The genome-wide expression patterns of circular RNAs (circRNAs) are of increasing interest for their potential roles in normal cellular homeostasis, development, and disease. Thousands of circRNAs have been annotated from various species in recent years. Analysis of publically available or user-generated rRNA-depleted total RNA-seq data can be performed to uncover new circRNA expression trends. Here we provide a primer for profiling circRNAs from RNA-seq datasets. The description is tailored for the wet lab scientist with limited or no experience in analyzing RNA-seq data. We begin by describing how to access and interpret circRNA annotations. Next, we cover converting circRNA annotations into junction sequences that are used as scaffolds to align RNA-seq reads. Lastly, we visit quantifying circRNA expression trends from the alignment data.
Keywords: Circular RNAs; Expression analysis; Ribo-depleted total RNA-seq; circRNA.