1
|
Ferrer J, Dimitrova N. Transcription regulation by long non-coding RNAs: mechanisms and disease relevance. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2024; 25:396-415. [PMID: 38242953 PMCID: PMC11045326 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-023-00694-9] [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] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) outnumber protein-coding transcripts, but their functions remain largely unknown. In this Review, we discuss the emerging roles of lncRNAs in the control of gene transcription. Some of the best characterized lncRNAs have essential transcription cis-regulatory functions that cannot be easily accomplished by DNA-interacting transcription factors, such as XIST, which controls X-chromosome inactivation, or imprinted lncRNAs that direct allele-specific repression. A growing number of lncRNA transcription units, including CHASERR, PVT1 and HASTER (also known as HNF1A-AS1) act as transcription-stabilizing elements that fine-tune the activity of dosage-sensitive genes that encode transcription factors. Genetic experiments have shown that defects in such transcription stabilizers often cause severe phenotypes. Other lncRNAs, such as lincRNA-p21 (also known as Trp53cor1) and Maenli (Gm29348) contribute to local activation of gene transcription, whereas distinct lncRNAs influence gene transcription in trans. We discuss findings of lncRNAs that elicit a function through either activation of their transcription, transcript elongation and processing or the lncRNA molecule itself. We also discuss emerging evidence of lncRNA involvement in human diseases, and their potential as therapeutic targets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Ferrer
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), Madrid, Spain.
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| | - Nadya Dimitrova
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Gupta K, Czerminski JT, Lawrence JB. Trisomy silencing by XIST: translational prospects and challenges. Hum Genet 2024:10.1007/s00439-024-02651-8. [PMID: 38459355 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-024-02651-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
XIST RNA is heavily studied for its role in fundamental epigenetics and X-chromosome inactivation; however, the translational potential of this singular RNA has been much less explored. This article combines elements of a review on XIST biology with our perspective on the translational prospects and challenges of XIST transgenics. We first briefly review aspects of XIST RNA basic biology that are key to its translational relevance, and then discuss recent efforts to develop translational utility of XIST for chromosome dosage disorders, particularly Down syndrome (DS). Remarkably, it was shown in vitro that expression of an XIST transgene inserted into one chromosome 21 can comprehensively silence that chromosome and "dosage compensate" Trisomy 21, the cause of DS. Here we summarize recent findings and discuss potential paths whereby ability to induce "trisomy silencing" can advance translational research for new therapeutic strategies. Despite its common nature, the underlying biology for various aspects of DS, including cell types and pathways impacted (and when), is poorly understood. Recent studies show that an inducible iPSC system to dosage-correct chromosome 21 can provide a powerful approach to unravel the cells and pathways directly impacted, and the developmental timing, information key to design pharmacotherapeutics. In addition, we discuss prospects of a more far-reaching and challenging possibility that XIST itself could be developed into a therapeutic agent, for targeted cellular "chromosome therapy". A few rare case studies of imbalanced X;autosome translocations indicate that natural XIST can rescue an otherwise lethal trisomy. The potential efficacy of XIST transgenes later in development faces substantial biological and technical challenges, although recent findings are encouraging, and technology is rapidly evolving. Hence, it is compelling to consider the transformative possibility that XIST-mediated chromosome therapy may ultimately be developed, for specific pathologies seen in DS, or other duplication disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Khusali Gupta
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - Jan T Czerminski
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - Jeanne B Lawrence
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Sofi S, Coverley D. CIZ1 in Xist seeded assemblies at the inactive X chromosome. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1296600. [PMID: 38155839 PMCID: PMC10753822 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1296600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
There is growing evidence that X-chromosome inactivation is driven by phase-separated supramolecular assemblies. However, among the many proteins recruited to the inactive X chromosome by Xist long non-coding RNA, so far only a minority (CIZ1, CELF1, SPEN, TDP-43, MATR3, PTBP1, PCGF5) have been shown to form Xist-seeded protein assemblies, and of these most have not been analyzed in detail. With focus on CIZ1, here we describe 1) the contribution of intrinsically disordered regions in RNA-dependent protein assembly formation at the inactive X chromosome, and 2) enrichment, distribution, and function of proteins within Xist-seeded assemblies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sajad Sofi
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Dawn Coverley
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
