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by Eyrun Thune
University of Oslo
January
29, 2020
from
PHYS Website
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).
Credit: Colourbox.com
An article titled "m6A RNA modification as a new player in R-loop
regulation," by the Dynamic Gene Regulation research group
led by Arne Klungland at IMB, was published in the January
edition of Nature Genetics.
Clarification
Modified RNA is distinct
from messenger RNA, which simply comprises instructions for building
proteins; messenger RNA, the basis of two prominent COVID vaccines,
does not affect DNA.
Following a new collaboration between UiO and research groups in
Nottingham and Oxford, it has now been revealed that RNA has a
direct effect on DNA stability, according to Professor Klungland's
research.
He believes the discovery will provide the health service with an
important tool, since many studies have shown that the regulation of
modifications to RNA is important for the development of cancer.
If genes that are important for the chemical compound
6-methyladenine are completely removed, this results in
neurodegeneration in both mice and humans.
Where and how
In areas of DNA where RNA binds to one of the DNA threads in such a
way that the complementary DNA thread becomes the sole thread
(R-loop structures), the DNA stability will change if RNA is
chemically modified by m6A.
"Several research
groups are now working together to study what effect this can
have on the DNA molecule.
We already know that
R-loop areas are associated with sequences of DNA containing
active genes and that this can lead to chromosomal breakage and
the loss of genetic information," explains Klungland.
Credit: University of Oslo
New field of
research
Normally, epigenetic gene regulation is studied by examining dynamic
modifications of DNA and proteins - so-called
epigenetic modifications.
The modifications can
turn genes on or off without changing the underlying genetic code.
Less than 10 years ago, it was discovered that dynamic modifications
also exist in RNA and that these have an important role to play in
gene regulation
Important
modification
The most common modification is on mRNA is 6-metyladenin
(m6A).
It has now been shown
that this modification is essential for the survival of cells and
model (non-human) organisms.
Over the last five years, there has been an enormous increase in the
amount of research into RNA modifications - a field called
epitranscriptomics.
One of the first studies in this field of research was the result of
a collaboration between research groups in Chicago, Beijing and Oslo
(Zheng, Dahl et al., Molecular Cell, 2012, 49, 18-29).
More information
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