Molecular cloning and characterization of Nop25, a novel nucleolar RNA binding protein, highly conserved in vertebrate species

Protein expression of nucleolar protein 12 in the retina and its implication in protection of retina from UV irradiation damage

Nucleolar protein 12 (NOL12), one of the nucleolar proteins which are primarily expressed in the nucleolus and play key roles in RNA metabolism, cell proliferation, cell cycle, and cell survival, is widely expressed in various species and multiple organs. Although it has been reported that the mRNA of Drosophila NOL12 homolog viriato is expressed in the eyes of Drosophila, the protein expression of NOL12 in mammalian eyes remains to be elucidated. In this study, we showed through immunohistochemistry that NOL12 was present in the rat retina, with predominant distribution in the cytoplasm of the retinal neuronal cells. In the human retinoblastoma cell line WERI-Rb1, we found that altering NOL12 expression led to a change in WERI-Rb1 cell viability. Knocking down NOL12 expression decreased cell viability. In contrast, overexpressing NOL12 increased cell viability. Furthermore, increasing NOL12 expression inhibited ultraviolet (UV)-induced apoptosis. These findings demonstrated that NOL12 may play an important protective role in retinal cells. In the WERI-Rb1 cells exposed to UV irradiation, we detected that NOL12 was degraded, but this degradation could be attenuated by a pan-Caspase inhibitor. Notably, the inhibitory effect of NOL12 against UV-induced apoptosis could be restrained by increasing the expression of ATR serine/threonine kinase (ATR), a kinase that, when activated by severe DNA damage, can result in apoptosis. We also found that upregulating NOL12 inhibited the activation of ATR caused by UV irradiation. Additionally, inhibiting ATR activity reduced apoptosis resulting from both silencing NOL12 expression and UV exposure. Thus, NOL12 may protect against UV irradiation-induced retinal damage by inhibiting ATR activity.

The human cellular protein NoL12 is a specific partner of the HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein NCp7

The human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) nucleocapsid protein (NCp7) is a nucleic acid chaperone protein with two highly conserved zinc fingers. To exert its key roles in the viral cycle, NCp7 interacts with several host proteins. Among them, the human NoL12 protein (hNoL12) was previously identified in genome wide screens as a potential partner of NCp7. hNoL12 is a highly conserved 25 kDa nucleolar RNA-binding protein implicated in the 5'end processing of ribosomal RNA in the nucleolus and thus in the assembly and maturation of ribosomes. In this work, we confirmed the NCp7/hNoL12 interaction in cells by Förster resonance energy transfer visualized by Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy and co-immunoprecipitation. The interaction between NCp7 and hNoL12 was found to strongly depend on their both binding to RNA, as shown by the loss of interaction when the cell lysates were pretreated with RNase. Deletion mutants of hNoL12 were tested for their co-immunoprecipitation with NCp7, leading to the identification of the exonuclease domain of hNoL12 as the binding domain for NCp7. Finally, the interaction with hNoL12 was found to be specific of the mature NCp7 and to require NCp7 basic residues. IMPORTANCE HIV-1 mature nucleocapsid (NCp7) results from the maturation of the Gag precursor in the viral particle and is thus mostly abundant in the first phase of the infection which ends with the genomic viral DNA integration in the cell genome. Most if not all the nucleocapsid partners identified so far are not specific of the mature form. We described here the specific interaction in the nucleolus between NCp7 and the human nucleolar protein 12, a protein implicated in ribosomal RNA maturation and DNA damage response. This interaction takes place in the cell nucleolus, a subcellular compartment where NCp7 accumulates. The absence of binding between hNoL12 and Gag makes hNoL12 one of the few known specific cellular partners of NCp7.

