A refined Saccharomyces cerevisiae reference transcriptome from Direct RNA Sequencing, with a reusable pipeline for UTR annotation updates.

Direct RNA Sequencing refines the Saccharomyces cerevisiae reference transcriptome by adding UTRs to 5% and 3% of genes and extending boundaries in nearly 29% and 19% of cases.

• Why it matters: Accurate UTR annotation is crucial for understanding mRNA regulation, but short-read sequencing leaves about one quarter of transcripts without defined UTRs in the gene-dense yeast genome.
• What they did: The study used DRS to generate an updated reference, defining boundaries for 5,682 of 6,607 genes, and developed a reusable pipeline for UTR annotation updates validated on two datasets.
• The result: This approach improves mapping rates, reduces soft-clipping, and produces transcript profiles consistent with genuine signals, enabling more precise transcriptome reconstruction from DRS data.