1
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Bose E, Xiong S, Jones AN. Probing RNA structure and dynamics using nanopore and next generation sequencing. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107317. [PMID: 38677514 PMCID: PMC11145556 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
It has become increasingly evident that the structures RNAs adopt are conformationally dynamic; the various structured states that RNAs sample govern their interactions with other nucleic acids, proteins, and ligands to regulate a myriad of biological processes. Although several biophysical approaches have been developed and used to study the dynamic landscape of structured RNAs, technical limitations have limited their application to all classes of RNA due to variable size and flexibility. Recent advances combining chemical probing experiments with next-generation- and direct sequencing have emerged as an alternative approach to exploring the conformational dynamics of RNA. In this review, we provide a methodological overview of the sequencing-based techniques used to study RNA conformational dynamics. We discuss how different techniques have enabled us to better understand the propensity of RNAs from a variety of different classes to sample multiple conformational states. Finally, we present examples of the ways these techniques have reshaped how we think about RNA structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Bose
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Shengwei Xiong
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Alisha N Jones
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York, USA.
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2
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Chauvier A, Walter NG. Regulation of bacterial gene expression by non-coding RNA: It is all about time! Cell Chem Biol 2024; 31:71-85. [PMID: 38211587 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2023.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Commensal and pathogenic bacteria continuously evolve to survive in diverse ecological niches by efficiently coordinating gene expression levels in their ever-changing environments. Regulation through the RNA transcript itself offers a faster and more cost-effective way to adapt than protein-based mechanisms and can be leveraged for diagnostic or antimicrobial purposes. However, RNA can fold into numerous intricate, not always functional structures that both expand and obscure the plethora of roles that regulatory RNAs serve within the cell. Here, we review the current knowledge of bacterial non-coding RNAs in relation to their folding pathways and interactions. We posit that co-transcriptional folding of these transcripts ultimately dictates their downstream functions. Elucidating the spatiotemporal folding of non-coding RNAs during transcription therefore provides invaluable insights into bacterial pathogeneses and predictive disease diagnostics. Finally, we discuss the implications of co-transcriptional folding andapplications of RNAs for therapeutics and drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrien Chauvier
- Single Molecule Analysis Group and Center for RNA Biomedicine, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Nils G Walter
- Single Molecule Analysis Group and Center for RNA Biomedicine, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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3
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Hao Y, Hulscher RM, Zinshteyn B, Woodson SA. Late consolidation of rRNA structure during co-transcriptional assembly in E. coli by time-resolved DMS footprinting. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.10.574868. [PMID: 38260533 PMCID: PMC10802402 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.10.574868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
The production of new ribosomes requires proper folding of the rRNA and the addition of more than 50 ribosomal proteins. The structures of some assembly intermediates have been determined by cryo-electron microscopy, yet these structures do not provide information on the folding dynamics of the rRNA. To visualize the changes in rRNA structure during ribosome assembly in E. coli cells, transcripts were pulse-labeled with 4-thiouridine and the structure of newly made rRNA probed at various times by dimethyl sulfate modification and mutational profiling sequencing (4U-DMS-MaPseq). The in-cell DMS modification patterns revealed that many long-range rRNA tertiary interactions and protein binding sites through the 16S and 23S rRNA remain partially unfolded 1.5 min after transcription. By contrast, the active sites were continually shielded from DMS modification, suggesting that these critical regions are guarded by cellular factors throughout assembly. Later, bases near the peptidyl tRNA site exhibited specific rearrangements consistent with the binding and release of assembly factors. Time-dependent structure-probing in cells suggests that many tertiary interactions throughout the new ribosomal subunits remain mobile or unfolded until the late stages of subunit maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumeng Hao
- T.C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Ryan M. Hulscher
- T.C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Boris Zinshteyn
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 725 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Sarah A. Woodson
- T.C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
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4
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Xiang Y, Huang W, Tan L, Chen T, He Y, Irving PS, Weeks KM, Zhang QC, Dong X. Pervasive downstream RNA hairpins dynamically dictate start-codon selection. Nature 2023; 621:423-430. [PMID: 37674078 PMCID: PMC10499604 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06500-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Translational reprogramming allows organisms to adapt to changing conditions. Upstream start codons (uAUGs), which are prevalently present in mRNAs, have crucial roles in regulating translation by providing alternative translation start sites1-4. However, what determines this selective initiation of translation between conditions remains unclear. Here, by integrating transcriptome-wide translational and structural analyses during pattern-triggered immunity in Arabidopsis, we found that transcripts with immune-induced translation are enriched with upstream open reading frames (uORFs). Without infection, these uORFs are selectively translated owing to hairpins immediately downstream of uAUGs, presumably by slowing and engaging the scanning preinitiation complex. Modelling using deep learning provides unbiased support for these recognizable double-stranded RNA structures downstream of uAUGs (which we term uAUG-ds) being responsible for the selective translation of uAUGs, and allows the prediction and rational design of translating uAUG-ds. We found that uAUG-ds-mediated regulation can be generalized to human cells. Moreover, uAUG-ds-mediated start-codon selection is dynamically regulated. After immune challenge in plants, induced RNA helicases that are homologous to Ded1p in yeast and DDX3X in humans resolve these structures, allowing ribosomes to bypass uAUGs to translate downstream defence proteins. This study shows that mRNA structures dynamically regulate start-codon selection. The prevalence of this RNA structural feature and the conservation of RNA helicases across kingdoms suggest that mRNA structural remodelling is a general feature of translational reprogramming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yezi Xiang
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Wenze Huang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structures, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lianmei Tan
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke Medical Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Tianyuan Chen
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Yang He
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Patrick S Irving
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kevin M Weeks
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Qiangfeng Cliff Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structures, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xinnian Dong
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
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5
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Manavella PA, Godoy Herz MA, Kornblihtt AR, Sorenson R, Sieburth LE, Nakaminami K, Seki M, Ding Y, Sun Q, Kang H, Ariel FD, Crespi M, Giudicatti AJ, Cai Q, Jin H, Feng X, Qi Y, Pikaard CS. Beyond transcription: compelling open questions in plant RNA biology. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 35:1626-1653. [PMID: 36477566 PMCID: PMC10226580 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koac346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The study of RNAs has become one of the most influential research fields in contemporary biology and biomedicine. In the last few years, new sequencing technologies have produced an explosion of new and exciting discoveries in the field but have also given rise to many open questions. Defining these questions, together with old, long-standing gaps in our knowledge, is the spirit of this article. The breadth of topics within RNA biology research is vast, and every aspect of the biology of these molecules contains countless exciting open questions. Here, we asked 12 groups to discuss their most compelling question among some plant RNA biology topics. The following vignettes cover RNA alternative splicing; RNA dynamics; RNA translation; RNA structures; R-loops; epitranscriptomics; long non-coding RNAs; small RNA production and their functions in crops; small RNAs during gametogenesis and in cross-kingdom RNA interference; and RNA-directed DNA methylation. In each section, we will present the current state-of-the-art in plant RNA biology research before asking the questions that will surely motivate future discoveries in the field. We hope this article will spark a debate about the future perspective on RNA biology and provoke novel reflections in the reader.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo A Manavella
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral (CONICET-UNL), Cátedra de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe 3000, Argentina
| | - Micaela A Godoy Herz
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular and CONICET-UBA, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires C1428EHA, Argentina
| | - Alberto R Kornblihtt
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular and CONICET-UBA, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires C1428EHA, Argentina
| | - Reed Sorenson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of UtahSalt Lake City 84112, USA
| | - Leslie E Sieburth
- School of Biological Sciences, University of UtahSalt Lake City 84112, USA
| | - Kentaro Nakaminami
- Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Motoaki Seki
- Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
- Cluster for Pioneering Research, RIKEN, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- Kihara Institute for Biological Research, Yokohama City University, Kanagawa 244-0813, Japan
| | - Yiliang Ding
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Qianwen Sun
- Center for Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Hunseung Kang
- Department of Applied Biology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea
| | - Federico D Ariel
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral (CONICET-UNL), Cátedra de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe 3000, Argentina
| | - Martin Crespi
- Institute of Plant Sciences Paris Saclay IPS2, CNRS, INRA, Université Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, Bâtiment 630, Orsay 91405, France
- Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay IPS2, Université de Paris, Bâtiment 630, Orsay 91405, France
| | - Axel J Giudicatti
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral (CONICET-UNL), Cátedra de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe 3000, Argentina
| | - Qiang Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Hailing Jin
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology and Center for Plant Cell Biology, Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92507, USA
| | - Xiaoqi Feng
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Yijun Qi
- Center for Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Craig S Pikaard
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA
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6
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Mateos JL, Staiger D. Toward a systems view on RNA-binding proteins and associated RNAs in plants: Guilt by association. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 35:1708-1726. [PMID: 36461946 PMCID: PMC10226577 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koac345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) have a broad impact on most biochemical, physiological, and developmental processes in a plant's life. RBPs engage in an on-off relationship with their RNA partners, accompanying virtually every stage in RNA processing and function. While the function of a plethora of RBPs in plant development and stress responses has been described, we are lacking a systems-level understanding of components in RNA-based regulation. Novel techniques have substantially enlarged the compendium of proteins with experimental evidence for binding to RNAs in the cell, the RNA-binding proteome. Furthermore, ribonomics methods have been adapted for use in plants to profile the in vivo binding repertoire of RBPs genome-wide. Here, we discuss how recent technological achievements have provided novel insights into the mode of action of plant RBPs at a genome-wide scale. Furthermore, we touch upon two emerging topics, the connection of RBPs to phase separation in the cell and to extracellular RNAs. Finally, we define open questions to be addressed to move toward an integrated understanding of RBP function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julieta L Mateos
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-CONICET-UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- RNA Biology and Molecular Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Dorothee Staiger
- RNA Biology and Molecular Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
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7
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How does precursor RNA structure influence RNA processing and gene expression? Biosci Rep 2023; 43:232489. [PMID: 36689327 PMCID: PMC9977717 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20220149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA is a fundamental biomolecule that has many purposes within cells. Due to its single-stranded and flexible nature, RNA naturally folds into complex and dynamic structures. Recent technological and computational advances have produced an explosion of RNA structural data. Many RNA structures have regulatory and functional properties. Studying the structure of nascent RNAs is particularly challenging due to their low abundance and long length, but their structures are important because they can influence RNA processing. Precursor RNA processing is a nexus of pathways that determines mature isoform composition and that controls gene expression. In this review, we examine what is known about human nascent RNA structure and the influence of RNA structure on processing of precursor RNAs. These known structures provide examples of how other nascent RNAs may be structured and show how novel RNA structures may influence RNA processing including splicing and polyadenylation. RNA structures can be targeted therapeutically to treat disease.
