The list of cell surface molecules includes RNA produced by the human genome. Add

Bioengineers from UC San Diego have shown that human-genome-generated RNA is present on the surface of human cells, suggesting a more elaborate role for RNA in cell-to-cell and cell-to-environment interactions than previously thought. This new type of membrane-associated extracellular RNA (MaxRNA) is found in human cells that are not subject to cell death, especially regarding the contribution of nucleic acids to RNA. Cells shed light on surface functioning.

MaxRNA and molecular techniques developed for examining cell surfaces are described in detail in one paper Genome Biology 10 Sept.

U.C. “The surface of a cell is like a person’s face,” said Shangzang, a bioengineering professor at the San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering and co-author of the study. “The most important part of identifying what type of cell it is is, for example, A good actor – like a T cell – or a bad actor like a tumor cell – and it helps in communication and interaction. “

Much is known about other cell surface components, including proteins, glycans, and lipids, while RNA With a few exceptions, RNA produced by the human molecular genome is not thought to exist on the surface of human cells with intact cell membranes. The discovery made by RNA can in fact play a role in better understanding the genome as a cell surface molecule and in developing more effective therapeutic.

“This discovery expands our ability to interpret the human genome, as we now know that even a fraction of the human genome can regulate how a cell presents itself and interacts with other cells through the production of MaxRNA.” Norman Ram Huang said. D. Student at UC San Diego and the first author of this paper.

A better understanding of MaxRNA can also lead to new strategies for therapeutic development. Since the maxRNA is on the outer surface of the cell, it is easier to reach for therapeutic treatment, and because the RNA Antisense can be targeted by oligonucleotides, which are easier to develop than other agents such as antibodies.

RNA on the surface of mouse and human cells. To test, bioengineers in Zhong’s lab developed a nanotechnology called Surface-Sec. They performed the procedure based on the method used by UC San Diego professor Liangfang Zhang to create microscopic nanosponses embedded in natural cell membranes, including plasma membranes from cells and assembling them around polymeric cores.

This cell maintains the right outward direction of the membrane by facing the molecules on the surface of the membrane outward. The process of cell membrane purification and the stable coating on the polymeric core, ensures the removal of end-cell contents, allowing researchers to detect RNA that is statically associated with the outer layer of the cell membrane. The researchers then characterized the sequence, cell-type specificity, and functional characteristics of these maximum RNA molecules, which were used as input to the surface-sec library construction and sequence.

In addition to collaborating with Zhang, Zhang collaborated with Professor Zhen Chen’s lab at Beckman Research Institute in City Hope Fa Hope.

The collaborative team plans to study how MaxRNA migrates to the cell surface and is anchored there, as well as further investigating cell types, genes, environmental signals and their contribution to cellular functions for MaxRNA expression.