A multitasking Argonaute: exploring the many facets of C. elegans CSR-1

Comparative structural insights and functional analysis for the distinct unbound states of Human AGO proteins

The four human Argonaute (AGO) proteins, critical in RNA interference and gene regulation, exhibit high sequence and structural similarity but differ functionally. We investigated the underexplored structural relationships of these paralogs through microsecond-scale molecular dynamics simulations. Our findings reveal that AGO proteins adopt similar, yet unsynchronized, open-close states. We observed similar and unique local conformations, interdomain distances and intramolecular interactions. Conformational differences at GW182/ZSWIM8 interaction sites and in catalytic/pseudo-catalytic tetrads were minimal. Tetrads display conserved movements, interacting with distant miRNA binding residues. We pinpointed long common protein subsequences with consistent molecular movement but varying solvent accessibility per AGO. We observed diverse conformational patterns at the post-transcriptional sites of the AGOs, except for AGO4. By combining simulation data with large datasets of experimental structures and AlphaFold's predictions, we identified proteins with genomic and proteomic similarities. Some of the identified proteins operate in the mitosis pathway, sharing mitosis-related interactors and miRNA targets. Additionally, we suggest that AGOs interact with a mitosis initiator, zinc ion, by predicting potential binding sites and detecting structurally similar proteins with the same function. These findings further advance our understanding for the human AGO protein family and their role in central cellular processes.

Argonaute protein CSR-1 restricts localization of holocentromere protein HCP-3, the C. elegans CENP-A homolog

Chromosome segregation errors caused by centromere malfunction can lead to chromosome instability and aneuploidy. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the Argonaute protein CSR-1 is essential for proper chromosome segregation, although the specific mechanisms are not fully understood. Here, we investigated how CSR-1 regulates centromere and kinetochore function in C. elegans embryos. We found that depletion of CSR-1 results in defects in mitotic progression and chromosome positioning relative to the spindle pole. Knockdown of CSR-1 does not affect mRNA and protein levels of the centromeric histone H3 variant and CENP-A homolog HCP-3 but does increase the localization of HCP-3 and some kinetochore proteins to the mitotic chromosomes. Such elevation of HCP-3 chromatin localization depends on EGO-1, which is an upstream factor in the CSR-1 RNA interference (RNAi) pathway, and PIWI domain activity of CSR-1. Our results suggest that CSR-1 restricts the level of HCP-3 at the holocentromeres, prevents erroneous kinetochore assembly and thereby promotes accurate chromosome segregation. Our work sheds light on the role of CSR-1 in regulating deposition of HCP-3 on chromatin and centromere function in embryos.

RNAi-dependent expression of sperm genes in ADL chemosensory neurons is required for olfactory responses in Caenorhabditis elegans

Environmental conditions experienced early in the life of an animal can result in gene expression changes later in its life history. We have previously shown that C. elegans animals that experienced the developmentally arrested and stress resistant dauer stage (postdauers) retain a cellular memory of early-life stress that manifests during adulthood as genome-wide changes in gene expression, chromatin states, and altered life history traits. One consequence of developmental reprogramming in C. elegans postdauer adults is the downregulation of osm-9 TRPV channel gene expression in the ADL chemosensory neurons resulting in reduced avoidance to a pheromone component, ascr#3. This altered response to ascr#3 requires the principal effector of the somatic nuclear RNAi pathway, the Argonaute (AGO) NRDE-3. To investigate the role of the somatic nuclear RNAi pathway in regulating the developmental reprogramming of ADL due to early-life stress, we profiled the mRNA transcriptome of control and postdauer ADL in wild-type and nrde-3 mutant adults. We found 711 differentially expressed (DE) genes between control and postdauer ADL neurons, 90% of which are dependent upon NRDE-3. Additionally, we identified a conserved sequence that is enriched in the upstream regulatory sequences of the NRDE-3-dependent differentially expressed genes. Surprisingly, 214 of the ADL DE genes are considered "germline-expressed", including 21 genes encoding the Major Sperm Proteins and two genes encoding the sperm-specific PP1 phosphatases, GSP-3 and GSP-4. Loss of function mutations in gsp-3 resulted in both aberrant avoidance and attraction behaviors. We also show that an AGO pseudogene, Y49F6A.1 (wago-11), is expressed in ADL and is required for ascr#3 avoidance. Overall, our results suggest that small RNAs and reproductive genes program the ADL mRNA transcriptome during their developmental history and highlight a nexus between neuronal and reproductive networks in calibrating animal neuroplasticity.

