pseudouridination

Pseudouridination is a prevalent post-transcriptional modification of RNA. It involves the isomerization of uridine to pseudouridine. This modification occurs on uracil bases within RNA molecules, specifically at the C5 position, where the glycosidic bond is shifted from the N1 position to the C5 position of the uracil ring. Pseudouridine is the most abundant RNA modification in all domains of life, found in various RNA types including ribosomal RNA (rRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and messenger RNA (mRNA). The enzymatic machinery responsible for catalyzing this reaction involves pseudouridine synthases. These enzymes utilize a variety of mechanisms to achieve the base isomerization. Pseudouridination plays a crucial role in RNA structure and function. It can influence RNA folding by altering base stacking interactions and providing additional hydrogen bonding capabilities. This can, in turn, affect protein-RNA interactions, ribosomal frameshifting, and the stability of RNA molecules. Dysregulation of pseudouridination has been linked to various cellular processes and diseases, highlighting its importance in maintaining cellular homeostasis.