Kathy Liu Lab

• Ongoing Projects
• Co-regulation of modifications across RNA species

Co-regulation of modifications across RNA species

It has been demonstrated recently that a diverse set of enzyme-mediated modifications are found internally within RNAs which markedly influence the fate of RNAs in cells. Most of the RNA modifications are installed and removed by enzymes, termed writers (e.g., methyltransferases) and erasers (e.g., demethylases). Importantly, studies to date have focused solely on individual modifications on isolated RNA. However, recent data from my laboratory suggest cross-talk between modifications or the modifying enzymes influence both the depositions and consequences of several RNA modifications.

We discovered that the level of tRNA modification is concurrently regulated with mRNA modification by the interaction of RNA modifying enzymes (TRMT10A and FTO). These data suggest the coordination between RNA modifying enzymes. However, the detailed mechanism of how these RNA modifying enzymes are coordinated and the biological function of the interplay of RNA modifications in tRNA and mRNA is not fully understood. We are now performing an in-depth study on the function and regulatory mechanism of the co-regulation of enzyme-mediated modifications across RNA species.