RNA-binding proteins to assess gene expression states of co-cultivated cells in response to tumor cells

STAU2 binds a complex RNA cargo that changes temporally with production of diverse intermediate progenitor cells during mouse corticogenesis

STAU2 is a double-stranded RNA-binding protein enriched in the nervous system. During asymmetric divisions in the developing mouse cortex, STAU2 preferentially distributes into the intermediate progenitor cell (IPC), delivering RNA molecules that can impact IPC behavior. Corticogenesis occurs on a precise time schedule, raising the hypothesis that the cargo STAU2 delivers into IPCs changes over time. To test this, we combine RNA-immunoprecipitation with sequencing (RIP-seq) over four stages of mouse cortical development, generating a comprehensive cargo profile for STAU2. A subset of the cargo was 'stable', present at all stages, and involved in chromosome organization, macromolecule localization, translation and DNA repair. Another subset was 'dynamic', changing with cortical stage, and involved in neurogenesis, cell projection organization, neurite outgrowth, and included cortical layer markers. Notably, the dynamic STAU2 cargo included determinants of IPC versus neuronal fates and genes contributing to abnormal corticogenesis. Knockdown of one STAU2 target, Taf13, previously linked to microcephaly and impaired myelination, reduced oligodendrogenesis in vitro. We conclude that STAU2 contributes to the timing of corticogenesis by binding and delivering complex and temporally regulated RNA cargo into IPCs.

High-Throughput Identification of MiR-145 Targets in Human Articular Chondrocytes

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play key roles in cartilage development and homeostasis and are dysregulated in osteoarthritis. MiR-145 modulation induces profound changes in the human articular chondrocyte (HAC) phenotype, partially through direct repression of SOX9. Since miRNAs can simultaneously silence multiple targets, we aimed to identify the whole targetome of miR-145 in HACs, critical if miR-145 is to be considered a target for cartilage repair. We performed RIP-seq (RNA-immunoprecipitation and high-throughput sequencing) of miRISC (miRNA-induced silencing complex) in HACs overexpressing miR-145 to identify miR-145 direct targets and used cWords to assess enrichment of miR-145 seed matches in the identified targets. Further validations were performed by RT-qPCR, Western immunoblot, and luciferase assays. MiR-145 affects the expression of over 350 genes and directly targets more than 50 mRNAs through the 3′UTR or, more commonly, the coding region. MiR-145 targets DUSP6, involved in cartilage organization and development, at the translational level. DUSP6 depletion leads to MMP13 upregulation, suggesting a contribution towards the effect of miR-145 on MMP13 expression. In conclusion, miR-145 directly targets several genes involved in the expression of the extracellular matrix and inflammation in primary chondrocytes. Thus, we propose miR-145 as an important regulator of chondrocyte function and a new target for cartilage repair.

Quantifying RNA binding sites transcriptome-wide using DO-RIP-seq

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) and noncoding RNAs orchestrate post-transcriptional processes through the recognition of specific sites on targeted transcripts. Thus, understanding the connection between binding to specific sites and active regulation of the whole transcript is essential. Many immunoprecipitation techniques have been developed that identify either whole transcripts or binding sites of RBPs on each transcript using cell lysates. However, none of these methods simultaneously measures the strength of each binding site and quantifies binding to whole transcripts. In this study, we compare current procedures and present digestion optimized (DO)-RIP-seq, a simple method that locates and quantifies RBP binding sites using a continuous metric. We have used the RBP HuR/ELAVL1 to demonstrate that DO-RIP-seq can quantify HuR binding sites with high coverage across the entire human transcriptome, thereby generating metrics of relative RNA binding strength. We demonstrate that this quantitative enrichment of binding sites is proportional to the relative in vitro binding strength for these sites. In addition, we used DO-RIP-seq to quantify and compare HuR's binding to whole transcripts, thus allowing for seamless integration of binding site data with whole-transcript measurements. Finally, we demonstrate that DO-RIP-seq is useful for identifying functional mRNA target sets and binding sites where combinatorial interactions between HuR and AGO-microRNAs regulate the fate of the transcripts. Our data indicate that DO-RIP-seq will be useful for quantifying RBP binding events that regulate dynamic biological processes.

