In a groundbreaking exploration of cell surface biology, Ryan Flynn has uncovered a surprising role for RNA outside the confines of the cell. Flynn's research, which focuses on the biology of cell surface RNA, led to the discovery that certain RNAs are chemically linked to glycans-; complex carbohydrate polymers found on the cell surface. In 2021, Flynn's group was the first to report that RNA can be found outside of the cell.
What was particularly exciting about that discovery is that nucleic acids, like RNA, were traditionally thought to be confined within the cell and physically separate from glycobiology." Ryan Flynn, Assistant Professor, Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard Stem Cell Institute He was also a Principal Investigator at Boston Children's Hospital. That discovery challenged the long-held notion that nucleic acids are restricted to the intracellular environment, revealing a previously unrecognized layer of complexity in cell surface biology.
In new research published today in Cell , Flynn and colleagues have discovered the mechanism of how RNA is chemically linked to N-glycans. Before this research, only proteins and lipids were known to be conjugated to glycans. Flynn's team has now added RNA to this list, a finding with important implications for understanding cellular biology.
"Our work proves that there are actually three classes of glycoconjugates: proteins, lipids, and RNAs," he says. This discovery not only broadens the scope of known glycoconjug.