Circular versus linear RNA topology: different modes of RNA-RNA interactions in vitro and in human cells.

Circular RNA is progressively reported to occur in various species including mammals where it is thought to be involved in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression, partly via interactions with microRNA. Here, we asked whether the circular topology causes functional differences to linear forms when interacting with short RNA strands and in human cells. Kinetic studies with human bladder cancer-derived synthetic circular RNA versus linear transcripts, respectively, with short oligoribonucleotides showed similar association rates for both topologies.

The human TRAM1 locus expresses circular RNAs.

Numerous indirect and in silico produced evidences suggest circular RNAs (circRNA) in mammals while thorough experimental proofs of their existence have rarely been reported. Biological studies of circRNA, however, should be based on experimentally verified circRNAs. Here, we describe the identification of two circRNAs originating from the gene locus of the translocation associated membrane protein 1 (TRAM1).

Sampling, Logistics, and Analytics of Urine for RT-qPCR-based Diagnostics.

Body fluids in the context of cancer diagnosis are the primary source of liquid biopsy, i.e., biomarker detection that includes blood and serum, urine, and saliva.

Transcriptome analyses of urine RNA reveal tumor markers for human bladder cancer: validated amplicons for RT-qPCR-based detection.

Non-invasive clinical diagnostics of bladder cancer is feasible via a set of chemically distinct molecules including macromolecular tumor markers such as polypeptides and nucleic acids. In terms of tumor-related aberrant gene expression, RNA transcripts are the primary indicator of tumor-specific gene expression as for polypeptides and their metabolic products occur subsequently. Thus, in case of bladder cancer, urine RNA represents an early potentially useful diagnostic marker.

Oncoprotein 18 is necessary for malignant cell proliferation in bladder cancer cells and serves as a G3-specific non-invasive diagnostic marker candidate in urinary RNA.

Background: Urine-based diagnostics indicated involvement of oncoprotein 18 (OP18) in bladder cancer. In cell culture models we investigated the role of OP18 for malignant cell growth.

Methods: We analyzed 113 urine samples and investigated two human BCa cell lines as a dual model: RT-4 and ECV-304, which represented differentiated (G1) and poorly differentiated (G3) BCa.