RNA timestamp (original) (raw)

An RNA timestamp is a technology that enables the age of any given RNA transcript to be inferred by exploiting RNA editing. In this technique, the RNA of interest is tagged to an adenosine rich reporter motif that consists of multiple MS2 binding sites. These MS2 binding sites recruit a complex composed of ADAR2 (adenosine deaminase acting on RNA catalytic 2 domain) and MCP (MS2 capsid protein). The binding of the ADAR2 enzyme to the RNA timestamp initiates the gradual conversion of adenosine to inosine molecules. Over time, these edits accumulate and are then read through RNA-seq. This technology allows us to glean cell-type specific temporal information associated with RNA-seq data, that until now, has not been accessible.