Invertebrate Immunity, Natural Transplantation Immunity, Somatic and Germ Cell Parasitism, and Transposon Defense

While the vertebrate immune system consists of innate and adaptive branches, invertebrates only have innate immunity. This feature makes them an ideal model system for studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms of innate immunity sensu stricto without reciprocal interferences from adaptive immunity. Although invertebrate immunity is evolutionarily older and a precursor of vertebrate immunity, it is far from simple. Despite lacking lymphocytes and functional immunoglobulin, the invertebrate immune system has many sophisticated mechanisms and features, such as long-term immune memory, which, for decades, have been exclusively attributed to adaptive immunity. In this review, we describe the cellular and molecular aspects of invertebrate immunity, including the epigenetic foundation of innate memory, the transgenerational inheritance of immunity, genetic immunity against invading transposons, the mechanisms of self-recognition, natural transplantation, and germ/somatic cell parasitism.

Analysis of the C. elegans Germline Stem Cell Pool

The Caenorhabditis elegans germline is an excellent model for studying the genetic and molecular regulation of stem cell self-renewal and progression of cells from a stem cell state to a differentiated state. The germline tissue is organized in an assembly line with the germline stem cell (GSC) pool at one end and differentiated gametes at the other. A simple mesenchymal niche caps the GSC pool and maintains GSCs in an undifferentiated state by signaling through the conserved Notch pathway. Notch signaling activates transcription of the key GSC regulators lst-1 and sygl-1 proteins in a gradient through the GSC pool. LST-1 and SYGL-1 proteins work with PUF RNA regulators in a self-renewal hub to maintain the GSC pool. In this chapter, we present methods for characterizing the C. elegans GSC pool and early stages of germ cell differentiation. The methods include examination of germlines in living and fixed worms, cell cycle analysis, and analysis of markers. We also discuss assays to separate mutant phenotypes that affect the stem cell vs. differentiation decision from those that affect germ cell processes more generally.

Small RNAs and their protein partners in animal meiosis

Meiosis is characterized by highly regulated transitions in gene expression that require diverse mechanisms of gene regulation. For example, in male mammals, transcription undergoes a global shut-down in early prophase I of meiosis, followed by increasing transcriptional activity into pachynema. Later, as spermiogenesis proceeds, the histones bound to DNA are replaced with transition proteins, which are themselves replaced with protamines, resulting in a highly condensed nucleus with repressed transcriptional activity. In addition, two specialized gene silencing events take place during prophase I: meiotic silencing of unsynapsed chromatin (MSUC), and the sex chromatin specific mechanism, meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI). Notably, conserved roles for the RNA binding protein (RBP) machinery that functions with small non-coding RNAs have been described as participating in these meiosis-specific mechanisms, suggesting that RNA-mediated gene regulation is critical for fertility in many species. Here, we review roles of small RNAs and their associated RBPs in meiosis-related processes such as centromere function, silencing of unpaired chromatin and meiotic recombination. We will discuss the emerging evidence of non-canonical functions of these components in meiosis.