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8
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Zhao Q, Mao Q, Zhao Z, Yuan W, He Q, Sun Q, Yao Y, Fan X. RNA independent fragment partition method based on deep learning for RNA secondary structure prediction. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2861. [PMID: 36801945 PMCID: PMC9938198 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30124-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The non-coding RNA secondary structure largely determines its function. Hence, accuracy in structure acquisition is of great importance. Currently, this acquisition primarily relies on various computational methods. The prediction of the structures of long RNA sequences with high precision and reasonable computational cost remains challenging. Here, we propose a deep learning model, RNA-par, which could partition an RNA sequence into several independent fragments (i-fragments) based on its exterior loops. Each i-fragment secondary structure predicted individually could be further assembled to acquire the complete RNA secondary structure. In the examination of our independent test set, the average length of the predicted i-fragments was 453 nt, which was considerably shorter than that of complete RNA sequences (848 nt). The accuracy of the assembled structures was higher than that of the structures predicted directly using the state-of-the-art RNA secondary structure prediction methods. This proposed model could serve as a preprocessing step for RNA secondary structure prediction for enhancing the predictive performance (especially for long RNA sequences) and reducing the computational cost. In the future, predicting the secondary structure of long-sequence RNA with high accuracy can be enabled by developing a framework combining RNA-par with various existing RNA secondary structure prediction algorithms. Our models, test codes and test data are provided at https://github.com/mianfei71/RNAPar .
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Zhao
- grid.412252.20000 0004 0368 6968College of Medicine and Biological Information Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110169 Liaoning China
| | - Qian Mao
- grid.411356.40000 0000 9339 3042College of Light Industry, Liaoning University, Shenyang, 110036 Liaoning China
| | - Zheng Zhao
- grid.440686.80000 0001 0543 8253College of Artificial Intelligence, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian, 116026 Liaoning China
| | - Wenxuan Yuan
- grid.412252.20000 0004 0368 6968College of Medicine and Biological Information Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110169 Liaoning China
| | - Qiang He
- grid.412252.20000 0004 0368 6968College of Medicine and Biological Information Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110169 Liaoning China
| | - Qixuan Sun
- grid.412252.20000 0004 0368 6968College of Medicine and Biological Information Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110169 Liaoning China
| | - Yudong Yao
- grid.217309.e0000 0001 2180 0654Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ 07030 USA
| | - Xiaoya Fan
- School of Software, Dalian University of Technology, Key Laboratory for Ubiquitous Network and Service Software of Liaoning Province, Dalian, 116620, Liaoning, China.
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9
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Wang Z, Sun J, Zu X, Gong J, Deng H, Hang R, Zhang X, Liu C, Deng X, Luo L, Wei X, Song X, Cao X. Pseudouridylation of chloroplast ribosomal RNA contributes to low temperature acclimation in rice. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 236:1708-1720. [PMID: 36093745 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) undergo many modifications during transcription and maturation; homeostasis of rRNA modifications is essential for chloroplast biogenesis in plants. The chloroplast acts as a hub to sense environmental signals, such as cold temperature. However, how RNA modifications contribute to low temperature responses remains unknown. Here we reveal that pseudouridine (Ψ) modification of rice chloroplast rRNAs mediated by the pseudouridine synthase (OsPUS1) contributes to cold tolerance at seedling stage. Loss-function of OsPUS1 leads to abnormal chloroplast development and albino seedling phenotype at low temperature. We find that OsPUS1 is accumulated upon cold and binds to chloroplast precursor rRNAs (pre-rRNAs) to catalyse the pseudouridylation on rRNA. These modifications on chloroplast rRNAs could be required for their processing, as the reduction of mature chloroplast rRNAs and accumulation of pre-rRNAs are observed in ospus1-1 at low temperature. Therefore, the ribosome activity and translation in chloroplasts is disturbed in ospus1-1. Furthermore, transcriptome and translatome analysis reveals that OsPUS1 balances growth and stress-responsive state, preventing excess reactive oxygen species accumulation. Taken together, our findings unveil a crucial function of Ψ in chloroplast ribosome biogenesis and cold tolerance in rice, with potential applications in crop improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China
| | - Jing Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Xiaofeng Zu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Jie Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- The Municipal Key Laboratory of the Molecular Genetics of Hybrid Wheat, Institute of Hybrid Wheat, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Hongjing Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Runlai Hang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Xiaofan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China
| | - Chunyan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Xian Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Lilan Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Xiangjin Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, 311401, China
| | - Xianwei Song
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Xiaofeng Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China
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10
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Dumetz F, Enright AJ, Zhao J, Kwok CK, Merrick CJ. The in vivo RNA structurome of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, a protozoan with an A/U-rich transcriptome. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0270863. [PMID: 36048819 PMCID: PMC9436142 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum, a protozoan parasite and causative agent of human malaria, has one of the most A/T-biased genomes sequenced to date. This may give the genome and the transcriptome unusual structural features. Recent progress in sequencing techniques has made it possible to study the secondary structures of RNA molecules at the transcriptomic level. Thus, in this study we produced the in vivo RNA structurome of a protozoan parasite with a highly A/U-biased transcriptome. We showed that it is possible to probe the secondary structures of P. falciparum RNA molecules in vivo using two different chemical probes, and obtained structures for more than half of all transcripts in the transcriptome. These showed greater stability (lower free energy) than the same structures modelled in silico, and structural features appeared to influence translation efficiency and RNA decay. Finally, we compared the P. falciparum RNA structurome with the predicted RNA structurome of an A/U-balanced species, P. knowlesi, finding a bias towards lower overall transcript stability and more hairpins and multi-stem loops in P. falciparum. This unusual protozoan RNA structurome will provide a basis for similar studies in other protozoans and also in other unusual genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franck Dumetz
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Anton J. Enright
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jieyu Zhao
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chun Kit Kwok
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
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11
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Genome-wide analysis of the in vivo tRNA structurome reveals RNA structural and modification dynamics under heat stress. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2201237119. [PMID: 35696576 PMCID: PMC9231505 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2201237119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA structure plays roles in myriad cellular events including transcription, translation, and RNA processing. Genome-wide analyses of RNA secondary structure in vivo by chemical probing have revealed critical structural features of mRNAs and long ncRNAs. Here, we examine the in vivo secondary structure of a small RNA class, tRNAs. Study of tRNA structure is challenging because tRNAs are heavily modified and strongly structured. We introduce "tRNA structure-seq," a new workflow that accurately determines in vivo secondary structures of tRNA. The workflow combines dimethyl sulfate (DMS) probing, ultra-processive RT, and mutational profiling (MaP), which provides mutations opposite DMS and natural modifications thereby allowing multiple modifications to be identified in a single read. We applied tRNA structure-seq to E. coli under control and stress conditions. A leading folding algorithm predicts E. coli tRNA structures with only ∼80% average accuracy from sequence alone. Strikingly, tRNA structure-seq, by providing experimental restraints, improves structure prediction under in vivo conditions to ∼95% accuracy, with more than 14 tRNAs predicted completely correctly. tRNA structure-seq also quantifies the relative levels of tRNAs and their natural modifications at single nucleotide resolution, as validated by LC-MS/MS. Our application of tRNA structure-seq yields insights into tRNA structure in living cells, revealing that it is not immutable but has dynamics, with partial unfolding of secondary and tertiary tRNA structure under heat stress that is correlated with a loss of tRNA abundance. This method is applicable to other small RNAs, including those with natural modifications and highly structured regions.
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12
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Lockd promotes myoblast proliferation and muscle regeneration via binding with DHX36 to facilitate 5' UTR rG4 unwinding and Anp32e translation. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110927. [PMID: 35675771 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110927] [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: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Adult muscle stem cells, also known as satellite cells (SCs), play pivotal roles in muscle regeneration, and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) functions in SCs remain largely unknown. Here, we identify a lncRNA, Lockd, which is induced in activated SCs upon acute muscle injury. We demonstrate that Lockd promotes SC proliferation; deletion of Lockd leads to cell-cycle arrest, and in vivo repression of Lockd in mouse muscles hinders regeneration process. Mechanistically, we show that Lockd directly interacts with RNA helicase DHX36 and the 5'end of Lockd possesses the strongest binding with DHX36. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Lockd stabilizes the interaction between DHX36 and EIF3B proteins; synergistically, this complex unwinds the RNA G-quadruplex (rG4) structure formed at Anp32e mRNA 5' UTR and promotes the translation of ANP32E protein, which is required for myoblast proliferation. Altogether, our findings identify a regulatory Lockd/DHX36/Anp32e axis that promotes myoblast proliferation and acute-injury-induced muscle regeneration.