- York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Hao Y, Xie B, Fu X, Xu R, Yang Y. New Insights into lncRNAs in Aβ Cascade Hypothesis of Alzheimer's Disease. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12121802. [PMID: 36551230 PMCID: PMC9775548 DOI: 10.3390/biom12121802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia, but its pathogenesis is not fully understood, and effective drugs to treat or reverse the progression of the disease are lacking. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are abnormally expressed and deregulated in AD and are closely related to the occurrence and development of AD. In addition, the high tissue specificity and spatiotemporal specificity make lncRNAs particularly attractive as diagnostic biomarkers and specific therapeutic targets. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of lncRNAs in AD is essential for developing new treatment strategies. In this review, we discuss the unique regulatory functions of lncRNAs in AD, ranging from Aβ production to clearance, with a focus on their interaction with critical molecules. Additionally, we highlight the advantages and challenges of using lncRNAs as biomarkers for diagnosis or therapeutic targets in AD and present future perspectives in clinical practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yitong Hao
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Bo Xie
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Xiaoshu Fu
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Rong Xu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Yu Yang
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Delli Ponti R, Broglia L, Vandelli A, Armaos A, Torrent Burgas M, Sanchez de Groot N, Tartaglia GG. A high-throughput approach to predict A-to-I effects on RNA structure indicates a change of double-stranded content in non-coding RNAs. IUBMB Life 2022; 75:411-426. [PMID: 36057100 DOI: 10.1002/iub.2673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
RNA molecules undergo a number of chemical modifications whose effects can alter their structure and molecular interactions. Previous studies have shown that RNA editing can impact the formation of ribonucleoprotein complexes and influence the assembly of membrane-less organelles such as stress-granules. For instance, N6-methyladenosine (m6A) enhances SG formation and N1-methyladenosine (m1A) prevents their transition to solid-like aggregates. Yet, very little is known about adenosine to inosine (A-to-I) modification that is very abundant in human cells and not only impacts mRNAs but also non-coding RNAs. Here, we built the CROSSalive predictor of A-to-I effects on RNA structure based on high-throughput in-cell experiments. Our method shows an accuracy of 90% in predicting the single and double-stranded content of transcripts and identifies a general enrichment of double-stranded regions caused by A-to-I in long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs). For the individual cases of NEAT1, NORAD and XIST, we investigated the relationship between A-to-I editing and interactions with RNA-binding proteins using available CLIP data and catRAPID predictions. We found that A-to-I editing is linked to alteration of interaction sites with proteins involved in phase-separation, which suggests that RNP assembly can be influenced by A-to-I. CROSSalive is available at http://service.tartaglialab.com/new_submission/crossalive. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Delli Ponti
- Bioinformatics Institute (BII), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 30 Biopolis Street, Matrix #07-01, Singapore
| | - Laura Broglia
- Center for Human Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Enrico Melen 83, Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrea Vandelli
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alexandros Armaos
- Center for Human Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Enrico Melen 83, Genoa, Italy
| | - Marc Torrent Burgas
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Natalia Sanchez de Groot
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gian Gaetano Tartaglia
- Center for Human Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Enrico Melen 83, Genoa, Italy.,Department of Biology 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
A lifelong duty: how Xist maintains the inactive X chromosome. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2022; 75:101927. [PMID: 35717799 PMCID: PMC9472561 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2022.101927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Female eutherians transcriptionally silence one X chromosome to balance gene dosage between the sexes. X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) is initiated by the lncRNA Xist, which assembles many proteins within the inactive X chromosome (Xi) to trigger gene silencing and heterochromatin formation. It is well established that gene silencing on the Xi is maintained through repressive epigenetic processes, including histone deacetylation and DNA methylation. Recent studies revealed a new mechanism where RNA-binding proteins that interact directly with the RNA contribute to the maintenance of Xist localization and gene silencing. In addition, a surprising plasticity of the Xi was uncovered with many genes becoming upregulated upon experimental deletion of Xist. Intriguingly, immune cells normally lose Xist from the Xi, suggesting that thisXist dependence is utilized in vivo to dynamically regulate gene expression from the Xi. These new studies expose fundamental regulatory mechanisms for the chromatin association of RNAs, highlight the need for studying the maintenance of XCI and Xist localization in a gene- and cell-type-specific manner, and are likely to have clinical impact.
Collapse
|