Global analysis of contact-dependent human-to-mouse intercellular mRNA and lncRNA transfer in cell culture.

Full-length mRNAs transfer between adjacent mammalian cells via direct cell-to-cell connections called tunneling nanotubes (TNTs). However, the extent of mRNA transfer at the transcriptome-wide level (the 'transferome') is unknown. Here, we analyzed the transferome in an in vitro human-mouse cell co-culture model using RNA-sequencing.

Transperons: RNA operons as effectors of coordinated gene expression in eukaryotes.

Coordinated gene expression allows spatiotemporal control of cellular processes and is achieved by the cotranscription/translation of functionally related genes/proteins. Prokaryotes evolved polycistronic messages (operons) to confer expression from a single promoter to efficiently cotranslate proteins functioning on the same pathway. Yet, despite having far greater diversity (e.

An Aptamer-based mRNA Affinity Purification Procedure (RaPID) for the Identification of Associated RNAs (RaPID-seq) and Proteins (RaPID-MS) in Yeast.

RNA-RNA and RNA-protein interactions are involved in the regulation of gene expression. Here, we describe an updated and extended version of our RNA purification and protein identification (RaPID) protocol for the pulldown of aptamer-tagged mRNAs by affinity purification. The method takes advantage of the high affinity interaction between the MS2 RNA aptamer and the MS2 coat protein (MCP), as well as that between streptavidin-binding peptide (SBP) and streptavidin.

Multiplexed mRNA assembly into ribonucleoprotein particles plays an operon-like role in the control of yeast cell physiology.

Prokaryotes utilize polycistronic messages (operons) to co-translate proteins involved in the same biological processes. Whether eukaryotes achieve similar regulation by selectively assembling and translating monocistronic messages derived from different chromosomes is unknown. We employed transcript-specific RNA pulldowns and RNA-seq/RT-PCR to identify yeast mRNAs that co-precipitate as ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes.

RNA transfer through tunneling nanotubes.

It was already suggested in the early '70's that RNA molecules might transfer between mammalian cells in culture. Yet, more direct evidence for RNA transfer in animal and plant cells was only provided decades later, as this field became established. In this mini-review, we will describe evidence for the transfer of different types of RNA between cells through tunneling nanotubes (TNTs).