RNADerived

RNA-derived is an adjective used in molecular biology to describe materials, sequences, or products that originate from RNA. In practice, the term covers RNA molecules themselves as well as DNA copies produced from RNA, most commonly via reverse transcription to generate complementary DNA (cDNA).

Origins and methods: RNA can be converted into stable DNA by reverse transcriptase, enabling cDNA library construction, cloning, and expression analysis. RNA-derived data arise from RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), where reads map to transcripts. Additionally, synthetic oligonucleotides may be built to reflect RNA templates, or RNA sequences may be transcribed in vitro to produce RNA-derived reagents used in experiments.

Applications: RNA-derived materials are central to transcriptomics, gene expression profiling, and gene cloning. RNA-derived oligos serve as primers for PCR, probes for detection, and templates for synthesis. RNA aptamers and ribozymes are functional RNA molecules derived from RNA sequences, while RNA-based therapeutics often rely on RNA-derived sequences or constructs.

Terminology and scope: The phrase is not a formal classifier on its own and is used contextually to emphasize origin from RNA. It should not be confused with RNA viruses or with synthetic constructs that are independent of RNA origin. Distinctions are common in protocols for reverse transcription, RNA sequencing, and oligonucleotide synthesis.

See also: RNA, reverse transcription, cDNA, RNA sequencing, ribozyme, aptamer.