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13
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Umar MI, Chan CY, Kwok CK. Development of RNA G-quadruplex (rG4)-targeting L-RNA aptamers by rG4-SELEX. Nat Protoc 2022; 17:1385-1414. [PMID: 35444329 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-022-00679-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
RNA G-quadruplex (rG4)-SELEX is a method that generates L-RNA aptamers to target an rG4 structure of interest, which can be applied to inhibit G-quadruplex-mediated interactions that have important roles in gene regulation and function. Here we present a Protocol Extension substantially modifying an existing SELEX protocol to describe in detail the procedures involved in performing rG4-SELEX to identify rG4-specific binders that can effectively suppress rG4-peptide and rG4-protein associations. This Protocol Extension improves the speed of aptamer discovery and identification, offering a suite of techniques to characterize the aptamer secondary structure and monitor binding affinity and specificity, and demonstrating the utility of the L-RNA aptamer. The previous protocol mainly describes the identification of RNA aptamers against proteins of interest, whereas in this Protocol Extension we present the development of an unnatural RNA aptamer against an RNA structure of interest, with the potential to be applicable to other nucleic acid motifs or biomolecules. rG4-SELEX starts with a random D-RNA library incubated with the L-rG4 target of interest, followed by binding, washing and elution of the library. Enriched D-aptamer candidates are sequenced and structurally characterized. Then, the L-aptamer is synthesized and used for different applications. rG4-SELEX can be carried out by an experienced molecular biologist with a basic understanding of nucleic acids. The development of rG4-targeting L-RNA aptamers expands the current rG4 toolkit to explore innovative rG4-related applications, and opens new doors to discovering novel rG4 biology in the near future. The duration of each selection cycle as outlined in the protocol is ~2 d.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mubarak I Umar
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, China.,RNA Molecular Biology Group, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Chun-Yin Chan
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, China.,Institut für Chemische Epigenetik München (ICEM), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universtität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Chun Kit Kwok
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, China. .,Shenzhen Research Institute of City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China.
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14
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Solayman M, Litfin T, Singh J, Paliwal K, Zhou Y, Zhan J. Probing RNA structures and functions by solvent accessibility: an overview from experimental and computational perspectives. Brief Bioinform 2022; 23:6554125. [PMID: 35348613 PMCID: PMC9116373 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbac112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Characterizing RNA structures and functions have mostly been focused on 2D, secondary and 3D, tertiary structures. Recent advances in experimental and computational techniques for probing or predicting RNA solvent accessibility make this 1D representation of tertiary structures an increasingly attractive feature to explore. Here, we provide a survey of these recent developments, which indicate the emergence of solvent accessibility as a simple 1D property, adding to secondary and tertiary structures for investigating complex structure–function relations of RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Solayman
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Parklands Dr. Southport, QLD 4222, Australia
| | - Thomas Litfin
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Parklands Dr. Southport, QLD 4222, Australia
| | - Jaswinder Singh
- Signal Processing Laboratory, School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Kuldip Paliwal
- Signal Processing Laboratory, School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Yaoqi Zhou
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Parklands Dr. Southport, QLD 4222, Australia.,Institute for Systems and Physical Biology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518055, China.,Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jian Zhan
- Institute for Systems and Physical Biology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518055, China
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15
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Dey A, Monroy-Eklund A, Klotz K, Saha A, Davis J, Li B, Laederach A, Chakrabarti K. In vivo architecture of the telomerase RNA catalytic core in Trypanosoma brucei. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:12445-12466. [PMID: 34850114 PMCID: PMC8643685 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab1042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomerase is a unique ribonucleoprotein (RNP) reverse transcriptase that utilizes its cognate RNA molecule as a template for telomere DNA repeat synthesis. Telomerase contains the reverse transcriptase protein, TERT and the template RNA, TR, as its core components. The 5'-half of TR forms a highly conserved catalytic core comprising of the template region and adjacent domains necessary for telomere synthesis. However, how telomerase RNA folding takes place in vivo has not been fully understood due to low abundance of the native RNP. Here, using unicellular pathogen Trypanosoma brucei as a model, we reveal important regional folding information of the native telomerase RNA core domains, i.e. TR template, template boundary element, template proximal helix and Helix IV (eCR4-CR5) domain. For this purpose, we uniquely combined in-cell probing with targeted high-throughput RNA sequencing and mutational mapping under three conditions: in vivo (in WT and TERT-/- cells), in an immunopurified catalytically active telomerase RNP complex and ex vivo (deproteinized). We discover that TR forms at least two different conformers with distinct folding topologies in the insect and mammalian developmental stages of T. brucei. Also, TERT does not significantly affect the RNA folding in vivo, suggesting that the telomerase RNA in T. brucei exists in a conformationally preorganized stable structure. Our observed differences in RNA (TR) folding at two distinct developmental stages of T. brucei suggest that important conformational changes are a key component of T. brucei development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Dey
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
| | - Anais Monroy-Eklund
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Kaitlin Klotz
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
| | - Arpita Saha
- Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, College of Sciences and Health Professions, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA
| | - Justin Davis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
| | - Bibo Li
- Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, College of Sciences and Health Professions, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA
| | - Alain Laederach
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Kausik Chakrabarti
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +1 704 687 1882; Fax: +1 704 687 1488;
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16
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Li Y, Tan Z, Zhang Y, Zhang Z, Hu Q, Liang K, Jun Y, Ye Y, Li YC, Li C, Liao L, Xu J, Xing Z, Pan Y, Chatterjee SS, Nguyen TK, Hsiao H, Egranov SD, Putluri N, Coarfa C, Hawke DH, Gunaratne PH, Tsai KL, Han L, Hung MC, Calin GA, Namour F, Guéant JL, Muntau AC, Blau N, Sutton VR, Schiff M, Feillet F, Zhang S, Lin C, Yang L. A noncoding RNA modulator potentiates phenylalanine metabolism in mice. Science 2021; 373:662-673. [PMID: 34353949 PMCID: PMC9714245 DOI: 10.1126/science.aba4991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The functional role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in inherited metabolic disorders, including phenylketonuria (PKU), is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the mouse lncRNA Pair and human HULC associate with phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH). Pair-knockout mice exhibited excessive blood phenylalanine (Phe), musty odor, hypopigmentation, growth retardation, and progressive neurological symptoms including seizures, which faithfully models human PKU. HULC depletion led to reduced PAH enzymatic activities in human induced pluripotent stem cell-differentiated hepatocytes. Mechanistically, HULC modulated the enzymatic activities of PAH by facilitating PAH-substrate and PAH-cofactor interactions. To develop a therapeutic strategy for restoring liver lncRNAs, we designed GalNAc-tagged lncRNA mimics that exhibit liver enrichment. Treatment with GalNAc-HULC mimics reduced excessive Phe in Pair -/- and Pah R408W/R408W mice and improved the Phe tolerance of these mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajuan Li
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zhi Tan
- Intelligent Molecular Discovery Laboratory, Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Yaohua Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zhao Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Qingsong Hu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ke Liang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yao Jun
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Youqiong Ye
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yi-Chuan Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Chunlai Li
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Lan Liao
- Genetically Engineered Mouse Core, Advanced Technology Cores, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jianming Xu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zhen Xing
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yinghong Pan
- Department of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sujash S Chatterjee
- Department of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Tina K Nguyen
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Heidi Hsiao
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sergey D Egranov
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Nagireddy Putluri
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Cristian Coarfa
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - David H Hawke
- Department of Systems Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Preethi H Gunaratne
- Department of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Kuang-Lei Tsai
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Leng Han
- Center for Epigenetics and Disease Prevention, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Mien-Chie Hung
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Research Center for Cancer Biology, and Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan
- Department of Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung 413, Taiwan
| | - George A Calin
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, Division of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Fares Namour
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Reference Center for Inborn Errors of Metabolism, University Hospital of Nancy, Nancy F-54000, France
- INSERM, U1256, NGERE - Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, Nancy F-54000, France
| | - Jean-Louis Guéant
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Reference Center for Inborn Errors of Metabolism, University Hospital of Nancy, Nancy F-54000, France
- INSERM, U1256, NGERE - Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, Nancy F-54000, France
| | - Ania C Muntau
- University Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Hamburg 20246, Germany
| | - Nenad Blau
- Division of Metabolism, University Children's Hospital Zurich, CH-8032 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - V Reid Sutton
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Manuel Schiff
- Necker Hospital, APHP, Reference Center for Inborn Error of Metabolism and Filière G2M, Pediatrics Department, University of Paris, Paris 75007, France
- Inserm UMR_S1163, Institut Imagine, Paris 75015, France
| | - François Feillet
- INSERM, U1256, NGERE - Nutrition, Genetics, and Environmental Risk Exposure, University of Lorraine, Nancy F-54000, France.
- Pediatric Department Reference Center for Inborn Errors of Metabolism Children University Hospital Nancy, Nancy F-54000, France
| | - Shuxing Zhang
- Intelligent Molecular Discovery Laboratory, Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA.
