1
|
Chauvier A, Dandpat SS, Romero R, Walter NG. A nascent riboswitch helix orchestrates robust transcriptional regulation through signal integration. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3955. [PMID: 38729929 PMCID: PMC11087558 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48409-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Widespread manganese-sensing transcriptional riboswitches effect the dependable gene regulation needed for bacterial manganese homeostasis in changing environments. Riboswitches - like most structured RNAs - are believed to fold co-transcriptionally, subject to both ligand binding and transcription events; yet how these processes are orchestrated for robust regulation is poorly understood. Through a combination of single-molecule and bulk approaches, we discover how a single Mn2+ ion and the transcribing RNA polymerase (RNAP), paused immediately downstream by a DNA template sequence, are coordinated by the bridging switch helix P1.1 in the representative Lactococcus lactis riboswitch. This coordination achieves a heretofore-overlooked semi-docked global conformation of the nascent RNA, P1.1 base pair stabilization, transcription factor NusA ejection, and RNAP pause extension, thereby enforcing transcription readthrough. Our work demonstrates how a central, adaptable RNA helix functions analogous to a molecular fulcrum of a first-class lever system to integrate disparate signals for finely balanced gene expression control.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adrien Chauvier
- Single Molecule Analysis Group and Center for RNA Biomedicine, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Shiba S Dandpat
- Single Molecule Analysis Group and Center for RNA Biomedicine, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Intel Corporation, Hillsboro, OR, USA
| | - Rosa Romero
- 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.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sinzger-D'Angelo M, Hanst M, Reinhardt F, Koeppl H. Effects of mRNA conformational switching on translational noise in gene circuits. J Chem Phys 2024; 160:134108. [PMID: 38573847 DOI: 10.1063/5.0186927] [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: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Intragenic translational heterogeneity describes the variation in translation at the level of transcripts for an individual gene. A factor that contributes to this source of variation is the mRNA structure. Both the composition of the thermodynamic ensemble, i.e., the stationary distribution of mRNA structures, and the switching dynamics between those play a role. The effect of the switching dynamics on intragenic translational heterogeneity remains poorly understood. We present a stochastic translation model that accounts for mRNA structure switching and is derived from a Markov model via approximate stochastic filtering. We assess the approximation on various timescales and provide a method to quantify how mRNA structure dynamics contributes to translational heterogeneity. With our approach, we allow quantitative information on mRNA switching from biophysical experiments or coarse-grain molecular dynamics simulations of mRNA structures to be included in gene regulatory chemical reaction network models without an increase in the number of species. Thereby, our model bridges a gap between mRNA structure kinetics and gene expression models, which we hope will further improve our understanding of gene regulatory networks and facilitate genetic circuit design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Maleen Hanst
- Centre for Synthetic Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Felix Reinhardt
- Centre for Synthetic Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Heinz Koeppl
- Centre for Synthetic Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Blechar J, de Jesus V, Fürtig B, Hengesbach M, Schwalbe H. Shine-Dalgarno Accessibility Governs Ribosome Binding to the Adenine Riboswitch. ACS Chem Biol 2024; 19:607-618. [PMID: 38412235 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Translational riboswitches located in the 5' UTR of the messenger RNA (mRNA) regulate translation through variation of the accessibility of the ribosome binding site (RBS). These are the result of conformational changes in the riboswitch RNA governed by ligand binding. Here, we use a combination of single-molecule colocalization techniques (Single-Molecule Kinetic Analysis of RNA Transient Structure (SiM-KARTS) and Single-Molecule Kinetic Analysis of Ribosome Binding (SiM-KARB)) and microscale thermophoresis (MST) to investigate the adenine-sensing riboswitch in Vibrio vulnificus, focusing on the changes of accessibility between the ligand-free and ligand-bound states. We show that both methods faithfully report on the accessibility of the RBS within the riboswitch and that both methods identify an increase in accessibility upon adenine binding. Expanding on the regulatory context, we show the impact of the ribosomal protein S1 on the unwinding of the RNA secondary structure, thereby favoring ribosome binding even for the apo state. The determined rate constants suggest that binding of the ribosome is faster than the time required to change from the ON state to the OFF state, a prerequisite for efficient regulation decision.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julius Blechar
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 7, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Vanessa de Jesus
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 7, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Boris Fürtig
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 7, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Martin Hengesbach
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 7, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Harald Schwalbe
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 7, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Olenginski LT, Spradlin SF, Batey RT. Flipping the script: Understanding riboswitches from an alternative perspective. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:105730. [PMID: 38336293 PMCID: PMC10907184 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.105730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Riboswitches are broadly distributed regulatory elements most frequently found in the 5'-leader sequence of bacterial mRNAs that regulate gene expression in response to the binding of a small molecule effector. The occupancy status of the ligand-binding aptamer domain manipulates downstream information in the message that instructs the expression machinery. Currently, there are over 55 validated riboswitch classes, where each class is defined based on the identity of the ligand it binds and/or sequence and structure conservation patterns within the aptamer domain. This classification reflects an "aptamer-centric" perspective that dominates our understanding of riboswitches. In this review, we propose a conceptual framework that groups riboswitches based on the mechanism by which RNA manipulates information directly instructing the expression machinery. This scheme does not replace the established aptamer domain-based classification of riboswitches but rather serves to facilitate hypothesis-driven investigation of riboswitch regulatory mechanisms. Based on current bioinformatic, structural, and biochemical studies of a broad spectrum of riboswitches, we propose three major mechanistic groups: (1) "direct occlusion", (2) "interdomain docking", and (3) "strand exchange". We discuss the defining features of each group, present representative examples of riboswitches from each group, and illustrate how these RNAs couple small molecule binding to gene regulation. While mechanistic studies of the occlusion and docking groups have yielded compelling models for how these riboswitches function, much less is known about strand exchange processes. To conclude, we outline the limitations of our mechanism-based conceptual framework and discuss how critical information within riboswitch expression platforms can inform gene regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Robert T Batey
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Walter N, Chauvier A, Dandpat S, Romero R. A nascent riboswitch helix orchestrates robust transcriptional regulation through signal integration. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-3849447. [PMID: 38352525 PMCID: PMC10862961 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3849447/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Widespread manganese-sensing transcriptional riboswitches effect the dependable gene regulation needed for bacterial manganese homeostasis in changing environments. Riboswitches - like most structured RNAs - are believed to fold co-transcriptionally, subject to both ligand binding and transcription events; yet how these processes are orchestrated for robust regulation is poorly understood. Through a combination of single molecule and bulk approaches, we discovered how a single Mn 2+ ion and the transcribing RNA polymerase (RNAP), paused immediately downstream by a DNA template sequence, are coordinated by the bridging switch helix P1.1 in the paradigmatic Lactococcus lactis riboswitch. This coordination achieves a heretofore-overlooked semi-docked global conformation of the nascent RNA, P1.1 base pair stabilization, transcription factor NusA ejection, and RNAP pause extension, thereby enforcing transcription readthrough. Our work demonstrates how a central, adaptable RNA helix functions analogous to a molecular fulcrum of a first-class lever system to integrate disparate signals for finely balanced gene expression control.
