Splicing by exon exclusion impaired by artificial box c/d RNA targeted to branch-point adenosine.

Box C/D small nucleolar RNAs guide the site-specific 2'-O-ribose methylation of nucleotides in target rRNAs and snRNAs. In this study we used the ability of C/D box snoRNAs to guide modification of target RNAs with the aim of affecting the expression of predetermined human genes. We constructed an analogue of the human U24 box C/D RNA, the first antisense element of which was directed to induce 2'-O-ribose methylation of branch-point adenosine in the intron of the human heat-shock cognate protein (HSC8) pre-mRNA.

Deamination of adenosines in extracellular RNA spontaneously internalized by human cells.

Ribonucleic acids circulating in mammalian extracellular fluids as well as RNAs accumulating in culture medium condensed by mammalian cells are internalized by acceptor cells and distributed among cellular compartments. The internalized RNA can be involved in the induction and regulation of cellular processes as guide or signaling molecules. The internalization of RNA may be accompanied by covalent modifications influencing the stability and functionality of this RNA.