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Li X, Yang S, Wang L, Zhang X, Zhang A, Wang Y, Shi DL, Li H. Zinc Finger Protein Znf296 Is a Cardiac-Specific Splicing Regulator Required for Cardiomyocyte Formation. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2025:S0002-9440(25)00078-1. [PMID: 40122456 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2025.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2024] [Revised: 02/10/2025] [Accepted: 02/19/2025] [Indexed: 03/25/2025]
Abstract
Heart formation and function are tightly regulated at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. The dysfunction of cardiac cell-specific regulatory genes leads to various heart diseases. Heart failure is one of the most severe and complex cardiovascular diseases, which could be fatal if not treated promptly. However, the exact causes of heart failure are still unclear, especially at the level of single-gene causation. Here, an essential role is uncovered for the zinc finger protein Znf296 in heart development and cardiac contractile function. Specifically, znf296-deficient zebrafish embryos display heart defects characterized by decreased systolic and diastolic capacities of the ventricle and atrium. This is associated with reduced numbers and disrupted structural integrity of cardiomyocytes, including disorganized cytoskeleton and absence of sarcomeres. Mechanistically, the loss of Znf296 alters the alternative splicing of a subset of genes important for heart development and disease, such as mef2ca, sparc, tpm2, camk2g1, tnnt3b, and pdlim5b. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that Znf296 biochemically and functionally interacts with Myt1la in regulating cardiac-specific splicing and heart development. Importantly, it is shown that ZNF296 also regulates alternative splicing in human cardiomyocytes to maintain structural integrity. These results suggest that Znf296 plays a conserved role for the differentiation of cardiomyocytes and the proper function of the cardiovascular system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianpeng Li
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity and Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao, China; Institute of Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Research, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Shuaiqi Yang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity and Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Lu Wang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity and Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiangmin Zhang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity and Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Ailong Zhang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity and Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Yunchao Wang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity and Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - De-Li Shi
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity and Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China; Sorbonne Université, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, UMR CNRS 8263, INSERM U1345, Development, Adaptation and Ageing, Paris, France.
| | - Hongyan Li
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity and Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao, China.
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Hursey MS, Reitz AD, Kihn KC, Deredge DJ, Michel SLJ. Zinc and RNA Binding Is Linked to the Conformational Flexibility of ZRANB2: A CCCC-Type Zinc Finger Protein. Biochemistry 2025; 64:156-169. [PMID: 39681856 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.4c00470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2024]
Abstract
Ran-binding domain-containing protein 2 (ZRANB2) is a zinc finger (ZF) protein that plays a key role in alternative splicing. ZRANB2 is composed of two ZF domains that contain four invariant cysteine residues per domain. ZRANB2 binds RNA targets that contain AGGUAA sequence motifs. Three constructs of ZRANB2, ZRANB2-ZF1 (first ZF domain), ZRANB2-ZF2 (second ZF domain), and ZRANB2-2D (both ZF domains), were isolated in the apo form and shown to bind Zn(II) via UV-visible-monitored competitive titrations with Co(II) as a spectroscopic probe. Zn binding to each construct led to the adoption of a limited secondary structure of each domain, as measured by circular dichroism (CD). Hydrogen-deuterium exchange coupled with mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) of the two-domain construct, ZRANB2-2D, revealed that both ZF domains adopt a more rigid structure upon Zn binding. Zn binding to the first ZF domain resulted in a greater decrease in the conformational dynamics than Zn binding to the second ZF domain. RNA binding to TRA2B pre-mRNA, a physiological splicing target, was measured by fluorescence anisotropy (FA), and high-affinity RNA binding was found to require Zn coordination to both domains. HDX-MS of ZRANB2-2D with TRA2B RNA as well as two optimized RNA sequences that contain a single and double AGGUAA hexamer revealed additional protection from H/D exchange for ZRANB2 in the presence of RNA. Here, greater protection was observed for the second ZF of ZRANB2-2D, suggesting a larger effect on conformational dynamics. A model for zinc-mediated RNA binding of ZRANB2 is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S Hursey