Collapse
|
6
|
Schroeder GM, Kiliushik D, Jenkins JL, Wedekind JE. Structure and function analysis of a type III preQ 1-I riboswitch from Escherichia coli reveals direct metabolite sensing by the Shine-Dalgarno sequence. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105208. [PMID: 37660906 PMCID: PMC10622847 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Riboswitches are small noncoding RNAs found primarily in the 5' leader regions of bacterial messenger RNAs where they regulate expression of downstream genes in response to binding one or more cellular metabolites. Such noncoding RNAs are often regulated at the translation level, which is thought to be mediated by the accessibility of the Shine-Dalgarno sequence (SDS) ribosome-binding site. Three classes (I-III) of prequeuosine1 (preQ1)-sensing riboswitches are known that control translation. Class I is divided into three subtypes (types I-III) that have diverse mechanisms of sensing preQ1, which is involved in queuosine biosynthesis. To provide insight into translation control, we determined a 2.30 Å-resolution cocrystal structure of a class I type III preQ1-sensing riboswitch identified in Escherichia coli (Eco) by bioinformatic searches. The Eco riboswitch structure differs from previous preQ1 riboswitch structures because it has the smallest naturally occurring aptamer and the SDS directly contacts the preQ1 metabolite. We validated structural observations using surface plasmon resonance and in vivo gene-expression assays, which showed strong switching in live E. coli. Our results demonstrate that the Eco riboswitch is relatively sensitive to mutations that disrupt noncanonical interactions that form the pseudoknot. In contrast to type II preQ1 riboswitches, a kinetic analysis showed that the type III Eco riboswitch strongly prefers preQ1 over the chemically similar metabolic precursor preQ0. Our results reveal the importance of noncanonical interactions in riboswitch-driven gene regulation and the versatility of the class I preQ1 riboswitch pseudoknot as a metabolite-sensing platform that supports SDS sequestration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Griffin M Schroeder
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA; Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Daniil Kiliushik
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA; Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Jermaine L Jenkins
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA; Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Joseph E Wedekind
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA; Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Liao TW, Huang L, Wilson TJ, Ganser LR, Lilley DMJ, Ha T. Linking folding dynamics and function of SAM/SAH riboswitches at the single molecule level. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:8957-8969. [PMID: 37522343 PMCID: PMC10516623 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Riboswitches are regulatory elements found in bacterial mRNAs that control downstream gene expression through ligand-induced conformational changes. Here, we used single-molecule FRET to map the conformational landscape of the translational SAM/SAH riboswitch and probe how co-transcriptional ligand-induced conformational changes affect its translation regulation function. Riboswitch folding is highly heterogeneous, suggesting a rugged conformational landscape that allows for sampling of the ligand-bound conformation even in the absence of ligand. The addition of ligand shifts the landscape, favoring the ligand-bound conformation. Mutation studies identified a key structural element, the pseudoknot helix, that is crucial for determining ligand-free conformations and their ligand responsiveness. We also investigated ribosomal binding site accessibility under two scenarios: pre-folding and co-transcriptional folding. The regulatory function of the SAM/SAH riboswitch involves kinetically favoring ligand binding, but co-transcriptional folding reduces this preference with a less compact initial conformation that exposes the Shine-Dalgarno sequence and takes min to redistribute to more compact conformations of the pre-folded riboswitch. Such slow equilibration decreases the effective ligand affinity. Overall, our study provides a deeper understanding of the complex folding process and how the riboswitch adapts its folding pattern in response to ligand, modulates ribosome accessibility and the role of co-transcriptional folding in these processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ting-Wei Liao
- Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Lin Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Timothy J Wilson
- Nucleic Acid Structure Research Group, MSI/WTB Complex, The University of Dundee, Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Laura R Ganser
- Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - David M J Lilley
- Nucleic Acid Structure Research Group, MSI/WTB Complex, The University of Dundee, Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Taekjip Ha
- Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Duran E, Schmidt A, Welty R, Jalihal AP, Pitchiaya S, Walter NG. Utilizing functional cell-free extracts to dissect ribonucleoprotein complex biology at single-molecule resolution. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2023; 14:e1787. [PMID: 37042458 PMCID: PMC10524090 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
Cellular machineries that drive and regulate gene expression often rely on the coordinated assembly and interaction of a multitude of proteins and RNA together called ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs). As such, it is challenging to fully reconstitute these cellular machines recombinantly and gain mechanistic understanding of how they operate and are regulated within the complex environment that is the cell. One strategy for overcoming this challenge is to perform single molecule fluorescence microscopy studies within crude or recombinantly supplemented cell extracts. This strategy enables elucidation of the interaction and kinetic behavior of specific fluorescently labeled biomolecules within RNPs under conditions that approximate native cellular environments. In this review, we describe single molecule fluorescence microcopy approaches that dissect RNP-driven processes within cellular extracts, highlighting general strategies used in these methods. We further survey biological advances in the areas of pre-mRNA splicing and transcription regulation that have been facilitated through this approach. Finally, we conclude with a summary of practical considerations for the implementation of the featured approaches to facilitate their broader future implementation in dissecting the mechanisms of RNP-driven cellular processes. This article is categorized under: RNA Structure and Dynamics > RNA Structure, Dynamics and Chemistry RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > RNA-Protein Complexes RNA Structure and Dynamics > Influence of RNA Structure in Biological Systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Duran
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Andreas Schmidt
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Robb Welty
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Ameya P Jalihal
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sethuramasundaram Pitchiaya
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, Department of Pathology, Department of Urology, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Nils G Walter
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Livingston NM, Kwon J, Valera O, Saba JA, Sinha NK, Reddy P, Nelson B, Wolfe C, Ha T, Green R, Liu J, Wu B. Bursting translation on single mRNAs in live cells. Mol Cell 2023; 83:2276-2289.e11. [PMID: 37329884 PMCID: PMC10330622 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Stochasticity has emerged as a mechanism of gene regulation. Much of this so-called "noise" has been attributed to bursting transcription. Although bursting transcription has been studied extensively, the role of stochasticity in translation has not been fully investigated due to the lack of enabling imaging technology. In this study, we developed techniques to track single mRNAs and their translation in live cells for hours, allowing the measurement of previously uncharacterized translation dynamics. We applied genetic and pharmacological perturbations to control translation kinetics and found that, like transcription, translation is not a constitutive process but instead cycles between inactive and active states, or "bursts." However, unlike transcription, which is largely frequency-modulated, complex structures in the 5'-untranslated region alter burst amplitudes. Bursting frequency can be controlled through cap-proximal sequences and trans-acting factors such as eIF4F. We coupled single-molecule imaging with stochastic modeling to quantitatively determine the kinetic parameters of translational bursting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nathan M Livingston
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Center for Cell Dynamics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jiwoong Kwon
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Center for Cell Dynamics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Oliver Valera
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Center for Cell Dynamics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - James A Saba
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Niladri K Sinha
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Pranav Reddy
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Center for Cell Dynamics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Blake Nelson
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Center for Cell Dynamics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Clara Wolfe
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Taekjip Ha
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Center for Cell Dynamics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Rachel Green
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Jian Liu
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Center for Cell Dynamics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Bin Wu
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Center for Cell Dynamics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Solomon H Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Xue Y, Li J, Chen D, Zhao X, Hong L, Liu Y. Observation of structural switch in nascent SAM-VI riboswitch during transcription at single-nucleotide and single-molecule resolution. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2320. [PMID: 37087479 PMCID: PMC10122661 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38042-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Growing RNAs fold differently as they are transcribed, which modulates their finally adopted structures. Riboswitches regulate gene expression by structural change, which are sensitive to co-transcriptionally structural biology. Here we develop a strategy to track the structural change of RNAs during transcription at single-nucleotide and single-molecule resolution and use it to monitor individual transcripts of the SAM-VI riboswitch (riboSAM) as transcription proceeds, observing co-existence of five states in riboSAM. We report a bifurcated helix in one newly identified state from NMR and single-molecule FRET (smFRET) results, and its presence directs the translation inhibition in our cellular translation experiments. A model is proposed to illustrate the distinct switch patterns and gene-regulatory outcome of riboSAM when SAM is present or absent. Our strategy enables the precise mapping of RNAs' conformational landscape during transcription, and may combine with detection methods other than smFRET for structural studies of RNAs in general.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanyan Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Jun Li
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Dian Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Xizhu Zhao
- Zhiyuan College, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Liang Hong
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
- Institute of Natural Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
- Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Shanghai, 200232, China.
| | - Yu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
- Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Shanghai, 200232, China.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Schroeder GM, Akinyemi O, Malik J, Focht CM, Pritchett E, Baker C, McSally JP, Jenkins JL, Mathews D, Wedekind J. A riboswitch separated from its ribosome-binding site still regulates translation. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:2464-2484. [PMID: 36762498 PMCID: PMC10018353 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Riboswitches regulate downstream gene expression by binding cellular metabolites. Regulation of translation initiation by riboswitches is posited to occur by metabolite-mediated sequestration of the Shine-Dalgarno sequence (SDS), causing bypass by the ribosome. Recently, we solved a co-crystal structure of a prequeuosine1-sensing riboswitch from Carnobacterium antarcticum that binds two metabolites in a single pocket. The structure revealed that the second nucleotide within the gene-regulatory SDS, G34, engages in a crystal contact, obscuring the molecular basis of gene regulation. Here, we report a co-crystal structure wherein C10 pairs with G34. However, molecular dynamics simulations reveal quick dissolution of the pair, which fails to reform. Functional and chemical probing assays inside live bacterial cells corroborate the dispensability of the C10-G34 pair in gene regulation, leading to the hypothesis that the compact pseudoknot fold is sufficient for translation attenuation. Remarkably, the C. antarcticum aptamer retained significant gene-regulatory activity when uncoupled from the SDS using unstructured spacers up to 10 nucleotides away from the riboswitch-akin to steric-blocking employed by sRNAs. Accordingly, our work reveals that the RNA fold regulates translation without SDS sequestration, expanding known riboswitch-mediated gene-regulatory mechanisms. The results infer that riboswitches exist wherein the SDS is not embedded inside a stable fold.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Griffin M Schroeder
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Olayinka Akinyemi
- Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Jeffrey Malik
- Genomics Research Center, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Caroline M Focht
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry and the Institute of Biomolecular Design and Discovery, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06516, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Pritchett
- Genomics Research Center, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Cameron D Baker
- Genomics Research Center, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - James P McSally
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Jermaine L Jenkins
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - David H Mathews
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Joseph E Wedekind
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +1 585 273 4516; Fax: +1 585 275 6007;
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Pal N, Walter NG. Using Single-Molecule FRET to Evaluate DNA Nanodevices at Work. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2639:157-172. [PMID: 37166717 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3028-0_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The observation of DNA nanodevices at a single molecule (i.e., device) level and in real time provides rich information that is typically masked in ensemble measurements. Single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) offers a means to directly follow dynamic conformational or compositional changes that DNA nanodevices undergo while operating, thereby retrieving insights critical for refining them toward optimal function. To be successful, smFRET measurements require careful execution and meticulous data analysis for robust statistics. Here we outline the elemental steps for smFRET experiments on DNA nanodevices, starting from microscope slide preparation for single-molecule observation to data acquisition and analysis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nibedita Pal
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupati, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India.
