RNAdeco: decorating RNA for a purpose

The genetic blueprint of all cells and organisms is stored in DNA, encoded by the four letters A (adenosine), G (guanosine), C (cytidine) and T (thymidine). When genetic information is used to build proteins, the information stored in DNA is first transcribed into the related molecule RNA. The genetic letters of RNA are almost identical to those of DNA, except that T is replaced by U (uridine) in RNA. While it was widely believed that the information transmitted through RNA remains largely unchanged during the life of an RNA molecule, new results demonstrate that RNA can be chemically modified or "decorated" by a plethora of chemical additions: today, around 150 different chemical modifications of RNA are known, some of which can only be detected in certain groups of organisms. Some modifications of RNA can strongly affect the stability, the transport, the function or the genetic information stored in RNA. It also appears that chemical modifications on RNA can be dynamically added but also removed. It is speculated that the dynamic and complex chemical modification repertoire of RNA can provide cells and organisms with a handle to dynamically modulate their genetic information in response to environmental stimuli, such as nutrition, infection, or stress. Given the multitude of chemical modifications known to occur on RNA it is not surprising that the cellular machineries that introduce or remove RNA modifications are only partially known and understood. Similarly, the signals that trigger the introduction or removal of chemical modifications, and their interplay with other cellular processes is poorly understood. Lastly, the biological consequences of RNA-modifications remain to be determined. In this joint SFB project, 12 experts in RNA research from Innsbruck and Vienna will bundle their research efforts to address some of the open questions in the field of RNA modifications. Jointly, this multidisciplinary team of chemists, biochemists, biologists, structural biologists and bioinformaticians will study the occurrences and functions of RNA modifications, and study their regulatory impact on cellular function, normal development and disease.