Pseudouridines in RNAs – switching atoms means shifting paradigms

AbstractThe structure, stability and function of various coding and non-coding RNAs are influenced by chemical modifications. Pseudouridine ( Ψ) is one of the most abundant post-transcriptional RNA base modifications and has been detected at individual positions in tRNAs, rRNAs, mRNAs and snRNAs, which are referred to as Ψ-sites. By allowing formation of additional bonds with neighboring atoms, Ψ strengthens RNA-RNA and RNA-protein int eractions. Although many aspects of the underlying modification reactions remain unclear, the advent of new transcriptome-wide methods to quantitatively detect Ψ-sites has recently changed our perception of the functional roles and importance of Ψ. For instance, it is now clear that the occurrence of Ψs appears to be directly linked to the lifetime and the translation efficiency of a given mRNA molecule. Furthermore, the administration of Ψ-containing RNAs reduces innate immune responses, which appears strikingly advantageous for the development of generations of mRNA-based vaccines. In th is review, we aim to comprehensively summarize recent discoveries that highlight the impact of Ψ on various types of RNAs and outline possible novel biomedical applications of Ψ.
Source: FEBS Letters - Category: Biochemistry Authors: Tags: REVIEW ARTICLE Source Type: research