Rewriting the Cephalopod Neural Transcriptome by mRNA Editing

Genetic information is stored in DNA and realized in proteins after passing through RNA.  Its transient residence in RNA provides a prime opportunity for modification. Changes in DNA are permanent and perilous; those in RNA go away, making them safer. There are a variety of systems for altering RNA in cells. Alternative splicing, of course, is a well-studied example.  My lab focuses on RNA editing through adenosine deamination, a system for introducing point mutations within RNA. All multicellular metazoans use this system, but cephalopods take it to a new level, particularly in their nervous system.  I will discuss how cephalopods use RNA editing, the messages that are targeted, where it is taking place within neurons, and how it can respond to environmental cues.  Finally, based on new data using the first genetically tractable cephalopod model and CRISPR, we show how a novel RNA editing enzyme isoform is driving the high-level mRNA recoding.