TY - JOUR T1 - N4-acetylcytidine and 5-formylcytidine are present in <em>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</em> mRNAs JF - bioRxiv DO - 10.1101/327585 SP - 327585 AU - Mehmet Tardu AU - Qishan Lin AU - Kristin S. Koutmou Y1 - 2018/01/01 UR - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2018/05/21/327585.abstract N2 - Chemical modifications of RNAs have long been appreciated as key modulators of non-coding RNA structure and function. There is an emerging realization that chemical modification of protein-coding mRNAs also plays critical roles in the cell. Nonetheless, of the over 100 known RNA modifications found in biology only a handful have been identified in mRNAs. Here we use an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method to identify and quantify modifications present in mRNAs of yeast cells. We detect the presence of four modified nucleosides in mRNAs at relatively high abundances: N7-methylguanosine, N6-methyladenosine, N4-acetylcytidine and 5-formylcytidine. Additionally, we investigate how the levels of mRNA modifications change in response to cellular stress. We find that the concentrations of nine mRNA modifications including N6-methyladenosine and N4-acetylcytidine change in response to heat stress, glucose starvation and/or oxidative stress. Our findings suggest that mRNA modification may provide a potential mechanism for cells to rapidly respond to environmental stressors. ER -