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Roles of RNAs in Biology
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Roles of RNAs in Biology

A special issue of Genes (ISSN 2073-4425). This special issue belongs to the section "RNA".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 July 2026 | Viewed by 3148

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Zihua Hu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biostatistics/Department of Medicine/New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
Interests: bioinformatics; genomics; gene regulation; miRNA; genetic variation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

RNA plays a broad range of roles in cellular processes. These include controlling gene expression, transferring information from genomic DNA to protein molecules, mediating molecular interactions, and catalyzing chemical reactions. In the human genome, tens of thousands of RNA sequences do not translate into proteins but help regulate gene expression at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Recent advances in genomic technologies have revealed that RNA-based gene regulation by different classes of non-coding RNAs is involved in almost every aspect of biology, including development, disease progression, and pathogenesis.

This Special Issue welcomes reviews and research articles on a broad range of issues within RNA biology. We will consider manuscripts on topics including, but not limited to, studies on the ways RNAs influence gene expression, the characterization of function for different classes of RNAs in cellular development, the role of RNAs in disease, the functions of various types of non-coding RNAs, and especially the identification and characterization of the role of non-coding regulatory RNAs and their regulatory networks. We look forward to your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Zihua Hu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Genes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • regulatory RNAs
  • non-coding RNAs
  • RNA in disease and therapy
  • RNA modifications including editing
  • RNA-RNA interaction including microRNAs
  • RNA in transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation
  • non-coding RNA in epigenetic regulation

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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12 pages, 1065 KB  
Article
Cost-Effective Method for Using Cross-Species Spike-In RNA for Normalization and Quantification in Polysome Profiling Experiments
by Krishna Bhattarai, Angelo Slade and Martin Holcik
Genes 2025, 16(11), 1354; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes16111354 - 10 Nov 2025
Viewed by 1041
Abstract
Background/Objective: Accurate quantification of RNA is critical for RNA-based experiments such as polysome profiling and RT-qPCR. These techniques often rely on control RNA to ensure consistency and reliability across experiments. Commonly used spike-in controls, including in vitro-synthesized mRNA or ERCC mixes, are expensive [...] Read more.
Background/Objective: Accurate quantification of RNA is critical for RNA-based experiments such as polysome profiling and RT-qPCR. These techniques often rely on control RNA to ensure consistency and reliability across experiments. Commonly used spike-in controls, including in vitro-synthesized mRNA or ERCC mixes, are expensive and time-consuming, limiting accessibility for many laboratories. This study aims to evaluate the use of cross-species total RNA as a cost-effective and reliable spike-in control. Methods: We developed a method using total RNA from a non-homologous species—specifically, yeast RNA—as a spike-in control for experiments involving human cells. The approach was tested across multiple RNA-based assays to assess its impact on quantification accuracy, reproducibility, and interference with endogenous RNA measurements. Additionally, we applied this method to evaluate the translation efficiency of Bcl-xL mRNA in mammalian cells under hypertonic stress. Results: Cross-species spike-in RNA demonstrated minimal interference with experimental outcomes and provided consistent normalization across replicates. The use of yeast RNA enabled accurate fold-change calculations and improved detection of experimental variability. In the case study involving Bcl-xL mRNA, the spike-in control facilitated reliable assessment of translation efficiency under stress conditions. Conclusions: Using total RNA from a non-related species as a spike-in control offers a practical, economical alternative to conventional methods. This approach enhances the reliability of RNA quantification without compromising experimental integrity, making it especially valuable for resource-limited settings, particularly in polysome and RT-qPCR workflows. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Roles of RNAs in Biology)
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Review

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17 pages, 7498 KB  
Review
A Recipe to Evolve Complex Life Chemically on Earth
by Lei Lei and Zachary Frome Burton
Genes 2025, 16(10), 1136; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes16101136 - 25 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1502
Abstract
Sequences of tRNAs are highly patterned in easily identifiable RNA repeats and RNA inverted repeats (stem–loop–stems). Because of patterning, the multi-step evolution of tRNA can be described in remarkable detail. To evolve life on Earth or another planet or the moon requires the [...] Read more.
Sequences of tRNAs are highly patterned in easily identifiable RNA repeats and RNA inverted repeats (stem–loop–stems). Because of patterning, the multi-step evolution of tRNA can be described in remarkable detail. To evolve life on Earth or another planet or the moon requires the evolution of tRNA or a tRNA-like molecule to act as a genetic adapter. To replace tRNA with an alternate or improved genetic adapter is a remarkably challenging problem, indicating strong chemical selection of tRNA precursors in pre-life. The genetic code, translation systems, and first proteins coevolved with tRNAomes (all of the tRNAs of an organism). Because the tRNA sequence can be separated into component parts, a simple pathway for chemical evolution of life and genetic coding can be described in sufficient detail to allow the assembly of a living entity in laboratories. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Roles of RNAs in Biology)
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