- The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Chunru Lin
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
- The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Liuqing Yang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
- The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Center for RNA Interference and Non-Coding RNAs, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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17
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Gawroński P, Enroth C, Kindgren P, Marquardt S, Karpiński S, Leister D, Jensen PE, Vinther J, Scharff LB. Light-Dependent Translation Change of Arabidopsis psbA Correlates with RNA Structure Alterations at the Translation Initiation Region. Cells 2021; 10:322. [PMID: 33557293 PMCID: PMC7914831 DOI: 10.3390/cells10020322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
mRNA secondary structure influences translation. Proteins that modulate the mRNA secondary structure around the translation initiation region may regulate translation in plastids. To test this hypothesis, we exposed Arabidopsis thaliana to high light, which induces translation of psbA mRNA encoding the D1 subunit of photosystem II. We assayed translation by ribosome profiling and applied two complementary methods to analyze in vivo RNA secondary structure: DMS-MaPseq and SHAPE-seq. We detected increased accessibility of the translation initiation region of psbA after high light treatment, likely contributing to the observed increase in translation by facilitating translation initiation. Furthermore, we identified the footprint of a putative regulatory protein in the 5' UTR of psbA at a position where occlusion of the nucleotide sequence would cause the structure of the translation initiation region to open up, thereby facilitating ribosome access. Moreover, we show that other plastid genes with weak Shine-Dalgarno sequences (SD) are likely to exhibit psbA-like regulation, while those with strong SDs do not. This supports the idea that changes in mRNA secondary structure might represent a general mechanism for translational regulation of psbA and other plastid genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Gawroński
- Department of Plant Genetics, Breeding and Biotechnology, Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland; (P.G.); (S.K.)
| | - Christel Enroth
- Department of Biology, Section for Computational and RNA Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, 2200 København N, Denmark; (C.E.); (J.V.)
| | - Peter Kindgren
- Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark; (P.K.); (S.M.)
| | - Sebastian Marquardt
- Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark; (P.K.); (S.M.)
| | - Stanisław Karpiński
- Department of Plant Genetics, Breeding and Biotechnology, Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland; (P.G.); (S.K.)
| | - Dario Leister
- Plant Molecular Biology, Department Biology I, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Großhadernerstr. 2-4, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany;
| | - Poul Erik Jensen
- Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 26, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark;
| | - Jeppe Vinther
- Department of Biology, Section for Computational and RNA Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, 2200 København N, Denmark; (C.E.); (J.V.)
| | - Lars B. Scharff
- Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark; (P.K.); (S.M.)
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18
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Liu Z, Liu Q, Yang X, Zhang Y, Norris M, Chen X, Cheema J, Zhang H, Ding Y. In vivo nuclear RNA structurome reveals RNA-structure regulation of mRNA processing in plants. Genome Biol 2021; 22:11. [PMID: 33397430 PMCID: PMC7784297 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-020-02236-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND mRNA processing is critical for gene expression. A challenge in regulating mRNA processing is how to recognize the actual mRNA processing sites, such as splice and polyadenylation sites, when the sequence content is insufficient for this purpose. Previous studies suggested that RNA structure affects mRNA processing. However, the regulatory role of RNA structure in mRNA processing remains unclear. RESULTS Here, we perform in vivo selective 2'-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension (SHAPE) chemical profiling on Arabidopsis and generate the in vivo nuclear RNA structure landscape. We find that nuclear mRNAs fold differently from cytosolic mRNAs across translation start and stop sites. Notably, we discover a two-nucleotide single-stranded RNA structure feature upstream of 5' splice sites that is strongly associated with splicing and the selection of alternative 5' splice sites. The regulatory role of this RNA structure feature is further confirmed by experimental validation. Moreover, we find the single-strandedness of branch sites is also associated with 3' splice site recognition. We also identify an RNA structure feature comprising two close-by single-stranded regions that is specifically associated with both polyadenylation and alternative polyadenylation events. CONCLUSIONS We successfully identify pre-mRNA structure features associated with splicing and polyadenylation at whole-genome scale and validate an RNA structure feature which can regulate splicing. Our study unveils a new RNA structure regulatory mechanism for mRNA processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenshan Liu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH UK
| | - Qi Liu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH UK
| | - Xiaofei Yang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH UK
| | - Yueying Zhang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH UK
| | - Matthew Norris
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH UK
| | - Xiaoxi Chen
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH UK
| | - Jitender Cheema
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH UK
| | - Huakun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024 China
| | - Yiliang Ding
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH UK
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19
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Bubenik JL, Hale M, McConnell O, Wang E, Swanson MS, Spitale R, Berglund JA. RNA structure probing to characterize RNA-protein interactions on a low abundance pre-mRNA in living cells. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2020; 27:rna.077263.120. [PMID: 33310817 PMCID: PMC7901844 DOI: 10.1261/rna.077263.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In vivo RNA structure analysis has become a powerful tool in molecular biology, largely due to the coupling of an increasingly diverse set of chemical approaches with high-throughput sequencing. This has resulted in a transition from single target to transcriptome-wide approaches. However, these methods require sequencing depths that preclude studying low abundance targets, which are not sufficiently captured in transcriptome-wide approaches. Here we present a ligation-free method to enrich for low abundance RNA sequences, which improves the diversity of molecules analyzed and results in improved analysis. In addition, this method is compatible with any choice of chemical adduct or read-out approach. We utilized this approach to study an autoregulated event in the pre-mRNA of the splicing factor, muscleblind-like splicing regulator 1 (MBNL1).
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20
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Li B, Cao Y, Westhof E, Miao Z. Advances in RNA 3D Structure Modeling Using Experimental Data. Front Genet 2020; 11:574485. [PMID: 33193680 PMCID: PMC7649352 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.574485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA is a unique bio-macromolecule that can both record genetic information and perform biological functions in a variety of molecular processes, including transcription, splicing, translation, and even regulating protein function. RNAs adopt specific three-dimensional conformations to enable their functions. Experimental determination of high-resolution RNA structures using x-ray crystallography is both laborious and demands expertise, thus, hindering our comprehension of RNA structural biology. The computational modeling of RNA structure was a milestone in the birth of bioinformatics. Although computational modeling has been greatly improved over the last decade showing many successful cases, the accuracy of such computational modeling is not only length-dependent but also varies according to the complexity of the structure. To increase credibility, various experimental data were integrated into computational modeling. In this review, we summarize the experiments that can be integrated into RNA structure modeling as well as the computational methods based on these experimental data. We also demonstrate how computational modeling can help the experimental determination of RNA structure. We highlight the recent advances in computational modeling which can offer reliable structure models using high-throughput experimental data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Li
- Center of Growth, Metabolism and Aging, Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yang Cao
- Center of Growth, Metabolism and Aging, Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Eric Westhof
- Architecture et Réactivité de l’ARN, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Zhichao Miao
- Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Fourth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Institute of Cellular Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Cambridge, United Kingdom
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21
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Yang M, Woolfenden HC, Zhang Y, Fang X, Liu Q, Vigh ML, Cheema J, Yang X, Norris M, Yu S, Carbonell A, Brodersen P, Wang J, Ding Y. Intact RNA structurome reveals mRNA structure-mediated regulation of miRNA cleavage in vivo. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:8767-8781. [PMID: 32652041 PMCID: PMC7470952 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNA (miRNA)-mediated cleavage is involved in numerous essential cellular pathways. miRNAs recognize target RNAs via sequence complementarity. In addition to complementarity, in vitro and in silico studies have suggested that RNA structure may influence the accessibility of mRNAs to miRNA-induced silencing complexes (miRISCs), thereby affecting RNA silencing. However, the regulatory mechanism of mRNA structure in miRNA cleavage remains elusive. We investigated the role of in vivo RNA secondary structure in miRNA cleavage by developing the new CAP-STRUCTURE-seq method to capture the intact mRNA structurome in Arabidopsis thaliana. This approach revealed that miRNA target sites were not structurally accessible for miRISC binding prior to cleavage in vivo. Instead, we found that the unfolding of the target site structure plays a key role in miRISC activity in vivo. We found that the single-strandedness of the two nucleotides immediately downstream of the target site, named Target Adjacent nucleotide Motif, can promote miRNA cleavage but not miRNA binding, thus decoupling target site binding from cleavage. Our findings demonstrate that mRNA structure in vivo can modulate miRNA cleavage, providing evidence of mRNA structure-dependent regulation of biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minglei Yang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Hugh C Woolfenden
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Yueying Zhang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Xiaofeng Fang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Qi Liu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Maria L Vigh
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Jitender Cheema
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Xiaofei Yang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Matthew Norris
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Sha Yu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics (NKLPMG), CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology (SIPPE), Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences (SIBS), Shanghai 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Alberto Carbonell
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Politécnica de Valencia), Valencia, 46022, Spain
| | - Peter Brodersen
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Jiawei Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics (NKLPMG), CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology (SIPPE), Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences (SIBS), Shanghai 200032, People's Republic of China
- ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 200031, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yiliang Ding
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
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22
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Yang X, Cheema J, Zhang Y, Deng H, Duncan S, Umar MI, Zhao J, Liu Q, Cao X, Kwok CK, Ding Y. RNA G-quadruplex structures exist and function in vivo in plants. Genome Biol 2020; 21:226. [PMID: 32873317 PMCID: PMC7466424 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-020-02142-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Guanine-rich sequences are able to form complex RNA structures termed RNA G-quadruplexes in vitro. Because of their high stability, RNA G-quadruplexes are proposed to exist in vivo and are suggested to be associated with important biological relevance. However, there is a lack of direct evidence for RNA G-quadruplex formation in living eukaryotic cells. Therefore, it is unclear whether any purported functions are associated with the specific sequence content or the formation of an RNA G-quadruplex structure. RESULTS Using rG4-seq, we profile the landscape of those guanine-rich regions with the in vitro folding potential in the Arabidopsis transcriptome. We find a global enrichment of RNA G-quadruplexes with two G-quartets whereby the folding potential is strongly influenced by RNA secondary structures. Using in vitro and in vivo RNA chemical structure profiling, we determine that hundreds of RNA G-quadruplex structures are strongly folded in both Arabidopsis and rice, providing direct evidence of RNA G-quadruplex formation in living eukaryotic cells. Subsequent genetic and biochemical analyses show that RNA G-quadruplex folding is able to regulate translation and modulate plant growth. CONCLUSIONS Our study reveals the existence of RNA G-quadruplex in vivo and indicates that RNA G-quadruplex structures act as important regulators of plant development and growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofei Yang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Jitender Cheema
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Yueying Zhang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Hongjing Deng
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Susan Duncan
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Mubarak Ishaq Umar
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jieyu Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Qi Liu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
- Present Address: School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Xiaofeng Cao
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Chun Kit Kwok
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- Shenzhen Research Institute of City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, 518057, China.
