β-Pseudouridine

β-Pseudouridine (CAS No.: 1445-07-4) is a naturally occurring modified nucleoside and the C-glycoside isomer of uridine, generated through site-specific isomerization of uridine residues in RNA by pseudouridine synthases and widely distributed across tRNA and rRNA in bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes. As the most abundant RNA modification in non-coding RNA, β-pseudouridine plays a critical role in stabilizing local RNA secondary and tertiary structures, thereby enhancing the fidelity and efficiency of key processes such as mRNA decoding, ribosome assembly, RNA processing, and translation. Functionally, it contributes to the fine-tuning of RNA structural dynamics and has been implicated in modulating translational control, including the suppression of aberrant protein synthesis through pseudouridine-containing tRNA-derived fragments. Mechanistically, its effects are mediated through alterations in hydrogen bonding and base stacking interactions within RNA, rather than direct engagement with classical protein targets or signaling pathways. In vitro studies indicate that β-pseudouridine can exert protective effects against genotoxic stress, such as reducing X-ray-induced chromosomal aberrations in human lymphocytes in a dose-dependent manner, with activity generally observed across low micromolar to higher concentration ranges depending on the experimental system. This compound is widely utilized in biochemical and molecular biology research to investigate RNA modification biology, epitranscriptomic regulation, and translational fidelity, as well as in emerging studies of disease mechanisms, including hematological malignancies. Experimental applications typically involve its incorporation into RNA or treatment of cell-based systems, with concentrations or dosing regimens tailored to specific assay conditions and research objectives.