Article abstract


Nature Genetics 41, 572 - 578 (2009)
Published online: 19 April 2009 | Corrected online: 26 June 2009 | doi:10.1038/ng.312



There is a Corrigendum (July 2009) associated with this Article.

Tiny RNAs associated with transcription start sites in animals

Ryan J Taft1,8, Evgeny A Glazov2,8, Nicole Cloonan1,8, Cas Simons1,8, Stuart Stephen1,8, Geoffrey J Faulkner1,8, Timo Lassmann3,8, Alistair R R Forrest3,4,8, Sean M Grimmond1,8, Kate Schroder1,8, Katharine Irvine1,8, Takahiro Arakawa3,9, Mari Nakamura3,9, Atsutaka Kubosaki3,9, Kengo Hayashida3,9, Chika Kawazu3,9, Mitsuyoshi Murata3,9, Hiromi Nishiyori3,9, Shiro Fukuda3,9, Jun Kawai3,9, Carsten O Daub3,9, David A Hume1,5,8, Harukazu Suzuki3,8, Valerio Orlando6,7,8, Piero Carninci3,8, Yoshihide Hayashizaki3,10 & John S Mattick1,10


It has been reported that relatively short RNAs of heterogeneous sizes are derived from sequences near the promoters of eukaryotic genes. As part of the FANTOM4 project, we have identified tiny RNAs with a modal length of 18 nt that map within -60 to +120 nt of transcription start sites (TSSs) in human, chicken and Drosophila. These transcription initiation RNAs (tiRNAs) are derived from sequences on the same strand as the TSS and are preferentially associated with G+C-rich promoters. The 5' ends of tiRNAs show peak density 10–30 nt downstream of TSSs, indicating that they are processed. tiRNAs are generally, although not exclusively, associated with highly expressed transcripts and sites of RNA polymerase II binding. We suggest that tiRNAs may be a general feature of transcription in metazoa and possibly all eukaryotes.

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  1. Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia.
  2. Diamantina Institute for Cancer, Immunology and Metabolic Medicine, The University of Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, Australia.
  3. RIKEN Omics Science Center, RIKEN Yokohama Institute, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
  4. The Eskitis Institute for Cell and Molecular Therapies, Griffith University, Nathan, Australia.
  5. The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Roslin, UK.
  6. Dulbecco Telethon Institute, IRCCS Santa Lucia at EBRI, Rome, Italy.
  7. Dulbecco Telethon Institute, IGB CNR, Naples, Italy.
  8. The FANTOM Consortium.
  9. RIKEN Omics Science Center.
  10. General organizers (of the small RNA group).

Correspondence to: Yoshihide Hayashizaki3,10 e-mail: yosihide@gsc.riken.jp

Correspondence to: John S Mattick1,10 e-mail: j.mattick@imb.uq.edu.au

* NOTE: In the version of this article initially published, some author affiliations were incorrectly stated. The error has been corrected in the HTML and PDF versions of the article.


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