Ring Leader RNAs: Spotting and Measuring Circular Variants

Circular RNAs, or circRNAs, are unique RNA molecules that form a closed loop. They are found in every eukaryotic organism and are created through a special type of splicing called backsplicing. This process connects the ends of a linear RNA strand, resulting in a backsplice junction (BSJ) that's different from the DNA code. For a long time, circRNAs went unnoticed because their noncontiguous BSJ sequence made them hard to detect using regular RNA sequencing technologies. However, in the last ten years, researchers have identified over 3 million unique circRNA transcripts. CircRNAs are fascinating because they are not just stable and highly cell-specific, many are the same across different species and have specific functions in cells. Yet, they can be extremely rare, making them challenging to spot and study. Researchers must use advanced techniques and tools to accurately detect and measure these RNA molecules and identify all the variations. This challenge of detecting circRNAs has led to the creation of new laboratory techniques and bioinformatics methods. Additionally, new technologies have been developed that allow us to visualize and quantify specific circRNAs in cells and biological samples. The focus has shifted towards using advanced next-generation sequencing techniques to enhance the detection of circRNA variants. Specialized tools and techniques are required to detect and measure these RNAs accurately.