Analytical methods for locating modifications in nucleic acids

In addition to the canonical nucleobases, a variety of chemical modifications have been identified presence in nucleic acids. These modifications have been demonstrated to involve in regulating the spatiotemporal expression of genes. Up to date, over 150 types of chemical modifications have been found existence in nucleic acids. Understanding the functional roles of modifications relies on deciphering the location information of modifications in nucleic acids. Analytical methods for studying nucleic acid modifications have greatly advanced in the last decade. To locate the modifications in nucleic acids, various mass spectrometry (MS)-based analytical strategies have been established. Recent progress in next-generation sequencing (NGS) in conjugation with immunoprecipitation, chemical reaction, enzyme-mediated mutation, or nanomaterials offer genome-wide or transcriptome-wide mapping of modifications, which greatly revolutionize the field of epigenetic modifications. Herein, we reviewed and summarized the established methods and the breakthrough of the techniques for locating modifications in nucleic acids. In addition, we discussed the principles, applications, advantages and drawbacks of these methods. We believe that with the rapid advancement of techniques and methods, the functions of nucleic acid modifications will be fully understood in the future. (C) 2019 Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.