RNA tails modification group

 

P.I.

Dr. Michał Małecki


Team


Students

P.Ph. students

  • Maciej Grochowski

Research

The main focus of the project is to delineate the function of cytoplasmic RNA 3'-end modifications. Genome wide inspection of RNA 3’-ends revealed the complexity of the post-transcriptional regulation by tail modifications. Apart from well described adenylation, uridylation also emerged to be involved in shaping the transcript levels. Additionally, RNA guanylation and cytidylation were detected, though, the effects these have on the transcript fate are unknown. These modifications seem to be conserved across eukaryotic species, which suggests that they play a fundamental role in cell function.

Recent discoveries led to the realization that RNA 3’-end dynamics and diversity were underestimated and urged the need for studies that will explore the function of 3’-end modifications. In this project, we will benefit from the use of a simple model organism - fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe) to shed more light, on the functional consequences of RNA tails modifications. Recent findings raise the intriguing possibility that 3’ tailing is important in specialized conditions where the regulatory impact of transcription on RNA level is inadequate, for example during the cell division program or stress responses. Yeast is a perfect simple model to follow changes in mRNA modifications throughout the conserved eukaryotic programs. In this project we will monitor mRNA tails changes during stress response, meiotic differentiation and aging using a specific sequencing technique – TAIL-seq.


Grants

  • Grant FIRST TEAM Fundation for Polish Science “Function of RNA 3’-end modifications”. Grant No. POIR.04.04.00-00-4316/17-00


Selected publications

  • --