Essentially all cellular RNA molecules are chemically modified. Pseudouridine, an isomer of uridine, is the most abundant RNA modification and is found in several types of RNA. Some pseudouridine synthetases (PUS) that modify transfer RNA can also modify messenger RNA.
In this work, we uncover the intricate mechanism by which human PUS3 selects its tRNA targets to avoid modification of non-tRNA targets. This suggests that the neuronal phenotypes of patients with mutations in PUS3 are mediated by tRNA modifications.

This research was conducted in the group of Prof. Dr. Sebastian Leidel in collaboration with the group of Prof. Dr. Sebastian Glatt (Jagiellonian University Krakow).

References:

• T.-Y. Lin, L. Kleemann, J. Jezowski, D. Dobosz, M. Rawski, P. Indyka, Gr. Wazny, R. Mehta, A. Chramiec-Glabik, L. Koziej, T. Ranff, C. Fufezan, M. Wawro, J. Kochan, J. Bereta, S. A. Leidel, S. Glatt;
  "The molecular basis of tRNA selectivity by human pseudouridine synthase 3"
  Molecular Cell, 2024, 84(13), 2472-2489.e8; doi:10.1016/j.molcel.2024.06.013.