101
|
Umu SU, Langseth H, Bucher-Johannessen C, Fromm B, Keller A, Meese E, Lauritzen M, Leithaug M, Lyle R, Rounge TB. A comprehensive profile of circulating RNAs in human serum. RNA Biol 2017; 15:242-250. [PMID: 29219730 PMCID: PMC5798962 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2017.1403003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-coding RNA (ncRNA) molecules have fundamental roles in cells and many are also stable in body fluids as extracellular RNAs. In this study, we used RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to investigate the profile of small non-coding RNA (sncRNA) in human serum. We analyzed 10 billion Illumina reads from 477 serum samples, included in the Norwegian population-based Janus Serum Bank (JSB). We found that the core serum RNA repertoire includes 258 micro RNAs (miRNA), 441 piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNA), 411 transfer RNAs (tRNA), 24 small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNA), 125 small nuclear RNAs (snRNA) and 123 miscellaneous RNAs (misc-RNA). We also investigated biological and technical variation in expression, and the results suggest that many RNA molecules identified in serum contain signs of biological variation. They are therefore unlikely to be random degradation by-products. In addition, the presence of specific fragments of tRNA, snoRNA, Vault RNA and Y_RNA indicates protection from degradation. Our results suggest that many circulating RNAs in serum can be potential biomarkers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sinan Uğur Umu
- a Department of Research , Cancer Registry of Norway , Oslo , Norway
| | - Hilde Langseth
- a Department of Research , Cancer Registry of Norway , Oslo , Norway
| | | | - Bastian Fromm
- b Department of Tumor Biology , Institute for Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital , Nydalen, Oslo , Norway
| | - Andreas Keller
- c Department of Clinical Bioinformatics , Saarland University , Saarbruecken , Germany
| | - Eckart Meese
- d Department of Human Genetics , Saarland University , Homburg/Saar , Germany
| | | | - Magnus Leithaug
- e Department of Medical Genetics , Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway
| | - Robert Lyle
- e Department of Medical Genetics , Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway.,f PharmaTox Strategic Research Initiative, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences , University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway
| | - Trine B Rounge
- a Department of Research , Cancer Registry of Norway , Oslo , Norway
| |
Collapse
|
102
|
The emerging complexity of the tRNA world: mammalian tRNAs beyond protein synthesis. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2017; 19:45-58. [PMID: 28875994 DOI: 10.1038/nrm.2017.77] [Citation(s) in RCA: 277] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of the genetic code and tRNAs as decoders of the code transformed life science. However, after establishing the role of tRNAs in protein synthesis, the field moved to other parts of the RNA world. Now, tRNA research is blooming again, with demonstration of the involvement of tRNAs in various other pathways beyond translation and in adapting translation to environmental cues. These roles are linked to the presence of tRNA sequence variants known as isoacceptors and isodecoders, various tRNA base modifications, the versatility of protein binding partners and tRNA fragmentation events, all of which collectively create an incalculable complexity. This complexity provides a vast repertoire of tRNA species that can serve various functions in cellular homeostasis and in adaptation of cellular functions to changing environments, and it likely arose from the fundamental role of RNAs in early evolution.
Collapse
|
103
|
Gebert D, Hewel C, Rosenkranz D. unitas: the universal tool for annotation of small RNAs. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:644. [PMID: 28830358 PMCID: PMC5567656 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-4031-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Next generation sequencing is a key technique in small RNA biology research that has led to the discovery of functionally different classes of small non-coding RNAs in the past years. However, reliable annotation of the extensive amounts of small non-coding RNA data produced by high-throughput sequencing is time-consuming and requires robust bioinformatics expertise. Moreover, existing tools have a number of shortcomings including a lack of sensitivity under certain conditions, limited number of supported species or detectable sub-classes of small RNAs. RESULTS Here we introduce unitas, an out-of-the-box ready software for complete annotation of small RNA sequence datasets, supporting the wide range of species for which non-coding RNA reference sequences are available in the Ensembl databases (currently more than 800). unitas combines high quality annotation and numerous analysis features in a user-friendly manner. A complete annotation can be started with one simple shell command, making unitas particularly useful for researchers not having access to a bioinformatics facility. Noteworthy, the algorithms implemented in unitas are on par or even outperform comparable existing tools for small RNA annotation that map to publicly available ncRNA databases. CONCLUSIONS unitas brings together annotation and analysis features that hitherto required the installation of numerous different bioinformatics tools which can pose a challenge for the non-expert user. With this, unitas overcomes the problem of read normalization. Moreover, the high quality of sequence annotation and analysis, paired with the ease of use, make unitas a valuable tool for researchers in all fields connected to small RNA biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Gebert
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolutionary Biology, Anthropology, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55099, Mainz, Germany
