Ribodepleted

Ribodepleted refers to a process used in molecular biology to remove ribosomal RNA (rRNA) from a sample. rRNA is a major component of ribosomes, the cellular machinery responsible for protein synthesis. While essential for cell function, rRNA can be a highly abundant and sometimes interfering molecule in various molecular biology applications, such as RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) or microarray analysis.

The depletion of rRNA is typically achieved through specific chemical or enzymatic treatments. These methods target the unique molecular features of rRNA, allowing for its selective removal while leaving other RNA species, such as messenger RNA (mRNA) and non-coding RNAs, largely intact. Common techniques include using complementary probes that bind to rRNA sequences, followed by their degradation, or employing enzymes that specifically degrade rRNA.

The goal of ribodepletion is to enrich for non-ribosomal RNA species, thereby improving the efficiency and accuracy of downstream analyses. For instance, in RNA-Seq, high rRNA content can saturate sequencing reads, masking less abundant but potentially more informative transcripts. By removing rRNA, researchers can obtain deeper and more comprehensive sequencing data from the remaining RNA molecules. This technique is crucial for studying gene expression profiles, identifying novel transcripts, and analyzing the transcriptome of various biological samples.