The Colorful and Mysterious World of RNA Biology

RNA molecules are frequently portrayed as a single string of nucleotide sequence that is being passively carried around, processed, translated into proteins, and finally degraded. However, there is more to the story. In recent years, advances in imaging, sequencing, and profiling techniques have allowed us to gain a better understanding of the diverse roles RNAs play in cells. Indeed, tRNAs and rRNAs are not lonely; they have many more hardworking peers specializing in all different fields. For example, piRNAs (Piwi-interacting RNAs) are at the frontlines fighting against transposons, which are “selfish gene elements” who want to propagate their clones. siRNAs (Small interfering RNAs) play a role in the regulation of gene expression through binding to specific complementary mRNAs and inducing their degradation…There are also enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) and promoter upstream antisense RNAs (uaRNAs), whose functions remain poorly understood til this day. In short, different RNA species play diverse roles in a cell’s daily life, and many mysteries about them remain unsolved.