1
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Licon MH, Giuliano CJ, Chan AW, Chakladar S, Eberhard JN, Shallberg LA, Chandrasekaran S, Waldman BS, Koshy AA, Hunter CA, Lourido S. A positive feedback loop controls Toxoplasma chronic differentiation. Nat Microbiol 2023; 8:889-904. [PMID: 37081202 PMCID: PMC10520893 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01358-2] [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: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Successful infection strategies must balance pathogen amplification and persistence. In the obligate intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii this is accomplished through differentiation into dedicated cyst-forming chronic stages that avoid clearance by the host immune system. The transcription factor BFD1 is both necessary and sufficient for stage conversion; however, its regulation is not understood. In this study we examine five factors that are transcriptionally activated by BFD1. One of these is a cytosolic RNA-binding protein of the CCCH-type zinc-finger family, which we name bradyzoite formation deficient 2 (BFD2). Parasites lacking BFD2 fail to induce BFD1 and are consequently unable to fully differentiate in culture or in mice. BFD2 interacts with the BFD1 transcript under stress, and deletion of BFD2 reduces BFD1 protein levels but not messenger RNA abundance. The reciprocal effects on BFD2 transcription and BFD1 translation outline a positive feedback loop that enforces the chronic-stage gene-expression programme. Thus, our findings help explain how parasites both initiate and commit to chronic differentiation. This work provides new mechanistic insight into the regulation of T. gondii persistence, and can be exploited in the design of strategies to prevent and treat these key reservoirs of human infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christopher J Giuliano
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Alex W Chan
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sundeep Chakladar
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Julia N Eberhard
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lindsey A Shallberg
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Benjamin S Waldman
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Anita A Koshy
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Department of Neurology, Department of Immunobiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Christopher A Hunter
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sebastian Lourido
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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2
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Wang X, Zhang M, Long C, Yao L, Zhu M. Self-Attention Based Neural Network for Predicting RNA-Protein Binding Sites. IEEE/ACM TRANSACTIONS ON COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY AND BIOINFORMATICS 2023; 20:1469-1479. [PMID: 36067103 DOI: 10.1109/tcbb.2022.3204661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Proteins binding to Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) inside cells are called RNA-binding proteins (RBP), which play a crucial role in gene regulation. The identification of RNA-protein binding sites helps to understand the function of RBP better. Although many computational methods have been developed to predict RNA-protein binding sites, their prediction accuracy on small sample datasets needs improvement. To overcome this limitation, we propose a novel model called SA-Net, which utilizes k-mer embedding to encode RNA sequences and a self-attention-based neural network to extract sequence features. K-mer embedding assists the model to discover significant subsequence fragments associated with binding sites. The self-attention mechanism captures contextual information from the entire input sequence globally, performing well in small sample sequence learning. Experimental results demonstrate that SA-Net attains state-of-the-art results on the RBP-24 dataset. We find that 4-mer embedding aids the model to achieve optimal performance. We also show that the self-attention network outperforms the commonly used CNN and CNN-BLSTM models in sequence feature extraction.
