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Jain I, Kolesnik M, Kuznedelov K, Minakhin L, Morozova N, Shiriaeva A, Kirillov A, Medvedeva S, Livenskyi A, Kazieva L, Makarova KS, Koonin EV, Borukhov S, Severinov K, Semenova E. tRNA anticodon cleavage by target-activated CRISPR-Cas13a effector. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadl0164. [PMID: 38657076 PMCID: PMC11042736 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl0164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Type VI CRISPR-Cas systems are among the few CRISPR varieties that target exclusively RNA. The CRISPR RNA-guided, sequence-specific binding of target RNAs, such as phage transcripts, activates the type VI effector, Cas13. Once activated, Cas13 causes collateral RNA cleavage, which induces bacterial cell dormancy, thus protecting the host population from the phage spread. We show here that the principal form of collateral RNA degradation elicited by Leptotrichia shahii Cas13a expressed in Escherichia coli cells is the cleavage of anticodons in a subset of transfer RNAs (tRNAs) with uridine-rich anticodons. This tRNA cleavage is accompanied by inhibition of protein synthesis, thus providing defense from the phages. In addition, Cas13a-mediated tRNA cleavage indirectly activates the RNases of bacterial toxin-antitoxin modules cleaving messenger RNA, which could provide a backup defense. The mechanism of Cas13a-induced antiphage defense resembles that of bacterial anticodon nucleases, which is compatible with the hypothesis that type VI effectors evolved from an abortive infection module encompassing an anticodon nuclease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishita Jain
- Waksman Institute for Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Matvey Kolesnik
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Konstantin Kuznedelov
- Waksman Institute for Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Leonid Minakhin
- Waksman Institute for Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Natalia Morozova
- Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Anna Shiriaeva
- Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alexandr Kirillov
- Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Sofia Medvedeva
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexei Livenskyi
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Moscow, Russia
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Kira S. Makarova
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health; Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Eugene V. Koonin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health; Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sergei Borukhov
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine at Stratford; Stratford, NJ, USA
| | - Konstantin Severinov
- Waksman Institute for Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Semenova
- Waksman Institute for Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA
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Kuhle B, Chen Q, Schimmel P. tRNA renovatio: Rebirth through fragmentation. Mol Cell 2023; 83:3953-3971. [PMID: 37802077 PMCID: PMC10841463 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
tRNA function is based on unique structures that enable mRNA decoding using anticodon trinucleotides. These structures interact with specific aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and ribosomes using 3D shape and sequence signatures. Beyond translation, tRNAs serve as versatile signaling molecules interacting with other RNAs and proteins. Through evolutionary processes, tRNA fragmentation emerges as not merely random degradation but an act of recreation, generating specific shorter molecules called tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs). These tsRNAs exploit their linear sequences and newly arranged 3D structures for unexpected biological functions, epitomizing the tRNA "renovatio" (from Latin, meaning renewal, renovation, and rebirth). Emerging methods to uncover full tRNA/tsRNA sequences and modifications, combined with techniques to study RNA structures and to integrate AI-powered predictions, will enable comprehensive investigations of tRNA fragmentation products and new interaction potentials in relation to their biological functions. We anticipate that these directions will herald a new era for understanding biological complexity and advancing pharmaceutical engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Kuhle
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Cellular Biochemistry, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Qi Chen
- Molecular Medicine Program, Department of Human Genetics, and Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Paul Schimmel
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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Shavkunov KS, Markelova NY, Glazunova OA, Kolzhetsov NP, Panyukov VV, Ozoline ON. The Fate and Functionality of Alien tRNA Fragments in Culturing Medium and Cells of Escherichia coli. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12960. [PMID: 37629141 PMCID: PMC10455298 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612960] [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: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Numerous observations have supported the idea that various types of noncoding RNAs, including tRNA fragments (tRFs), are involved in communications between the host and its microbial community. The possibility of using their signaling function has stimulated the study of secreted RNAs, potentially involved in the interspecies interaction of bacteria. This work aimed at identifying such RNAs and characterizing their maturation during transport. We applied an approach that allowed us to detect oligoribonucleotides secreted by Prevotella copri (Segatella copri) or Rhodospirillum rubrum inside Escherichia coli cells. Four tRFs imported by E. coli cells co-cultured with these bacteria were obtained via chemical synthesis, and all of them affected the growth of E. coli. Their successive modifications in the culture medium and recipient cells were studied by high-throughput cDNA sequencing. Instead of the expected accidental exonucleolysis, in the milieu, we observed nonrandom cleavage by endonucleases continued in recipient cells. We also found intramolecular rearrangements of synthetic oligonucleotides, which may be considered traces of intermediate RNA circular isomerization. Using custom software, we estimated the frequency of such events in transcriptomes and secretomes of E. coli and observed surprising reproducibility in positions of such rare events, assuming the functionality of ring isoforms or their permuted derivatives in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantin S. Shavkunov
- Department of Functional Genomics of Prokaryotes, Institute of Cell Biophysics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
| | - Natalia Yu. Markelova
- Department of Functional Genomics of Prokaryotes, Institute of Cell Biophysics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