| | - Nils G Walter
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Probing Transient Riboswitch Structures via Single Molecule Accessibility Analysis. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2568:37-51. [PMID: 36227561 PMCID: PMC10078578 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2687-0_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Riboswitches are a class of RNA motifs in the untranslated regions of bacterial messenger RNAs (mRNAs) that can adopt different conformations to regulate gene expression. The binding of specific small molecule or ion ligands, or other RNAs, influences the conformation the riboswitch adopts. Single Molecule Kinetic Analysis of RNA Transient Structure (SiM-KARTS) offers an approach for probing this structural isomerization, or conformational switching, at the level of single mRNA molecules. SiM-KARTS utilizes fluorescently labeled, short, sequence-complementary DNA or RNA oligonucleotide probes that transiently access a specific RNA conformation over another. Binding and dissociation to a surface-immobilized target RNA of arbitrary length are monitored by Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy (TIRFM) and quantitatively analyzed, via spike train and burst detection, to elucidate the rate constants of isomerization, revealing mechanistic insights into riboswitching.
Collapse
|
14
|
Ray S, Dandpat SS, Chatterjee S, Walter NG. Precise tuning of bacterial translation initiation by non-equilibrium 5'-UTR unfolding observed in single mRNAs. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:8818-8833. [PMID: 35892287 PMCID: PMC9410914 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Noncoding, structured 5′-untranslated regions (5′-UTRs) of bacterial messenger RNAs (mRNAs) can control translation efficiency by forming structures that either recruit or repel the ribosome. Here we exploit a 5′-UTR embedded preQ1-sensing, pseudoknotted translational riboswitch to probe how binding of a small ligand controls recruitment of the bacterial ribosome to the partially overlapping Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence. Combining single-molecule fluorescence microscopy with mutational analyses, we find that the stability of 30S ribosomal subunit binding is inversely correlated with the free energy needed to unfold the 5′-UTR during mRNA accommodation into the mRNA binding cleft. Ligand binding to the riboswitch stabilizes the structure to both antagonize 30S recruitment and accelerate 30S dissociation. Proximity of the 5′-UTR and stability of the SD:anti-SD interaction both play important roles in modulating the initial 30S-mRNA interaction. Finally, depletion of small ribosomal subunit protein S1, known to help resolve structured 5′-UTRs, further increases the energetic penalty for mRNA accommodation. The resulting model of rapid standby site exploration followed by gated non-equilibrium unfolding of the 5′-UTR during accommodation provides a mechanistic understanding of how translation efficiency is governed by riboswitches and other dynamic structure motifs embedded upstream of the translation initiation site of bacterial mRNAs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sujay Ray
- Single-Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry and Center for RNA Biomedicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Shiba S Dandpat
- Single-Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry and Center for RNA Biomedicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Surajit Chatterjee
- Single-Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry and Center for RNA Biomedicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Nils G Walter
- Single-Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry and Center for RNA Biomedicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Binding of 30S Ribosome Induces Single-stranded Conformation Within and Downstream of the Expression Platform in a Translational Riboswitch. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167668. [PMID: 35667471 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167668] [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: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Translational riboswitches are bacterial gene regulatory elements found in the 5'-untranslated region of mRNAs. They operate through a conformational refolding reaction that is triggered by a concentration change of a modulating small molecular ligand. The translation initiation region (TIR) is either released from or incorporated into base pairing interactions through the conformational switch. Hence, initiation of translation is regulated by the accessibility of the Shine-Dalgarno sequence and start codon. Interaction with the 30S ribosome is indispensable for the structural switch between functional OFF and ON states. However, on a molecular level it is still not fully resolved how the ribosome is accommodated near or at the translation initiation region in the context of translational riboswitches. The standby model of translation initiation postulates a binding site where the mRNA enters the ribosome and where it resides until the initiation site becomes unstructured and accessible. We here investigated the adenine-sensing riboswitch from Vibrio vulnificus. By application of a 19F labelling strategy for NMR spectroscopy that utilizes ligation techniques to synthesize differentially 19F labelled riboswitch molecules we show that nucleotides directly downstream of the riboswitch domain are first involved in productive interaction with the 30S ribosomal subunit. Upon the concerted action of ligand and the ribosomal protein rS1 the TIR becomes available and subsequently the 30S ribosome can slide towards the TIR. It will be interesting to see whether this is a general feature in translational riboswitches or if riboswitches exist where this region is structured and represent yet another layer of regulation.
Collapse
|
16
|
Su Z, Li T, Wu D, Wu Y, Li G. Recent Progress on Single-Molecule Detection Technologies for Food Safety. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2022; 70:458-469. [PMID: 34985271 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c06808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Rapid and sensitive detection technologies for food contaminants play vital roles in food safety. Due to the complexity of the food matrix and the trace amount distribution, traditional methods often suffer from unsatisfying accuracy, sensitivity, or specificity. In past decades, single-molecule detection (SMD) has emerged as a way to realize the rapid and ultrasensitive measurement with low sample consumption, showing a great potential in food contaminants detection. For instance, based on the nanopore technique, simple and effective methods for single-molecule analysis of food contaminants have been developed. To our knowledge, there has been a rare review that focuses on SMD techniques for food safety. The present review attempts to cover some typical SMD methods in food safety, including electrochemistry, optical spectrum, and atom force microscopy. Then, recent applications of these techniques for detecting food contaminants such as biotoxins, pesticides, heavy metals, and illegal additives are reviewed. Finally, existing research challenges and future trends of SMD in food safety are also tentatively proposed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhuoqun Su
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, China
| | - Tong Li
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, China
| | - Di Wu
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast BT9 5DL, United Kingdom
| | - Yongning Wu
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Food Safety Research Unit (2019RU014) of Chinese Academy of Medical Science, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Guoliang Li
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, China
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
A small RNA that cooperatively senses two stacked metabolites in one pocket for gene control. Nat Commun 2022; 13:199. [PMID: 35017488 PMCID: PMC8752633 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27790-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Riboswitches are structured non-coding RNAs often located upstream of essential genes in bacterial messenger RNAs. Such RNAs regulate expression of downstream genes by recognizing a specific cellular effector. Although nearly 50 riboswitch classes are known, only a handful recognize multiple effectors. Here, we report the 2.60-Å resolution co-crystal structure of a class I type I preQ1-sensing riboswitch that reveals two effectors stacked atop one another in a single binding pocket. These effectors bind with positive cooperativity in vitro and both molecules are necessary for gene regulation in bacterial cells. Stacked effector recognition appears to be a hallmark of the largest subgroup of preQ1 riboswitches, including those from pathogens such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae. We postulate that binding to stacked effectors arose in the RNA World to closely position two substrates for RNA-mediated catalysis. These findings expand known effector recognition capabilities of riboswitches and have implications for antimicrobial development. Riboswitches contain an aptamer domain that recognizes a metabolite and an expression platform that regulates gene expression. Here the authors report the crystal structure of a preQ1-sensing riboswitch from Carnobacterium antarcticus that shows two metabolites in a single binding pocket.
Collapse
|
18
|
Scheuer R, Dietz T, Kretz J, Hadjeras L, McIntosh M, Evguenieva-Hackenberg E. Incoherent dual regulation by a SAM-II riboswitch controlling translation at a distance. RNA Biol 2022; 19:980-995. [PMID: 35950733 PMCID: PMC9373788 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2022.2110380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In Sinorhizobium meliloti, the methionine biosynthesis genes metA and metZ are preceded by S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) riboswitches of the SAM-II class. Upon SAM binding, structural changes in the metZ riboswitch were predicted to cause transcriptional termination, generating the sRNA RZ. By contrast, the metA riboswitch was predicted to regulate translation from an AUG1 codon. However, downstream of the metA riboswitch, we found a putative Rho-independent terminator and an in-frame AUG2 codon, which may contribute to metA regulation. We validated the terminator between AUG1 and AUG2, which generates the sRNA RA1 that is processed to RA2. Under high SAM conditions, the activities of the metA and metZ promoters and the steady-state levels of the read-through metA and metZ mRNAs were decreased, while the levels of the RZ and RA2 sRNAs were increased. Under these conditions, the sRNAs and the mRNAs were stabilized. Reporter fusion experiments revealed that the Shine–Dalgarno (SD) sequence in the metA riboswitch is required for translation, which, however, starts 74 nucleotides downstream at AUG2, suggesting a novel translation initiation mechanism. Further, the reporter fusion data supported the following model of RNA-based regulation: Upon SAM binding by the riboswitch, the SD sequence is sequestered to downregulate metA translation, while the mRNA is stabilized. Thus, the SAM-II riboswitches fulfil incoherent, dual regulation, which probably serves to ensure basal metA and metZ mRNA levels under high SAM conditions. This probably helps to adapt to changing conditions and maintain SAM homoeostasis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robina Scheuer
- Institute of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Theresa Dietz
- Institute of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Jonas Kretz
- Institute of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Lydia Hadjeras
- Chair of Molecular Infection Biology II, Institute of Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Matthew McIntosh
- Institute of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Dynamic competition between a ligand and transcription factor NusA governs riboswitch-mediated transcription regulation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2109026118. [PMID: 34782462 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2109026118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cotranscriptional RNA folding is widely assumed to influence the timely control of gene expression, but our understanding remains limited. In bacteria, the fluoride (F-)-sensing riboswitch is a transcriptional control element essential to defend against toxic F- levels. Using this model riboswitch, we find that its ligand F- and essential bacterial transcription factor NusA compete to bind the cotranscriptionally folding RNA, opposing each other's modulation of downstream pausing and termination by RNA polymerase. Single-molecule fluorescence assays probing active transcription elongation complexes discover that NusA unexpectedly binds highly reversibly, frequently interrogating the complex for emerging, cotranscriptionally folding RNA duplexes. NusA thus fine-tunes the transcription rate in dependence of the ligand-responsive higher-order structure of the riboswitch. At the high NusA concentrations found intracellularly, this dynamic modulation is expected to lead to adaptive bacterial transcription regulation with fast response times.
