Description:
- Genomic research
- Cancer research
Abstract
USC researchers present SHARC (Spatial 2'-Hydroxyl Acylation Reversible Crosslinking), a novel tool for RNA structure analysis. SHARC uses chemical crosslinkers to measure nucleotide distances in cellular RNA. With crosslinking, exonuclease trimming, proximity ligation, and high throughput sequencing, SHARC enables accurate transcriptome-wide RNA tertiary contact mapping at near-nanometer resolution. Integration with other crosslinking techniques reveals compact folding of critical RNA regulators within their native cellular context.
Benefit
- Accurately and precisely visualizes RNA structure in the cell
- Improves structure resolution in 3D modeling
- Compounds are inexpensive and easily synthesized
Market Application
The complex functions of RNA molecules in biological processes are governed by their three-dimensional (3D) structures. However, current methods for studying RNA structures have limitations in capturing the dynamic and heterogeneous nature of cellular RNA. Low-resolution approaches coupled with computational tools have been used, but they provide only fuzzy distance constraints. Crosslinking and proximity ligation methods show promise in capturing spatial distances among nucleotides but face challenges in unambiguous identification of base pairs. Thus, a need remains for an efficient, high-throughput approach to determining RNA tertiary structures.
Publications
Chemical reversible crosslinking enables measurement of RNA 3D distances and alternative conformations in cells, Van Damme et al., 2022
Other
Stage of Development
- Tested in vivo
- Available for licensing
Intellectual Property Status
US provisional patent pending