Can we observe changes in mRNA "state"? Overview of methods to study mRNA interactions with regulatory proteins relevant in cancer related processes

RNA binding proteins (RBP) regulate the editing, localization, stabilization, translation, and degradation of ribonucleic acids (RNA) through their interactions with specific cis-acting elements within target RNAs. Post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms are directly involved in the control of the immune response and stress response and their alterations play a crucial role in cancer related processes. In this review, we discuss mRNAs and RNA binding proteins relevant to tumorigenesis, current methodologies for detecting RNA interactions, and last, we describe a novel method to detect such interactions, which combines peptide modified, RNA imaging probes (FMTRIPs) with proximity ligation (PLA) and rolling circle amplification (RCA). This assay detects native RNA in a sequence specific and single RNA sensitive manner, and PLA allows for the quantification and localization of protein-mRNA interactions with single-interaction sensitivity in situ.

Getting Down to Specifics: Profiling Gene Expression and Protein-DNA Interactions in a Cell Type-Specific Manner

The majority of multicellular organisms are comprised of an extraordinary range of cell types, with different properties and gene expression profiles. Understanding what makes each cell type unique and how their individual characteristics are attributed are key questions for both developmental and neurobiologists alike. The brain is an excellent example of the cellular diversity expressed in the majority of eukaryotes. The mouse brain comprises of approximately 75 million neurons varying in morphology, electrophysiology, and preferences for synaptic partners. A powerful process in beginning to pick apart the mechanisms that specify individual characteristics of the cell, as well as their fate, is to profile gene expression patterns, chromatin states, and transcriptional networks in a cell type-specific manner, i.e., only profiling the cells of interest in a particular tissue. Depending on the organism, the questions being investigated, and the material available, certain cell type-specific profiling methods are more suitable than others. This chapter reviews the approaches presently available for selecting and isolating specific cell types and evaluates their key features.

Computational challenges, tools, and resources for analyzing co- and post-transcriptional events in high throughput

Co- and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression is complex and multifaceted, spanning the complete RNA lifecycle from genesis to decay. High-throughput profiling of the constituent events and processes is achieved through a range of technologies that continue to expand and evolve. Fully leveraging the resulting data is nontrivial, and requires the use of computational methods and tools carefully crafted for specific data sources and often intended to probe particular biological processes. Drawing upon databases of information pre-compiled by other researchers can further elevate analyses. Within this review, we describe the major co- and post-transcriptional events in the RNA lifecycle that are amenable to high-throughput profiling. We place specific emphasis on the analysis of the resulting data, in particular the computational tools and resources available, as well as looking toward future challenges that remain to be addressed.

High-throughput characterization of protein-RNA interactions

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are important regulators of eukaryotic gene expression. Genomes typically encode dozens to hundreds of proteins containing RNA-binding domains, which collectively recognize diverse RNA sequences and structures. Recent advances in high-throughput methods for assaying the targets of RBPs in vitro and in vivo allow large-scale derivation of RNA-binding motifs as well as determination of RNA–protein interactions in living cells. In parallel, many computational methods have been developed to analyze and interpret these data. The interplay between RNA secondary structure and RBP binding has also been a growing theme. Integrating RNA–protein interaction data with observations of post-transcriptional regulation will enhance our understanding of the roles of these important proteins.

Post-transcriptional RNA regulons affecting cell cycle and proliferation

The cellular growth cycle is initiated and maintained by punctual, yet agile, regulatory events involving modifications of cell cycle proteins as well as coordinated gene expression to support cyclic checkpoint decisions. Recent evidence indicates that post-transcriptional partitioning of messenger RNA subsets by RNA-binding proteins help physically localize, temporally coordinate, and efficiently translate cell cycle proteins. This dynamic organization of mRNAs encoding cell cycle components contributes to the overall economy of the cell cycle consistent with the post-transcriptional RNA regulon model of gene expression. This review examines several recent studies demonstrating the coordination of mRNA subsets encoding cell cycle proteins during nuclear export and subsequent coupling to protein synthesis, and discusses evidence for mRNA coordination of p53 targets and the DNA damage response pathway. We consider how these observations may connect to upstream and downstream post-transcriptional coordination and coupling of splicing, export, localization, and translation. Published examples from yeast, nematode, insect, and mammalian systems are discussed, and we consider genetic evidence supporting the conclusion that dysregulation of RNA regulons may promote pathogenic states of growth such as carcinogenesis.

