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Kunder N, de la Peña JB, Lou TF, Chase R, Suresh P, Lawson J, Shukla T, Black B, Campbell ZT. The RNA-Binding Protein HuR Is Integral to the Function of Nociceptors in Mice and Humans. J Neurosci 2022; 42:9129-9141. [PMID: 36270801 PMCID: PMC9761683 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1630-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
HuR is an RNA-binding protein implicated in RNA processing, stability, and translation. Previously, we examined protein synthesis in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons treated with inflammatory mediators using ribosome profiling. We found that the HuR consensus binding element was enriched in transcripts with elevated translation. HuR is expressed in the soma of nociceptors and their axons. Pharmacologic inhibition of HuR with the small molecule CMLD-2 reduced the activity of mouse and human sensory neurons. Peripheral administration of CMLD-2 in the paw or genetic elimination of HuR from sensory neurons diminished behavioral responses associated with NGF- and IL-6-induced allodynia in male and female mice. Genetic disruption of HuR altered the proximity of mRNA decay factors near a key neurotrophic factor (TrkA). Collectively, the data suggest that HuR is required for local control of mRNA stability and reveals a new biological function for a broadly conserved post-transcriptional regulatory factor.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Nociceptors undergo long-lived changes in excitability, which may contribute to chronic pain. Noxious cues that promote pain lead to rapid induction of protein synthesis. The underlying mechanisms that confer specificity to mRNA control in nociceptors are unclear. Here, we identify a conserved RNA-binding protein called HuR as a key regulatory factor in sensory neurons. Using a combination of genetics and pharmacology, we demonstrate that HuR is required for signaling in nociceptors. In doing so, we report an important mechanism of mRNA control in sensory neurons that ensures appropriate nociceptive responses to inflammatory mediators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikesh Kunder
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080
| | - June Bryan de la Peña
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53792
| | - Tzu-Fang Lou
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080
| | - Rebecca Chase
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080
| | - Prarthana Suresh
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080
| | - Jennifer Lawson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854
| | - Tarjani Shukla
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53792
| | - Bryan Black
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854
| | - Zachary T Campbell
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53792
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53792
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2
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Laverty KU, Jolma A, Pour SE, Zheng H, Ray D, Morris Q, Hughes TR. PRIESSTESS: interpretable, high-performing models of the sequence and structure preferences of RNA-binding proteins. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:e111. [PMID: 36018788 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Modelling both primary sequence and secondary structure preferences for RNA binding proteins (RBPs) remains an ongoing challenge. Current models use varied RNA structure representations and can be difficult to interpret and evaluate. To address these issues, we present a universal RNA motif-finding/scanning strategy, termed PRIESSTESS (Predictive RBP-RNA InterpretablE Sequence-Structure moTif regrESSion), that can be applied to diverse RNA binding datasets. PRIESSTESS identifies dozens of enriched RNA sequence and/or structure motifs that are subsequently reduced to a set of core motifs by logistic regression with LASSO regularization. Importantly, these core motifs are easily visualized and interpreted, and provide a measure of RBP secondary structure specificity. We used PRIESSTESS to interrogate new HTR-SELEX data for 23 RBPs with diverse RNA binding modes and captured known primary sequence and secondary structure preferences for each. Moreover, when applying PRIESSTESS to 144 RBPs across 202 RNA binding datasets, 75% showed an RNA secondary structure preference but only 10% had a preference besides unpaired bases, suggesting that most RBPs simply recognize the accessibility of primary sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin U Laverty
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Arttu Jolma
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Sara E Pour
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Hong Zheng
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Debashish Ray
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Quaid Morris
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Computational and Systems Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA
| | - Timothy R Hughes
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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3
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Xie VC, Styles MJ, Dickinson BC. Methods for the directed evolution of biomolecular interactions. Trends Biochem Sci 2022; 47:403-416. [PMID: 35427479 PMCID: PMC9022280 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2022.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Noncovalent interactions between biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids coordinate all cellular processes through changes in proximity. Tools that perturb these interactions are and will continue to be highly valuable for basic and translational scientific endeavors. By taking cues from natural systems, such as the adaptive immune system, we can design directed evolution platforms that can generate proteins that bind to biomolecules of interest. In recent years, the platforms used to direct the evolution of biomolecular binders have greatly expanded the range of types of interactions one can evolve. Herein, we review recent advances in methods to evolve protein-protein, protein-RNA, and protein-DNA interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew J Styles
