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Related Concept Videos

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 guanosine). This 5’ cap helps the...
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 guanosine). This 5’ cap helps the...
Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps02:24

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...
RNA Editing02:23

RNA Editing

RNA editing is a post-transcriptional modification where a precursor mRNA (pre-mRNA) nucleotide sequence is changed by base insertion, deletion, or modification. The extent of RNA editing varies from a few hundred bases, in mitochondrial DNA of trypanosomes, to a just single base, in nuclear genes of mammals. Even a single base change in the pre-mRNA can convert a codon for one amino acid into the codon for another amino acid or a stop codon. This type of re-coding can significantly affect the...
Ribosome Profiling02:24

Ribosome Profiling

Ribosome profiling or ribo-sequencing is a deep sequencing technique that produces a snapshot of active translation in a cell. It selectively sequences the mRNAs protected by ribosomes to get an insight into a cell’s translation landscape at any given point in time.
Applications of ribosome profiling
Ribosome profiling has many applications, including in vivo monitoring of translation inside a particular organ or tissue type and quantifying new protein synthesis levels.
The technique helps...
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 the cell...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 12, 2026

High-throughput Screening for Chemical Modulators of Post-transcriptionally Regulated Genes
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Uncovering the Epitranscriptome: A Review on mRNA Modifications and Emerging Frontiers.

Douglas M Ruden1

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, C. S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.

Genes
|August 28, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Messenger RNA (mRNA) modifications are crucial for gene expression but remain understudied. This review ranks known mRNA modifications, highlighting N6-methyladenosine (m6A) as the most researched and exploring new frontiers like environmental RNA (eRNA) epitranscriptomics.

Keywords:
environmental mRNAepitranscriptomicsmRNA capsmRNA modificationmethyladenosinenanopore sequencingpseudouridine

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Over 300 RNA modifications exist, but those in messenger RNA (mRNA) are less understood than in transfer RNA (tRNA) and ribosomal RNA (rRNA).
  • mRNA modifications regulate fundamental gene expression processes like splicing, translation, and stability.
  • Understanding mRNA modifications is key to deciphering gene regulation layers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review and rank 15 naturally occurring mRNA modifications by publication frequency.
  • To highlight emerging areas in epitranscriptomics, including novel mRNA modifications and environmental RNA (eRNA) epitranscriptomics.
  • To analyze key modifications (m6A, m5C, Ψ, m1A) regarding their enzymatic machinery, functions, and relevance.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted a structured literature review of PubMed-indexed publications to determine citation prevalence of mRNA modifications.
  • Analyzed enzymatic machinery ('writers,' 'erasers,' 'readers'), molecular functions, and physiological relevance of key mRNA modifications.
  • Reviewed technological advancements, focusing on nanopore sequencing for detecting RNA modifications in native and environmental contexts.

Main Results:

  • N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most studied mRNA modification, followed by pseudouridine (Ψ), 5-methylcytosine (m5C), and A-to-I editing.
  • These modifications impact mRNA translation efficiency, localization, immune evasion, transcript stability, and innate immune regulation.
  • Nanopore sequencing enables direct detection of RNA modifications and shows promise for eRNA surveys.

Conclusions:

  • mRNA modifications represent a critical, yet incompletely understood, layer of gene regulation.
  • Continued research, particularly using nanopore sequencing and machine learning, is essential to fully elucidate their biological significance.
  • Exploring eRNA and discovering new mRNA modifications will significantly advance our understanding of RNA biology.