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Tao WB, Xiong J, Yuan BF. Site-specific quantification of Adenosine-to-Inosine RNA editing by Endonuclease-Mediated qPCR. Bioorg Med Chem 2024; 110:117837. [PMID: 39013280 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2024.117837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
RNA molecules contain diverse modified nucleobases that play pivotal roles in numerous biological processes. Adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing, one of the most prevalent RNA modifications in mammalian cells, is linked to a multitude of human diseases. To unveil the functions of A-to-I RNA editing, accurate quantification of inosine at specific sites is essential. In this study, we developed an endonuclease-mediated cleavage and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR method for A-to-I RNA editing (EM-qPCR) to quantitatively analyze A-to-I RNA editing at a single site. By employing this method, we successfully quantified the levels of A-to-I RNA editing on various transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules at position 34 (I34) in mammalian cells with precision. Subsequently, this method was applied to tissues from sleep-deprived mice, revealing a notable alteration in the levels of I34 between sleep-deprived and control mice. The proposed method sets a precedent for the quantitative analysis of A-to-I RNA editing at specific sites, facilitating a deeper understanding of the biological implications of A-to-I RNA editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Bing Tao
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Research Center of Public Health, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, PR China
| | - Jun Xiong
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Research Center of Public Health, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, PR China; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, PR China
| | - Bi-Feng Yuan
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Research Center of Public Health, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, PR China; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, PR China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Biomass Resource Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, PR China; Cancer Precision Diagnosis and Treatment and Translational Medicine Hubei Engineering Research Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan Research Center for Infectious Diseases and Cancer, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, PR China.
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Bortoletto E, Rosani U. Bioinformatics for Inosine: Tools and Approaches to Trace This Elusive RNA Modification. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:996. [PMID: 39202357 PMCID: PMC11353476 DOI: 10.3390/genes15080996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2024] [Revised: 07/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 09/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Inosine is a nucleotide resulting from the deamination of adenosine in RNA. This chemical modification process, known as RNA editing, is typically mediated by a family of double-stranded RNA binding proteins named Adenosine Deaminase Acting on dsRNA (ADAR). While the presence of ADAR orthologs has been traced throughout the evolution of metazoans, the existence and extension of RNA editing have been characterized in a more limited number of animals so far. Undoubtedly, ADAR-mediated RNA editing plays a vital role in physiology, organismal development and disease, making the understanding of the evolutionary conservation of this phenomenon pivotal to a deep characterization of relevant biological processes. However, the lack of direct high-throughput methods to reveal RNA modifications at single nucleotide resolution limited an extended investigation of RNA editing. Nowadays, these methods have been developed, and appropriate bioinformatic pipelines are required to fully exploit this data, which can complement existing approaches to detect ADAR editing. Here, we review the current literature on the "bioinformatics for inosine" subject and we discuss future research avenues in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Umberto Rosani
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy;
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Min YH, Shao WX, Hu QS, Xie NB, Zhang S, Feng YQ, Xing XW, Yuan BF. Simultaneous Detection of Adenosine-to-Inosine Editing and N6-Methyladenosine at Identical RNA Sites through Deamination-Assisted Reverse Transcription Stalling. Anal Chem 2024; 96:8730-8739. [PMID: 38743814 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c01022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) editing and N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modifications are pivotal RNA modifications with widespread functional significance in physiological and pathological processes. Although significant effort has been dedicated to developing methodologies for identifying and quantifying these modifications, traditional approaches have often focused on each modification independently, neglecting the potential co-occurrence of A-to-I editing and m6A modifications at the same adenosine residues. This limitation has constrained our understanding of the intricate regulatory mechanisms governing RNA function and the interplay between different types of RNA modifications. To address this gap, we introduced an innovative technique called deamination-assisted reverse transcription stalling (DARTS), specifically designed for the simultaneous quantification of A-to-I editing and m6A at the same RNA sites. DARTS leverages the selective deamination activity of the engineered TadA-TadA8e protein, which converts adenosine residues to inosine, in combination with the unique property of Bst 2.0 DNA polymerase, which stalls when encountering inosine during reverse transcription. This approach enables the accurate quantification of A-to-I editing, m6A, and unmodified adenosine at identical RNA sites. The DARTS method is remarkable for its ability to directly quantify two distinct types of RNA modifications simultaneously, a capability that has remained largely unexplored in the field of RNA biology. By facilitating a comprehensive analysis of the co-occurrence and interaction between A-to-I editing and m6A modifications, DARTS opens new avenues for exploring the complex regulatory networks modulated by different RNA modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Hao Min
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Wen-Xuan Shao
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Qiu-Shuang Hu
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Neng-Bin Xie
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
- Research Center of Public Health, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
- Cancer Precision Diagnosis and Treatment and Translational Medicine Hubei Engineering Research Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan Research Center for Infectious Diseases and Cancer, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Shan Zhang
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Yu-Qi Feng
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Xi-Wen Xing
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Bi-Feng Yuan
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
- Research Center of Public Health, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
- Cancer Precision Diagnosis and Treatment and Translational Medicine Hubei Engineering Research Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan Research Center for Infectious Diseases and Cancer, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
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Guo X, Xie NB, Chen W, Ji TT, Xiong J, Feng T, Wang M, Zhang S, Gu SY, Feng YQ, Yuan BF. AlkB-Facilitated Demethylation Enables Quantitative and Site-Specific Detection of Dual Methylation of Adenosine in RNA. Anal Chem 2024; 96:847-855. [PMID: 38159051 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c04457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
RNA molecules undergo various chemical modifications that play critical roles in a wide range of biological processes. N6,N6-Dimethyladenosine (m6,6A) is a conserved RNA modification and is essential for the processing of rRNA. To gain a deeper understanding of the functions of m6,6A, site-specific and accurate quantification of this modification in RNA is indispensable. In this study, we developed an AlkB-facilitated demethylation (AD-m6,6A) method for the site-specific detection and quantification of m6,6A in RNA. The N6,N6-dimethyl groups in m6,6A can cause reverse transcription to stall at the m6,6A site, resulting in truncated cDNA. However, we found that Escherichia coli AlkB demethylase can effectively demethylate m6,6A in RNA, generating full-length cDNA from AlkB-treated RNA. By quantifying the amount of full-length cDNA produced using quantitative real-time PCR, we were able to achieve site-specific detection and quantification of m6,6A in RNA. Using the AD-m6,6A method, we successfully detected and quantified m6,6A at position 1851 of 18S rRNA and position 937 of mitochondrial 12S rRNA in human cells. Additionally, we found that the level of m6,6A at position 1007 of mitochondrial 12S rRNA was significantly reduced in lung tissues from sleep-deprived mice compared with control mice. Overall, the AD-m6,6A method provides a valuable tool for easy, accurate, quantitative, and site-specific detection of m6,6A in RNA, which can aid in uncovering the functions of m6,6A in human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Guo
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Research Center of Public Health, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Neng-Bin Xie
- School of Public Health, Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Tong-Tong Ji
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Research Center of Public Health, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Jun Xiong
- School of Public Health, Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Tian Feng
- School of Public Health, Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Min Wang
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Research Center of Public Health, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Shan Zhang
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Research Center of Public Health, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Shu-Yi Gu
- School of Public Health, Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Yu-Qi Feng
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Research Center of Public Health, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
- School of Public Health, Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Bi-Feng Yuan
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Research Center of Public Health, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
- School of Public Health, Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
- Cancer Precision Diagnosis and Treatment and Translational Medicine Hubei Engineering Research Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan Research Center for Infectious Diseases and Cancer, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
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