRNA is used like a prosthetic swinging arm in the synthesis of aminoacylated sterols.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Metabolism of Epigenetic Ribonucleosides Leads to Nucleolar Stress and Cytotoxicity.

ACS chemical biology·2026

Same author

Traditional Mongolian medicine Batri-7 exhibits chemopreventive activity in colitis-associated colorectal cancer through microbiota modulation and NLRP3 inflammasome targeting.

Journal of ethnopharmacology·2025

Same author

Metabolism of epigenetic ribonucleosides leads to nucleolar stress and cytotoxicity.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Same author

Amino acid changes in two viral proteins drive attenuation of the yellow fever 17D vaccine.

Nature microbiology·2025

Same author

Integrative machine learning reveals the biological function and prognostic significance of α-ketoglutarate in gastric cancer.

Oncology letters·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 22, 2025

Methylated RNA Immunoprecipitation Assay to Study m5C Modification in Arabidopsis

Methylated RNA Immunoprecipitation Assay to Study m5C Modification in Arabidopsis

Published on: May 14, 2020

Dynamic Regulation of 5-Formylcytidine on tRNA.

Xuemeng Sun¹, Ralph E Kleiner¹

¹Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States.

ACS Chemical Biology

|March 13, 2025

Summary

Researchers explored 5-formylcytidine (f⁵C) RNA modifications in tRNAs. They found f⁵C levels change with iron and oxygen, impacting protein translation and codon decoding.

Area of Science:

Molecular Biology
RNA Biology
Epitranscriptomics

Background:

Post-transcriptional RNA modifications are crucial for biological processes.
The molecular mechanisms of many RNA modifications remain poorly understood.
5-formylcytidine (f⁵C) is a tRNA modification with an unclear functional role.

Purpose of the Study:

To characterize the distribution and dynamic regulation of 5-formylcytidine (f⁵C) in tRNAs.
To investigate the response of f⁵C levels to environmental factors like iron and oxygen.
To elucidate the role of f⁵C in tRNA wobble decoding and protein translation.

Main Methods:

Quantification of bulk f⁵C levels using nucleoside liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS).

More Related Videos

An In Vitro Assay to Detect tRNA-Isopentenyl Transferase Activity

An In Vitro Assay to Detect tRNA-Isopentenyl Transferase Activity

Published on: October 8, 2018

Author Spotlight: Decoding RNA Methylation's Role in Pancreatic Cancer - A Single-Base Resolution Study

Author Spotlight: Decoding RNA Methylation's Role in Pancreatic Cancer - A Single-Base Resolution Study

Published on: July 7, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 22, 2025

Methylated RNA Immunoprecipitation Assay to Study m5C Modification in Arabidopsis

Methylated RNA Immunoprecipitation Assay to Study m5C Modification in Arabidopsis

Published on: May 14, 2020

An In Vitro Assay to Detect tRNA-Isopentenyl Transferase Activity

An In Vitro Assay to Detect tRNA-Isopentenyl Transferase Activity

Published on: October 8, 2018

Author Spotlight: Decoding RNA Methylation's Role in Pancreatic Cancer - A Single-Base Resolution Study

Author Spotlight: Decoding RNA Methylation's Role in Pancreatic Cancer - A Single-Base Resolution Study

Published on: July 7, 2023

Measurement of individual modification stoichiometry using nucleotide-resolution f⁵C sequencing.

Assessment of translation efficiency using a reporter assay.

Main Results:

f⁵C modifications on tRNAs are dynamically regulated and responsive to cellular iron and oxygen levels.
Perturbations in bulk f⁵C levels were identified across cell lines and mouse tissues.
Loss of f⁵C on tRNA-Leu-CAA impairs decoding of Leu UUA codons, affecting protein translation.

Conclusions:

f⁵C is a dynamic epitranscriptomic mark regulated by environmental cues.
f⁵C on tRNA-Leu-CAA is essential for accurate wobble decoding.
These findings reveal novel mechanisms linking environmental sensing to protein translation regulation.