High throughput platform to explore RNA-protein interactomes

RNA binding proteins (RBPs) and RNA interaction is an emerging topic in molecular biology. Many reports showed that such interactions contribute to many cellular processes as well as disease development. Several standard in vitro and in vivo methods were developed to fulfill the needs of this RBP-RNA interaction study to explore their biological functions. However, these methods have their limitations in terms of throughput. In this review, we emphasize two important high throughput methods to studying RBP-RNA interactions, affinity purification and protein microarray. These methods have recently become robust techniques regarding their efficiency in systematically analyzing RBP-RNA interactions. Here, we provide technique overviews, strategies and applications of these methods during biological research. Although these technologies are just beginning to be explored, they will be most important methods in this study.

Divergent LIN28-mRNA associations result in translational suppression upon the initiation of differentiation

LIN28 function is fundamental to the activity and behavior of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells. Its main roles in these cell types are the regulation of translational efficiency and let-7 miRNA maturation. However, LIN28-associated mRNA cargo shifting and resultant regulation of translational efficiency upon the initiation of differentiation remain unknown. An RNA-immunoprecipitation and microarray analysis protocol, eRIP, that has high specificity and sensitivity was developed to test endogenous LIN28-associated mRNA cargo shifting. A combined eRIP and polysome analysis of early stage differentiation of hESCs with two distinct differentiation cues revealed close similarities between the dynamics of LIN28 association and translational modulation of genes involved in the Wnt signaling, cell cycle, RNA metabolism and proteasomal pathways. Our data demonstrate that change in translational efficiency is a major contributor to early stages of differentiation of hESCs, in which LIN28 plays a central role. This implies that eRIP analysis of LIN28-associated RNA cargoes may be used for rapid functional quality control of pluripotent stem cells under manufacture for therapeutic applications.

Systematic analysis of posttranscriptional gene expression

Recent systems studies of gene expression have begun to dissect the layers of regulation that underlie the eukaryotic transcriptome, the combined consequence of transcriptional and posttranscriptional events. Among the regulatory layers of the transcriptome are those of the ribonome, a highly dynamic environment of ribonucleoproteins in which RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), noncoding regulatory RNAs (ncRNAs) and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) interact. While multiple mRNAs are coordinated together in groups within the ribonome of a eukaryotic cell, each individual type of mRNA consists of multiple copies, each of which has an opportunity to be a member of more than one modular group termed a posttranscriptional RNA operon or regulon (PTRO). The mRNAs associated with each PTRO encode functionally related proteins and are coordinated at the levels of RNA stability and translation by the actions of the specific RBPs and noncoding regulatory RNAs. This article examines the methods that led to the elucidation of PTROs and the coordinating mechanisms that appear to regulate the RNA components of PTROs. Moreover, the article considers the characteristics of the dynamic systems that drive PTROs and how mRNA components are bound collectively in physical 'states' to respond to cellular perturbations and diseases. In conclusion, these studies have challenged the extent to which cellular mRNA abundance can inform investigators of the functional status of a biological system. We argue that understanding the ribonome has greater potential for illuminating the underlying coordination principles of growth, differentiation, and disease.

RNA-binding protein immunopurification-microarray (RIP-Chip) analysis to profile localized RNAs

Post-transcriptional gene regulation is largely mediated by RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) that modulate mRNA expression at multiple levels, from RNA processing to translation, localization, and degradation. Thereby, the genome-wide identification of mRNAs regulated by RBPs is crucial to uncover post--transcriptional gene regulatory networks. In this chapter, we provide a detailed protocol for one of the techniques that has been developed to systematically examine RNA targets for RBPs. This technique involves the purification of endogenously formed RBP-mRNA complexes with specific antibodies from cellular extracts, followed by the identification of associated RNAs using DNA microarrays. Such RNA-binding protein immunopurification-microarray profiling, also called RIP-Chip, has also been applied to identify mRNAs that are transported to distinct subcellular compartments by RNP-motor complexes. The application and further development of this method could provide global insights into the subcellular architecture of the RBP-RNA network, and how it is restructured upon changing environmental conditions, during development, and possibly in disease.

