'Oming in on RNA–protein interactions

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Welcome to the RBPome RNA has consistently broken dogmas, owing to its multitude of unexpected functions. However, RNA does faithfully adhere to one rule: it always functions through interactions with proteins. The studies in this issue focus on the rapidly expanding repertoire of diverse RNA– protein interactions [1] and their functional roles and physiological consequences, both from the perspective of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) and from the vantage point of RNAs coding and noncoding that interface with RBPs. RNA-protein interactions are fascinating for many reasons, one being their role in evolution from the earliest life forms to the most complex organisms (examples reviewed in [2-4]). For example, the interactions between pre-mRNA and proteins fine-tune alternative splicing in a manner that can gradually create new protein functionalities without the need to create additional genes and without affecting existing proteins [4-6]. Moreover, there has been an emergence of numerous noncanonical RBPs (that is, proteins not previously thought to function as RBPs) that are influenced by interactions with RNA transcripts coding and noncoding alike [7,8]. In fact, genome-wide footprinting articles in this issue [9-11] demonstrate a vast and diverse landscape of RNA–RBP complexes that play key regulatory roles. With recent advances in technology, together with powerful combined experimental and computational developments, we have witnessed unprecedented new insights into the diverse and dynamic interactions that occur between RNA and proteins. These range from new functions of well-established RBPs to the molecular sequences and structures harbored in RNA that drive interactions with proteins. Despite this great progress, the present issue of Genome Biology demonstrates that there are still unresolved aspects of RBP biology.