Protein–RNA interactions are central to all RNA processing events, with pivotal roles in the regulation of gene expression and cellular functions. Dysregulation of these interactions has been increasingly linked to the pathogenesis of human diseases. High-throughput approaches to identify RNA-binding proteins and their binding sites on RNA — in particular, ultraviolet crosslinking followed by immunoprecipitation (CLIP) — have helped to map the RNA interactome, yielding transcriptome-wide protein–RNA atlases that have contributed to key mechanistic insights into gene expression and gene-regulatory networks. Here, we review these recent advances, explore the effects of cellular context on RNA binding, and discuss how these insights are shaping our understanding of cellular biology. We also review the potential therapeutic applications arising from new knowledge of protein–RNA interactions.

蛋白质-RNA 相互作用是所有 RNA 加工事件的核心，在基因表达和细胞功能的调节中起着关键作用。这些相互作用的失调与人类疾病的发病机制越来越相关。鉴定 RNA 结合蛋白及其在 RNA 上的结合位点的高通量方法——特别是紫外交联后免疫沉淀 （CLIP）——有助于绘制 RNA 相互作用组，产生转录组范围的蛋白质-RNA 图谱，这有助于了解基因表达和基因调控网络的关键机制。在这里，我们回顾了这些最新的进展，探讨了细胞环境对 RNA 结合的影响，并讨论了这些见解如何塑造我们对细胞生物学的理解。我们还回顾了蛋白质-RNA 相互作用的新知识带来的潜在治疗应用。