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201-1180, United States
| | - Abigail D Reitz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201-1180, United States
| | - Kyle C Kihn
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201-1180, United States
| | - Daniel J Deredge
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201-1180, United States
| | - Sarah L J Michel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201-1180, United States
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Jing S, Yang J, Liu Y, Wang F, Zheng F, Ren A, Yu B, Zhao Y, Jia B, Chen R, Yu B, Liu Q, Xu J. Functional Analysis of CPSF30 in Nilaparvata lugens Using RNA Interference Reveals Its Essential Role in Development and Survival. INSECTS 2024; 15:860. [PMID: 39590459 PMCID: PMC11594811 DOI: 10.3390/insects15110860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2024] [Revised: 10/27/2024] [Accepted: 11/01/2024] [Indexed: 11/28/2024]
Abstract
The brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens) is a major pest threatening global rice production, significantly reducing yields annually. As N. lugens increasingly develops resistance to conventional control methods, such as chemical pesticides, there is an urgent need for innovative and sustainable pest management strategies. Cleavage and Polyadenylation Specificity Factor 30 (CPSF30) is a key protein involved in mRNA 3' end processing, yet its function in N. lugens remains poorly understood. This study aims to elucidate the role of CPSF30 in the growth and development of N. lugens and evaluate its potential as a target for RNA interference (RNAi)-based pest control strategies. We cloned and characterized the cDNA sequence of NlCPSF30, which encodes a protein of 341 amino acids containing five CCCH zinc-finger domains and two CCHC zinc-knuckle domains. Sequence alignment revealed that NlCPSF30 is highly conserved among insect species, particularly in the zinc-finger domains essential for RNA binding and processing. Phylogenetic analysis showed that NlCPSF30 is closely related to CPSF30 proteins from other hemipteran species. Expression analysis indicated that NlCPSF30 is most highly expressed in the fat body and during the adult stage, with significantly higher expression in females than in males. RNAi-mediated silencing of NlCPSF30 in third-instar nymphs resulted in severe phenotypic abnormalities, including disrupted molting and increased mortality following injection of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) targeting NlCPSF30. Moreover, it influenced the expression of genes associated with hormone regulation, namely NlHry, NlE93, and NlKr-h1. These results suggest that NlCPSF30 is integral to critical physiological processes, with its disruption leading to increased mortality. Our findings identify NlCPSF30 as an essential gene for N. lugens' survival and a promising target for RNAi-based pest management strategies. This study provides a valuable molecular target and theoretical insights for developing RNAi-based control methods against N. lugens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengli Jing
- College of Life Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China; (S.J.); (J.Y.); (Y.L.); (F.W.); (F.Z.); (A.R.); (B.Y.); (Y.Z.); (B.J.); (R.C.); (B.Y.); (Q.L.)
| | - Jing Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China; (S.J.); (J.Y.); (Y.L.); (F.W.); (F.Z.); (A.R.); (B.Y.); (Y.Z.); (B.J.); (R.C.); (B.Y.); (Q.L.)
| | - Yali Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China; (S.J.); (J.Y.); (Y.L.); (F.W.); (F.Z.); (A.R.); (B.Y.); (Y.Z.); (B.J.); (R.C.); (B.Y.); (Q.L.)
| | - Feifei Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China; (S.J.); (J.Y.); (Y.L.); (F.W.); (F.Z.); (A.R.); (B.Y.); (Y.Z.); (B.J.); (R.C.); (B.Y.); (Q.L.)
| | - Fang Zheng
- College of Life Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China; (S.J.); (J.Y.); (Y.L.); (F.W.); (F.Z.); (A.R.); (B.Y.); (Y.Z.); (B.J.); (R.C.); (B.Y.); (Q.L.)
| | - Aobo Ren
- College of Life Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China; (S.J.); (J.Y.); (Y.L.); (F.W.); (F.Z.); (A.R.); (B.Y.); (Y.Z.); (B.J.); (R.C.); (B.Y.); (Q.L.)
| | - Bingbing Yu
- College of Life Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China; (S.J.); (J.Y.); (Y.L.); (F.W.); (F.Z.); (A.R.); (B.Y.); (Y.Z.); (B.J.); (R.C.); (B.Y.); (Q.L.)