Collapse
|
20
|
Switching at the ribosome: riboswitches need rProteins as modulators to regulate translation. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4723. [PMID: 34354064 PMCID: PMC8342710 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25024-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Translational riboswitches are cis-acting RNA regulators that modulate the expression of genes during translation initiation. Their mechanism is considered as an RNA-only gene-regulatory system inducing a ligand-dependent shift of the population of functional ON- and OFF-states. The interaction of riboswitches with the translation machinery remained unexplored. For the adenine-sensing riboswitch from Vibrio vulnificus we show that ligand binding alone is not sufficient for switching to a translational ON-state but the interaction of the riboswitch with the 30S ribosome is indispensable. Only the synergy of binding of adenine and of 30S ribosome, in particular protein rS1, induces complete opening of the translation initiation region. Our investigation thus unravels the intricate dynamic network involving RNA regulator, ligand inducer and ribosome protein modulator during translation initiation. Translational regulation by riboswitches is an important mechanism for the modulation of gene expression in bacteria. Here the authors show that the ligand-induced allosteric switch in the adenine-sensing riboswitch from V. vulnificus is insufficient and leads only to a partial opening of the ribosome binding site and requires interaction with 30S-bound ribosomal protein S1, which acts as an RNA chaperone.
Collapse
|
21
|
Qureshi NS, Matzel T, Cetiner EC, Schnieders R, Jonker HRA, Schwalbe H, Fürtig B. NMR structure of the Vibrio vulnificus ribosomal protein S1 domains D3 and D4 provides insights into molecular recognition of single-stranded RNAs. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:7753-7764. [PMID: 34223902 PMCID: PMC8287937 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The ribosomal S1 protein (rS1) is indispensable for translation initiation in Gram-negative bacteria. rS1 is a multidomain protein that acts as an RNA chaperone and ensures that mRNAs can bind the ribosome in a single-stranded conformation, which could be related to fast recognition. Although many ribosome structures were solved in recent years, a high-resolution structure of a two-domain mRNA-binding competent rS1 construct is not yet available. Here, we present the NMR solution structure of the minimal mRNA-binding fragment of Vibrio Vulnificus rS1 containing the domains D3 and D4. Both domains are homologues and adapt an oligonucleotide-binding fold (OB fold) motif. NMR titration experiments reveal that recognition of miscellaneous mRNAs occurs via a continuous interaction surface to one side of these structurally linked domains. Using a novel paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) approach and exploring different spin-labeling positions within RNA, we were able to track the location and determine the orientation of the RNA in the rS1-D34 bound form. Our investigations show that paramagnetically labeled RNAs, spiked into unmodified RNA, can be used as a molecular ruler to provide structural information on protein-RNA complexes. The dynamic interaction occurs on a defined binding groove spanning both domains with identical β2-β3-β5 interfaces. Evidently, the 3'-ends of the cis-acting RNAs are positioned in the direction of the N-terminus of the rS1 protein, thus towards the 30S binding site and adopt a conformation required for translation initiation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nusrat Shahin Qureshi
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Hesse 60438, Germany
| | - Tobias Matzel
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Hesse 60438, Germany
| | - Erhan Can Cetiner
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Hesse 60438, Germany
| | - Robbin Schnieders
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Hesse 60438, Germany
| | - Hendrik R A Jonker
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Hesse 60438, Germany
| | - Harald Schwalbe
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Hesse 60438, Germany
| | - Boris Fürtig
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Hesse 60438, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
A translational riboswitch coordinates nascent transcription-translation coupling. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2023426118. [PMID: 33850018 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2023426118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial messenger RNA (mRNA) synthesis by RNA polymerase (RNAP) and first-round translation by the ribosome are often coupled to regulate gene expression, yet how coupling is established and maintained is ill understood. Here, we develop biochemical and single-molecule fluorescence approaches to probe the dynamics of RNAP-ribosome interactions on an mRNA with a translational preQ1-sensing riboswitch in its 5' untranslated region. Binding of preQ1 leads to the occlusion of the ribosome binding site (RBS), inhibiting translation initiation. We demonstrate that RNAP poised within the mRNA leader region promotes ribosomal 30S subunit binding, antagonizing preQ1-induced RBS occlusion, and that the RNAP-30S bridging transcription factors NusG and RfaH distinctly enhance 30S recruitment and retention, respectively. We further find that, while 30S-mRNA interaction significantly impedes RNAP in the absence of translation, an actively translating ribosome promotes productive transcription. A model emerges wherein mRNA structure and transcription factors coordinate to dynamically modulate the efficiency of transcription-translation coupling.
Collapse
|
23
|
Ray S, Pal N, Walter NG. Single bacterial resolvases first exploit, then constrain intrinsic dynamics of the Holliday junction to direct recombination. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:2803-2815. [PMID: 33619520 PMCID: PMC7969024 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Homologous recombination forms and resolves an entangled DNA Holliday Junction (HJ) crucial for achieving genetic reshuffling and genome repair. To maintain genomic integrity, specialized resolvase enzymes cleave the entangled DNA into two discrete DNA molecules. However, it is unclear how two similar stacking isomers are distinguished, and how a cognate sequence is found and recognized to achieve accurate recombination. We here use single-molecule fluorescence observation and cluster analysis to examine how prototypic bacterial resolvase RuvC singles out two of the four HJ strands and achieves sequence-specific cleavage. We find that RuvC first exploits, then constrains the dynamics of intrinsic HJ isomer exchange at a sampled branch position to direct cleavage toward the catalytically competent HJ conformation and sequence, thus controlling recombination output at minimal energetic cost. Our model of rapid DNA scanning followed by ‘snap-locking’ of a cognate sequence is strikingly consistent with the conformational proofreading of other DNA-modifying enzymes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sujay Ray
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Nibedita Pal
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Nils G Walter
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Mandal S, Li Z, Chatterjee T, Khanna K, Montoya K, Dai L, Petersen C, Li L, Tewari M, Johnson-Buck A, Walter NG. Direct Kinetic Fingerprinting for High-Accuracy Single-Molecule Counting of Diverse Disease Biomarkers. Acc Chem Res 2021; 54:388-402. [PMID: 33382587 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.0c00621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Methods for detecting and quantifying disease biomarkers in biofluids with high specificity and sensitivity play a pivotal role in enabling clinical diagnostics, including point-of-care tests. The most widely used molecular biomarkers include proteins, nucleic acids, hormones, metabolites, and other small molecules. While numerous methods have been developed for analyzing biomarkers, most techniques are challenging to implement for clinical use due to insufficient analytical performance, high cost, and/or other practical shortcomings. For instance, the detection of cell-free nucleic acid (cfNA) biomarkers by digital PCR and next-generation sequencing (NGS) requires time-consuming nucleic acid extraction steps, often introduces enzymatic amplification bias, and can be costly when high specificity is required. While several amplification-free methods for detecting cfNAs have been reported, these techniques generally suffer from low specificity and sensitivity. Meanwhile, the quantification of protein biomarkers is generally performed using immunoassays such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); the analytical performance of these methods is often limited by the availability of antibodies with high affinity and specificity as well as the significant nonspecific binding of antibodies to assay surfaces. To address the drawbacks of existing biomarker detection methods and establish a universal diagnostics platform capable of detecting different types of analytes, we have developed an amplification-free approach, named single-molecule recognition through equilibrium Poisson sampling (SiMREPS), for the detection of diverse biomarkers with arbitrarily high specificity and single-molecule sensitivity. SiMREPS utilizes the transient, reversible binding of fluorescent detection probes to immobilized target molecules to generate kinetic fingerprints that are detected by single-molecule fluorescence microscopy. The analysis of these kinetic fingerprints enables nearly perfect discrimination between specific binding to target molecules and any nonspecific binding. Early proof-of-concept studies demonstrated the in vitro detection of miRNAs with a limit of detection (LOD) of approximately 1 fM and >500-fold selectivity for single-nucleotide polymorphisms. The SiMREPS approach was subsequently expanded to the detection of rare mutant DNA alleles from biofluids at mutant allele fractions of as low as 1 in 1 million, corresponding to a specificity of >99.99999%. Recently, SiMREPS was generalized to protein quantification using dynamically binding antibody probes, permitting LODs in the low-femtomolar to attomolar range. Finally, SiMREPS has been demonstrated to be suitable for the in situ detection of miRNAs in cultured cells, the quantification of small-molecule toxins and drugs, and the monitoring of telomerase activity at the single-molecule level. In this Account, we discuss the principles of SiMREPS for the highly specific and sensitive detection of molecular analytes, including considerations for assay design. We discuss the generality of SiMREPS for the detection of very disparate analytes and provide an overview of data processing methods, including the expansion of the dynamic range using super-resolution analysis and the improvement of performance using deep learning algorithms. Finally, we describe current challenges, opportunities, and future directions for the SiMREPS approach.