Harnessing model organism genomics to underpin the machine learning-based prediction of essential genes in eukaryotes - Biotechnological implications

The availability of high-quality genomes and advances in functional genomics have enabled large-scale studies of essential genes in model eukaryotes, including the 'elegant worm' (Caenorhabditis elegans; Nematoda) and the 'vinegar fly' (Drosophila melanogaster; Arthropoda). However, this is not the case for other, much less-studied organisms, such as socioeconomically important parasites, for which functional genomic platforms usually do not exist. Thus, there is a need to develop innovative techniques or approaches for the prediction, identification and investigation of essential genes. A key approach that could enable the prediction of such genes is machine learning (ML). Here, we undertake an historical review of experimental and computational approaches employed for the characterisation of essential genes in eukaryotes, with a particular focus on model ecdysozoans (C. elegans and D. melanogaster), and discuss the possible applicability of ML-approaches to organisms such as socioeconomically important parasites. We highlight some recent results showing that high-performance ML, combined with feature engineering, allows a reliable prediction of essential genes from extensive, publicly available 'omic data sets, with major potential to prioritise such genes (with statistical confidence) for subsequent functional genomic validation. These findings could 'open the door' to fundamental and applied research areas. Evidence of some commonality in the essential gene-complement between these two organisms indicates that an ML-engineering approach could find broader applicability to ecdysozoans such as parasitic nematodes or arthropods, provided that suitably large and informative data sets become/are available for proper feature engineering, and for the robust training and validation of algorithms. This area warrants detailed exploration to, for example, facilitate the identification and characterisation of essential molecules as novel targets for drugs and vaccines against parasitic diseases. This focus is particularly important, given the substantial impact that such diseases have worldwide, and the current challenges associated with their prevention and control and with drug resistance in parasite populations.

Two isoforms of the essential C. elegans Argonaute CSR-1 differentially regulate sperm and oocyte fertility

The Caenorhabditis elegans genome encodes nineteen functional Argonaute proteins that use 22G-RNAs, 26G-RNAs, miRNAs or piRNAs to regulate target transcripts. Only one Argonaute is essential under normal laboratory conditions: CSR-1. While CSR-1 has been studied widely, nearly all studies have overlooked the fact that the csr-1 locus encodes two isoforms. These isoforms differ by an additional 163 amino acids present in the N-terminus of CSR-1a. Using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to introduce GFP::3xFLAG into the long (CSR-1a) and short (CSR-1b) isoforms, we found that CSR-1a is expressed during spermatogenesis and in several somatic tissues, including the intestine. CSR-1b is expressed constitutively in the germline. small RNA sequencing of CSR-1 complexes shows that they interact with partly overlapping sets of 22G-RNAs. Phenotypic analyses reveal that the essential functions of csr-1 described in the literature coincide with CSR-1b, while CSR-1a plays tissue specific functions. During spermatogenesis, CSR-1a integrates into an sRNA regulatory network including ALG-3, ALG-4 and WAGO-10 that is necessary for fertility at 25°C. In the intestine, CSR-1a silences immunity and pathogen-responsive genes, and its loss results in improved survival from the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Our findings functionally distinguish the CSR-1 isoforms and highlight the importance of studying each AGO isoform independently.

Predicting gene essentiality in Caenorhabditis elegans by feature engineering and machine-learning

Defining genes that are essential for life has major implications for understanding critical biological processes and mechanisms. Although essential genes have been identified and characterised experimentally using functional genomic tools, it is challenging to predict with confidence such genes from molecular and phenomic data sets using computational methods. Using extensive data sets available for the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, we constructed here a machine-learning (ML)-based workflow for the prediction of essential genes on a genome-wide scale. We identified strong predictors for such genes and showed that trained ML models consistently achieve highly-accurate classifications. Complementary analyses revealed an association between essential genes and chromosomal location. Our findings reveal that essential genes in C. elegans tend to be located in or near the centre of autosomal chromosomes; are positively correlated with low single nucleotide polymorphim (SNP) densities and epigenetic markers in promoter regions; are involved in protein and nucleotide processing; are transcribed in most cells; are enriched in reproductive tissues or are targets for small RNAs bound to the argonaut CSR-1. Based on these results, we hypothesise an interplay between epigenetic markers and small RNA pathways in the germline, with transcription-based memory; this hypothesis warrants testing. From a technical perspective, further work is needed to evaluate whether the present ML-based approach will be applicable to other metazoans (including Drosophila melanogaster) for which comprehensive data sets (i.e. genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, variomic, epigenetic and phenomic) are available.

