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PMID: 27313037 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Review

Messenger RNA modifications: Form, distribution, and function.

Science (New York, N.Y.) ·Vol. 352 ·No. 6292 ·2016-06-17 ·Pages 1408-12

Gilbert WV, Bell TA, Schaening C

Abstract

RNA contains more than 100 distinct modifications that promote the functions of stable noncoding RNAs in translation and splicing. Recent technical advances have revealed widespread and sparse modification of messenger RNAs with N(6)-methyladenosine (m(6)A), 5-methylcytosine (m(5)C), and pseudouridine (Ψ). Here we discuss the rapidly evolving understanding of the location, regulation, and function of these dynamic mRNA marks, collectively termed the epitranscriptome. We highlight differences among modifications and between species that could instruct ongoing efforts to understand how specific mRNA target sites are selected and how their modification is regulated. Diverse molecular consequences of individual m(6)A modifications are beginning to be revealed, but the effects of m(5)C and Ψ remain largely unknown. Future work linking molecular effects to organismal phenotypes will broaden our understanding of mRNA modifications as cell and developmental regulators.

MeSH Terms
5-Methylcytosine/chemistry,metabolism Adenosine/analogs & derivatives,chemistry,metabolism Animals Epigenesis, Genetic Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental Humans Methylation Methyltransferases/metabolism Pseudouridine/chemistry,metabolism RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional RNA, Messenger/chemistry,metabolism Transcriptome
Chemicals
RNA, Messenger Pseudouridine 5-Methylcytosine N-methyladenosine Methyltransferases Adenosine
Authors & Affiliations
3 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Gilbert Wendy V
Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. wgilbert@mit.edu.
Bell Tristan A
Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. Graduate Program in Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Schaening Cassandra
Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. Graduate Program in Computational and Systems Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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Article Info
Journal
Science (New York, N.Y.)
Abbr.
Science
ISSN
1095-9203
DOI
10.1126/science.aad8711
Email
wgilbert@mit.edu
Published
2016-06-17
Pages
1408-12
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
0404511
PMCID
PMC5094196
Subset
IM
Grants
NIGMS NIH HHS · T32 GM007287 · United States
NIGMS NIH HHS · R01 GM101316 · United States
NCI NIH HHS · R21 CA187236 · United States
NIGMS NIH HHS · GM101316 · United States
NIGMS NIH HHS · T32 GM087237 · United States
NIGMS NIH HHS · T32GM007287 · United States
NCI NIH HHS · CA187236 · United States
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1126/science.aad8711 PMC Full Text View journal details
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