Post-transcriptional pseudouridylation in mRNA as well as in some major types of noncoding RNAs

Pseudouridylation is a post-transcriptional isomerization reaction that converts a uridine to a pseudouridine (Psi) within an RNA chain. Psi has chemical properties that are distinct from that of uridine and any other known nucleotides. Experimental data accumulated thus far have indicated that Psi is present in many different types of RNAs, including coding and noncoding RNAs. Psi is particularly concentrated in rRNA and spliceosomal snRNAs, and plays an important role in protein translation and pre-mRNA splicing, respectively. Psi has also been found in mRNA, but its function there remains essentially unknown. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms and functions of RNA pseudouridylation, focusing on rRNA, snRNA and mRNA. We also discuss the methods, which have been developed to detect Psi in RNAs. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: mRNA modifications in gene expression control edited by Dr. Soller Matthias and Dr. Fray Rupert.