| | - Charlotte Hewel
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolutionary Biology, Anthropology, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55099, Mainz, Germany
| | - David Rosenkranz
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolutionary Biology, Anthropology, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55099, Mainz, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
104
|
Soares AR, Santos M. Discovery and function of transfer RNA-derived fragments and their role in disease. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-RNA 2017; 8. [PMID: 28608481 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2017] [Revised: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Until recently, transfer RNAs (tRNAs) were thought to function in protein translation only. However, recent findings demonstrate that both pre- and mature tRNAs can undergo endonucleolytic cleavage by different ribonucleases originating different types of small non-coding RNAs, known as tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs). tRFs are classified according to their origin and are implicated in various cellular processes, namely apoptosis, protein synthesis control, and RNA interference. Although their functions are still poorly understood, their mechanisms of action vary according to the tRF sub-type. Several tRFs have been associated with cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and viral infections and growing evidence shows that they may constitute novel molecular targets for modulating pathological processes. Here, we recapitulate the current knowledge of tRF biology, highlight the known functions and mechanisms of action of the different sub-classes of tRFs and discuss their implications in human disease. WIREs RNA 2017, 8:e1423. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1423 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Raquel Soares
- Institute of Biomedicine iBiMED, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Manuel Santos
- Institute of Biomedicine iBiMED, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
105
|
Loher P, Telonis AG, Rigoutsos I. MINTmap: fast and exhaustive profiling of nuclear and mitochondrial tRNA fragments from short RNA-seq data. Sci Rep 2017; 7:41184. [PMID: 28220888 PMCID: PMC5318995 DOI: 10.1038/srep41184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Transfer RNA fragments (tRFs) are an established class of constitutive regulatory molecules that arise from precursor and mature tRNAs. RNA deep sequencing (RNA-seq) has greatly facilitated the study of tRFs. However, the repeat nature of the tRNA templates and the idiosyncrasies of tRNA sequences necessitate the development and use of methodologies that differ markedly from those used to analyze RNA-seq data when studying microRNAs (miRNAs) or messenger RNAs (mRNAs). Here we present MINTmap (for MItochondrial and Nuclear TRF mapping), a method and a software package that was developed specifically for the quick, deterministic and exhaustive identification of tRFs in short RNA-seq datasets. In addition to identifying them, MINTmap is able to unambiguously calculate and report both raw and normalized abundances for the discovered tRFs. Furthermore, to ensure specificity, MINTmap identifies the subset of discovered tRFs that could be originating outside of tRNA space and flags them as candidate false positives. Our comparative analysis shows that MINTmap exhibits superior sensitivity and specificity to other available methods while also being exceptionally fast. The MINTmap codes are available through https://github.com/TJU-CMC-Org/MINTmap/ under an open source GNU GPL v3.0 license.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Phillipe Loher
- Computational Medicine Center, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, 1020 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Aristeidis G Telonis
- Computational Medicine Center, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, 1020 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Isidore Rigoutsos
- Computational Medicine Center, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, 1020 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| |
Collapse
|
106
|
Xu WL, Yang Y, Wang YD, Qu LH, Zheng LL. Computational Approaches to tRNA-Derived Small RNAs. Noncoding RNA 2017; 3:E2. [PMID: 29657274 PMCID: PMC5832003 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna3010002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Revised: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
tRNA-derived small RNAs (tDRs) are a group of small, non-coding RNAs derived from transfer RNAs (tRNAs). They can be classified as tRNA halves and tRNA-derived small RNA fragments (tRFs). Accumulating experimental evidence suggests their functional roles in cells and in various biological processes. Advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques allow a large amount of small RNA deep-sequencing data to be generated. To investigate tDRs from these data, software to identify tDRs and databases to retrieve or manage tDR data have been devised. In this review, we summarized the tools and databases for tDR identification and collection, with the aim of helping researchers choose the best tools for their analysis and inspiring the invention or improvement of tools in the field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Lin Xu
- Key Laboratory of Gene Engineering of the Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
| | - Ye Yang
- Key Laboratory of Gene Engineering of the Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
| | - Yi-Dan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Gene Engineering of the Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
| | - Liang-Hu Qu
- Key Laboratory of Gene Engineering of the Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
| | - Ling-Ling Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Gene Engineering of the Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
| |
Collapse
|