Refresh your awareness! Scientists have found that the surface of human cells is stable attached to RNA molecules

It is well known that there are many different proteins, lipids and glycoproteins on the outer surface of human cells.
in addition to these known types of molecules, scientists recently found that the outer surface of human cells is stable with a class of RNA molecules that were little known in the past.
Based on a research paper officially published in Genome Biology, Professor ZhongSheng of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and his team of researchers, led by Professors Zhang Liangfang and Chen Jin, identified these cell surface RNA molecules as being produced by genomic coding in the nuclea of the cell, using specially developed detection and sequencing techniques.
past, it has been thought that RNA produced by the human nuclear genome does not exist on the surface of cells with complete cell membranes, and this new discovery has refreshed our understanding of cell surface molecules.
" cell's outer surface is like a human face, to identify whether a cell is good or bad, such as immune T cells or tumor cells, the most important thing is to see what is on its surface.
" Professor Bell explains, "the surface molecules of cells aid cell communication and interaction.
", the findings mean that RNA molecules play a greater role in cell-to-cell interactions, cell-to-environment, than has been known in the past.
researchers named this type of RNA membrane-related extracell RNA, or maxRNA.
RNA molecules are neither encapsulated in any vesicles nor easily shedded from the cell surface.
scientists were able to detect the presence of maxRNA in mouse and human cells this time, thanks to specially developed Surface-sequencing technology.
, one of the lead authors of the study, is an innovator in nanomedical science, and his team has developed a nanotechnology that can extract a portion of a cell membrane from a cell and wrap it around a nanoparticle.
this technique preserves the internal and external orientation of the cell membrane and completely removes interference from the cell contents.
, the researchers developed two sequencing techniques to identify RNA molecules that are stable on the outer layer of the cell membrane.
Two surface sequencing techniques developed on the basis of cell membrane nanoparticles (Photo Source: Reference: Reference 1) followed, and the team combined RNA fluorescence in-place hybridization, single-cell sequencing, and single-cell analysis techniques to analyze the maxRNA molecular sequences, cell type specificity, and functional properties of human exodus monocytes for building a surface sequencing library.
"We now know that a part of the human genome can regulate cell display and interaction with other cells by producing maxRNA, a finding that broadens our understanding of the human genome."
," said Dr. Norman Huang, lead author of the study.
Using fluorescent probes (indicated by red arrows) and single-molecule imaging techniques, the team can see maxRNA (shown by the yellow arrow) on the cell surface (Photo Source: Reference 2) the team says their next step is to study how maxRNA is transported to the cell surface and fixed there, and their specific contribution to cell function.
further understanding of maxRNA may lead to new treatment strategies.
researchers point out that because maxRNA is located on the outside of the cell membrane, it is easier to be contacted than targets in cells and can be more convenient drug targets.
addition, existing antisant oligonucleotide technologies can specificly target RNA molecules and inhibit them efficiently, providing another convenience for drug development.
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2020) Natural display of nuclear-encoded RNA on the cell surface and its impact on cell Interaction. Genome Biology.Add human-genome produced RNA to the list of cell surface molecules. Retrieved Sep. 10, 2020, from