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Bryan C Dickinson
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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4
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Zhou W, Melamed D, Banyai G, Meyer C, Tuschl T, Wickens M, Cao J, Fields S. Expanding the binding specificity for RNA recognition by a PUF domain. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5107. [PMID: 34429425 PMCID: PMC8384837 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25433-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to design a protein to bind specifically to a target RNA enables numerous applications, with the modular architecture of the PUF domain lending itself to new RNA-binding specificities. For each repeat of the Pumilio-1 PUF domain, we generate a library that contains the 8,000 possible combinations of amino acid substitutions at residues critical for RNA contact. We carry out yeast three-hybrid selections with each library against the RNA recognition sequence for Pumilio-1, with any possible base present at the position recognized by the randomized repeat. We use sequencing to score the binding of each variant, identifying many variants with highly repeat-specific interactions. From these data, we generate an RNA binding code specific to each repeat and base. We use this code to design PUF domains against 16 RNAs, and find that some of these domains recognize RNAs with two, three or four changes from the wild type sequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhou
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA ,grid.34477.330000000122986657Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA ,grid.134907.80000 0001 2166 1519The Rockefeller University, New York, NY USA
| | - Daniel Melamed
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA ,grid.18098.380000 0004 1937 0562Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel ,grid.18098.380000 0004 1937 0562Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Gabor Banyai
- grid.134907.80000 0001 2166 1519The Rockefeller University, New York, NY USA
| | - Cindy Meyer
- grid.134907.80000 0001 2166 1519The Rockefeller University, New York, NY USA
| | - Thomas Tuschl
- grid.134907.80000 0001 2166 1519The Rockefeller University, New York, NY USA
| | - Marvin Wickens
- grid.14003.360000 0001 2167 3675Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | - Junyue Cao
- grid.134907.80000 0001 2166 1519The Rockefeller University, New York, NY USA
| | - Stanley Fields
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA ,grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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5
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Wolfe MB, Schagat TL, Paulsen MT, Magnuson B, Ljungman M, Park D, Zhang C, Campbell ZT, Goldstrohm AC, Freddolino PL. Principles of mRNA control by human PUM proteins elucidated from multimodal experiments and integrative data analysis. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2020; 26:1680-1703. [PMID: 32753408 PMCID: PMC7566576 DOI: 10.1261/rna.077362.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The human PUF-family proteins, PUM1 and PUM2, posttranscriptionally regulate gene expression by binding to a PUM recognition element (PRE) in the 3'-UTR of target mRNAs. Hundreds of PUM1/2 targets have been identified from changes in steady-state RNA levels; however, prior studies could not differentiate between the contributions of changes in transcription and RNA decay rates. We applied metabolic labeling to measure changes in RNA turnover in response to depletion of PUM1/2, showing that human PUM proteins regulate expression almost exclusively by changing RNA stability. We also applied an in vitro selection workflow to precisely identify the binding preferences of PUM1 and PUM2. By integrating our results with prior knowledge, we developed a "rulebook" of key contextual features that differentiate functional versus nonfunctional PREs, allowing us to train machine learning models that accurately predict the functional regulation of RNA targets by the human PUM proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael B Wolfe
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | | | - Michelle T Paulsen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - Brian Magnuson
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - Mats Ljungman
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
- Center for RNA Biomedicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - Daeyoon Park
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
| | - Chi Zhang
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, USA
| | - Zachary T Campbell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, USA
| | - Aaron C Goldstrohm
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
| | - Peter L Freddolino
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
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6
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Ye X, Jankowsky E. High throughput approaches to study RNA-protein interactions in vitro. Methods 2020; 178:3-10. [PMID: 31494245 PMCID: PMC7071787 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2019.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 09/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
To understand the regulation of gene expression it is critical to determine how proteins interact with and discriminate between different RNAs. In this review, we discuss experimental techniques that utilize high throughput approaches to characterize the interactions of proteins with large numbers of RNAs in vitro. We describe the underlying principles for the main methods, briefly discuss their scope and limitations, and outline how insight from the techniques contributes to our understanding of specificity for RNA-protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Ye
- Center for RNA Science and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Eckhard Jankowsky
- Center for RNA Science and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States.