| | - Yiliang Ding
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK.
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23
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Jones AN, Pisignano G, Pavelitz T, White J, Kinisu M, Forino N, Albin D, Varani G. An evolutionarily conserved RNA structure in the functional core of the lincRNA Cyrano. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2020; 26:1234-1246. [PMID: 32457084 PMCID: PMC7430676 DOI: 10.1261/rna.076117.120] [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: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The wide prevalence and regulated expression of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) highlight their functional roles, but the molecular basis for their activities and structure-function relationships remains to be investigated, with few exceptions. Among the relatively few lncRNAs conserved over significant evolutionary distances is the long intergenic noncoding RNA (lincRNA) Cyrano (orthologous to human OIP5-AS1), which contains a region of 300 highly conserved nucleotides within tetrapods, which in turn contains a functional stretch of 26 nt of deep conservation. This region binds to and facilitates the degradation of the microRNA miR-7, a short ncRNA with multiple cellular functions, including modulation of oncogenic expression. We probed the secondary structure of Cyrano in vitro and in cells using chemical and enzymatic probing, and validated the results using comparative sequence analysis. At the center of the functional core of Cyrano is a cloverleaf structure maintained over the >400 million years of divergent evolution that separates fish and primates. This strikingly conserved motif provides interaction sites for several RNA-binding proteins and masks a conserved recognition site for miR-7. Conservation in this region strongly suggests that the function of Cyrano depends on the formation of this RNA structure, which could modulate the rate and efficiency of degradation of miR-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisha N Jones
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Box 351700, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Giuseppina Pisignano
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Box 351700, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
- Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapeutics Program, Institute of Oncology Research (IOR) and Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland (IOSI), Bellinzona CH-6500, Switzerland
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Pavelitz
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Box 351700, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Jessica White
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Box 351700, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Martin Kinisu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Box 351700, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Nicholas Forino
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Box 351700, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Dreycey Albin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Box 351700, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Gabriele Varani
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Box 351700, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
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24
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Jones AN, Sattler M. Challenges and perspectives for structural biology of lncRNAs-the example of the Xist lncRNA A-repeats. J Mol Cell Biol 2020; 11:845-859. [PMID: 31336384 PMCID: PMC6917512 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjz086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Revised: 06/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Following the discovery of numerous long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) transcripts in the human genome, their important roles in biology and human disease are emerging. Recent progress in experimental methods has enabled the identification of structural features of lncRNAs. However, determining high-resolution structures is challenging as lncRNAs are expected to be dynamic and adopt multiple conformations, which may be modulated by interaction with protein binding partners. The X-inactive specific transcript (Xist) is necessary for X inactivation during dosage compensation in female placental mammals and one of the best-studied lncRNAs. Recent progress has provided new insights into the domain organization, molecular features, and RNA binding proteins that interact with distinct regions of Xist. The A-repeats located at the 5′ end of the transcript are of particular interest as they are essential for mediating silencing of the inactive X chromosome. Here, we discuss recent progress with elucidating structural features of the Xist lncRNA, focusing on the A-repeats. We discuss the experimental and computational approaches employed that have led to distinct structural models, likely reflecting the intrinsic dynamics of this RNA. The presence of multiple dynamic conformations may also play an important role in the formation of the associated RNPs, thus influencing the molecular mechanism underlying the biological function of the Xist A-repeats. We propose that integrative approaches that combine biochemical experiments and high-resolution structural biology in vitro with chemical probing and functional studies in vivo are required to unravel the molecular mechanisms of lncRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisha N Jones
- Institute of Structural Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, 85764, Germany.,Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich and Bavarian NMR Center at Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Garching, 85747, Germany
| | - Michael Sattler
- Institute of Structural Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, 85764, Germany.,Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich and Bavarian NMR Center at Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Garching, 85747, Germany
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25
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Gawroński P, Pałac A, Scharff LB. Secondary Structure of Chloroplast mRNAs In Vivo and In Vitro. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2020; 9:E323. [PMID: 32143324 PMCID: PMC7154907 DOI: 10.3390/plants9030323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
mRNA secondary structure can influence gene expression, e.g., by influencing translation initiation. The probing of in vivo mRNA secondary structures is therefore necessary to understand what determines the efficiency and regulation of gene expression. Here, in vivo mRNA secondary structure was analyzed using dimethyl sulfate (DMS)-MaPseq and compared to in vitro-folded RNA. We used an approach to analyze specific, full-length transcripts. To test this approach, we chose low, medium, and high abundant mRNAs. We included both monocistronic and multicistronic transcripts. Because of the slightly alkaline pH of the chloroplast stroma, we could probe all four nucleotides with DMS. The structural information gained was evaluated using the known structure of the plastid 16S rRNA. This demonstrated that the results obtained for adenosines and cytidines were more reliable than for guanosines and uridines. The majority of mRNAs analyzed were less structured in vivo than in vitro. The in vivo secondary structure of the translation initiation region of most tested genes appears to be optimized for high translation efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Gawroński
- Department of Plant Genetics, Breeding and Biotechnology, Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Pałac
- Department of Plant Genetics, Breeding and Biotechnology, Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Lars B. Scharff
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
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26
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Zhao J, Kennedy SD, Berger KD, Turner DH. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance of Single-Stranded RNAs and DNAs of CAAU and UCAAUC as Benchmarks for Molecular Dynamics Simulations. J Chem Theory Comput 2020; 16:1968-1984. [PMID: 31904966 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.9b00912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
RNA and DNA are rapidly emerging as targets for therapeutics and as potential frameworks for nanotechnology. Accurate methods for predicting and designing structures and dynamics of nucleic acids would accelerate progress in these and other applications. Suitable approximations for modeling nucleic acids are being developed but require validation against disparate experimental observations. Here, nuclear magnetic resonance spectra for RNA and DNA single strands, CAAU and UCAAUC, are used as benchmarks to test molecular dynamics simulations with AMBER force fields OL3 and ROC-RNA for RNA and BSC1 for DNA. A detailed scheme for making comparisons is also presented. The results reflect recent progress in approximations and reveal remaining challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianbo Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, United States.,Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, United States
| | - Scott D Kennedy
- Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, United States.,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642, United States
| | - Kyle D Berger
- Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, United States.,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642, United States
| | - Douglas H Turner
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, United States.,Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, United States
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27
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Takahashi S, Sugimoto N. Stability prediction of canonical and non-canonical structures of nucleic acids in various molecular environments and cells. Chem Soc Rev 2020; 49:8439-8468. [DOI: 10.1039/d0cs00594k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
This review provides the biophysicochemical background and recent advances in stability prediction of canonical and non-canonical structures of nucleic acids in various molecular environments and cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuntaro Takahashi
- Frontier Institute for Biomolecular Engineering Research (FIBER)
- Konan University
- Kobe
- Japan
| | - Naoki Sugimoto
- Frontier Institute for Biomolecular Engineering Research (FIBER)
- Konan University
- Kobe
- Japan
- Graduate School of Frontiers of Innovative Research in Science and Technology (FIRST)
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28
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Abstract
Molecular crowding promotes RNA folding and catalysis and could have played vital roles in the evolution of primordial ribozymes and protocells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saurja DasGupta
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Boston
- USA
- Department of Molecular Biology
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29
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Karner H, Webb CH, Carmona S, Liu Y, Lin B, Erhard M, Chan D, Baldi P, Spitale RC, Sun S. Functional Conservation of LncRNA JPX Despite Sequence and Structural Divergence. J Mol Biol 2019; 432:283-300. [PMID: 31518612 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2019.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Revised: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified in all eukaryotes and are most abundant in the human genome. However, the functional importance and mechanisms of action for human lncRNAs are largely unknown. Using comparative sequence, structural, and functional analyses, we characterize the evolution and molecular function of human lncRNA JPX. We find that human JPX and its mouse homolog, lncRNA Jpx, have deep divergence in their nucleotide sequences and RNA secondary structures. Despite such differences, both lncRNAs demonstrate robust binding to CTCF, a protein that is central to Jpx's role in X chromosome inactivation. In addition, our functional rescue experiment using Jpx-deletion mutant cells shows that human JPX can functionally complement the loss of Jpx in mouse embryonic stem cells. Our findings support a model for functional conservation of lncRNAs independent from sequence and structural divergence. This study provides mechanistic insight into the evolution of lncRNA function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather Karner