The TRIM-NHL protein NHL-2 is a co-factor in the nuclear and somatic RNAi pathways in C. elegans

Proper regulation of germline gene expression is essential for fertility and maintaining species integrity. In the C. elegans germline, a diverse repertoire of regulatory pathways promote the expression of endogenous germline genes and limit the expression of deleterious transcripts to maintain genome homeostasis. Here we show that the conserved TRIM-NHL protein, NHL-2, plays an essential role in the C. elegans germline, modulating germline chromatin and meiotic chromosome organization. We uncover a role for NHL-2 as a co-factor in both positively (CSR-1) and negatively (HRDE-1) acting germline 22G-small RNA pathways and the somatic nuclear RNAi pathway. Furthermore, we demonstrate that NHL-2 is a bona fide RNA binding protein and, along with RNA-seq data point to a small RNA independent role for NHL-2 in regulating transcripts at the level of RNA stability. Collectively, our data implicate NHL-2 as an essential hub of gene regulatory activity in both the germline and soma.

Small RNAs and extracellular vesicles in filarial nematodes: From nematode development to diagnostics

Parasitic nematodes have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to communicate with their hosts in order to survive and successfully establish an infection. The transfer of RNA within extracellular vesicles (EVs) has recently been described as a mechanism that could contribute to this communication in filarial nematodes. It has been shown that these EVs are loaded with several types of RNAs, including microRNAs, leading to the hypothesis that parasites could actively use these molecules to manipulate host gene expression and to the exciting prospect that these pathways could result in new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Here, we review the literature on the diverse RNAi pathways that operate in nematodes and more specifically our current knowledge of extracellular RNA (exRNA) and EVs derived from filarial nematodes in vitro and within their hosts. We further detail some of the issues and questions related to the capacity of RNA-mediated communication to function in parasite-host interactions and the ability of exRNA to enable us to distinguish and detect different nematode parasites in their hosts.

Analysis of the C. elegans Germline Stem Cell Pool

The Caenorhabditis elegans germline is an excellent model for studying the regulation of a pool of stem cells and progression of cells from a stem cell state to a differentiated state. At the tissue level, the germline is organized in an assembly line with the germline stem cell (GSC) pool at one end and differentiated cells at the other. A simple mesenchymal niche caps the GSC region of the germline and maintains GSCs in an undifferentiated state by signaling through the conserved Notch pathway. Downstream of Notch signaling, key regulators include novel LST-1 and SYGL-1 proteins and a network of RNA regulatory proteins. In this chapter we present methods for characterizing the C. elegans GSC pool and early germ cell differentiation. The methods include examination of the germline in living and fixed worms, cell cycle analysis, and analysis of markers. We also discuss assays to separate mutants that affect the stem cell vs. differentiation decision from those that affect germ cell processes more generally.

A Method for Obtaining Large Populations of Synchronized Caenorhabditis elegans Dauer Larvae

The C. elegans dauer is an attractive model with which to investigate fundamental biological questions, such as how environmental cues are sensed and are translated into developmental decisions through a series of signaling cascades that ultimately result in a transformed animal. Here we describe a simple method of using egg white plates to obtain highly synchronized purified dauers that can be used in downstream applications requiring large quantities of dauers or postdauer animals.

