Eukaryotic cells express a myriad of circular RNAs (circRNAs), many of them displaying tissue-specific expression patterns. They arise from linear precursor RNAs in which 5' and 3' ends become covalently ligated. Given these features, biochemical and computational approaches traditionally used to study linear RNA must be adapted for analysis of circular RNAs. Such circRNA-specific methodologies are allowing the systematic identification of circRNAs and the analysis of their biological functions. Here, we review the resources and molecular methods currently utilized to quantify circRNAs, visualize their distribution, identify interacting partners, and elucidate their function. We discuss the challenges of analyzing circRNAs and propose alternative approaches for studying this unique class of transcripts. This article is characterized under: RNA Structure and Dynamics > RNA Structure, Dynamics, and Chemistry RNA Methods > RNA Analyses in vitro and In Silico RNA Methods > RNA Analyses in Cells.

中文翻译：

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环状 RNA 分析方法。

真核细胞表达无数的环状 RNA (circRNA)，其中许多表现出组织特异性表达模式。它们来自线性前体 RNA，其中 5' 和 3' 末端共价连接。鉴于这些特征，传统上用于研究线性 RNA 的生化和计算方法必须适用于环状 RNA 的分析。这种特定于 circRNA 的方法允许系统地识别 circRNA 并分析它们的生物学功能。在这里，我们回顾了目前用于量化 circRNA、可视化它们的分布、识别相互作用的伙伴并阐明它们的功能的资源和分子方法。我们讨论了分析 circRNA 的挑战，并提出了研究这类独特转录本的替代方法。这篇文章的特点是：