DR-466 Verification of the presence of chimeric transfer RNAs in the cytosol of cancer patients

We have demonstrated that genes coding for transfer RNAs accumulate large amounts of somatic mutations in human tumors. Some of these mutations would result in chimeric tRNAs that would corrupt the genetic code during protein synthesis, leading to widespread proteome mutations. To verify that these tRNAs are produced from the mutated genes, and can be found in the cells of tumors we need to search for them in RNA-seq datasets. So we are requesting access to these data to obtain further evidence of the presence of mutant tRNAs in cancer cells. Our main objectives are:  1. To detect mutant tRNA sequences in RNA-seq datasets.  2. To compare patient progression to the levels of tRNA somatic mutations in tumors.  3. To determine the expression levels of the enzymes involved in the incorporation of somatic mutations at tRNA genes.

Lluís Ribas de Pouplana, Fundació Institut de Recerca Biomèdica (IRB Barcelona), Spain