Rrp15 affects cell cycle, proliferation, and apoptosis in NIH3T3 cells

Riken 2810430M08 (hereinafter referred to as Rrp15) is a newly identified and reported gene from the mouse genome. In our previous work, we found that the gene had a relationship with the proliferation and activation of T cells. Rrp15 protein is highly homologous with RRP15 (budding yeast), which has an important role in ribosomal RNA processing. We explored the potential function of Rrp15 in apoptosis, cell proliferation, and its involvement with RNA in the nucleus. We constructed a knockdown of the Rrp15 gene in NIH3T3 cells and then performed real-time PCR, western blotting, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence to determine the function of the Rrp15 gene. Knockdown of the Rrp15 gene suppresses proliferation and induces apoptosis. We also found that the Rrp15 protein was normally distributed in the nucleus and bound to RNA or pre-RNA in the nucleus. Additionally, Rrp15 altered the activity of the 20S proteasome. Rrp15 promotes proliferation and inhibits apoptosis in NIH3T3 cells and may have a relationship with RNA in the nucleus.

Rrp17p is a eukaryotic exonuclease required for 5' end processing of Pre-60S ribosomal RNA

Ribosomal processing requires a series of endo- and exonucleolytic steps for the production of mature ribosomes, of which most have been described. To ensure ribosome synthesis, 3′ end formation of rRNA uses multiple nucleases acting in parallel; however, a similar parallel mechanism had not been described for 5′ end maturation. Here, we identify Rrp17p as a previously unidentified 5′–3′ exonuclease essential for ribosome biogenesis, functioning with Rat1p in a parallel processing pathway analogous to that of 3′ end formation. Rrp17p is required for efficient exonuclease digestion of the mature 5′ ends of 5.8S_S and 25S rRNAs, contains a catalytic domain close to its N terminus, and is highly conserved among higher eukaryotes, being a member of a family of exonucleases. We show that Rrp17p binds late pre-60S ribosomes, accompanying them from the nucleolus to the nuclear periphery, and provide evidence for physical and functional links between late 60S subunit processing and export.

Cloning and characterization of VIGG, a novel virus-induced grapevine protein, correlated with fruit quality

We report here the identification and characterization of VIGG, a novel virus-induced grapevine protein. Analysis of VIGG expression in grapevine demonstrated that VIGG was constitutively expressed in leaves and stems in virus-infected grapevine, and that VIGG expression was induced by grapevine virus A (GVA) infection, but not by infection with other viruses. The virus-induced expression profile of VIGG was supported by the finding that virus-free meristem cultures prepared from virus-infected grapevines did not express VIGG. An experiment using GFP-VIGG fusion protein demonstrated that VIGG might be localized in or around the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Treatment of grapevine cells with ER stress inducers resulted in the induction of VIGG expression. Berries from VIGG-expressing grapevines had higher organic acid and phenolic contents than those from control grapevines that did not express VIGG. Interestingly, fruit composition of a grapevine that was simultaneously infected by GVA and grapevine virus B (GVB), which did not express VIGG, was significantly different from that of GVA-infected grapevines expressing VIGG, suggesting that the effector of fruit composition alteration might be VIGG expression, but not GVA infection. Taken together, VIGG expression might suppress the decrease in organic acid content and increase phenol content in berries. Further investigation of the biological function of VIGG is expected to provide new information on the fruit quality of grapevines.

Nucleolar protein Nop25 is involved in nucleolar architecture

Nop25 is a putative RNA binding nucleolar protein associated with rRNA transcription. The present study was undertaken to determine the crucial function of Nop25 in the nucleolus. When N-terminal amino acids of Nop25 were overexpressed as a dominant negative effector in cells, the nucleolus was fragmented into small components. Knockdown of Nop25 by RNA interference also induced drastic nucleolar fragmentation. These results suggest that Nop25 is involved in nucleolar architecture and maintenance. Although nucleolar fragmentation induced the dispersion of nucleolar proteins from the nucleolus, it did not lead to cell cycle arrest or apoptosis, suggesting no effect of nucleolar fragmentation on the transcription and processing of rRNA molecules and subsequent ribosome biogenesis. Studies on Nop25 may provide new information on nucleolar organization related to nucleolar architecture and function.