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3
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Rounds JC, Corgiat EB, Ye C, Behnke JA, Kelly SM, Corbett AH, Moberg KH. The disease-associated proteins Drosophila Nab2 and Ataxin-2 interact with shared RNAs and coregulate neuronal morphology. Genetics 2022; 220:iyab175. [PMID: 34791182 PMCID: PMC8733473 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Nab2 encodes the Drosophila melanogaster member of a conserved family of zinc finger polyadenosine RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) linked to multiple steps in post-transcriptional regulation. Mutation of the Nab2 human ortholog ZC3H14 gives rise to an autosomal recessive intellectual disability but understanding of Nab2/ZC3H14 function in metazoan nervous systems is limited, in part because no comprehensive identification of metazoan Nab2/ZC3H14-associated RNA transcripts has yet been conducted. Moreover, many Nab2/ZC3H14 functional protein partnerships remain unidentified. Here, we present evidence that Nab2 genetically interacts with Ataxin-2 (Atx2), which encodes a neuronal translational regulator, and that these factors coordinately regulate neuronal morphology, circadian behavior, and adult viability. We then present the first high-throughput identifications of Nab2- and Atx2-associated RNAs in Drosophila brain neurons using RNA immunoprecipitation-sequencing (RIP-Seq). Critically, the RNA interactomes of each RBP overlap, and Nab2 exhibits high specificity in its RNA associations in neurons in vivo, associating with a small fraction of all polyadenylated RNAs. The identities of shared associated transcripts (e.g., drk, me31B, stai) and of transcripts specific to Nab2 or Atx2 (e.g., Arpc2 and tea) promise insight into neuronal functions of, and genetic interactions between, each RBP. Consistent with prior biochemical studies, Nab2-associated neuronal RNAs are overrepresented for internal A-rich motifs, suggesting these sequences may partially mediate Nab2 target selection. These data support a model where Nab2 functionally opposes Atx2 in neurons, demonstrate Nab2 shares associated neuronal RNAs with Atx2, and reveal Drosophila Nab2 associates with a more specific subset of polyadenylated mRNAs than its polyadenosine affinity alone may suggest.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Christopher Rounds
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Edwin B Corgiat
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Changtian Ye
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Joseph A Behnke
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Seth M Kelly
- Department of Biology, The College of Wooster, Wooster, OH 44691, USA
| | - Anita H Corbett
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Kenneth H Moberg
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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4
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Zooming in on protein-RNA interactions: a multi-level workflow to identify interaction partners. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 48:1529-1543. [PMID: 32820806 PMCID: PMC7458403 DOI: 10.1042/bst20191059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Interactions between proteins and RNA are at the base of numerous cellular regulatory and functional phenomena. The investigation of the biological relevance of non-coding RNAs has led to the identification of numerous novel RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). However, defining the RNA sequences and structures that are selectively recognised by an RBP remains challenging, since these interactions can be transient and highly dynamic, and may be mediated by unstructured regions in the protein, as in the case of many non-canonical RBPs. Numerous experimental and computational methodologies have been developed to predict, identify and verify the binding between a given RBP and potential RNA partners, but navigating across the vast ocean of data can be frustrating and misleading. In this mini-review, we propose a workflow for the identification of the RNA binding partners of putative, newly identified RBPs. The large pool of potential binders selected by in-cell experiments can be enriched by in silico tools such as catRAPID, which is able to predict the RNA sequences more likely to interact with specific RBP regions with high accuracy. The RNA candidates with the highest potential can then be analysed in vitro to determine the binding strength and to precisely identify the binding sites. The results thus obtained can furthermore validate the computational predictions, offering an all-round solution to the issue of finding the most likely RNA binding partners for a newly identified potential RBP.
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5
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Pozzi A, Dowling DK. Small mitochondrial RNAs as mediators of nuclear gene regulation, and potential implications for human health. Bioessays 2021; 43:e2000265. [PMID: 33763872 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202000265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Much research has focused on the effects of pathogenic mitochondrial mutations on health. Notwithstanding, the mechanisms regulating the link between these mutations and their effects remain elusive in several cases. Here, we propose that certain mitochondrial mutations may disrupt function of a set of mitochondrial-transcribed small RNAs, perturbing communication between mitochondria and nucleus, leading to disease. Our hypothesis synthesises two lines of supporting evidence. First, several mitochondrial mutations cannot be directly linked to effects on energy production or protein synthesis. Second, emerging studies have described the existence of small RNAs encoded by the mitochondria and proposed their involvement in RNA interference. We present a roadmap to testing this hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Pozzi
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Damian K Dowling
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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6
