Abstract

Genomic Tools for the Functional Dissection of RNA Editing

Meng How Tan, Research Scientist / Assistant Professor, Genome Institute of Singapore

RNA editing is a fundamental post-transcriptional gene regulatory mechanism, whereby nucleotides in transcripts are altered such that the RNA sequence does not match perfectly the DNA locus from which the transcript is derived. The most common RNA editing event in mammals is a conversion from adenosine to inosine, which is recognized by cellular machineries as guanosine, and can generate new protein isoforms, influence alternative splicing, affect microRNA maturation, re-direct microRNA targets, and alter transcript stability. In this talk, I will describe some of our efforts in using deep sequencing and microfluidics technologies to discover RNA editing sites and to accurately measure editing levels in normal and diseased tissues. I will also discuss how existing and new CRISPR-Cas9 technology can be used to interrogate the functions of RNA editing in development and diseases.