Genome-wide Analysis of Drosophila Circular RNAs Reveals Their Structural and Sequence Properties and Age-Dependent Neural Accumulation

Circularization was recently recognized to broadly expand transcriptome complexity. Here, we exploit massive Drosophila total RNA-sequencing data, >5 billion paired-end reads from >100 libraries covering diverse developmental stages, tissues, and cultured cells, to rigorously annotate >2,500 fruit fly circular RNAs. These mostly derive from back-splicing of protein-coding genes and lack poly(A) tails, and the circularization of hundreds of genes is conserved across multiple Drosophila species. We elucidate structural and sequence properties of Drosophila circular RNAs, which exhibit commonalities and distinctions from mammalian circles. Notably, Drosophila circular RNAs harbor >1,000 well-conserved canonical…

• UD
  U.S. Department of Energy

  Awards: R01-GM95296, U54-HG006994, R01-GM083300, R01-NS083833, DE-AC02-05CH11231, 1004721
• BW
  Burroughs Wellcome Fund

  Awards: R01-GM95296, U54-HG006994, R01-GM083300, 1004721, R01-NS083833, DE-AC02-05CH11231
• SS
  Svenska Sällskapet för Medicinsk Forskning

  Awards: R01-GM083300, R01-NS083833, R01-GM95296, 1004721, DE-AC02-05CH11231, U54-HG006994
• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Awards: U54-HG006994, R01-NS083833, R01-GM95296, R01-GM083300, 1004721, DE-AC02-05CH11231
• CI
  Canadian Institutes of Health Research

  Awards: 1004721, DE-AC02-05CH11231, U54-HG006994, R01-GM95296, R01-GM083300, R01-NS083833
• NH
  National Human Genome Research Institute

  Awards: 1004721, DE-AC02-05CH11231, R01-NS083833, U54-HG006994, R01-GM083300, R01-GM95296