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7
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RNA-centric approaches to study RNA-protein interactions in vitro and in silico. Methods 2020; 178:11-18. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2019.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
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8
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Shukla TN, Song J, Campbell ZT. Molecular entrapment by RNA: an emerging tool for disrupting protein-RNA interactions in vivo. RNA Biol 2020; 17:417-424. [PMID: 31957541 PMCID: PMC7237136 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2020.1717059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/12/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
mRNA function is controlled by RNA-binding proteins. The specificity of RNA-binding factors for their targets is critical in that it enables all subsequent regulation. Despite widespread recognition of the pervasive role RNA-binding proteins play in development and disease, they remain challenging to target with small molecules. A renaissance in RNA therapeutics has led to the identification of modifications that substantially increase RNA stability. When combined with information regarding specificity, a new class of oligonucleotide mimics has emerged as a means to competitively disrupt the regulation of endogenous substrates. These decoys have been used to inhibit RNA-binding proteins in living animals. Decoys will likely provide new insights into the expansive roles of RNA-binding proteins in biology and disease. Here, we describe examples where they have been used and discuss how they could be applied to new targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarjani N. Shukla
- The Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas-Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Jane Song
- The Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas-Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Zachary T. Campbell
- The Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas-Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
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9
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Arvola RM, Chang CT, Buytendorp JP, Levdansky Y, Valkov E, Freddolino PL, Goldstrohm AC. Unique repression domains of Pumilio utilize deadenylation and decapping factors to accelerate destruction of target mRNAs. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:1843-1871. [PMID: 31863588 PMCID: PMC7038932 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz1187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Pumilio is an RNA-binding protein that represses a network of mRNAs to control embryogenesis, stem cell fate, fertility and neurological functions in Drosophila. We sought to identify the mechanism of Pumilio-mediated repression and find that it accelerates degradation of target mRNAs, mediated by three N-terminal Repression Domains (RDs), which are unique to Pumilio orthologs. We show that the repressive activities of the Pumilio RDs depend on specific subunits of the Ccr4-Not (CNOT) deadenylase complex. Depletion of Pop2, Not1, Not2, or Not3 subunits alleviates Pumilio RD-mediated repression of protein expression and mRNA decay, whereas depletion of other CNOT components had little or no effect. Moreover, the catalytic activity of Pop2 deadenylase is important for Pumilio RD activity. Further, we show that the Pumilio RDs directly bind to the CNOT complex. We also report that the decapping enzyme, Dcp2, participates in repression by the N-terminus of Pumilio. These results support a model wherein Pumilio utilizes CNOT deadenylase and decapping complexes to accelerate destruction of target mRNAs. Because the N-terminal RDs are conserved in mammalian Pumilio orthologs, the results of this work broadly enhance our understanding of Pumilio function and roles in diseases including cancer, neurodegeneration and epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- René M Arvola
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Chung-Te Chang
- Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Max-Planck-Ring 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Joseph P Buytendorp
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Yevgen Levdansky
- Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Max-Planck-Ring 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Eugene Valkov
- Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Max-Planck-Ring 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Peter L Freddolino
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Aaron C Goldstrohm
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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10
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Integrative Structural Biology of Protein-RNA Complexes. Structure 2020; 28:6-28. [DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2019.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 11/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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11
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Denny SK, Greenleaf WJ. Linking RNA Sequence, Structure, and Function on Massively Parallel High-Throughput Sequencers. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2019; 11:a032300. [PMID: 30322887 PMCID: PMC6771372 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a032300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
High-throughput sequencing methods have revolutionized our ability to catalog the diversity of RNAs and RNA-protein interactions that can exist in our cells. However, the relationship between RNA sequence, structure, and function is enormously complex, demonstrating the need for methods that can provide quantitative thermodynamic and kinetic measurements of macromolecular interaction with RNA, at a scale commensurate with the sequence diversity of RNA. Here, we discuss a class of methods that extend the core functionality of DNA sequencers to enable high-throughput measurements of RNA folding and RNA-protein interactions. Topics discussed include a description of the method and multiple applications to RNA-binding proteins, riboswitch design and engineering, and RNA tertiary structure energetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K Denny
- Stanford University Department of Genetics, Stanford, California 94305
| | - William J Greenleaf
- Stanford University Department of Genetics, Stanford, California 94305
- Stanford University Department of Applied Physics, Stanford, California 94025
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California 94158
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12
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The target specificity of the RNA binding protein Pumilio is determined by distinct co-factors. Biosci Rep 2019; 39:BSR20190099. [PMID: 31097674 PMCID: PMC6549094 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20190099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Revised: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Puf family proteins are translational regulators essential to a wide range of biological processes, including cell fate specification, stem cell self-renewal, and neural function. Yet, despite being associated with hundreds of RNAs, the underlying mechanisms of Puf target specification remain to be fully elucidated. In Drosophila, Pumilio – a sole Puf family protein – is known to collaborate with cofactors Nanos (Nos) and Brain Tumor (Brat); however, their roles in target specification are not clearly defined. Here, we identify Bag-of-marbles (Bam) as a new Pum cofactor in repression of Mothers against dpp (mad) mRNAs, for which Nos is known to be dispensable. Notably, our data show that Nos (but not Bam) was required for Pum association with hunchback (hb) mRNAs, a well-known target of Pum and Nos. In contrast, Bam (but not Nos) was required for Pum association with mad mRNAs. These findings show for the first time that Pum target specificity is determined not independently but in collaboration with cofactors.
