An article published in this month’s Nexus discusses the CMC team’s recent discovery that Y RNA fragments (“yRFs”) are the most abundant type of small RNAs in the platelets of healthy people where they outpace even microRNAs (miRNAs). The team also found that, in the platelets of people infected with COVID, yRFs are significantly reduced with their levels now falling well below those of miRNAs. Even though very little is understood about this novel class of small RNAs, the findings suggest that yRFs have important roles in healthy people and people suffering from other diseases and conditions.
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In a new study, Rigoutsos’ team made an unexpected discovery about the small RNAs found in platelets. They found that the most abundant small RNAs in the platelets of healthy people are fragments from a curious RNA species called Y RNAs. “The Y RNA fragments are the biggest player among the small RNAs in platelets, outpacing even miRNAs,” Rigoutsos says.
The findings are compelling, but it’s not yet clear what they mean. […] how they are made and end up in platelets, how they are trafficked and function at their destination — is nascent. Rigoutsos, along with his collaborator Paul Bray, formerly at Jefferson and now at the University of Utah, hope to explore these questions in future work.
