Role of RNA in Development of Brain

published: 13 Nov 2011 (21:51)

The journal of Nature structural and Molecular Biology has reported findings by the scientists at Uppsala University which state that the mystery of brain disorders may be nearing a solution. The brain is one of the least understood organs of the human body which creates many hindrances while dealing with brain diseases. According to these scientists from Uppsala University, they may have a substantial contribution toward deciphering the complex codes of the brain. Upon examination of one of the key steps where genes are read, they discovered a new mechanism which helps in transcription of the genes active in the brain.

DNA in the nucleus of a cell triggers the formation of proteins by acting as a template. This protein synthesis is mediated by RNA molecules which act as messengers and transporters for RNA. After transcription, these RNA molecules retain their original form but some pre protein synthesis processing takes place and introns are removed. This removal of introns generates the final product i.e. the mature RNA. The new sequencing techniques that have been devised enable the scientists to scrutinise all the RNA molecules present in a cell or tissue.

The study published by the researchers at Uppsala University has revealed that during the development of a foetus, the number of immature RNA i.e. RNA that still contains their introns is higher than that in a fully developed brain. A fully developed brain on the other hand exhibits spliced and mature RNA molecules. This research has highlighted the existence of genes associated with psychiatric disorders among those intron retaining RNA molecules found in the brain.

As stated by Lars Feuk of the department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, a co-director of the study, a possible explanation may involve the need of the growing brain for different proteins required in the process of development. Presence of RNA molecules with introns may offer a variety of paths for the production of a variety of proteins.

Another enigmatic issue is the actual detailed process in the removal of introns and generation of a mature RNA. One possibility is that the process of splicing of introns takes place simultaneously with the formation of RNA or it may take place after the formation of the entire RNA molecule. It was not practical to find out which among the mentioned processes is more common since it could not be directly measured in a tissue sample. The current study headed by Lucia Cavelier and Lars Feuk has ascertained that there exists a direct connection between formation of RNA and removal of introns.

According to first author, Adam Ameur who works as a bioinformatician at the Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, this swift removal of introns in direct connection with formation of RNA molecules is much more pronounced than it was previously thought to be. This study clearly suggests that there exists a strong interconnection between formation of RNA and regulation of variants of proteins.

This study funded by Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, the Marcus Borgstrom Foundation and the Goran Gustafsson foundation has thrown some much needed light on the regulation of genes essential for development of the brain.

Adam Ameur, Ammar Zaghlool, Jonatan Halvardson, Anna Wetterbom, Ulf Gyllensten, Lucia Cavelier, Lars Feuk. Total RNA sequencing reveals nascent transcription and widespread co-transcriptional splicing in the human brain. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, 2011; DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2143

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