| | - Yue Zhao
- College of Life Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China; (S.J.); (J.Y.); (Y.L.); (F.W.); (F.Z.); (A.R.); (B.Y.); (Y.Z.); (B.J.); (R.C.); (B.Y.); (Q.L.)
| | - Bing Jia
- College of Life Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China; (S.J.); (J.Y.); (Y.L.); (F.W.); (F.Z.); (A.R.); (B.Y.); (Y.Z.); (B.J.); (R.C.); (B.Y.); (Q.L.)
| | - Ruixian Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China; (S.J.); (J.Y.); (Y.L.); (F.W.); (F.Z.); (A.R.); (B.Y.); (Y.Z.); (B.J.); (R.C.); (B.Y.); (Q.L.)
| | - Bin Yu
- College of Life Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China; (S.J.); (J.Y.); (Y.L.); (F.W.); (F.Z.); (A.R.); (B.Y.); (Y.Z.); (B.J.); (R.C.); (B.Y.); (Q.L.)
| | - Qingsong Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China; (S.J.); (J.Y.); (Y.L.); (F.W.); (F.Z.); (A.R.); (B.Y.); (Y.Z.); (B.J.); (R.C.); (B.Y.); (Q.L.)
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-Breeding and Integrated Utilization, State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Jingang Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China; (S.J.); (J.Y.); (Y.L.); (F.W.); (F.Z.); (A.R.); (B.Y.); (Y.Z.); (B.J.); (R.C.); (B.Y.); (Q.L.)
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Ray D, Laverty KU, Jolma A, Nie K, Samson R, Pour SE, Tam CL, von Krosigk N, Nabeel-Shah S, Albu M, Zheng H, Perron G, Lee H, Najafabadi H, Blencowe B, Greenblatt J, Morris Q, Hughes TR. RNA-binding proteins that lack canonical RNA-binding domains are rarely sequence-specific. Sci Rep 2023; 13:5238. [PMID: 37002329 PMCID: PMC10066285 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32245-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Thousands of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) crosslink to cellular mRNA. Among these are numerous unconventional RBPs (ucRBPs)-proteins that associate with RNA but lack known RNA-binding domains (RBDs). The vast majority of ucRBPs have uncharacterized RNA-binding specificities. We analyzed 492 human ucRBPs for intrinsic RNA-binding in vitro and identified 23 that bind specific RNA sequences. Most (17/23), including 8 ribosomal proteins, were previously associated with RNA-related function. We identified the RBDs responsible for sequence-specific RNA-binding for several of these 23 ucRBPs and surveyed whether corresponding domains from homologous proteins also display RNA sequence specificity. CCHC-zf domains from seven human proteins recognized specific RNA motifs, indicating that this is a major class of RBD. For Nudix, HABP4, TPR, RanBP2-zf, and L7Ae domains, however, only isolated members or closely related homologs yielded motifs, consistent with RNA-binding as a derived function. The lack of sequence specificity for most ucRBPs is striking, and we suggest that many may function analogously to chromatin factors, which often crosslink efficiently to cellular DNA, presumably via indirect recruitment. Finally, we show that ucRBPs tend to be highly abundant proteins and suggest their identification in RNA interactome capture studies could also result from weak nonspecific interactions with RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debashish Ray
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Kaitlin U Laverty
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Arttu Jolma
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Kate Nie
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Reuben Samson
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Sara E Pour
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Cyrus L Tam
- Computational and Systems Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Tri-Institutional Training Program in Computational Biology and Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Niklas von Krosigk
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Syed Nabeel-Shah
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Mihai Albu
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Hong Zheng
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Gabrielle Perron
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H3A 0C7, Canada
- McGill Genome Centre, Montréal, QC, H3A 0G1, Canada
| | - Hyunmin Lee
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Hamed Najafabadi
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H3A 0C7, Canada
- McGill Genome Centre, Montréal, QC, H3A 0G1, Canada
| | - Benjamin Blencowe
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Jack Greenblatt
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Quaid Morris
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada.
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.
- Computational and Systems Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Tri-Institutional Training Program in Computational Biology and Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Timothy R Hughes
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada.
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.
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