Collapse
|
25
|
Terai G, Asai K. Improving the prediction accuracy of protein abundance in Escherichia coli using mRNA accessibility. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:e81. [PMID: 32504488 PMCID: PMC7641306 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA secondary structure around translation initiation sites strongly affects the abundance of expressed proteins in Escherichia coli. However, detailed secondary structural features governing protein abundance remain elusive. Recent advances in high-throughput DNA synthesis and experimental systems enable us to obtain large amounts of data. Here, we evaluated six types of structural features using two large-scale datasets. We found that accessibility, which is the probability that a given region around the start codon has no base-paired nucleotides, showed the highest correlation with protein abundance in both datasets. Accessibility showed a significantly higher correlation (Spearman's ρ = 0.709) than the widely used minimum free energy (0.554) in one of the datasets. Interestingly, accessibility showed the highest correlation only when it was calculated by a log-linear model, indicating that the RNA structural model and how to utilize it are important. Furthermore, by combining the accessibility and activity of the Shine-Dalgarno sequence, we devised a method for predicting protein abundance more accurately than existing methods. We inferred that the log-linear model has a broader probabilistic distribution than the widely used Turner energy model, which contributed to more accurate quantification of ribosome accessibility to translation initiation sites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Goro Terai
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Asai
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Schroeder GM, Dutta D, Cavender CE, Jenkins J, Pritchett EM, Baker CD, Ashton JM, Mathews DH, Wedekind JE. Analysis of a preQ1-I riboswitch in effector-free and bound states reveals a metabolite-programmed nucleobase-stacking spine that controls gene regulation. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:8146-8164. [PMID: 32597951 PMCID: PMC7641330 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Riboswitches are structured RNA motifs that recognize metabolites to alter the conformations of downstream sequences, leading to gene regulation. To investigate this molecular framework, we determined crystal structures of a preQ1-I riboswitch in effector-free and bound states at 2.00 Å and 2.65 Å-resolution. Both pseudoknots exhibited the elusive L2 loop, which displayed distinct conformations. Conversely, the Shine-Dalgarno sequence (SDS) in the S2 helix of each structure remained unbroken. The expectation that the effector-free state should expose the SDS prompted us to conduct solution experiments to delineate environmental changes to specific nucleobases in response to preQ1. We then used nudged elastic band computational methods to derive conformational-change pathways linking the crystallographically-determined effector-free and bound-state structures. Pathways featured: (i) unstacking and unpairing of L2 and S2 nucleobases without preQ1-exposing the SDS for translation and (ii) stacking and pairing L2 and S2 nucleobases with preQ1-sequestering the SDS. Our results reveal how preQ1 binding reorganizes L2 into a nucleobase-stacking spine that sequesters the SDS, linking effector recognition to biological function. The generality of stacking spines as conduits for effector-dependent, interdomain communication is discussed in light of their existence in adenine riboswitches, as well as the turnip yellow mosaic virus ribosome sensor.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Griffin M Schroeder
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Debapratim Dutta
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Chapin E Cavender
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Jermaine L Jenkins
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Pritchett
- Genomics Research Center, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Cameron D Baker
- Genomics Research Center, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - John M Ashton
- Genomics Research Center, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - David H Mathews
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Joseph E Wedekind
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Heterogeneity in mRNA Translation. Trends Cell Biol 2020; 30:606-618. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2020.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
|
28
|
Lund PE, Chatterjee S, Daher M, Walter NG. Protein unties the pseudoknot: S1-mediated unfolding of RNA higher order structure. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:2107-2125. [PMID: 31832686 PMCID: PMC7038950 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz1166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Revised: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribosomal protein S1 plays important roles in the translation initiation step of many Escherichia coli mRNAs, particularly those with weak Shine-Dalgarno sequences or structured 5′ UTRs, in addition to a variety of cellular processes beyond the ribosome. In all cases, the RNA-binding activity of S1 is a central feature of its function. While sequence determinants of S1 affinity and many elements of the interactions of S1 with simple secondary structures are known, mechanistic details of the protein's interactions with RNAs of more complex secondary and tertiary structure are less understood. Here, we investigate the interaction of S1 with the well-characterized H-type pseudoknot of a class-I translational preQ1 riboswitch as a highly structured RNA model whose conformation and structural dynamics can be tuned by the addition of ligands of varying binding affinity, particularly preQ1, guanine, and 2,6-diaminopurine. Combining biochemical and single molecule fluorescence approaches, we show that S1 preferentially interacts with the less folded form of the pseudoknot and promotes a dynamic, partially unfolded conformation. The ability of S1 to unfold the RNA is inversely correlated with the structural stability of the pseudoknot. These mechanistic insights delineate the scope and limitations of S1-chaperoned unfolding of structured RNAs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul E Lund
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Surajit Chatterjee
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - May Daher
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Nils G Walter
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Center for RNA Biomedicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Dutta D, Wedekind JE. Nucleobase mutants of a bacterial preQ 1-II riboswitch that uncouple metabolite sensing from gene regulation. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:2555-2567. [PMID: 31659117 PMCID: PMC7049981 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.010755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 10/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Riboswitches are a class of nonprotein-coding RNAs that directly sense cellular metabolites to regulate gene expression. They are model systems for analyzing RNA-ligand interactions and are established targets for antibacterial agents. Many studies have analyzed the ligand-binding properties of riboswitches, but this work has outpaced our understanding of the underlying chemical pathways that govern riboswitch-controlled gene expression. To address this knowledge gap, we prepared 15 mutants of the preQ1-II riboswitch-a structurally and biochemically well-characterized HLout pseudoknot that recognizes the metabolite prequeuosine1 (preQ1). The mutants span the preQ1-binding pocket through the adjoining Shine-Dalgarno sequence (SDS) and include A-minor motifs, pseudoknot-insertion helix P4, U·A-U base triples, and canonical G-C pairs in the anti-SDS. As predicted-and confirmed by in vitro isothermal titration calorimetry measurements-specific mutations ablated preQ1 binding, but most aberrant binding effects were corrected by compensatory mutations. In contrast, functional analysis in live bacteria using a riboswitch-controlled GFPuv-reporter assay revealed that each mutant had a deleterious effect on gene regulation, even when compensatory changes were included. Our results indicate that effector binding can be uncoupled from gene regulation. We attribute loss of function to defects in a chemical interaction network that links effector binding to distal regions of the fold that support the gene-off RNA conformation. Our findings differentiate effector binding from biological function, which has ramifications for riboswitch characterization. Our results are considered in the context of synthetic ligands and drugs that bind tightly to riboswitches without eliciting a biological response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Debapratim Dutta
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642
| | - Joseph E Wedekind
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Suddala KC, Price IR, Dandpat SS, Janeček M, Kührová P, Šponer J, Banáš P, Ke A, Walter NG. Local-to-global signal transduction at the core of a Mn 2+ sensing riboswitch. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4304. [PMID: 31541094 PMCID: PMC6754395 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12230-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [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: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The widespread Mn2+-sensing yybP-ykoY riboswitch controls the expression of bacterial Mn2+ homeostasis genes. Here, we first determine the crystal structure of the ligand-bound yybP-ykoY riboswitch aptamer from Xanthomonas oryzae at 2.96 Å resolution, revealing two conformations with docked four-way junction (4WJ) and incompletely coordinated metal ions. In >100 µs of MD simulations, we observe that loss of divalents from the core triggers local structural perturbations in the adjacent docking interface, laying the foundation for signal transduction to the regulatory switch helix. Using single-molecule FRET, we unveil a previously unobserved extended 4WJ conformation that samples transient docked states in the presence of Mg2+. Only upon adding sub-millimolar Mn2+, however, can the 4WJ dock stably, a feature lost upon mutation of an adenosine contacting Mn2+ in the core. These observations illuminate how subtly differing ligand preferences of competing metal ions become amplified by the coupling of local with global RNA dynamics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Krishna C Suddala
- Single Molecule Analysis Group and Center for RNA Biomedicine, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Ian R Price
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Shiba S Dandpat
- Single Molecule Analysis Group and Center for RNA Biomedicine, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Michal Janeček
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Kralovopolská 135, Brno, 612 65, Czech Republic
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, tř. 17 listopadu 12, Olomouc, 771 46, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Kührová
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, tř. 17 listopadu 12, Olomouc, 771 46, Czech Republic
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, tř. 17 listopadu 12, Olomouc, 771 46, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Šponer
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Kralovopolská 135, Brno, 612 65, Czech Republic
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, tř. 17 listopadu 12, Olomouc, 771 46, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Banáš
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Kralovopolská 135, Brno, 612 65, Czech Republic
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, tř. 17 listopadu 12, Olomouc, 771 46, Czech Republic
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, tř. 17 listopadu 12, Olomouc, 771 46, Czech Republic
| | - Ailong Ke
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA.
