Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are a group of non-coding RNAs that have shown important roles in cellular functions and disease associations. Researchers from the Fish Genetics Research Group of the Department of Genetics at ELTE recently investigated the temporal expression of snoRNAs in zebrafish, a key model organism. The results from this study led to a better understanding of these small biomolecules and the development of an online database, named snoDanio, for interactive visualization.
SnoRNAs play a critical role in key modifications of ribosomal molecules, which are essential for protein synthesis. Consequently, tissue-specific differences in snoRNA expression support the hypothesis that ribosome function may vary subtly across different tissues. This research area is particularly noteworthy because recent studies suggest that changes in snoRNA expression may play a role in serious diseases like inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer.
Published in NAR Genomics and Bioinformatics, this study identified 67 novel snoRNAs in addition to those previously characterized as zebrafish-specific. During the study, the research team also performed a detailed analysis of snoRNA expression across developmental stages and in various adult tissues. Additionally, their work led to the development of a database (snoDani) that allows other researchers to analyze their own snoRNA expression data
"This is the first time that someone has systematically mapped the entire snoRNAome in zebrafish and the resulting database is only the third such single species-specific collection in the world," stated Renáta Hamar, doctoral student and lead author of the study. "Our results significantly expand our knowledge of these important regulatory molecules in a key model organism used by thousands of groups worldwide to study human diseases."
This research is particularly valuable as zebrafish are a widely used model organism for studying human diseases, with more than 80% of disease-associated human genes having homologs in the zebrafish genome. These findings, together with the snoDanio database, could improve zebrafish disease models and enhance our understanding of complex human diseases.
Publication Details
Renáta Hamar, Máté Varga, The zebrafish (Danio rerio) snoRNAome, NAR Genomics and Bioinformatics, Volume 7, Issue 1, March 2025, lqaf013, https://doi.org/10.1093/nargab/lqaf013
SnoRNAs play a critical role in key modifications of ribosomal molecules, which are essential for protein synthesis. Consequently, tissue-specific differences in snoRNA expression support the hypothesis that ribosome function may vary subtly across different tissues. This research area is particularly noteworthy because recent studies suggest that changes in snoRNA expression may play a role in serious diseases like inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer.
Published in NAR Genomics and Bioinformatics, this study identified 67 novel snoRNAs in addition to those previously characterized as zebrafish-specific. During the study, the research team also performed a detailed analysis of snoRNA expression across developmental stages and in various adult tissues. Additionally, their work led to the development of a database (snoDani) that allows other researchers to analyze their own snoRNA expression data
"This is the first time that someone has systematically mapped the entire snoRNAome in zebrafish and the resulting database is only the third such single species-specific collection in the world," stated Renáta Hamar, doctoral student and lead author of the study. "Our results significantly expand our knowledge of these important regulatory molecules in a key model organism used by thousands of groups worldwide to study human diseases."
This research is particularly valuable as zebrafish are a widely used model organism for studying human diseases, with more than 80% of disease-associated human genes having homologs in the zebrafish genome. These findings, together with the snoDanio database, could improve zebrafish disease models and enhance our understanding of complex human diseases.
Publication Details
Renáta Hamar, Máté Varga, The zebrafish (Danio rerio) snoRNAome, NAR Genomics and Bioinformatics, Volume 7, Issue 1, March 2025, lqaf013, https://doi.org/10.1093/nargab/lqaf013