| | - Olga A. Glazunova
- Department of Functional Genomics of Prokaryotes, Institute of Cell Biophysics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
| | - Nikolay P. Kolzhetsov
- Department of Functional Genomics of Prokaryotes, Institute of Cell Biophysics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
| | - Valery V. Panyukov
- Institute of Mathematical Problems of Biology RAS—The Branch of Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
| | - Olga N. Ozoline
- Department of Functional Genomics of Prokaryotes, Institute of Cell Biophysics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
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Maviza TP, Zarechenskaia AS, Burmistrova NR, Tchoub AS, Dontsova OA, Sergiev PV, Osterman IA. RtcB2-PrfH Operon Protects E. coli ATCC25922 Strain from Colicin E3 Toxin. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23126453. [PMID: 35742896 PMCID: PMC9223846 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23126453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In the bid to survive and thrive in an environmental setting, bacterial species constantly interact and compete for resources and space in the microbial ecosystem. Thus, they have adapted to use various antibiotics and toxins to fight their rivals. Simultaneously, they have evolved an ability to withstand weapons that are directed against them. Several bacteria harbor colicinogenic plasmids which encode toxins that impair the translational apparatus. One of them, colicin E3 ribotoxin, mediates cleavage of the 16S rRNA in the decoding center of the ribosome. In order to thrive upon deployment of such ribotoxins, competing bacteria may have evolved counter-conflict mechanisms to prevent their demise. A recent study demonstrated the role of PrfH and the RtcB2 module in rescuing a damaged ribosome and the subsequent re-ligation of the cleaved 16S rRNA by colicin E3 in vitro. The rtcB2-prfH genes coexist as gene neighbors in an operon that is sporadically spread among different bacteria. In the current study, we report that the RtcB2-PrfH module confers resistance to colicin E3 toxicity in E. coli ATCC25922 cells in vivo. We demonstrated that the viability of E. coli ATCC25922 strain that is devoid of rtcB2 and prfH genes is impaired upon action of colicin E3, in contrast to the parental strain which has intact rtcB2 and prfH genes. Complementation of the rtcB2 and prfH gene knockout with a high copy number-plasmid (encoding either rtcB2 alone or both rtcB2-prfH operon) restored resistance to colicin E3. These results highlight a counter-conflict system that may have evolved to thwart colicin E3 activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tinashe P. Maviza
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow 121205, Russia; (T.P.M.); (A.S.Z.); (O.A.D.); (P.V.S.)
| | - Anastasiia S. Zarechenskaia
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow 121205, Russia; (T.P.M.); (A.S.Z.); (O.A.D.); (P.V.S.)
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics and Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia; (N.R.B.); (A.S.T.)
| | - Nadezhda R. Burmistrova
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics and Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia; (N.R.B.); (A.S.T.)
| | - Andrey S. Tchoub
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics and Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia; (N.R.B.); (A.S.T.)
| | - Olga A. Dontsova
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow 121205, Russia; (T.P.M.); (A.S.Z.); (O.A.D.); (P.V.S.)
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics and Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia; (N.R.B.); (A.S.T.)
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119992, Russia
| | - Petr V. Sergiev
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow 121205, Russia; (T.P.M.); (A.S.Z.); (O.A.D.); (P.V.S.)
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics and Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia; (N.R.B.); (A.S.T.)
| | - Ilya A. Osterman
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow 121205, Russia; (T.P.M.); (A.S.Z.); (O.A.D.); (P.V.S.)
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics and Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia; (N.R.B.); (A.S.T.)
- Genetics and Life Sciences Research Center, Sirius University of Science and Technology, 1 Olympic Ave., Sochi 354340, Russia
- Correspondence:
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Ribosome-Associated ncRNAs (rancRNAs) Adjust Translation and Shape Proteomes. Noncoding RNA 2022; 8:ncrna8020022. [PMID: 35314615 PMCID: PMC8938821 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna8020022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The regulation of protein synthesis is of extreme importance for cell survival in challenging environmental conditions. Modulating gene expression at the level of translation allows a swift and low-energy-cost response to external stimuli. In the last decade, an emerging class of regulatory ncRNAs, namely ribosome-associated non-coding RNAs (rancRNAs), has been discovered. These rancRNAs have proven to be efficient players in the regulation of translation as a first wave of stress adaptation by directly targeting the ribosome, the central enzyme of protein production. This underlying principle appears to be highly conserved, since rancRNAs are present in all three domains of life. Here, we review the major findings and mechanistic peculiarities of rancRNAs, a class of transcripts that is providing new and broader perspectives on the complexity of the ribosome and translation regulation.
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Li Z, Stanton BA. Transfer RNA-Derived Fragments, the Underappreciated Regulatory Small RNAs in Microbial Pathogenesis. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:687632. [PMID: 34079534 PMCID: PMC8166272 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.687632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
In eukaryotic organisms, transfer RNA (tRNA)-derived fragments have diverse biological functions. Considering the conserved sequences of tRNAs, it is not surprising that endogenous tRNA fragments in bacteria also play important regulatory roles. Recent studies have shown that microbes secrete extracellular vesicles (EVs) containing tRNA fragments and that the EVs deliver tRNA fragments to eukaryotic hosts where they regulate gene expression. Here, we review the literature describing microbial tRNA fragment biogenesis and how the fragments secreted in microbial EVs suppress the host immune response, thereby facilitating chronic infection. Also, we discuss knowledge gaps and research challenges for understanding the pathogenic roles of microbial tRNA fragments in regulating the host response to infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongyou Li
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, United States
| | - Bruce A Stanton
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, United States
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