| | - Nils G Walter
- Single Molecule Analysis Group and Center for RNA Biomedicine, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Masachis S, Tourasse NJ, Lays C, Faucher M, Chabas S, Iost I, Darfeuille F. A genetic selection reveals functional metastable structures embedded in a toxin-encoding mRNA. eLife 2019; 8:47549. [PMID: 31411564 PMCID: PMC6733600 DOI: 10.7554/elife.47549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-transcriptional regulation plays important roles to fine-tune gene expression in bacteria. In particular, regulation of type I toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems is achieved through sophisticated mechanisms involving toxin mRNA folding. Here, we set up a genetic approach to decipher the molecular underpinnings behind the regulation of a type I TA in Helicobacter pylori. We used the lethality induced by chromosomal inactivation of the antitoxin to select mutations that suppress toxicity. We found that single point mutations are sufficient to allow cell survival. Mutations located either in the 5’ untranslated region or within the open reading frame of the toxin hamper its translation by stabilizing stem-loop structures that sequester the Shine-Dalgarno sequence. We propose that these short hairpins correspond to metastable structures that are transiently formed during transcription to avoid premature toxin expression. This work uncovers the co-transcriptional inhibition of translation as an additional layer of TA regulation in bacteria.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Masachis
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM U1212, CNRS UMR 5320, ARNA Laboratory, Bordeaux, France
| | - Nicolas J Tourasse
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM U1212, CNRS UMR 5320, ARNA Laboratory, Bordeaux, France
| | - Claire Lays
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM U1212, CNRS UMR 5320, ARNA Laboratory, Bordeaux, France
| | - Marion Faucher
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM U1212, CNRS UMR 5320, ARNA Laboratory, Bordeaux, France
| | - Sandrine Chabas
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM U1212, CNRS UMR 5320, ARNA Laboratory, Bordeaux, France
| | - Isabelle Iost
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM U1212, CNRS UMR 5320, ARNA Laboratory, Bordeaux, France
| | - Fabien Darfeuille
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM U1212, CNRS UMR 5320, ARNA Laboratory, Bordeaux, France
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Suddala KC, Zhang J. An evolving tale of two interacting RNAs-themes and variations of the T-box riboswitch mechanism. IUBMB Life 2019; 71:1167-1180. [PMID: 31206978 DOI: 10.1002/iub.2098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
T-box riboswitches are a widespread class of structured noncoding RNAs in Gram-positive bacteria that regulate the expression of amino acid-related genes. They form negative feedback loops to maintain steady supplies of aminoacyl-transfer RNAs (tRNAs) to the translating ribosomes. T-box riboswitches are located in the 5' leader regions of mRNAs that they regulate and directly bind to their cognate tRNA ligands. T-boxes further sense the aminoacylation state of the bound tRNAs and, based on this readout, regulate gene expression at the level of transcription or translation. T-box riboswitches consist of two conserved domains-a 5' Stem I domain that is involved in specific tRNA recognition and a 3' antiterminator/antisequestrator (or discriminator) domain that senses the amino acid on the 3' end of the bound tRNA. Interaction of the 3' end of an uncharged but not charged tRNA with a thermodynamically weak discriminator domain stabilizes it to promote transcription readthrough or translation initiation. Recent biochemical, biophysical, and structural studies have provided high-resolution insights into the mechanism of tRNA recognition by Stem I, several structural models of full-length T-box-tRNA complexes, mechanism of amino acid sensing by the antiterminator domain, as well as kinetic details of tRNA binding to the T-box riboswitches. In addition, translation-regulating T-box riboswitches have been recently characterized, which presented key differences from the canonical transcriptional T-boxes. Here, we review the recent developments in understanding the T-box riboswitch mechanism that have employed various complementary approaches. Further, the regulation of multiple essential genes by T-boxes makes them very attractive drug targets to combat drug resistance. The recent progress in understanding the biochemical, structural, and dynamic aspects of the T-box riboswitch mechanism will enable more precise and effective targeting with small molecules. © 2019 IUBMB Life, 2019 © 2019 IUBMB Life, 71(8):1167-1180, 2019.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Krishna C Suddala
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jinwei Zhang
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Widom JR, Nedialkov YA, Rai V, Hayes RL, Brooks CL, Artsimovitch I, Walter NG. Ligand Modulates Cross-Coupling between Riboswitch Folding and Transcriptional Pausing. Mol Cell 2019; 72:541-552.e6. [PMID: 30388413 PMCID: PMC6565381 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2018.08.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Numerous classes of riboswitches have been found to regulate bacterial gene expression in response to physiological cues, offering new paths to antibacterial drugs. As common studies of isolated riboswitches lack the functional context of the transcription machinery, we here combine single-molecule, biochemical, and simulation approaches to investigate the coupling between co-transcriptional folding of the pseudoknot-structured preQ1 riboswitch and RNA polymerase (RNAP) pausing. We show that pausing at a site immediately downstream of the riboswitch requires a ligand-free pseudoknot in the nascent RNA, a precisely spaced sequence resembling the pause consensus, and electrostatic and steric interactions with the RNAP exit channel. While interactions with RNAP stabilize the native fold of the riboswitch, binding of the ligand signals RNAP release from the pause. Our results demonstrate that the nascent riboswitch and its ligand actively modulate the function of RNAP and vice versa, a paradigm likely to apply to other cellular RNA transcripts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julia R Widom
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Center for RNA Biomedicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Yuri A Nedialkov
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Victoria Rai
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Center for RNA Biomedicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Biophysics Program and Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Ryan L Hayes
- Biophysics Program and Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Charles L Brooks
- Biophysics Program and Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Irina Artsimovitch
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Nils G Walter
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Center for RNA Biomedicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Chauvier A, Cabello-Villegas J, Walter NG. Probing RNA structure and interaction dynamics at the single molecule level. Methods 2019; 162-163:3-11. [PMID: 30951833 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2019.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2019] [Revised: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA structures and their dynamic fluctuations lie at the heart of understanding key biological process such as transcription, splicing, translation and RNA decay. While conventional bulk assays have proven to identify and characterize key pathway intermediates, the generally dynamic nature of RNA structures renders the information obtained from time and ensemble averaging techniques necessarily lacking in critical details. Here we detail Single-Molecule Kinetic Analysis of RNA Transient Structure (SiM-KARTS), a method that readily monitors structural fluctuations of single RNA molecules through the repetitive interaction of fluorescent probes with an unlabeled, surface-immobilized RNA target of virtually any length and in any biological context. In addition, we demonstrate the broad applicability of SiM-KARTS by kinetically fingerprinting the binding of cognate tRNA ligand to single immobilized T-box riboswitch molecules. SiM-KARTS represents a valuable tool for probing biologically relevant structure and interaction features of potentially many diverse RNA metabolic pathways.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adrien Chauvier
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Javier Cabello-Villegas
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Nils G Walter
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Hon J, Gonzalez RL. Bayesian-Estimated Hierarchical HMMs Enable Robust Analysis of Single-Molecule Kinetic Heterogeneity. Biophys J 2019; 116:1790-1802. [PMID: 31010664 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.02.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Revised: 01/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-molecule kinetic experiments allow the reaction trajectories of individual biomolecules to be directly observed, eliminating the effects of population averaging and providing a powerful approach for elucidating the kinetic mechanisms of biomolecular processes. A major challenge to the analysis and interpretation of these experiments, however, is the kinetic heterogeneity that almost universally complicates the recorded single-molecule signal versus time trajectories (i.e., signal trajectories). Such heterogeneity manifests as changes and/or differences in the transition rates that are observed within individual signal trajectories or across a population of signal trajectories. Because characterizing kinetic heterogeneity can provide critical mechanistic information, we have developed a computational method that effectively and comprehensively enables such analysis. To this end, we have developed a computational algorithm and software program, hFRET, that uses the variational approximation for Bayesian inference to estimate the parameters of a hierarchical hidden Markov model, thereby enabling robust identification and characterization of kinetic heterogeneity. Using simulated signal trajectories, we demonstrate the ability of hFRET to accurately and precisely characterize kinetic heterogeneity. In addition, we use hFRET to analyze experimentally recorded signal trajectories reporting on the conformational dynamics of ribosomal pre-translocation (PRE) complexes. The results of our analyses demonstrate that PRE complexes exhibit kinetic heterogeneity, reveal the physical origins of this heterogeneity, and allow us to expand the current model of PRE complex dynamics. The methods described here can be applied to signal trajectories generated using any type of signal and can be easily extended to the analysis of signal trajectories exhibiting more complex kinetic behaviors. Moreover, variations of our approach can be easily developed to integrate kinetic data obtained from different experimental constructs and/or from molecular dynamics simulations of a biomolecule of interest.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jason Hon
