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What about Circular RNAs?

Reporter: Larry H Bernstein, MD, FCAP

Circular RNAs throw genetics for a loop

RNA ‘sponges’ mop up sequences that curb gene expression.
Heidi Ledford       27 Feb 2013

At least some of the loops, described in two papers published this week by Nature1, 2,

• act as molecular sponges’,
  • binding to and
  • blocking tiny gene modulators called microRNAs.

The researchers suspect that the circular RNAs have many other functions. The molecules comprise “a hidden, parallel universe” of unexplored RNAs, says Nikolaus Rajewsky, the lead author of one of the studies and a systems biologist at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin. The discovery is yet another a reminder that

• RNA is much more than a mundane messenger ­between DNA and the proteins it encodes.

http://www.nature.com/polopoly_fs/7.9190.1361961929!/image/494415a.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_300/494415a.jpg

http://www.nature.com/news/circular-rnas-throw-genetics-for-a-loop-1.12513?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20130228

1. Memczak , S. et al. Nature 2013         http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature11928/

2. Hansen, T. B. et al. Nature 2013        http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature11993/

3. Salzman, J., Gawad, C., Wang, P. L., Lacayo, N. & Brown, P. O. 2012        http://www.PLoSONE.org/7/30733

Consensus secondary structure of yjdF RNAs. This figure is adapted from a previous publication. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

RNA (Photo credit: AJC1)

By Richard Wheeler (Zephyris) 2007. Lambda repressor protein bound to a lambda operator DNA sequence. From . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Consensus secondary structure of mini-ykkC RNAs. Layout is similar to that used in a previously published drawing. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Related articles

• Weird Molecular Hoops Made From Human Genome (livescience.com)
• microRNA biomarker (pharmaceuticalintelligence.com)
• How Genes Function (pharmaceuticalintelligence.com)
• Weird molecular hoops dispel ‘junk DNA’ myth (science.nbcnews.com)
• ‘Activating’ RNA Takes DNA On A Loop Through Time And Space (medicalnewstoday.com)

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Posted in Cell Biology, Signaling & Cell Circuits, Genome Biology, International Global Work in Pharmaceutical, Molecular Genetics & Pharmaceutical, Technology Transfer: Biotech and Pharmaceutical | Tagged Berlin, Biology, DNA, gene expression, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, MicroRNA, RNA | 3 Comments

3 Responses

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2. on March 5, 2013 at 6:22 AM | Reply RNA virus genome as bacterial chromosome | Pharmaceutical Intelligence

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3. on June 23, 2013 at 7:58 AM | Reply “The SILENCE of the Lambs” Introducing The Power of Uncoded RNA | Pharmaceutical Intelligence

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