Minireview: global regulation and dynamics of ribonucleic Acid

Gene expression starts with transcription and is followed by multiple posttranscriptional processes that carry out the splicing, capping, polyadenylation, and export of each mRNA. Interest in posttranscriptional regulation has increased recently with explosive discoveries of large numbers of noncoding RNAs such as microRNAs, yet posttranscriptional processes depend largely on the functions of RNA-binding proteins as well. Glucocorticoid nuclear receptors are classical examples of environmentally reactive activators and repressors of transcription, but there has also been a significant increase in studies of the role of posttranscriptional regulation in endocrine responses, including insulin and insulin receptors, and parathyroid hormone as well as other hormonal responses, at the levels of RNA stability and translation. On the global level, the transcriptome is defined as the total RNA complement of the genome, and thereby, represents the accumulated levels of all expressed RNAs, because they are each being produced and eventually degraded in either the nucleus or the cytoplasm. In addition to RNA turnover, the many underlying posttranscriptional layers noted above that follow from the transcriptome function within a dynamic ribonucleoprotein (RNP) environment of global RNA-protein and RNA-RNA interactions. With the exception of the spliceosome and the ribosome, thousands of heterodispersed RNP complexes wherein RNAs are dynamically processed, trafficked, and exchanged are heterogeneous in size and composition, thus providing significant challenges to their investigation. Among the diverse RNPs that show dynamic features in the cytoplasm are processing bodies and stress granules as well as a large number of smaller heterogeneous RNPs distributed throughout the cell. Although the localization of functionally related RNAs within these RNPs are responsive to developmental and environmental signals, recent studies have begun to elucidate the global RNA components of RNPs that are dynamically coordinated in response to these signals. Among the factors that have been found to affect coordinated RNA regulation are developmental signals and treatments with small molecule drugs, hormones, and toxins, but this field is just beginning to understand the role of RNA dynamics in these responses.

Identification of gemin5 as a novel 7-methylguanosine cap-binding protein

Background

A unique attribute of RNA molecules synthesized by RNA polymerase II is the presence of a 7-methylguanosine (m⁷G) cap structure added co-transcriptionally to the 5′ end. Through its association with trans-acting effector proteins, the m⁷G cap participates in multiple aspects of RNA metabolism including localization, translation and decay. However, at present relatively few eukaryotic proteins have been identified as factors capable of direct association with m⁷G.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Employing an unbiased proteomic approach, we identified gemin5, a component of the survival of motor neuron (SMN) complex, as a factor capable of direct and specific interaction with the m⁷G cap. Gemin5 was readily purified by cap-affinity chromatography in contrast to other SMN complex proteins. Investigating the underlying basis for this observation, we found that purified gemin5 associates with m⁷G-linked sepharose in the absence of detectable eIF4E, and specifically crosslinks to radiolabeled cap structure after UV irradiation. Deletion analysis revealed that an intact set of WD repeat domains located in the N-terminal half of gemin5 are required for cap-binding. Moreover, using structural modeling and site-directed mutagenesis, we identified two proximal aromatic residues located within the WD repeat region that significantly impact m⁷G association.

Conclusions/Significance

This study rigorously identifies gemin5 as a novel cap-binding protein and describes an unprecedented role for WD repeat domains in m⁷G recognition. The findings presented here will facilitate understanding of gemin5's role in the metabolism of non-coding snRNAs and perhaps other RNA pol II transcripts.

Coordinated posttranscriptional mRNA population dynamics during T-cell activation

Although RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) coordinate many key decisions during cell growth and differentiation, the dynamics of RNA–RBP interactions have not been extensively studied on a global basis. We immunoprecipitated endogenous ribonucleoprotein complexes containing HuR and PABP throughout a T-cell activation time course and identified the associated mRNA populations using microarrays. We used Gaussian mixture modeling as a discriminative model, treating RBP association as a discrete variable (target or not target), and as a generative model, treating RBP-association as a continuous variable (probability of association). We report that HuR interacts with different populations of mRNAs during T-cell activation. These populations encode functionally related proteins that are members of the Wnt pathway and proteins mediating T-cell receptor signaling pathways. Moreover, the mRNA targets of HuR were found to overlap with the targets of other posttranscriptional regulatory factors, indicating combinatorial interdependence of posttranscriptional regulatory networks and modules after activation. Applying HuR mRNA dynamics as a quantitative phenotype in the drug-gene-phenotype Connectivity Map, we identified candidate small molecule effectors of HuR and T-cell activation. We show that one of these candidates, resveratrol, exerts T-cell activation-dependent posttranscriptional effects that are rescued by HuR. Thus, we describe a strategy to systematically link an RBP and condition-specific posttranscriptional effects to small molecule drugs.