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Hyjek‐Składanowska M, Bajczyk M, Gołębiewski M, Nuc P, Kołowerzo‐Lubnau A, Jarmołowski A, Smoliński DJ. Core spliceosomal Sm proteins as constituents of cytoplasmic mRNPs in plants. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 103:1155-1173. [PMID: 32369637 PMCID: PMC7540296 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, research has increasingly focused on the key role of post-transcriptional regulation of messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) function and turnover. As a result of the complexity and dynamic nature of mRNPs, the full composition of a single mRNP complex remains unrevealed and mRNPs are poorly described in plants. Here we identify canonical Sm proteins as part of the cytoplasmic mRNP complex, indicating their function in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression in plants. Sm proteins comprise an evolutionarily ancient family of small RNA-binding proteins involved in pre-mRNA splicing. The latest research indicates that Sm could also impact on mRNA at subsequent stages of its life cycle. In this work we show that in the microsporocyte cytoplasm of Larix decidua, the European larch, Sm proteins accumulate within distinct cytoplasmic bodies, also containing polyadenylated RNA. To date, several types of cytoplasmic bodies involved in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression have been described, mainly in animal cells. Their role and molecular composition in plants remain less well established, however. A total of 222 mRNA transcripts have been identified as cytoplasmic partners for Sm proteins. The specific colocalization of these mRNAs with Sm proteins within cytoplasmic bodies has been confirmed via microscopic analysis. The results from this work support the hypothesis, that evolutionarily conserved Sm proteins have been adapted to perform a whole repertoire of functions related to the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression in Eukaryota. This adaptation presumably enabled them to coordinate the interdependent processes of splicing element assembly, mRNA maturation and processing, and mRNA translation regulation, and its degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malwina Hyjek‐Składanowska
- Department of Cellular and Molecular BiologyNicolaus Copernicus UniveristyLwowska 187‐100TorunPoland
- Centre For Modern Interdisciplinary TechnologiesNicolaus Copernicus UniversityWilenska 487‐100TorunPoland
- Present address:
Laboratory of Protein StructureInternational Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology4 Trojdena St.02‐109WarsawPoland
| | - Mateusz Bajczyk
- Department of Gene ExpressionInstitute of Molecular Biology and BiotechnologyAdam Mickiewicz UniversityUmultowska 89Poznan61‐614Poland
| | - Marcin Gołębiewski
- Centre For Modern Interdisciplinary TechnologiesNicolaus Copernicus UniversityWilenska 487‐100TorunPoland
- Department of Plant Physiology and BiotechnologyNicolaus Copernicus UniveristyLwowska 187‐100TorunPoland
| | - Przemysław Nuc
- Department of Gene ExpressionInstitute of Molecular Biology and BiotechnologyAdam Mickiewicz UniversityUmultowska 89Poznan61‐614Poland
| | - Agnieszka Kołowerzo‐Lubnau
- Department of Cellular and Molecular BiologyNicolaus Copernicus UniveristyLwowska 187‐100TorunPoland
- Centre For Modern Interdisciplinary TechnologiesNicolaus Copernicus UniversityWilenska 487‐100TorunPoland
| | - Artur Jarmołowski
- Department of Gene ExpressionInstitute of Molecular Biology and BiotechnologyAdam Mickiewicz UniversityUmultowska 89Poznan61‐614Poland
| | - Dariusz Jan Smoliński
- Department of Cellular and Molecular BiologyNicolaus Copernicus UniveristyLwowska 187‐100TorunPoland
- Centre For Modern Interdisciplinary TechnologiesNicolaus Copernicus UniversityWilenska 487‐100TorunPoland
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7
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Sternburg EL, Karginov FV. Global Approaches in Studying RNA-Binding Protein Interaction Networks. Trends Biochem Sci 2020; 45:593-603. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2020.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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8
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Lv B, Wang J, Peng Y, Wang Z, Song Q. Long-term cadmium exposure affects cell adhesion and expression of cadherin in the male genital organ of Pardosa pseudoannulata (Bösenberg & Strand, 1906). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 27:17770-17778. [PMID: 32162219 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-07968-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Pardosa pseudoannulata (Araneae: Lycosidae), as an important predator of crop pests, has served as a strong driver for ecological regulation of pests. Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal widely distributed in the soil in China, which not only seriously pollutes the ecological environment, but also poses a great threat to the survival of organisms. Palpal bulbs are the genital organs of male spiders, playing an important role in reproductive physiology. However, the effects of long-term Cd stress on the genital organ of the primary pest predator were poorly understood. Therefore, we investigated the Cd effect on the male palpal organ of P. pseudoannulata at morphological and gene expression levels. The results showed that no obvious difference in the morphology between the Cd-treated and control groups was observed, but cell adhesion was affected at molecular level. Transcriptome sequencing analysis revealed that under long-term Cd stress, the biological processes including cell-cell adhesion via plasma-membrane adhesion molecules, cell-cell adhesion, and homophilic cell adhesion via plasma membrane adhesion molecules were the top three differentially expressed terms (p-adj < 0.001), and 51 unigenes were annotated into cadherin-related proteins, such as protocadherin, cadherin-87A, and cadherin-96Ca, among which, 18 unigenes were significantly upregulated under the Cd stress. Our outcomes indicate that the differentially expressed genes involved in cell adhesion may explain the negative effects of Cd stress on the spider genital organ, and the comprehensive transcriptome dataset will also provide a profound molecular information of the genital organ of P. pseudoannulata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Lv
- College of Life Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410006, Hunan, China
| | - Juan Wang
- College of Life Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410006, Hunan, China
| | - Yuande Peng
- Institute of Bast Fiber Crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha, 410205, Hunan, China
| | - Zhi Wang
- College of Life Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410006, Hunan, China.