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Ruben L Gonzalez
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Jalihal AP, Lund PE, Walter NG. Coming Together: RNAs and Proteins Assemble under the Single-Molecule Fluorescence Microscope. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2019; 11:11/4/a032441. [PMID: 30936188 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a032441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
RNAs, across their numerous classes, often work in concert with proteins in RNA-protein complexes (RNPs) to execute critical cellular functions. Ensemble-averaging methods have been instrumental in revealing many important aspects of these RNA-protein interactions, yet are insufficiently sensitive to much of the dynamics at the heart of RNP function. Single-molecule fluorescence microscopy (SMFM) offers complementary, versatile tools to probe RNP conformational and compositional changes in detail. In this review, we first outline the basic principles of SMFM as applied to RNPs, describing key considerations for labeling, imaging, and quantitative analysis. We then sample applications of in vitro and in vivo single-molecule visualization using the case studies of pre-messenger RNA (mRNA) splicing and RNA silencing, respectively. After discussing specific insights single-molecule fluorescence methods have yielded, we briefly review recent developments in the field and highlight areas of anticipated growth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ameya P Jalihal
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109.,Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
| | - Paul E Lund
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
| | - Nils G Walter
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109.,Center for RNA Biomedicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Weng R, Lou S, Li L, Zhang Y, Qiu J, Su X, Qian Y, Walter NG. Single-Molecule Kinetic Fingerprinting for the Ultrasensitive Detection of Small Molecules with Aptasensors. Anal Chem 2019; 91:1424-1431. [PMID: 30562003 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b04145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Aptamers have emerged as promising molecular tools for small-molecule analyte sensing. However, the performance of such aptasensors is generally limited by leakage since it has been difficult to completely suppress signal in the absence of analyte, resulting in a compromise between sensitivity and specificity. Here, we describe a methodology for the ultrasensitive detection of analytes combining aptasensors with single-molecule kinetic fingerprinting. A short, fluorescently labeled DNA probe is utilized to detect the structural changes upon ligand binding to the designed hairpin-shaped aptasensor probe. The Poisson statistics of binding and dissociation events of the DNA probe to single surface-immobilized aptasensor molecules is monitored by total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, permitting the high-accuracy discrimination of the ligand bound and ligand-free states, resulting in zero background. The programmable dynamics of the hairpin enables fine-tuning of the hybridization kinetics of the fluorescent probe, rendering the acquisition time sufficiently flexible to optimize discrimination. Remarkable detection limits are achieved for a diverse set of analytes when spiked into chicken meat extract: the nucleotide adenosine (0.3 pM), the insecticide acetamiprid (0.35 pM), and the dioxin-like toxin PCB-77 (0.72 pM), which is superior to recently reported aptasensors. Our generalizable method significantly improves the performance of aptasensors, with the potential to extend to other molecular biomarkers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rui Weng
- Key Laboratory of Agro-food Safety and Quality of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Quality Standards and Testing Technology for Agro-Products , Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences , Beijing 100081 , China
| | - Shengting Lou
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology , Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Beijing 100029 , China
| | - Lidan Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology , Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Beijing 100029 , China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology , Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Beijing 100029 , China
| | - Jing Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Agro-food Safety and Quality of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Quality Standards and Testing Technology for Agro-Products , Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences , Beijing 100081 , China
| | - Xin Su
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology , Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Beijing 100029 , China
| | - Yongzhong Qian
- Key Laboratory of Agro-food Safety and Quality of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Quality Standards and Testing Technology for Agro-Products , Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences , Beijing 100081 , China
| | - Nils G Walter
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , United States
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Ray S, Chauvier A, Walter NG. Kinetics coming into focus: single-molecule microscopy of riboswitch dynamics. RNA Biol 2018; 16:1077-1085. [PMID: 30328748 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2018.1536594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Riboswitches are dynamic RNA motifs that are mostly embedded in the 5'-untranslated regions of bacterial mRNAs, where they regulate gene expression transcriptionally or translationally by undergoing conformational changes upon binding of a small metabolite or ion. Due to the small size of typical ligands, relatively little free energy is available from ligand binding to overcome the often high energetic barrier of reshaping RNA structure. Instead, most riboswitches appear to take advantage of the directional and hierarchical folding of RNA by employing the ligand as a structural 'linchpin' to adjust the kinetic partitioning between alternate folds. In this model, even small, local structural and kinetic effects of ligand binding can cascade into global RNA conformational changes affecting gene expression. Single-molecule (SM) microscopy tools are uniquely suited to study such kinetically controlled RNA folding since they avoid the ensemble averaging of bulk techniques that loses sight of unsynchronized, transient, and/or multi-state kinetic behavior. This review summarizes how SM methods have begun to unravel riboswitch-mediated gene regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sujay Ray
- a Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , MI , USA
| | - Adrien Chauvier
- a Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , MI , USA
| | - Nils G Walter
- a Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , MI , USA
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Classification of riboswitch sequences using k-mer frequencies. Biosystems 2018; 174:63-76. [PMID: 30205141 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2018.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Revised: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Riboswitches are non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by altering the structural conformation of mRNA transcripts. Their regulation mechanism might be exploited for interesting biomedical applications such as drug targets and biosensors. A major challenge consists in accurately identifying metabolite-binding RNA switches which are structurally complex and diverse. In this regard, we investigated the classification of 16 riboswitch families using supervised learning algorithms trained solely with sequence-based features. We generated a reduced feature set and proposed a visual representation to explore its components. We induced Support Vector Machine, Random Forest, Naive Bayes, J48, and HyperPipes classifiers with our proposed feature set and tested their performance over independent data. Our best multi-class classifier achieved F-measure values of 0.996 and 0.966 in the training and test phases, respectively, outperforming those of a previous approach. When compared against BLAST, our best classifiers yielded competitive results. This work shows that the classifiers trained with our sequence-based feature set accurately discriminate riboswitches.
Collapse
|
41
|
Hierarchical mechanism of amino acid sensing by the T-box riboswitch. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1896. [PMID: 29760498 PMCID: PMC5951919 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04305-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
In Gram-positive bacteria, T-box riboswitches control gene expression to maintain the cellular pools of aminoacylated tRNAs essential for protein biosynthesis. Co-transcriptional binding of an uncharged tRNA to the riboswitch stabilizes an antiterminator, allowing transcription read-through, whereas an aminoacylated tRNA does not. Recent structural studies have resolved two contact points between tRNA and Stem-I in the 5' half of the T-box riboswitch, but little is known about the mechanism empowering transcriptional control by a small, distal aminoacyl modification. Using single-molecule fluorescence microscopy, we have probed the kinetic and structural underpinnings of tRNA binding to a glycyl T-box riboswitch. We observe a two-step mechanism where fast, dynamic recruitment of tRNA by Stem-I is followed by ultra-stable anchoring by the downstream antiterminator, but only without aminoacylation. Our results support a hierarchical sensing mechanism wherein dynamic global binding of the tRNA body is followed by localized readout of its aminoacylation status by snap-lock-based trapping.