Genomic analyses of musashi1 downstream targets show a strong association with cancer-related processes

Musashi1 (Msi1) is a highly conserved RNA-binding protein with pivotal functions in stem cell maintenance, nervous system development, and tumorigenesis. Despite its importance, only three direct mRNA targets have been characterized so far: m-numb, CDKN1A, and c-mos. Msi1 has been shown to affect their translation by binding to short elements located in the 3'-untranslated region. To better understand Msi1 functions, we initially performed an RIP-Chip analysis in HEK293T cells; this method consists of isolation of specific RNA-protein complexes followed by identification of the RNA component via microarrays. A group of 64 mRNAs was found to be enriched in the Msi1-associated population compared with controls. These genes belong to two main functional categories pertinent to tumorigenesis: 1) cell cycle, cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and apoptosis and 2) protein modification (including ubiquitination and ubiquitin cycle). To corroborate our findings, we examined the impact of Msi1 expression on both mRNA (transcriptomic) and protein (proteomic) expression levels. Genes whose mRNA levels were affected by Msi1 expression have a Gene Ontology distribution similar to RIP-Chip results, reinforcing Msi1 participation in cancer-related processes. The proteomics study revealed that Msi1 can have either positive or negative effects on gene expression of its direct targets. In summary, our results indicate that Msi1 affects a network of genes and could function as a master regulator during development and tumor formation.

The ribonome: a dominant force in co-ordinating gene expression

The ribonome is the total cellular complement of RNAs and their regulatory factors functioning dynamically in time and space within ribonucleoprotein complexes. We theorize that the ribonome is an ancient central co-ordinator that has evolved to communicate on multiple levels to the proteome on the one hand (feed-forward), and the transcriptome and RNA processing machinery on the other (feed-back). Furthermore, the ribonome can potentially communicate to other cells horizontally with implications for biological information transfer and for the evolution of both RNA and DNA operating systems. The post-transcriptional RNA operon theory of co-regulated gene expression accounts for the co-ordinated dynamics of RNA-binding proteins within the cellular ribonome, thus allowing for the recombination and remodelling of the RNPs (ribonucleoproteins) to generate new combinations of functionally related proteins. Thus, post-transcriptional RNA operons form the core of the ribonomic operating system in which both their control and co-ordination govern outcomes. Within the ribonome, RNA-binding proteins control one another's mRNAs to keep the global mRNA environment in balance. We argue that these post-transcriptional ribonomic systems provide an information management and distribution centre for evolutionary expansion of multicellularity in tissues, organs, organisms, and their communities.

Genome-wide analysis of RNA-protein interactions in plants

RNA-protein interactions profoundly impact organismal development and function through their contributions to the basal gene expression machineries and their regulation of post-transcriptional processes. The repertoire of predicted RNA binding proteins (RBPs) in plants is particularly large, suggesting that the RNA-protein interactome in plants may be more complex and dynamic even than that in metazoa. To dissect RNA-protein interaction networks, it is necessary to identify the RNAs with which each RBP interacts and to determine how those interactions influence RNA fate and downstream processes. Identification of the native RNA ligands of RBPs remains a challenge, but several high-throughput methods for the analysis of RNAs that copurify with specific RBPs from cell extract have been reported recently. This chapter reviews approaches for defining the native RNA ligands of RBPs on a genome-wide scale and provides a protocol for a method that has been used to this end for RBPs that localize to the chloroplast.

Inhibition of tristetraprolin deadenylation by poly(A) binding protein

Tristetraprolin (TTP) is the prototype for a family of RNA binding proteins that bind the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) messenger RNA AU-rich element (ARE), causing deadenylation of the TNF poly(A) tail, RNA decay, and silencing of TNF protein production. Using mass spectrometry sequencing we identified poly(A) binding proteins-1 and -4 (PABP1 and PABP4) in high abundance and good protein coverage from TTP immunoprecipitates. PABP1 significantly enhanced TNF ARE binding by RNA EMSA and prevented TTP-initiated deadenylation in an in vitro macrophage assay of TNF poly(A) stability. Neomycin inhibited TTP-promoted deadenylation at concentrations shown to inhibit the deadenylases poly(A) ribonuclease and CCR4. Stably transfected RAW264.7 macrophages overexpressing PABP1 do not oversecrete TNF; instead they upregulate TTP protein without increasing TNF protein production. The PABP1 inhibition of deadenylation initiated by TTP does not require the poly(A) binding regions in RRM1 and RRM2, suggesting a more complicated interaction than simple masking of the poly(A) tail from a 3'-exonuclease. Like TTP, PABP1 is a substrate for p38 MAP kinase. Finally, PABP1 stabilizes cotransfected TTP in 293T cells and prevents the decrease in TTP levels seen with p38 MAP kinase inhibition. These findings suggest several levels of functional antagonism between TTP and PABP1 that have implications for regulation of unstable mRNAs like TNF.