Context-dependent regulation of Dicer activity and small RNA production: Implications to oocyte-to-embryo transition

Cellular and molecular mechanisms that suppress small RNAs in oocytes while maintaining them in zygotes remain unknown. Signal-mediated regulation of small RNA biogenesis pathway is emerging as a theme for regulating small RNA production. We recently reported that ERK-mediated phosphorylation of Dicer, a central player in small RNA biogenesis, induced Dicer to move from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Dicer phosphorylation inhibited its function, e.g., the production of 26G endo-siRNAs in the female germline. Moreover, our findings showed that the inhibition of Dicer function was necessary for normal progression of meiosis I and oogenesis, and that Dicer function had to be restored before fertilization for normal progression of embryogenesis. Thus, extracellular signal-dependent inhibition and then reactivation of Dicer is essential for oocyte-to-embryo transition. Strikingly, signal-induced Dicer translocation from the cytoplasm to nucleus is evolutionarily conserved from worm, flies, mice to humans thereby suggesting the ERK-mediated control of Dicer activity may be a generalized mechanism for regulating small RNA biogenesis.

Comparative functional characterization of the CSR-1 22G-RNA pathway in Caenorhabditis nematodes

As a champion of small RNA research for two decades, Caenorhabditis elegans has revealed the essential Argonaute CSR-1 to play key nuclear roles in modulating chromatin, chromosome segregation and germline gene expression via 22G-small RNAs. Despite CSR-1 being preserved among diverse nematodes, the conservation and divergence in function of the targets of small RNA pathways remains poorly resolved. Here we apply comparative functional genomic analysis between C. elegans and Caenorhabditis briggsae to characterize the CSR-1 pathway, its targets and their evolution. C. briggsae CSR-1-associated small RNAs that we identified by immunoprecipitation-small RNA sequencing overlap with 22G-RNAs depleted in cbr-csr-1 RNAi-treated worms. By comparing 22G-RNAs and target genes between species, we defined a set of CSR-1 target genes with conserved germline expression, enrichment in operons and more slowly evolving coding sequences than other genes, along with a small group of evolutionarily labile targets. We demonstrate that the association of CSR-1 with chromatin is preserved, and show that depletion of cbr-csr-1 leads to chromosome segregation defects and embryonic lethality. This first comparative characterization of a small RNA pathway in Caenorhabditis establishes a conserved nuclear role for CSR-1 and highlights its key role in germline gene regulation across multiple animal species.

From early lessons to new frontiers: the worm as a treasure trove of small RNA biology

In the past 20 years, the tiny soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has provided critical insights into our understanding of the breadth of small RNA-mediated gene regulatory activities. The first microRNA was identified in C. elegans in 1993, and the understanding that dsRNA was the driving force behind RNA-mediated gene silencing came from experiments performed in C. elegans in 1998. Likewise, early genetic screens in C. elegans for factors involved in RNA interference pointed to conserved mechanisms for small RNA-mediated gene silencing pathways, placing the worm squarely among the founding fathers of a now extensive field of molecular biology. Today, the worm continues to be at the forefront of ground-breaking insight into small RNA-mediated biology. Recent studies have revealed with increasing mechanistic clarity that C. elegans possesses an extensive nuclear small RNA regulatory network that encompasses not only gene silencing but also gene activating roles. Further, a portrait is emerging whereby small RNA pathways play key roles in integrating responses to environmental stimuli and transmitting epigenetic information about such responses from one generation to the next. Here we discuss endogenous small RNA pathways in C. elegans and the insight worm biology has provided into the mechanisms employed by these pathways. We touch on the increasingly spectacular diversity of small RNA biogenesis and function, and discuss the relevance of lessons learned in the worm for human biology.