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Chiu-Ho Webb
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Sarah Carmona
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of Computer Science, Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Benjamin Lin
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Micaela Erhard
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Dalen Chan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Pierre Baldi
- Department of Computer Science, Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Robert C Spitale
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Sha Sun
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
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30
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Fabbri M, Girnita L, Varani G, Calin GA. Decrypting noncoding RNA interactions, structures, and functional networks. Genome Res 2019; 29:1377-1388. [PMID: 31434680 PMCID: PMC6724670 DOI: 10.1101/gr.247239.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The world of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) is composed of an enormous and growing number of transcripts, ranging in length from tens of bases to tens of kilobases, involved in all biological processes and altered in expression and/or function in many types of human disorders. The premise of this review is the concept that ncRNAs, like many large proteins, have a multidomain architecture that organizes them spatially and functionally. As ncRNAs are beginning to be imprecisely classified into functional families, we review here how their structural properties might inform their functions with focus on structural architecture–function relationships. We will describe the properties of “interactor elements” (IEs) involved in direct physical interaction with nucleic acids, proteins, or lipids and of “structural elements” (SEs) directing their wiring within the “ncRNA interactor networks” through the emergence of secondary and/or tertiary structures. We suggest that spectrums of “letters” (ncRNA elements) are assembled into “words” (ncRNA domains) that are further organized into “phrases” (complete ncRNA structures) with functional meaning (signaling output) through complex “sentences” (the ncRNA interactor networks). This semiotic analogy can guide the exploitation of ncRNAs as new therapeutic targets through the development of IE-blockers and/or SE-lockers that will change the interactor partners’ spectrum of proteins, RNAs, DNAs, or lipids and consequently influence disease phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muller Fabbri
- University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Cancer Biology Program, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813, USA
| | - Leonard Girnita
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Cellular and Molecular Tumor Pathology, Karolinska Institute, and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, 17164 Sweden
| | - Gabriele Varani
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-1700, USA
| | - George A Calin
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.,Center for RNA Interference and Non-Coding RNAs, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
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31
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Gasser C, Gebetsberger J, Gebetsberger M, Micura R. SHAPE probing pictures Mg2+-dependent folding of small self-cleaving ribozymes. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 46:6983-6995. [PMID: 29924364 PMCID: PMC6101554 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Self-cleaving ribozymes are biologically relevant RNA molecules which catalyze site-specific cleavage of the phosphodiester backbone. Gathering knowledge of their three-dimensional structures is critical toward an in-depth understanding of their function and chemical mechanism. Equally important is collecting information on the folding process and the inherent dynamics of a ribozyme fold. Over the past years, Selective-2′-Hydroxyl Acylation analyzed by Primer Extension (SHAPE) turned out to be a significant tool to probe secondary and tertiary interactions of diverse RNA species at the single nucleotide level under varying environmental conditions. Small self-cleaving ribozymes, however, have not been investigated by this method so far. Here, we describe SHAPE probing of pre-catalytic folds of the recently discovered ribozyme classes twister, twister-sister (TS), pistol and hatchet. The study has implications on Mg2+-dependent folding and reveals potentially dynamic residues of these ribozymes that are otherwise difficult to identify. For twister, TS and pistol ribozymes the new findings are discussed in the light of their crystal structures, and in case of twister also with respect to a smFRET folding analysis. For the hatchet ribozyme where an atomic resolution structure is not yet available, the SHAPE data challenge the proposed secondary structure model and point at selected residues and putative long-distance interactions that appear crucial for structure formation and cleavage activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherina Gasser
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck CMBI, Leopold-Franzens University, Innrain 80-82, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Jennifer Gebetsberger
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck CMBI, Leopold-Franzens University, Innrain 80-82, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Manuel Gebetsberger
- Division for Biomedical Physics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Müllerstraße 44, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Ronald Micura
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck CMBI, Leopold-Franzens University, Innrain 80-82, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
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32
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Abstract
RNA performs and regulates a diverse range of cellular processes, with new functional roles being uncovered at a rapid pace. Interest is growing in how these functions are linked to RNA structures that form in the complex cellular environment. A growing suite of technologies that use advances in RNA structural probes, high-throughput sequencing and new computational approaches to interrogate RNA structure at unprecedented throughput are beginning to provide insights into RNA structures at new spatial, temporal and cellular scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric J Strobel
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Angela M Yu
- Tri-Institutional Training Program in Computational Biology and Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Julius B Lucks
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
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33
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Cole KH, Lupták A. High-throughput methods in aptamer discovery and analysis. Methods Enzymol 2019; 621:329-346. [PMID: 31128787 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2019.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Aptamers are small, functional nucleic acids that bind a variety of targets, often with high specificity and affinity. Genomic aptamers constitute the ligand-binding domains of riboswitches, whereas synthetic aptamers find applications as diagnostic and therapeutic tools, and as ligand-binding domains of regulatory RNAs in synthetic biology. Discovery and characterization of aptamers has been limited by a lack of high-throughput approaches that uncover the target-binding domains and the biochemical properties of individual sequences. With the advent of high-throughput sequencing, large-scale analysis of in vitro selected populations of aptamers (and catalytic nucleic acids, such as ribozymes and DNAzmes) became possible. In recent years the development of new experimental approaches and software tools has led to significant streamlining of the selection-pool analysis. This article provides an overview of post-selection data analysis and describes high-throughput methods that facilitate rapid discovery and biochemical characterization of aptamers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle H Cole
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Andrej Lupták
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States; Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States.
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34
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Szpotkowska J, Swiatkowska A, Ciesiołka J. Length and secondary structure of the 5' non-coding regions of mouse p53 mRNA transcripts - mouse as a model organism for p53 gene expression studies. RNA Biol 2018; 16:25-41. [PMID: 30518296 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2018.1556084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcription initiation sites of Trp53 gene in mice were determined using the 5'RACE method. Based on sequence alignment of the 5'-terminal regions of p53 mRNA in mammals, the site for the most abundant transcript turned out to be essentially identical with that determined for human TP53 gene and slightly differed for the longest transcripts, in mice and humans. Secondary structures of the 5' -terminal regions of the shorter, most abundant and the longest mouse transcripts were determined in vitro and the shorter transcript was also mapped in transfected mouse cells. For the first time, secondary structure models of the 5' terminus of two mouse p53 mRNAs were proposed. Comparing these models with the conservativeness of the nucleotide sequence of the 5'-terminal region of mRNA in mouse and other mammals, the possible function of the selected structural domains of this region was discussed. To elucidate the translation mechanisms, the two studied mRNAs were translated in the presence of an increasing concentration of the cap analog. For the longest transcript, the data suggested that IRES element(s) was/were involved in translation initiation. Additionally, changes in p53 synthesis under genotoxic and endoplasmic reticulum stress conditions in mouse cells were analyzed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Szpotkowska
- a Polish Academy of Sciences , Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry , Poznan , Poland
| | - Agata Swiatkowska
- a Polish Academy of Sciences , Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry , Poznan , Poland
| | - Jerzy Ciesiołka
- a Polish Academy of Sciences , Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry , Poznan , Poland
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35
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Genome-wide probing RNA structure with the modified DMS-MaPseq in Arabidopsis. Methods 2018; 155:30-40. [PMID: 30503825 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2018.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2018] [Revised: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcripts have intrinsic propensity to form stable secondary structure that is fundamental to regulate RNA transcription, splicing, translation, RNA localization and turnover. Numerous methods that integrate chemical reactions with next-generation sequencing (NGS) have been applied to study in vivo RNA structure, providing new insights into RNA biology. Dimethyl sulfate (DMS) probing coupled with mutational profiling through NGS (DMS-MaPseq) is a newly developed method for revealing genome-wide or target-specific RNA structure. Herein, we present our experimental protocol of a modified DMS-MaPseq method for plant materials. The DMS treatment condition was optimized, and library preparation procedures were simplified. We also provided custom scripts for bioinformatic analysis of genome-wide DMS-MaPseq data. Bioinformatic results showed that our method could generate high-quality and reproducible data. Further, we assessed sequencing depth and coverage for genome-wide RNA structure profiling in Arabidopsis, and provided two examples of in vivo structure of mobile RNAs. We hope that our modified DMS-MaPseq method will serve as a powerful tool for analyzing in vivo RNA structurome in plants.