Collapse
|
42
|
Ray S, Widom JR, Walter NG. Life under the Microscope: Single-Molecule Fluorescence Highlights the RNA World. Chem Rev 2018; 118:4120-4155. [PMID: 29363314 PMCID: PMC5918467 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.7b00519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of single-molecule (SM) fluorescence techniques has opened up a vast new toolbox for exploring the molecular basis of life. The ability to monitor individual biomolecules in real time enables complex, dynamic folding pathways to be interrogated without the averaging effect of ensemble measurements. In parallel, modern biology has been revolutionized by our emerging understanding of the many functions of RNA. In this comprehensive review, we survey SM fluorescence approaches and discuss how the application of these tools to RNA and RNA-containing macromolecular complexes in vitro has yielded significant insights into the underlying biology. Topics covered include the three-dimensional folding landscapes of a plethora of isolated RNA molecules, their assembly and interactions in RNA-protein complexes, and the relation of these properties to their biological functions. In all of these examples, the use of SM fluorescence methods has revealed critical information beyond the reach of ensemble averages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nils G. Walter
- Department of Chemistry, Single Molecule Analysis Group, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Gong S, Wang Y, Wang Z, Zhang W. Computational Methods for Modeling Aptamers and Designing Riboswitches. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:E2442. [PMID: 29149090 PMCID: PMC5713409 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18112442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Revised: 11/12/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Riboswitches, which are located within certain noncoding RNA region perform functions as genetic "switches", regulating when and where genes are expressed in response to certain ligands. Understanding the numerous functions of riboswitches requires computation models to predict structures and structural changes of the aptamer domains. Although aptamers often form a complex structure, computational approaches, such as RNAComposer and Rosetta, have already been applied to model the tertiary (three-dimensional (3D)) structure for several aptamers. As structural changes in aptamers must be achieved within the certain time window for effective regulation, kinetics is another key point for understanding aptamer function in riboswitch-mediated gene regulation. The coarse-grained self-organized polymer (SOP) model using Langevin dynamics simulation has been successfully developed to investigate folding kinetics of aptamers, while their co-transcriptional folding kinetics can be modeled by the helix-based computational method and BarMap approach. Based on the known aptamers, the web server Riboswitch Calculator and other theoretical methods provide a new tool to design synthetic riboswitches. This review will represent an overview of these computational methods for modeling structure and kinetics of riboswitch aptamers and for designing riboswitches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sha Gong
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Economic Forest Germplasm Improvement and Resources Comprehensive Utilization, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for the Characteristic Resources Exploitation of Dabie Mountains, Huanggang Normal University, Huanggang 438000, China.
| | - Yanli Wang
- Department of Physics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Zhen Wang
- Department of Physics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Wenbing Zhang
- Department of Physics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Dussault AM, Dubé A, Jacques F, Grondin JP, Lafontaine DA. Ligand recognition and helical stacking formation are intimately linked in the SAM-I riboswitch regulatory mechanism. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2017; 23:1539-1551. [PMID: 28701520 PMCID: PMC5602112 DOI: 10.1261/rna.061796.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Riboswitches are noncoding mRNA elements that control gene expression by altering their structure upon metabolite binding. Although riboswitch crystal structures provide detailed information about RNA-ligand interactions, little knowledge has been gathered to understand how riboswitches modulate gene expression. Here, we study the molecular recognition mechanism of the S-adenosylmethionine SAM-I riboswitch by characterizing the formation of a helical stacking interaction involving the ligand-binding process. We show that ligand binding is intimately linked to the formation of the helical stacking, which is dependent on the presence of three conserved purine residues that are flanked by stacked helices. We also find that these residues are important for the formation of a crucial long-range base pair formed upon SAM binding. Together, our results lend strong support to a critical role for helical stacking in the folding pathway and suggest a particularly important function in the formation of the long-range base pair.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Marie Dussault
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, RNA Group, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Audrey Dubé
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, RNA Group, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Frédéric Jacques
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, RNA Group, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Jonathan P Grondin
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, RNA Group, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Daniel A Lafontaine
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, RNA Group, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec J1K 2R1, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Gong S, Wang Y, Wang Z, Zhang W. Co-Transcriptional Folding and Regulation Mechanisms of Riboswitches. Molecules 2017; 22:molecules22071169. [PMID: 28703767 PMCID: PMC6152003 DOI: 10.3390/molecules22071169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2017] [Revised: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Riboswitches are genetic control elements within non-coding regions of mRNA. These self-regulatory elements have been found to sense a range of small metabolites, ions, and other physical signals to exert regulatory control of transcription, translation, and splicing. To date, more than a dozen riboswitch classes have been characterized that vary widely in size and secondary structure. Extensive experiments and theoretical studies have made great strides in understanding the general structures, genetic mechanisms, and regulatory activities of individual riboswitches. As the ligand-dependent co-transcriptional folding and unfolding dynamics of riboswitches are the key determinant of gene expression, it is important to investigate the thermodynamics and kinetics of riboswitches both in the presence and absence of metabolites under the transcription. This review will provide a brief summary of the studies about the regulation mechanisms of the pbuE, SMK, yitJ, and metF riboswitches based on the ligand-dependent co-transcriptional folding of the riboswitches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sha Gong
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Economic Forest Germplasm Improvement and Resources Comprehensive Utilization, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for the Characteristic Resources Exploitation of Dabie Mountains, Huanggang Normal University, Huanggang 438000, Hubei, China.
| | - Yanli Wang
- Department of Physics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, Hubei, China.
| | - Zhen Wang
- Department of Physics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, Hubei, China.
| | - Wenbing Zhang
- Department of Physics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, Hubei, China.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Ribo-attenuators: novel elements for reliable and modular riboswitch engineering. Sci Rep 2017; 7:4599. [PMID: 28676696 PMCID: PMC5496857 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04093-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Riboswitches are structural genetic regulatory elements that directly couple the sensing of small molecules to gene expression. They have considerable potential for applications throughout synthetic biology and bio-manufacturing as they are able to sense a wide range of small molecules and regulate gene expression in response. Despite over a decade of research they have yet to reach this considerable potential as they cannot yet be treated as modular components. This is due to several limitations including sensitivity to changes in genetic context, low tunability, and variability in performance. To overcome the associated difficulties with riboswitches, we have designed and introduced a novel genetic element called a ribo-attenuator in Bacteria. This genetic element allows for predictable tuning, insulation from contextual changes, and a reduction in expression variation. Ribo-attenuators allow riboswitches to be treated as truly modular and tunable components, thus increasing their reliability for a wide range of applications.
Collapse
|
47
|
Jones CP, Ferré-D'Amaré AR. Long-Range Interactions in Riboswitch Control of Gene Expression. Annu Rev Biophys 2017; 46:455-481. [PMID: 28375729 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biophys-070816-034042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Riboswitches are widespread RNA motifs that regulate gene expression in response to fluctuating metabolite concentrations. Known primarily from bacteria, riboswitches couple specific ligand binding and changes in RNA structure to mRNA expression in cis. Crystal structures of the ligand binding domains of most of the phylogenetically widespread classes of riboswitches, each specific to a particular metabolite or ion, are now available. Thus, the bound states-one end point-have been thoroughly characterized, but the unbound states have been more elusive. Consequently, it is less clear how the unbound, sensing riboswitch refolds into the ligand binding-induced output state. The ligand recognition mechanisms of riboswitches are diverse, but we find that they share a common structural strategy in positioning their binding sites at the point of the RNA three-dimensional fold where the residues farthest from one another in sequence meet. We review how riboswitch folds adhere to this fundamental strategy and propose future research directions for understanding and harnessing their ability to specifically control gene expression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher P Jones
- Biochemistry and Biophysics Center, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20824;
| | - Adrian R Ferré-D'Amaré
- Biochemistry and Biophysics Center, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20824;
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Hwang W, Lee IB, Hong SC, Hyeon C. Decoding Single Molecule Time Traces with Dynamic Disorder. PLoS Comput Biol 2016; 12:e1005286. [PMID: 28027304 PMCID: PMC5226833 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2016] [Revised: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Single molecule time trajectories of biomolecules provide glimpses into complex folding landscapes that are difficult to visualize using conventional ensemble measurements. Recent experiments and theoretical analyses have highlighted dynamic disorder in certain classes of biomolecules, whose dynamic pattern of conformational transitions is affected by slower transition dynamics of internal state hidden in a low dimensional projection. A systematic means to analyze such data is, however, currently not well developed. Here we report a new algorithm—Variational Bayes-double chain Markov model (VB-DCMM)—to analyze single molecule time trajectories that display dynamic disorder. The proposed analysis employing VB-DCMM allows us to detect the presence of dynamic disorder, if any, in each trajectory, identify the number of internal states, and estimate transition rates between the internal states as well as the rates of conformational transition within each internal state. Applying VB-DCMM algorithm to single molecule FRET data of H-DNA in 100 mM-Na+ solution, followed by data clustering, we show that at least 6 kinetic paths linking 4 distinct internal states are required to correctly interpret the duplex-triplex transitions of H-DNA. We have developed a new algorithm to better decode single molecule data with dynamic disorder. Our new algorithm, which represents a substantial improvement over other methodologies, can detect the presence of dynamic disorder in each trajectory and quantify the kinetic characteristics of underlying energy landscape. As a model system, we applied our algorithm to the single molecule FRET time traces of H-DNA. While duplex-triplex transitions of H-DNA are conventionally interpreted in terms of two-state kinetics, slowly varying dynamic patterns corresponding to hidden internal states can also be identified from the individual time traces. Our algorithm reveals that at least 4 distinct internal states are required to correctly interpret the data.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wonseok Hwang
- Korea Institute for Advanced Study, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Il-Buem Lee
- Department of Physics, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seok-Cheol Hong
- Korea Institute for Advanced Study, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Physics, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Changbong Hyeon
- Korea Institute for Advanced Study, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Fu J, Yang YR, Dhakal S, Zhao Z, Liu M, Zhang T, Walter NG, Yan H. Assembly of multienzyme complexes on DNA nanostructures. Nat Protoc 2016; 11:2243-2273. [DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2016.139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
|