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13
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The role of coevolutionary signatures in protein interaction dynamics, complex inference, molecular recognition, and mutational landscapes. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2019; 56:179-186. [PMID: 31029927 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2019.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2019] [Revised: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Evolution imposes constraints at the interface of interacting biomolecules in order to preserve function or maintain fitness. This pressure may have a direct effect on the sequence composition of interacting biomolecules. As a result, statistical patterns of amino acid or nucleotide covariance that encode for physical and functional interactions are observed in sequences of extant organisms. In recent years, global pairwise models of amino acid and nucleotide coevolution from multiple sequence alignments have been developed and utilized to study molecular interactions in structural biology. In proteins, for which the energy landscape is funneled and minimally frustrated, a direct connection between the physical and sequence space landscapes can be established. Estimating coevolutionary information from sequences of interacting molecules has a broad impact in molecular biology. Applications include the accurate determination of 3D structures of molecular complexes, inference of protein interaction partners, models of protein-protein interaction specificity, the elucidation, and design of protein-nucleic acid recognition as well as the discovery of genome-wide epistatic effects. The current state of the art of coevolutionary analysis includes biomedical applications ranging from mutational landscapes and drug-design to vaccine development.
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14
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Qiu C, Bhat VD, Rajeev S, Zhang C, Lasley AE, Wine RN, Campbell ZT, Hall TMT. A crystal structure of a collaborative RNA regulatory complex reveals mechanisms to refine target specificity. eLife 2019; 8:48968. [PMID: 31397673 PMCID: PMC6697444 DOI: 10.7554/elife.48968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
In the Caenorhabditis elegans germline, fem-3 Binding Factor (FBF) partners with LST-1 to maintain stem cells. A crystal structure of an FBF-2/LST-1/RNA complex revealed that FBF-2 recognizes a short RNA motif different from the characteristic 9-nt FBF binding element, and compact motif recognition coincided with curvature changes in the FBF-2 scaffold. Previously, we engineered FBF-2 to favor recognition of shorter RNA motifs without curvature change (Bhat et al., 2019). In vitro selection of RNAs bound by FBF-2 suggested sequence specificity in the central region of the compact element. This bias, reflected in the crystal structure, was validated in RNA-binding assays. FBF-2 has the intrinsic ability to bind to this shorter motif. LST-1 weakens FBF-2 binding affinity for short and long motifs, which may increase target selectivity. Our findings highlight the role of FBF scaffold flexibility in RNA recognition and suggest a new mechanism by which protein partners refine target site selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Qiu
- Epigenetics and Stem Cell Biology LaboratoryNational Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of HealthResearch Triangle ParkUnited States
| | - Vandita D Bhat
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Texas at DallasRichardsonUnited States
| | - Sanjana Rajeev
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Texas at DallasRichardsonUnited States
| | - Chi Zhang
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Texas at DallasRichardsonUnited States
| | - Alexa E Lasley
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Texas at DallasRichardsonUnited States
| | - Robert N Wine
- Epigenetics and Stem Cell Biology LaboratoryNational Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of HealthResearch Triangle ParkUnited States
| | - Zachary T Campbell
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Texas at DallasRichardsonUnited States
| | - Traci M Tanaka Hall
- Epigenetics and Stem Cell Biology LaboratoryNational Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of HealthResearch Triangle ParkUnited States
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15
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Preparation of cooperative RNA recognition complexes for crystallographic structural studies. Methods Enzymol 2019; 623:1-22. [PMID: 31239042 PMCID: PMC6697268 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2019.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
