Volume 12 Issue 2, February 2011

This Progress article describes how the application of powerful technologies — based on bioinformatics, next-generation sequencing and biochemistry — has allowed us to map and characterize global adenosine-to-inosine RNA editing.

Recent developments in methods for RNA sequencing have led to an increased understanding of transcriptomes — both qualitative and quantitative. Ongoing developments include advances in direct RNA sequencing and approaches that allow RNA quantification from very small amounts of cellular materials.

The relative contribution of mRNA degradation and translational repression to gene regulation by plant and animal microRNAs has been controversial. This question, along with the molecular details of the two modes of regulation, has been addressed by several recent studies.

Forest trees have long generation times and large genomes, but they present unique research opportunities for understanding environmental adaptation and the basis of complex traits. Genomic resources are developing rapidly for many tree species, and the results are being translated to tree breeding and natural population management.

How are specific genomic regions targeted for transcriptional silencing and how is stable silencing maintained? The Polycomb and heterochromatin silencing systems have distinct roles and yet share some interesting features, such as the involvement of non-coding RNAs, histone modifications and dynamic protein complexes.

MicroRNAs and long non-coding RNAs regulate diverse aspects of animal embryogenesis. Recent evidence from several species shows their importance in driving and maintaining cell fate decisions, from early patterning through to tissue specification and morphogenesis.