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Mailler E, Paillart JC, Marquet R, Smyth RP, Vivet-Boudou V. The evolution of RNA structural probing methods: From gels to next-generation sequencing. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-RNA 2018; 10:e1518. [PMID: 30485688 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Revised: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
RNA molecules are important players in all domains of life and the study of the relationship between their multiple flexible states and the associated biological roles has increased in recent years. For several decades, chemical and enzymatic structural probing experiments have been used to determine RNA structure. During this time, there has been a steady improvement in probing reagents and experimental methods, and today the structural biologist community has a large range of tools at its disposal to probe the secondary structure of RNAs in vitro and in cells. Early experiments used radioactive labeling and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis as read-out methods. This was superseded by capillary electrophoresis, and more recently by next-generation sequencing. Today, powerful structural probing methods can characterize RNA structure on a genome-wide scale. In this review, we will provide an overview of RNA structural probing methodologies from a historical and technical perspective. This article is categorized under: RNA Structure and Dynamics > RNA Structure, Dynamics, and Chemistry RNA Methods > RNA Analyses in vitro and In Silico RNA Methods > RNA Analyses in Cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elodie Mailler
- Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Strasbourg, France
| | | | - Roland Marquet
- Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Strasbourg, France
| | - Redmond P Smyth
- Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Strasbourg, France
| | - Valerie Vivet-Boudou
- Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Strasbourg, France
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Li Y, Disney MD. Precise Small Molecule Degradation of a Noncoding RNA Identifies Cellular Binding Sites and Modulates an Oncogenic Phenotype. ACS Chem Biol 2018; 13:3065-3071. [PMID: 30375843 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.8b00827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Herein, we describe the precise cellular destruction of an oncogenic noncoding RNA with a small molecule-bleomycin A5 conjugate, affording reversal of phenotype and a facile method to map the cellular binding sites of a small molecule. In particular, bleomycin A5 was coupled to a small molecule that selectively binds the microRNA-96 hairpin precursor (pri-miR-96). By coupling of bleomycin A5's free amine to the RNA binder, its affinity for binding to pri-miR-96 is >100-fold stronger than to DNA and the compound selectively cleaves pri-miR-96 in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. Indeed, selective cleavage of pri-miR-96 enhanced expression of FOXO1 protein, a pro-apoptotic transcription factor that miR-96 silences, and triggered apoptosis in TNBC cells. No effects were observed in healthy breast epithelial cells. Thus, conjugation of a small molecule to bleomycin A5's free amine may provide programmable control over its cellular targets. Few approaches are available to define the binding sites of small molecules within cellular RNAs. Our targeted cleavage method provides such an approach that is straightforward to implement. That is, we determined experimentally the site cleaved within pri-miR-96 in vitro and in cells; these studies revealed that the site of cleavage is the precise site for which the small molecule cleaver was designed and in agreement with modeling. These studies demonstrate the potential of sequence-based design to provide bioactive compounds that precisely recognize and cleave RNA in cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Li
- The Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
| | - Matthew D. Disney
- The Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
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Bevilacqua PC, Assmann SM. Technique Development for Probing RNA Structure In Vivo and Genome-Wide. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2018; 10:a032250. [PMID: 30275275 PMCID: PMC6169808 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a032250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
How organisms perceive and respond to their surroundings is one of the great questions in biology. It is clear that RNA plays key roles in sensing. Cellular and environmental cues that RNA responds to include temperature, ions, metabolites, and biopolymers. Recent advances in next-generation sequencing and in vivo chemical probing have provided unprecedented insights into RNA folding in vivo and genome-wide. Patterns of chemical reactivity have implicated control of gene expression by RNA and aided prediction of RNA structure. Central to these advances has been development of molecular biological and chemical techniques. Key advances are improvements in the quality, cost, and throughput of library preparation; availability of a wider array of chemicals for probing RNA structure in vivo; and robustness and user friendliness of data analysis. Insights from probing transcriptomes and future directions are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip C Bevilacqua
- Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
| | - Sarah M Assmann
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
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39
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Ziv O, Gabryelska MM, Lun ATL, Gebert LFR, Sheu-Gruttadauria J, Meredith LW, Liu ZY, Kwok CK, Qin CF, MacRae IJ, Goodfellow I, Marioni JC, Kudla G, Miska EA. COMRADES determines in vivo RNA structures and interactions. Nat Methods 2018; 15:785-788. [PMID: 30202058 PMCID: PMC6168409 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-018-0121-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The structural flexibility of RNA underlies fundamental biological processes, but there are no methods for exploring the multiple conformations adopted by RNAs in vivo. We developed cross-linking of matched RNAs and deep sequencing (COMRADES) for in-depth RNA conformation capture, and a pipeline for the retrieval of RNA structural ensembles. Using COMRADES, we determined the architecture of the Zika virus RNA genome inside cells, and identified multiple site-specific interactions with human noncoding RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omer Ziv
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Marta M Gabryelska
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Aaron T L Lun
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Luca F R Gebert
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, the Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jessica Sheu-Gruttadauria
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, the Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Luke W Meredith
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Zhong-Yu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
- School of Medicine (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chun Kit Kwok
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Cheng-Feng Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Ian J MacRae
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, the Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ian Goodfellow
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - John C Marioni
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Grzegorz Kudla
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
| | - Eric A Miska
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK.
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40
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Kwok CK, Marsico G, Balasubramanian S. Detecting RNA G-Quadruplexes (rG4s) in the Transcriptome. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2018; 10:10/7/a032284. [PMID: 29967010 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a032284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
RNA G-quadruplex (rG4) secondary structures are proposed to play key roles in fundamental biological processes that include the modulation of transcriptional, co-transcriptional, and posttranscriptional events. Recent methodological developments that include predictive algorithms and structure-based sequencing have enabled the detection and mapping of rG4 structures on a transcriptome-wide scale at high sensitivity and resolution. The data generated by these studies provide valuable insights into the potentially diverse roles of rG4s in biology and open up a number of mechanistic hypotheses. Herein we highlight these methodologies and discuss the associated findings in relation to rG4-related biological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun Kit Kwok
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Giovanni Marsico
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom.,Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0RE, United Kingdom
| | - Shankar Balasubramanian
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom.,Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0RE, United Kingdom
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41
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Sauter B, Gillingham D. Profiling the Nucleobase and Structure Selectivity of Anticancer Drugs and other DNA Alkylating Agents by RNA Sequencing. Chembiochem 2018; 19:1638-1642. [PMID: 29732707 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201800235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Drugs that covalently modify DNA are components of most chemotherapy regimens, often serving as first-line treatments. Classically, the reactivity and selectivity of DNA alkylating agents has been determined in vitro with short oligonucleotides. A statistically sound analysis of sequence preferences of alkylating agents is untenable with serial analysis methods because of the combinatorial explosion of sequence possibilities. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is ideally suited for the broad characterization of sequence or structure selectivities because it analyzes many sequences at once. Herein, NGS is used to report on the chemoselectivity of alkylating agents on RNA and this technology is applied to the previously uncharacterized alkylating agent trimethylsilyl diazomethane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basilius Sauter
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, St. Johanns-Ring 19, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dennis Gillingham
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, St. Johanns-Ring 19, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
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42
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Automated Recognition of RNA Structure Motifs by Their SHAPE Data Signatures. Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:genes9060300. [PMID: 29904019 PMCID: PMC6027059 DOI: 10.3390/genes9060300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Revised: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
High-throughput structure profiling (SP) experiments that provide information at nucleotide resolution are revolutionizing our ability to study RNA structures. Of particular interest are RNA elements whose underlying structures are necessary for their biological functions. We previously introduced patteRNA, an algorithm for rapidly mining SP data for patterns characteristic of such motifs. This work provided a proof-of-concept for the detection of motifs and the capability of distinguishing structures displaying pronounced conformational changes. Here, we describe several improvements and automation routines to patteRNA. We then consider more elaborate biological situations starting with the comparison or integration of results from searches for distinct motifs and across datasets. To facilitate such analyses, we characterize patteRNA’s outputs and describe a normalization framework that regularizes results. We then demonstrate that our algorithm successfully discerns between highly similar structural variants of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Rev response element (RRE) and readily identifies its exact location in whole-genome structure profiles of HIV-1. This work highlights the breadth of information that can be gleaned from SP data and broadens the utility of data-driven methods as tools for the detection of novel RNA elements.
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43
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Yang X, Yang M, Deng H, Ding Y. New Era of Studying RNA Secondary Structure and Its Influence on Gene Regulation in Plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:671. [PMID: 29872445 PMCID: PMC5972288 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The dynamic structure of RNA plays a central role in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression such as RNA maturation, degradation, and translation. With the rise of next-generation sequencing, the study of RNA structure has been transformed from in vitro low-throughput RNA structure probing methods to in vivo high-throughput RNA structure profiling. The development of these methods enables incremental studies on the function of RNA structure to be performed, revealing new insights of novel regulatory mechanisms of RNA structure in plants. Genome-wide scale RNA structure profiling allows us to investigate general RNA structural features over 10s of 1000s of mRNAs and to compare RNA structuromes between plant species. Here, we provide a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of: (i) RNA structure probing methods; (ii) the biological functions of RNA structure; (iii) genome-wide RNA structural features corresponding to their regulatory mechanisms; and (iv) RNA structurome evolution in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofei Yang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Minglei Yang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Hongjing Deng
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich, United Kingdom
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yiliang Ding
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich, United Kingdom
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44
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Chan D, Beasley S, Zhen Y, Spitale RC. Facile synthesis and evaluation of a dual-functioning furoyl probe for in-cell SHAPE. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2018; 28:601-605. [PMID: 29398542 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2018.01.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2017] [Revised: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Recent analysis of transcriptomes has revealed that RNA molecules perform a myriad of functions beyond coding for proteins. RNA molecules can fold into complex secondary and tertiary structures, which are critical for regulating their function. Selective Hydroxyl Acylation analyzed by Primer Extension, or SHAPE is a common method for probing RNA structure in and outside of cells. Recent developments in SHAPE include the design of acyl imidazole acylating electrophiles with alkyl azides to enrich the sites of SHAPE adduct formation. Enrichment is key for next-generation sequencing experiments as it dramatically improves the signal. In a recent comparison of different structures of such reagents, we realized that furoyl acylating reagents form hyper-stable ester adducts with hydroxyls. This prompted us to design, synthesize and test a novel dual-functioning SHAPE probe (FAI-N3), which has the stable furoyl scaffold and the alkyl azide for enrichment. Herein we present the results that show FAI-N3 is a suitable probe for RNA structure analysis by SHAPE and that it can be used for enrichment of SHAPE adducts. These results strongly demonstrate that FAI-N3 is an ideal probe for structure probing in cells and will be very useful for sequencing-based analysis of SHAPE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalen Chan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697 United States
| | - Samantha Beasley
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697 United States
| | - Yuran Zhen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697 United States
| | - Robert C Spitale
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697 United States; Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697 United States.