It is essential that mRNA-binding proteins recognize specific motifs in target mRNAs to control their processing, localization, and expression. Although mRNAs are typically targets of many different regulatory factors, our understanding of how they work together is limited. In some cases, RNA-binding proteins work cooperatively to regulate an mRNA target. A classic example is Drosophila melanogaster Pumilio (Pum) and Nanos (Nos). Pum is a sequence-specific RNA-binding protein. Nos also binds RNA, but interaction with some targets requires Pum to bind first. We recently determined crystal structures of complexes of Pum and Nos with two different target RNA sequences. A crystal structure in complex with the hunchback mRNA element showed how Pum and Nos together can recognize an extended RNA sequence with Nos binding to an A/U-rich sequence 5' of the Pum sequence element. Nos also enables recognition of elements that contain an A/U-rich 5' sequence, but imperfectly match the Pum sequence element. We determined a crystal structure of Pum and Nos in complex with the Cyclin B mRNA element, which demonstrated how Nos clamps the Pum-RNA complex and enables recognition of the imperfect element. Here, we describe methods for expression and purification of stable Pum-Nos-RNA complexes for crystallization, details of the crystallization and structure determination, and guidance on how to analyze protein-RNA structures and evaluate structure-driven hypotheses. We aim to provide tips and guidance that can be applied to other protein-RNA complexes. With hundreds of mRNA-binding proteins identified, combinatorial control is likely to be common, and much work remains to understand them structurally.
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16
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Global pairwise RNA interaction landscapes reveal core features of protein recognition. Nat Commun 2018; 9:2511. [PMID: 29955037 PMCID: PMC6023938 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04729-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA–protein interactions permeate biology. Transcription, translation, and splicing all hinge on the recognition of structured RNA elements by RNA-binding proteins. Models of RNA–protein interactions are generally limited to short linear motifs and structures because of the vast sequence sampling required to access longer elements. Here, we develop an integrated approach that calculates global pairwise interaction scores from in vitro selection and high-throughput sequencing. We examine four RNA-binding proteins of phage, viral, and human origin. Our approach reveals regulatory motifs, discriminates between regulated and non-regulated RNAs within their native genomic context, and correctly predicts the consequence of mutational events on binding activity. We design binding elements that improve binding activity in cells and infer mutational pathways that reveal permissive versus disruptive evolutionary trajectories between regulated motifs. These coupling landscapes are broadly applicable for the discovery and characterization of protein–RNA recognition at single nucleotide resolution. RNA–protein interactions often depend on the recognition of extended RNA elements but the identification of these motifs is challenging. Here, the authors present a global integrated approach to analyze RNA–protein binding landscapes, mapping extended RNA interaction motifs for four RNA-binding proteins.
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Inhibition of Poly(A)-binding protein with a synthetic RNA mimic reduces pain sensitization in mice. Nat Commun 2018; 9:10. [PMID: 29295980 PMCID: PMC5750225 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02449-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Nociceptors rely on cap-dependent translation to rapidly induce protein synthesis in response to pro-inflammatory signals. Comparatively little is known regarding the role of the regulatory factors bound to the 3′ end of mRNA in nociceptor sensitization. Poly(A)-binding protein (PABP) stimulates translation initiation by bridging the Poly(A) tail to the eukaryotic initiation factor 4F complex associated with the mRNA cap. Here, we use unbiased assessment of PABP binding specificity to generate a chemically modified RNA-based competitive inhibitor of PABP. The resulting RNA mimic, which we designated as the Poly(A) SPOT-ON, is more stable than unmodified RNA and binds PABP with high affinity and selectivity in vitro. We show that injection of the Poly(A) SPOT-ON at the site of an injury can attenuate behavioral response to pain. Collectively, these results suggest that PABP is integral for nociceptive plasticity. The general strategy described here provides a broad new source of mechanism-based inhibitors for RNA-binding proteins and is applicable for in vivo studies. Poly(A)-binding protein (PABP) is an RNA binding protein with translation function. Here, Barragán-Iglesias and colleagues devise an RNA mimic that inhibits PABP activity, and show that inhibitors can reduce animal’s pain response in vivo when injected locally.
