Project description:RNA processing is a fundamental mode of gene regulation that is perturbed in a variety of diseases including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) regulate key aspects of RNA processing including alternative splicing, mRNA degradation and localization by physically binding RNA molecules. Current methods to map these interactions such as CLIP rely on purifying single proteins at a time. Methods to identify transcriptome wide binding of RBPs without purifying individual RBPs are gaining interest. We have developed a new method (ePRINT) to map RBP-RNA interaction networks on a global scale in an RBP agnostic manner. Our method allows precise mapping of the 5’ end of the RBP binding site and uncovers RBPs that are differentially activated during cell fate transitions.
Project description:RNA processing is a fundamental mode of gene regulation that is perturbed in a variety of diseases including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) regulate key aspects of RNA processing including alternative splicing, mRNA degradation and localization by physically binding RNA molecules. Current methods to map these interactions, such as CLIP, rely on purifying single proteins at a time. We have developed a new method (ePRINT) to map RBP-RNA interaction networks on a global scale without purifying individual RBPs. By deploying the exoribonuclease XRN1, ePRINT allows precise mapping of the 5’ end of the RBP binding site and uncovers direct and indirect targets of an RBP of interest. Importantly, ePRINT can also uncover RBPs that are differentially activated between cell fate transitions, including neural progenitor differentiation into neurons. Given its versatility, ePRINT has vast application potential as an investigative tool for RNA regulation in development, health and disease.
Project description:Pseudouridine is considered as the most abundant modified nucleotides in RNA, playing an indispensable role in various life processes. The identification of pseudouridine sites provides the basis for the study of their function. Here, we proposed a new method for the identification of pseudouridine sites with a higher signal-to-noise ratio, combining CMC-specific labeling of pseudouridine sites and exonuclease-assisted strategy. We called this method exonuclease-assisted identification of pseudouridine sites (EAIPS).
Project description:We report Proximity Ligation Assisted ChIP-sequencing (PLAC-seq), a method for comprehensive detection of long-range interactions associated with proteins of interest. PLAC-seq requires up to 500-fold less starting material compared to ChIA-PET and using experimentally determined input as control precisely reveals protein associated interaction upto single-element resolution. Application of PLAC-seq to mouse embryonic stem cells revealed a comprehensive map of regulatory interactions.
Project description:Delineating the protein network associated with long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) is fundamental to understanding the functional mechanisms of lncRNAs. Current methods to identify lncRNA binding proteins either rely on crosslinking mediated complex co-precipitation or require extensive molecular engineering, leading to drawbacks such as loss of cellular context and low capture efficiency, and limiting their broad application. We develop a CRISPR-Assisted RNA-Protein Interaction Detection method (CARPID), which leverages CRISPR/CasRx-based RNA targeting and proximity labeling to identify binding proteins of specific lncRNA in the native cellular context. Applied to the nuclear lncRNA XIST, CARPID captured a list of known interacting proteins and multiple previously uncharacterized binding proteins. We generalize CARPID to explore binders of lncRNA DANCR and MALAT1, revealing its wide applicability in identifying RNA binding proteins.