Quantitative RNA modification mapping by mass spectrometry with isobaric tags and nucleobase fragment analysis
RNA modifications regulate RNA stability, translation, stress responses, and disease processes, yet their function remains poorly understood due to technical limitations in sequence analysis. Here, we present an RNA-specific isobaric tandem mass tagging (RMT) platform for omic-scale quantitative mapping of RNA modifications. The platform combines RNA-specific tags adapted from proteomics with an end-to-end workflow spanning sample preparation through data processing. Validation using synthetic oligonucleotides and total tRNA from Pseudomonas aeruginosa yielded reproducible quantification, with coefficients of variation below 5%. Together with nucleobase fragment analysis, we identified and quantified 24 RNA modifications in PA14 tRNAs, including previously undescribed m2A38 and Gm/Cm39, and assigned their corresponding writer enzymes. Further analyses of tRNAs from writer knockout strains and stressed cells revealed dynamic modification patterns, modification interdependencies, and their potential roles in stress adaptation. This method provides a robust, cost-effective platform for quantitative RNA modification mapping, enabling deeper biological insights. The locations and levels of RNA modifications are key to understanding their biological functions. Here, the authors develop proteomics-style, RNA-specific isobaric tandem mass tags for quantitative RNA modification mapping by mass spectrometry, revealing condition-dependent changes and interdependencies among modification pathways.