Post-transcriptional gene regulation: from genome-wide studies to principles

Post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression plays important roles in diverse cellular processes such as development, metabolism and cancer progression. Whereas many classical studies explored the mechanistics and physiological impact on specific mRNA substrates, the recent development of genome-wide analysis tools enables the study of post-transcriptional gene regulation on a global scale. Importantly, these studies revealed distinct programs of RNA regulation, suggesting a complex and versatile post-transcriptional regulatory network. This network is controlled by specific RNA-binding proteins and/or non-coding RNAs, which bind to specific sequence or structural elements in the RNAs and thereby regulate subsets of mRNAs that partly encode functionally related proteins. It will be a future challenge to link the spectra of targets for RNA-binding proteins to post-transcriptional regulatory programs and to reveal its physiological implications.

A two-phase innate host response to alphavirus infection identified by mRNP-tagging in vivo

A concept fundamental to viral pathogenesis is that infection induces specific changes within the host cell, within specific tissues, or within the entire animal. These changes are reflected in a cascade of altered transcription patterns evident during infection. However, elucidation of this cascade in vivo has been limited by a general inability to distinguish changes occurring in the minority of infected cells from those in surrounding uninfected cells. To circumvent this inherent limitation of traditional gene expression profiling methods, an innovative mRNP-tagging technique was implemented to isolate host mRNA specifically from infected cells in vitro as well as in vivo following Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEE) infection. This technique facilitated a direct characterization of the host defense response specifically within the first cells infected with VEE, while simultaneous total RNA analysis assessed the collective response of both the infected and uninfected cells. The result was a unique, multifaceted profile of the early response to VEE infection in primary dendritic cells, as well as in the draining lymph node, the initially targeted tissue in the mouse model. A dynamic environment of complex interactions was revealed, and suggested a two-step innate response in which activation of a subset of host genes in infected cells subsequently leads to activation of the surrounding uninfected cells. Our findings suggest that the application of viral mRNP-tagging systems, as introduced here, will facilitate a much more detailed understanding of the highly coordinated host response to infectious agents.

Ribonomic and short hairpin RNA gene silencing methods to explore functional gene programs associated with tumor growth arrest

In this chapter, we present an approach using genomic and ribonomic profiling to investigate functional gene programs in a tumor growth model. To reach this goal, ribonomic profiling was combined with RNA interference in a tumor dormancy model. Strategies merging functional genomic technologies are outlined for the identification of novel posttranscriptionally regulated targets of p38 to show that they are functionally linked to the induction or interruption of cellular growth in cancer. In the first section of this chapter, we describe a method for the detection of mRNA subsets associated with RNA-binding proteins such as hnRNP A1 using (1) immunopurification of mRNA-protein complexes, from either whole cell lysates or subcellular fractions and (2) gene expression arrays to find those mRNAs bound to hnRNP A1. In the second section, short hairpin RNA technology was used to create a library of shRNAs that target p38 induced mRNAs expression libraries are utilized to "knockdown" the genes identified in the first section. Finally, this library of gene candidates is evaluated in vivo to address their functional role in the induction or maintenance of dormancy.

Systems perspectives on mRNA processing

The application of genomic technologies to the study of mRNA processing is increasingly conducted in metazoan organisms in order to understand the complex events that occur during and after transcription. Large-scale systems analyses of mRNA-protein interactions and mRNA dynamics have revealed specificity in mRNA transcription, splicing, transport, translation, and turnover, and have begun to make connections between the different layers of mRNA processing. Here, we review global studies of post-transcriptional processes and discuss the challenges facing our understanding of mRNA regulation in metazoan organisms. In parallel, we examine genome-scale investigations that have expanded our knowledge of RNA-binding proteins and the networks of mRNAs that they regulate.

