Small Nucleolar RNA Expression Profiling in Cartilage

Osteoarthritis (OA) presents as a change in the articular chondrocyte phenotype. The origin of the phenotype change is poorly understood. Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) direct chemical modification of other RNA substrates and are involved in endoribonucleolytic pre-rRNA processing. They have thereby a role by fine-tuning spliceosome and ribosome function and can thus accommodate changing requirements for protein synthesis in OA. Here we describe both targeted and global methods for snoRNA isolation and quantification from whole cartilage.