OBM Genetics

Special Issue

RNA Modifications in the Epitranscriptome: Implication in Human Health and Disease

Submission Deadline: July 31, 2019 (Open)                Submit Now

Guest Editor

Rosaria Meccariello
Associate Professor, Dipartimento di Scienze Motorie e del Benessere, Univ Napoli Parthenope, Naples, Italy
E-Mail: [email protected]
Website: https://www.uniparthenope.it/ugov/person/1203
Research Interests: epigenetics; non-coding RNA; transgenerational inheritance; reproduction; gamete quality; cannabinoids; endocrine disrupting chemicals

About This Topic

Upcoming insights in the regulation of gene expression concern the post-transcriptional modifications in all classes of RNAs. Many RNA modifications like RNA methylation are usually reversible, but highly dynamic, and occur in specific cell types and in cell state dependent manner. They collectively represent the cell “epitranscriptome”, which is finely remodelled by the orchestrated action of highly conserved enzymatic machineries acting as RNA “readers”, “erasers”, or “writers”. The dynamic remodelling of the epitranscriptome regulates RNA structure and the interaction with RNA binding protein or regulatory RNA. RNA modifications also affect RNA stability resulting in optimal or impaired translation efficiency or to the production of tRNA fragments. Thus, RNA modifications represent a novel code to dynamically modulate gene expression in eukaryotes. Consequent impact on many biological processes including cell proliferation, development and differentiation has been reported thus suggesting deep implications in human health and disease.
Keywords: RNA modification; RNA editing; RNA methylation; gene expression regulation; non-coding RNA; small RNA; genome recoding

Planned Papers