Targeted RNA editing: novel tools to study post-transcriptional regulation.

RNA binding proteins (RBPs) regulate nearly all post-transcriptional processes within cells. To fully understand RBP function, it is essential to identify their in vivo targets. Standard techniques for profiling RBP targets, such as crosslinking immunoprecipitation (CLIP) and its variants, are limited or suboptimal in some situations, e.g. when compatible antibodies are not available and when dealing with small cell populations such as neuronal subtypes and primary stem cells. This review summarizes and compares several genetic approaches recently designed to identify RBP targets in such circumstances. TRIBE (targets of RNA binding proteins identified by editing), RNA tagging, and STAMP (surveying targets by APOBEC-mediated profiling) are new genetic tools useful for the study of post-transcriptional regulation and RBP identification. We describe the underlying RNA base editing technology, recent applications, and therapeutic implications. RNA editing regulates the splicing, coding, and metabolic features of RNAs. In this review, Xu et al. highlight how RNA editing enzymes are being used to identify RNA binding protein targets with high sensitivity and specificity and the implications of these technological advances for RNA editing-based therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]