RNA regulons: coordination of post-transcriptional events

Recent findings demonstrate that multiple mRNAs are co-regulated by one or more sequence-specific RNA-binding proteins that orchestrate their splicing, export, stability, localization and translation. These and other observations have given rise to a model in which mRNAs that encode functionally related proteins are coordinately regulated during cell growth and differentiation as post-transcriptional RNA operons or regulons, through a ribonucleoprotein-driven mechanism. Here I describe several recently discovered examples of RNA operons in budding yeast, fruitfly and mammalian cells, and their potential importance in processes such as immune response, oxidative metabolism, stress response, circadian rhythms and disease. I close by considering the evolutionary wiring and rewiring of these combinatorial post-transcriptional gene-expression networks.

RIP-Chip: the isolation and identification of mRNAs, microRNAs and protein components of ribonucleoprotein complexes from cell extracts

RNA targets of multitargeted RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) can be studied by various methods including mobility shift assays, iterative in vitro selection techniques and computational approaches. These techniques, however, cannot be used to identify the cellular context within which mRNAs associate, nor can they be used to elucidate the dynamic composition of RNAs in ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes in response to physiological stimuli. But by combining biochemical and genomics procedures to isolate and identify RNAs associated with RNA-binding proteins, information regarding RNA-protein and RNA-RNA interactions can be examined more directly within a cellular context. Several protocols--including the yeast three-hybrid system and immunoprecipitations that use physical or chemical cross-linking--have been developed to address this issue. Cross-linking procedures in general, however, are limited by inefficiency and sequence biases. The approach outlined here, termed RNP immunoprecipitation-microarray (RIP-Chip), allows the identification of discrete subsets of RNAs associated with multi-targeted RNA-binding proteins and provides information regarding changes in the intracellular composition of mRNPs in response to physical, chemical or developmental inducements of living systems. Thus, RIP-Chip can be used to identify subsets of RNAs that have related functions and are potentially co-regulated, as well as proteins that are associated with them in RNP complexes. Using RIP-Chip, the identification and/or quantification of RNAs in RNP complexes can be accomplished within a few hours or days depending on the RNA detection method used.

Identification of a set of KSRP target transcripts upregulated by PI3K-AKT signaling

BACKGROUND

KSRP is a AU-rich element (ARE) binding protein that causes decay of select sets of transcripts in different cell types. We have recently described that phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT (PI3K-AKT) activation induces stabilization and accumulation of the labile beta-catenin mRNA through an impairment of KSRP function.

RESULTS

Aim of this study was to identify additional KSRP targets whose stability and steady-state levels are enhanced by PI3K-AKT activation. First, through microarray analyses of the AU-rich transcriptome in pituitary alphaT3-1 cells, we identified 34 ARE-containing transcripts upregulated in cells expressing a constitutively active form of AKT1. In parallel, by an affinity chromatography-based technique followed by microarray analyses, 12 mRNAs target of KSRP, additional to beta-catenin, were identified. Among them, seven mRNAs were upregulated in cells expressing activated AKT1. Both steady-state levels and stability of these new KSRP targets were consistently increased by either KSRP knock-down or PI3K-AKT activation.

CONCLUSION

Our study identified a set of transcripts that are targets of KSRP and whose expression is increased by PI3K-AKT activation. These mRNAs encode RNA binding proteins, signaling molecules and a replication-independent histone. The increased expression of these gene products upon PI3K-AKT activation could play a role in the cellular events initiated by this signaling pathway.

Coregulation of light neurofilament mRNA by poly(A)-binding protein and aldolase C: Implications for neurodegeneration

The multifunctional proteins aldolase C and poly (A)-binding protein (PABP) undergo competitive interactions in cells coexpressing aldolase C and NF-L. A specific in vivo interaction between aldolase C and NF-L mRNA had been localized to a 68 nt segment of the transcript spanning the translation termination signal. It is shown here that the poly (A)-binding protein (PABP) binds the body of the NF-L transcript and increases its levels of expression when an excess of PABP is transiently provided in trans. Immunoprecipitation of PABP-associated ribonucleoprotein complexes of human spinal cord pulls down the dimeric form of aldolase C suggesting that their co-regulation of NF-L expression could be linked to the oligomerization status of aldolase C. An ex vivo model of mRNA decay has assessed mechanisms whereby aldolase C and PABP control NF-L expression. This model shows that aldolase C is a zinc-activated ribonuclease that cleaves the transcript at sites closed to the end-terminal structures. Immunological and biochemical depletion of endogenous PABP increases the instability of the transcript suggesting that PABP shields the NF-L mRNA from aldolase attack. An in vitro model shows that a mutant NF-L 68, in which the 45 nt of proximal 3'-UTR is replaced with unrelated sequence, is not degraded by aldolase C. Taken together, the findings might have important consequences for understanding causal mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration.

