Quantitative analysis of tRNA modifications by HPLC-coupled mass spectrometry

摘要

Post-transcriptional modification of RNA is an important determinant of RNA quality control, translational efficiency, RNA-protein interactions, and stress response. This is illustrated by the observation of toxicant-specific changes in the spectrum of tRNA modifications in a stress response mechanism involving selective translation of codon-biased mRNA for critical proteins. To facilitate systems-level studies of RNA modifications, we developed a liquid chromatography-coupled mass spectrometry (LC-MS) technique for the quantitative analysis of modified ribonucleosides in tRNA or other RNA species. The protocol includes tRNA purification by HPLC, enzymatic hydrolysis, reversed-phase HPLC resolution of the ribonucleosides, and identification and quantification of individual ribonucleosides by LC-MS using dynamic multiple reaction monitoring. This approach enables quantification of modified ribonucleosides in several micrograms of tRNA, or other RNA, in a 15-minute LC-MS run. By comparison, traditional methods for detecting modified ribonucleosides are labor and time intensive, require larger RNA quantities, are modification-specific, or require radioactive labeling.