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45
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Busan S, Weeks KM. Accurate detection of chemical modifications in RNA by mutational profiling (MaP) with ShapeMapper 2. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2018; 24:143-148. [PMID: 29114018 PMCID: PMC5769742 DOI: 10.1261/rna.061945.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/05/2017] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Mutational profiling (MaP) enables detection of sites of chemical modification in RNA as sequence changes during reverse transcription (RT), subsequently read out by massively parallel sequencing. We introduce ShapeMapper 2, which integrates careful handling of all classes of adduct-induced sequence changes, sequence variant correction, basecall quality filters, and quality-control warnings to now identify RNA adduct sites as accurately as achieved by careful manual analysis of electrophoresis data, the prior highest-accuracy standard. MaP and ShapeMapper 2 provide a robust, experimentally concise, and accurate approach for reading out nucleic acid chemical probing experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Busan
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290, USA
| | - Kevin M Weeks
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290, USA
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46
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Jayaraman D, Kenyon JC. New windows into retroviral RNA structures. Retrovirology 2018; 15:11. [PMID: 29368653 PMCID: PMC5784592 DOI: 10.1186/s12977-018-0393-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The multiple roles of both viral and cellular RNAs have become increasingly apparent in recent years, and techniques to model them have become significantly more powerful, enabling faster and more accurate visualization of RNA structures. Main body Techniques such as SHAPE (selective 2’OH acylation analysed by primer extension) have revolutionized the field, and have been used to examine RNAs belonging to many and diverse retroviruses. Secondary structure probing reagents such as these have been aided by the development of faster methods of analysis either via capillary or next-generation sequencing, allowing the analysis of entire genomes, and of retroviral RNA structures within virions. Techniques to model the three-dimensional structures of these large RNAs have also recently developed. Conclusions The flexibility of retroviral RNAs, both structural and functional, is clear from the results of these new experimental techniques. Retroviral RNA structures and structural changes control many stages of the lifecycle, and both the RNA structures themselves and their interactions with ligands are potential new drug targets. In addition, our growing understanding of retroviral RNA structures is aiding our knowledge of cellular RNA form and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhivya Jayaraman
- Department of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, MD 6, Level 15, Singapore, 117599, Singapore
| | - Julia Claire Kenyon
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Level 5 Addenbrookes Hospital Hills Rd, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK. .,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2 Blk MD4, Level 3, Singapore, 117545, Singapore. .,Homerton College, University of Cambridge, Hills Rd, Cambridge, CB2 8PH, UK.
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47
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Angelbello AJ, Chen JL, Childs-Disney JL, Zhang P, Wang ZF, Disney MD. Using Genome Sequence to Enable the Design of Medicines and Chemical Probes. Chem Rev 2018; 118:1599-1663. [PMID: 29322778 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.7b00504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Rapid progress in genome sequencing technology has put us firmly into a postgenomic era. A key challenge in biomedical research is harnessing genome sequence to fulfill the promise of personalized medicine. This Review describes how genome sequencing has enabled the identification of disease-causing biomolecules and how these data have been converted into chemical probes of function, preclinical lead modalities, and ultimately U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs. In particular, we focus on the use of oligonucleotide-based modalities to target disease-causing RNAs; small molecules that target DNA, RNA, or protein; the rational repurposing of known therapeutic modalities; and the advantages of pharmacogenetics. Lastly, we discuss the remaining challenges and opportunities in the direct utilization of genome sequence to enable design of medicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia J Angelbello
- Departments of Chemistry and Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute , 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
| | - Jonathan L Chen
- Departments of Chemistry and Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute , 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
| | - Jessica L Childs-Disney
- Departments of Chemistry and Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute , 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
| | - Peiyuan Zhang
- Departments of Chemistry and Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute , 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
| | - Zi-Fu Wang
- Departments of Chemistry and Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute , 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
| | - Matthew D Disney
- Departments of Chemistry and Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute , 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
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Mitchell D, Ritchey LE, Park H, Babitzke P, Assmann SM, Bevilacqua PC. Glyoxals as in vivo RNA structural probes of guanine base-pairing. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2018; 24:114-124. [PMID: 29030489 PMCID: PMC5733565 DOI: 10.1261/rna.064014.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/10/2017] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Elucidation of the folded structures that RNA forms in vivo is vital to understanding its functions. Chemical reagents that modify the Watson-Crick (WC) face of unprotected nucleobases are particularly useful in structure elucidation. Dimethyl sulfate penetrates cell membranes and informs on RNA base-pairing and secondary structure but only modifies the WC face of adenines and cytosines. We present glyoxal, methylglyoxal, and phenylglyoxal as potent in vivo reagents that target the WC face of guanines as well as cytosines and adenines. Tests on rice (Oryza sativa) 5.8S rRNA in vitro read out by reverse transcription and gel electrophoresis demonstrate specific modification of almost all guanines in a time- and pH-dependent manner. Subsequent in vivo tests on rice, a eukaryote, and Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli, Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, respectively, showed that all three reagents enter living cells without prior membrane permeabilization or pH adjustment of the surrounding media and specifically modify solvent-exposed guanine, cytosine, and adenine residues.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Mitchell
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
- Center for RNA Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Laura E Ritchey
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
- Center for RNA Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Hongmarn Park
- Center for RNA Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Paul Babitzke
- Center for RNA Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Sarah M Assmann
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Philip C Bevilacqua
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
- Center for RNA Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
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Ray AK, Naiyer S, Singh SS, Bhattacharya A, Bhattacharya S. Application of SHAPE reveals in vivo RNA folding under normal and growth-stressed conditions in the human parasite Entamoeba histolytica. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2017; 219:42-51. [PMID: 29175581 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2017.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Revised: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Selective 2'-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension (SHAPE) is a versatile sequence independent method to probe RNA structure in vivo and in vitro. It has so far been tried mainly with model organisms. We show that cells of Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite of humans are hyper-sensitive to the in vivo SHAPE reagent, NAI, and show rapid loss of viability and RNA integrity. We optimized treatment conditions with 5.8S rRNA and Eh_U3 snoRNA to obtain NAI-modification while retaining RNA integrity. The modification patterns were highly reproducible. The in vivo folding was different from in vitro and correlated well with known interactions of 5.8S rRNA with proteins in vivo. The Eh_U3 snoRNA also showed many differences in its in vivo versus in vitro folding, which correlated with conserved interactions of this RNA with 18S rRNA and 5'-ETS. Further, Eh_U3 snoRNA obtained from serum-starved cells showed an open 3'-hinge structure, indicating disruption of 5'-ETS interaction. This could contribute to the observed slow processing of pre-rRNA in starved cells. Our work shows the applicability of SHAPE to study in vivo RNA folding in a parasite and will encourage the use of this reagent for RNA structure analysis in other such organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashwini Kumar Ray
- School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Sarah Naiyer
- School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Alok Bhattacharya
- School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Sudha Bhattacharya
- School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.
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López-Carrasco A, Flores R. Dissecting the secondary structure of the circular RNA of a nuclear viroid in vivo: A "naked" rod-like conformation similar but not identical to that observed in vitro. RNA Biol 2017; 14:1046-1054. [PMID: 27574720 PMCID: PMC5680722 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2016.1223005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2016] [Revised: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
With a minimal (250-400 nt), non-protein-coding, circular RNA genome, viroids rely on sequence/structural motifs for replication and colonization of their host plants. These motifs are embedded in a compact secondary structure whose elucidation is crucial to understand how they function. Viroid RNA structure has been tackled in silico with algorithms searching for the conformation of minimal free energy, and in vitro by probing in solution with RNases, dimethyl sulphate and bisulphite, and with selective 2'-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension (SHAPE), which interrogates the RNA backbone at single-nucleotide resolution. However, in vivo approaches at that resolution have not been assayed. Here, after confirming by 3 termodynamics-based predictions and by in vitro SHAPE that the secondary structure adopted by the infectious monomeric circular (+) RNA of potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) is a rod-like conformation with double-stranded segments flanked by loops, we have probed it in vivo with a SHAPE modification. We provide direct evidence that a similar, but not identical, rod-like conformation exists in PSTVd-infected leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana, verifying the long-standing view that this RNA accumulates in planta as a "naked" form rather than tightly associated with protecting host proteins. However, certain nucleotides of the central conserved region, including some of the loop E involved in key functions such as replication, are more SHAPE-reactive in vitro than in vivo. This difference is most likely due to interactions with proteins mediating some of these functions, or to structural changes promoted by other factors of the in vivo habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amparo López-Carrasco
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), Universidad Politécnica de Valencia-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Valencia, Spain
| | - Ricardo Flores
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), Universidad Politécnica de Valencia-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Valencia, Spain
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