Researchers reveal mechanism behind most common mammalian mRNA modification

RNA—in the form of messenger RNA (mRNA), ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and transfer RNA (tRNA)—transforms the genome coded by DNA into proteins that form the backbone of all cellular functions. However, biochemical modifications to RNA frequently occur, with a subsequent influence on gene expression and the potential to cause disease. The sum of these functionally relevant changes to RNA is called the epitranscriptome.