Single-cell transfer RNA sequencing reveals principles of translational regulation

sctRNA-seq profiles 364,841 cells and shows tRNA composition shifts with mRNA programs, revealing distinct tRNA-linked modules tied to metabolic state and Pol III-mediated transcription.

• Why it matters: Multimodal measurements of cellular tRNAs across cell states have been elusive, leaving how tRNA abundance and regulation shape translational control largely undefined.
• What they did: The study developed sctRNA-seq to profile transcriptome-wide mRNA and tRNA abundance in single cells, then used multimodal perturbation screening of protein-coding genes and tRNA loci.
• The result: In hematopoietic multilineage commitment, codon demand is closely matched to tRNA-mediated anticodon composition, and in primary human T cells tRNA-linked regulation partially explains mRNA–protein discordance, including for selenoproteins and transcription factors.

AI summary of the abstract · may contain errors · not medical advice · read the paper.