Genome-wide analysis of mRNAs bound to the histone stem-loop binding protein

The replication-dependent histone mRNAs are cell-cycle-regulated and expressed only during S phase. In contrast to all other eukaryotic mRNAs, the histone mRNAs end in a highly conserved 16-nucleotide stem-loop rather than a poly(A) tail. The stem-loop is necessary and sufficient for the post-transcriptional regulation of histone mRNA during the cell cycle. The histone mRNA 3' stem-loop is bound by the stem-loop binding protein (SLBP) that is involved in pre-mRNA processing, translation, and stability of histone mRNA. Immunoprecipitation (IP) of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) followed by microarray analysis has been used to identify the targets of RNA-binding proteins. This method is sometimes referred to as RIP-Chip (RNA IP followed by microarray analysis). Here we introduce a variation on the RIP-Chip method that uses a recombinant RBP to identify mRNA targets in a pool of total RNA; we call this method recombinant, or rRIP-Chip. Using this method, we show that recombinant SLBP binds exclusively to all five classes of histone mRNA. We also analyze the messages bound to the endogenous SLBP on polyribosomes by immunoprecipitation. We use two different microarray platforms to identify enriched mRNAs. Both platforms demonstrate remarkable specificity and consistency of results. Our data suggest that the replication-dependent histone mRNAs are likely to be the sole target of SLBP.

Nuclease sensitive element binding protein 1 associates with the selenocysteine insertion sequence and functions in mammalian selenoprotein translation

Biosynthesis of selenium-containing proteins requires insertion of the unusual amino acid selenocysteine by alternative translation of a UGA codon, which ordinarily serves as a stop codon. In eukaryotes, selenoprotein translation depends upon one or more selenocysteine insertion sequence (SECIS) elements located in the 3'-untranslated region of the mRNA, as well as several SECIS-binding proteins. Our laboratory has previously identified nuclease sensitive element binding protein 1 (NSEP1) as another SECIS-binding protein, but evidence has been presented both for and against its role in SECIS binding in vivo and in selenoprotein translation. Our current studies sought to resolve this controversy, first by investigating whether NSEP1 interacts closely with SECIS elements within intact cells. After reversible in vivo cross-linking and ribonucleoprotein immunoprecipitation, mRNAs encoding two glutathione peroxidase family members co-precipitated with NSEP1 in both human and rat cell lines. Co-immunoprecipitation of an epitope-tagged GPX1 construct depended upon an intact SECIS element in its 3'-untranslated region. To test the functional importance of this interaction on selenoprotein translation, we used small inhibitory RNAs to reduce the NSEP1 content of tissue culture cells and then examined the effect of that reduction on the activity of a SECIS-dependent luciferase reporter gene for which expression depends upon readthrough of a UGA codon. Co-transfection of small inhibitory RNAs directed against NSEP1 decreased its expression by approximately 50% and significantly reduced luciferase activity. These studies demonstrate that NSEP1 is an authentic SECIS binding protein that is structurally associated with the selenoprotein translation complex and functionally involved in the translation of selenoproteins in mammalian cells.

Isolation of mRNA from specific tissues of Drosophila by mRNA tagging

To study the function of specific cells or tissues using genomic tools like microarray analyses, it is highly desirable to obtain mRNA from a homogeneous source. However, this is particularly challenging for small organisms, like Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster. We have optimized and applied a new technique, mRNA tagging, to isolate mRNA from specific tissues of D.melanogaster. A FLAG-tagged poly(A)-binding protein (PABP) is expressed in a specific tissue and mRNA from that tissue is thus tagged by the recombinant PABP and separated from mRNA in other tissues by co-immunoprecipitation with a FLAG-tag specific antibody. The fractionated mRNA is then amplified and used as probe in microarray experiments. As a test system, we employed the procedures to identify genes expressed in Drosophila photoreceptor cells. We found that most known photoreceptor cell-specific mRNAs were identified by mRNA tagging. Furthermore, at least 11 novel genes have been identified as enriched in photoreceptor cells. mRNA tagging is a powerful general method for profiling gene expression in specific tissues and for identifying tissue-specific genes.