We have preliminary evidence that small RNAs of the size of siRNA and miRNAs are coupled to modified nucleotides such as coenzyme A and bis-MGD. These modifications would allow small RNAs to covalently engage with the proteome to constitute nucleic acid bar codes on these proteins. We propose to use powerful nucleic acid hybridization and selection techniques to purify the proteins covalently linked to RNA and to use mass spectroscopy to identify those linked proteins. Using RNAi of these proteins we will survey for defects in small RNA function and thus an involvement of these proteins in the functions of small RNAs. Because all of the modifications are predicted to occur at the 5'end of small RNAs, most of these modified RNAs will have been systematically missed by surveys most of which demands 5'OH or 5'phosphates on the RNAs for cloning.

Public Health Relevance

Our preliminary data points to the involvement of modified nucleotides in small RNA function. The implications of this research are enormous: if such small RNAs are the active components of RNAi and miRNA function, as it pertains to the engagement with the proteome, then the field of small RNAs may have systematically missed a major world of small RNAs. In the same way that by not looking at 22 nt for biology, by not being able to detect small RNAs with 5'modifications, the small RNA field may have another dark matter situation. We will remedy this.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01GM098647-04
Application #
8726435
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZGM1)
Program Officer
Preusch, Peter
Project Start
2011-09-30
Project End
2015-08-31
Budget Start
2014-09-01
Budget End
2015-08-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2014
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Massachusetts General Hospital
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02199
Sadreyev, Ilyas R; Ji, Fei; Cohen, Emiliano et al. (2015) PhyloGene server for identification and visualization of co-evolving proteins using normalized phylogenetic profiles. Nucleic Acids Res 43:W154-9
Shi, Zhen; Hayes, Gabriel; Ruvkun, Gary (2013) Dual regulation of the lin-14 target mRNA by the lin-4 miRNA. PLoS One 8:e75475
Tabach, Yuval; Billi, Allison C; Hayes, Gabriel D et al. (2013) Identification of small RNA pathway genes using patterns of phylogenetic conservation and divergence. Nature 493:694-8
Shi, Zhen; Montgomery, Taiowa A; Qi, Yan et al. (2013) High-throughput sequencing reveals extraordinary fluidity of miRNA, piRNA, and siRNA pathways in nematodes. Genome Res 23:497-508
Tabach, Yuval; Golan, Tamar; Hernández-Hernández, Abrahan et al. (2013) Human disease locus discovery and mapping to molecular pathways through phylogenetic profiling. Mol Syst Biol 9:692
Schwartz, Schraga; Agarwala, Sudeep D; Mumbach, Maxwell R et al. (2013) High-resolution mapping reveals a conserved, widespread, dynamic mRNA methylation program in yeast meiosis. Cell 155:1409-21
Shi, Zhen; Ruvkun, Gary (2012) The mevalonate pathway regulates microRNA activity in Caenorhabditis elegans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 109:4568-73