Identification of a conserved RNA structure in the TNFRSF1A 3'UTR: Implications for post-transcriptional regulation

Tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily 1A gene (TNFRSF1A) encodes the TNFR1 protein, a critical regulator of inflammation implicated in various diseases. Using ScanFold with the Integrative Genomics Viewer (IGV) GUI, we identified novel RNA structural elements within the TNFRSF1A gene. Focusing on the 3UTR, these structures were characterized using reporter assays and targeted DMS-MaPseq. We identified a structured region that may play a role in regulating TNFR1 translation and that was also found to associate with HuR, a key regulatory RNA-binding protein. These findings provide a framework for identifying and characterizing potential functional RNA structures in therapeutically relevant genes, suggesting a new layer of post-transcriptional regulation for TNFR1 expression.