The RNA binding domain of Pumilio antagonizes poly-adenosine binding protein and accelerates deadenylation

PUF proteins are potent repressors that serve important roles in stem cell maintenance, neurological processes, and embryonic development. These functions are driven by PUF protein recognition of specific binding sites within the 3' untranslated regions of target mRNAs. In this study, we investigated mechanisms of repression by the founding PUF, Drosophila Pumilio, and its human orthologs. Here, we evaluated a previously proposed model wherein the Pumilio RNA binding domain (RBD) binds Argonaute, which in turn blocks the translational activity of the eukaryotic elongation factor 1A. Surprisingly, we found that Argonautes are not necessary for repression elicited by Drosophila and human PUFs in vivo. A second model proposed that the RBD of Pumilio represses by recruiting deadenylases to shorten the mRNA's polyadenosine tail. Indeed, the RBD binds to the Pop2 deadenylase and accelerates deadenylation; however, this activity is not crucial for regulation. Rather, we determined that the poly(A) is necessary for repression by the RBD. Our results reveal that poly(A)-dependent repression by the RBD requires the poly(A) binding protein, pAbp. Furthermore, we show that repression by the human PUM2 RBD requires the pAbp ortholog, PABPC1. Pumilio associates with pAbp but does not disrupt binding of pAbp to the mRNA. Taken together, our data support a model wherein the Pumilio RBD antagonizes the ability of pAbp to promote translation. Thus, the conserved function of the PUF RBD is to bind specific mRNAs, antagonize pAbp function, and promote deadenylation.

The influences of PRG-1 on the expression of small RNAs and mRNAs

Background

In metazoans, Piwi-related Argonaute proteins play important roles in maintaining germline integrity and fertility and have been linked to a class of germline-enriched small RNAs termed piRNAs. Caenorhabditis elegans encodes two Piwi family proteins called PRG-1 and PRG-2, and PRG-1 interacts with the C. elegans piRNAs (21U-RNAs). Previous studies found that mutation of prg-1 causes a marked reduction in the expression of 21U-RNAs, temperature-sensitive defects in fertility and other phenotypic defects.

Results

In this study, we wanted to systematically demonstrate the function of PRG-1 in the regulation of small RNAs and their targets. By analyzing small RNAs and mRNAs with and without a mutation in prg-1 during C. elegans development, we demonstrated that (1) mutation of prg-1 leads to a decrease in the expression of 21U-RNAs, and causes 35 ~ 40% of miRNAs to be down-regulated; (2) in C. elegans, approximately 3% (6% in L4) of protein-coding genes are differentially expressed after mutating prg-1, and 60 ~ 70% of these substantially altered protein-coding genes are up-regulated; (3) the target genes of the down-regulated miRNAs and the candidate target genes of the down-regulated 21U-RNAs are enriched in the up-regulated protein-coding genes; and (4) PRG-1 regulates protein-coding genes by down-regulating small RNAs (miRNAs and 21U-RNAs) that target genes that participate in the development of C. elegans.

Conclusions

In prg-1-mutated C. elegans, the expression of miRNAs and 21U-RNAs was reduced, and the protein-coding targets, which were associated with the development of C. elegans, were up-regulated. This may be the mechanism underlying PRG-1 function.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-321) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Protection of germline gene expression by the C. elegans Argonaute CSR-1

In Caenorhabditis elegans, the Piwi-interacting small RNA (piRNA)-mediated germline surveillance system encodes more than 30,000 unique 21-nucleotide piRNAs, which silence a variety of foreign nucleic acids. What mechanisms allow endogenous germline-expressed transcripts to evade silencing by the piRNA pathway? One likely candidate in a protective mechanism is the Argonaute CSR-1, which interacts with 22G-small RNAs that are antisense to nearly all germline-expressed genes. Here, we use an in vivo RNA tethering assay to demonstrate that the recruitment of CSR-1 to a transcript licenses expression of the transcript, protecting it from piRNA-mediated silencing. Licensing occurs mainly at the level of transcription, as we observe changes in pre-mRNA levels consistent with transcriptional activation when CSR-1 is tethered. Furthermore, the recruitment of CSR-1 to a previously silenced locus transcriptionally activates its expression. Together, these results demonstrate a rare positive role for an endogenous Argonaute pathway in heritably licensing and protecting germline transcripts.