Development. Survival is impossible without an editor.
RNA editing is a fascinating phenomenon that is found in both animal and plant cells. By converting an adenosine base to an inosine (which behaves like guanosine) in RNA that has already been transcribed, certain RNA sequences (and hence the amino acids they encode) are altered. In a Perspective, Keegan, Gallo and O'Connell explore new results showing that activity of the editing enzyme ADAR1 is crucial for normal development of red blood cells in mouse embryos.
Keegan
L P
LP
MRC Human Genetics Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK. liam.keegan@hgu.mrc.ac.uk
Gallo
A
A
O'Connell
M A
MA
D000241:Adenosine / Q000378:metabolism; D000243:Adenosine Deaminase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D020029:Base Pairing; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism; D002678:Chimera; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D004920:Erythropoiesis; D018628:Gene Dosage; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D007288:Inosine / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D017393:RNA Editing; D012322:RNA Precursors / Q000378:metabolism; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000378:metabolism; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000235:genetics; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D013724:Teratoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology
D012322:RNA Precursors; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; C115953:glutamate receptor type B; D007288:Inosine; C567955:ADARB1 protein, human; D000243:Adenosine Deaminase; D000241:Adenosine