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Niland CN, Anderson DR, Jankowsky E, Harris ME. The contribution of the C5 protein subunit of Escherichia coli ribonuclease P to specificity for precursor tRNA is modulated by proximal 5' leader sequences. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2017; 23:1502-1511. [PMID: 28694328 PMCID: PMC5602109 DOI: 10.1261/rna.056408.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2017] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Recognition of RNA by RNA processing enzymes and RNA binding proteins often involves cooperation between multiple subunits. However, the interdependent contributions of RNA and protein subunits to molecular recognition by ribonucleoproteins are relatively unexplored. RNase P is an endonuclease that removes 5' leaders from precursor tRNAs and functions in bacteria as a dimer formed by a catalytic RNA subunit (P RNA) and a protein subunit (C5 in E. coli). The P RNA subunit contacts the tRNA body and proximal 5' leader sequences [N(-1) and N(-2)] while C5 binds distal 5' leader sequences [N(-3) to N(-6)]. To determine whether the contacts formed by P RNA and C5 contribute independently to specificity or exhibit cooperativity or anti-cooperativity, we compared the relative kcat/Km values for all possible combinations of the six proximal 5' leader nucleotides (n = 4096) for processing by the E. coli P RNA subunit alone and by the RNase P holoenzyme. We observed that while the P RNA subunit shows specificity for 5' leader nucleotides N(-2) and N(-1), the presence of the C5 protein reduces the contribution of P RNA to specificity, but changes specificity at N(-2) and N(-3). The results reveal that the contribution of C5 protein to RNase P processing is controlled by the identity of N(-2) in the pre-tRNA 5' leader. The data also clearly show that pairing of the 5' leader with the 3' ACCA of tRNA acts as an anti-determinant for RNase P cleavage. Comparative analysis of genomically encoded E. coli tRNAs reveals that both anti-determinants are subject to negative selection in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney N Niland
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
| | - David R Anderson
- Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College, CUNY, New York, New York 10010, USA
| | - Eckhard Jankowsky
- Center for RNA Molecular Biology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
| | - Michael E Harris
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
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Arvola RM, Weidmann CA, Tanaka Hall TM, Goldstrohm AC. Combinatorial control of messenger RNAs by Pumilio, Nanos and Brain Tumor Proteins. RNA Biol 2017; 14:1445-1456. [PMID: 28318367 PMCID: PMC5785226 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2017.1306168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotes possess a vast array of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) that affect mRNAs in diverse ways to control protein expression. Combinatorial regulation of mRNAs by RBPs is emerging as the rule. No example illustrates this as vividly as the partnership of 3 Drosophila RBPs, Pumilio, Nanos and Brain Tumor, which have overlapping functions in development, stem cell maintenance and differentiation, fertility and neurologic processes. Here we synthesize 30 y of research with new insights into their molecular functions and mechanisms of action. First, we provide an overview of the key properties of each RBP. Next, we present a detailed analysis of their collaborative regulatory mechanism using a classic example of the developmental morphogen, hunchback, which is spatially and temporally regulated by the trio during embryogenesis. New biochemical, structural and functional analyses provide insights into RNA recognition, cooperativity, and regulatory mechanisms. We integrate these data into a model of combinatorial RNA binding and regulation of translation and mRNA decay. We then use this information, transcriptome wide analyses and bioinformatics predictions to assess the global impact of Pumilio, Nanos and Brain Tumor on gene regulation. Together, the results support pervasive, dynamic post-transcriptional control.
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Affiliation(s)
- René M Arvola
- a Department of Biological Chemistry , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan , USA.,d Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics , University of Minnesota , Minneapolis , Minnesota , USA
| | - Chase A Weidmann
- b Department of Chemistry , University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill , USA
| | - Traci M Tanaka Hall
- c Epigenetics and Stem Cell Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences , National Institutes of Health , Research Triangle Park, North Carolina , USA
| | - Aaron C Goldstrohm
- d Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics , University of Minnesota , Minneapolis , Minnesota , USA
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Protein-RNA: Structure function and recognition. Methods 2017; 118-119:1-2. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2017.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
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