Adenosine deaminases, RNA specific (ADAR) are proteins that deaminate adenosine to inosine which is then recognized in translation as guanosine.  To study the roles of ADAR proteins in RNA editing and gene regulation, we carried out DNA and RNA sequencing, RNA interference and RNA-immunoprecipitation in human B-cells.  We also characterized the ADAR protein complex by mass spectrometry.  The results uncovered over 60,000 sites where the adenosines (A) are edited to guanosine (G) and several thousand genes whose expression levels are influenced by ADAR.  We also identified more than 100 proteins in the ADAR protein complex; these include splicing factors, heterogeneous ribonucleoproteins and several members of the dynactin protein family.  Our findings show that in human B-cells, ADAR proteins are involved in two independent functions: A-to-G editing and gene expression regulation.  In addition, we showed that other types of RNA-DNA sequence differences are not mediated by ADAR proteins, and thus there are co- or post-transcriptional mechanisms yet to be determined. SOURCE: Isabel,Xiaorong,WangDr. Vivian G. Cheung Lab HHMI/University of Pennsylvania

Pluto Bioinformatics

GSE38233: Study functions of ADAR proteins using next generation sequencing of genome and transcriptome