Kathy Liu Lab

• Ongoing Projects
• Coregulation of Enzyme-mediated Modifications across Distinct RNA species

Co-regulation of modifications across RNA species

Coregulation of Enzyme-mediated Modifications across Distinct RNA species

We bring the coregulation concept to the RNA medication functional research in early 2020 (DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1913448117), which stirs the RNA field with a fresh new wind.  A diverse array of enzyme-mediated chemical modifications within RNA molecules profoundly shapes RNA fate and function in cells. These dynamic RNA modifications are installed and removed by specialized enzymes, e.g., methyltransferases and demethylases. To date, much of the attention has focused on individual RNA modifications in isolation. Ever since we documented an innovative coregulation idea with a demonstrated example of tRNA methyltransferase synergistically regulated together with a mMRA demethylase, many new biological and biochemical developments in this direct has emerged.  The RNA modification machinery operates as an interconnected network across multiple RNA species, with works from our laboratory and others revealing a far more intricate landscape: RNA modifications and their associated enzymes do not function independently but rather engage in extensive crosstalk that influences both the deposition and the downstream biological consequences of multiple RNA modifications. We are currently engaged in expanding this direction with considerations of both direct and indirect trans coregulation. We are pursuing a comprehensive investigation to define how enzyme-mediated RNA modifications are dynamically co-regulated across different classes of RNA species, and how this layered network of modifications shapes gene expression and cellular function.

Key Highlights:

• Pioneered the RNA coregulation concept for their modification status cross distinct classes of RNA species
• Published the first coregulation example of mRNA–tRNA modification status connections supported by a broader spectrum independent biochemical, biophysical, and cell biology techniques
• Proposed new coregulation directions in focused reviews
• Continue our studies on deep mechanistic understandings