| | - Qisheng Song
- Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
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9
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Henriet S, Colom Sanmartí B, Sumic S, Chourrout D. Evolution of the U2 Spliceosome for Processing Numerous and Highly Diverse Non-canonical Introns in the Chordate Fritillaria borealis. Curr Biol 2019; 29:3193-3199.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.07.092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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10
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UDP-glucose accelerates SNAI1 mRNA decay and impairs lung cancer metastasis. Nature 2019; 571:127-131. [PMID: 31243371 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1340-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cancer metastasis is the primary cause of morbidity and mortality, and accounts for up to 95% of cancer-related deaths1. Cancer cells often reprogram their metabolism to efficiently support cell proliferation and survival2,3. However, whether and how those metabolic alterations contribute to the migration of tumour cells remain largely unknown. UDP-glucose 6-dehydrogenase (UGDH) is a key enzyme in the uronic acid pathway, and converts UDP-glucose to UDP-glucuronic acid4. Here we show that, after activation of EGFR, UGDH is phosphorylated at tyrosine 473 in human lung cancer cells. Phosphorylated UGDH interacts with Hu antigen R (HuR) and converts UDP-glucose to UDP-glucuronic acid, which attenuates the UDP-glucose-mediated inhibition of the association of HuR with SNAI1 mRNA and therefore enhances the stability of SNAI1 mRNA. Increased production of SNAIL initiates the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, thus promoting the migration of tumour cells and lung cancer metastasis. In addition, phosphorylation of UGDH at tyrosine 473 correlates with metastatic recurrence and poor prognosis of patients with lung cancer. Our findings reveal a tumour-suppressive role of UDP-glucose in lung cancer metastasis and uncover a mechanism by which UGDH promotes tumour metastasis by increasing the stability of SNAI1 mRNA.
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11
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Lu Z, Gong J, Zhang QC. PARIS: Psoralen Analysis of RNA Interactions and Structures with High Throughput and Resolution. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1649:59-84. [PMID: 29130190 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7213-5_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
RNA has the intrinsic propensity to form base pairs, leading to complex intramolecular and intermolecular helices. Direct measurement of base pairing interactions in living cells is critical to solving transcriptome structure and interactions, and investigating their functions (Lu and Chang, Curr Opin Struct Biol 36:142-148, 2016). Toward this goal, we developed an experimental method, PARIS (Psoralen Analysis of RNA Interactions and Structures), to directly determine transcriptome-wide base pairing interactions (Lu et al., Cell 165(5):1267-1279, 2016). PARIS combines four critical steps, in vivo cross-linking, 2D gel purification, proximity ligation, and high-throughput sequencing to achieve high-throughput and near-base pair resolution determination of the RNA structurome and interactome in living cells. In this chapter, we aim to provide a comprehensive discussion on the principles behind the experimental and computational strategies, and a step-by-step description of the experiment and analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhipeng Lu
- Department of Dermatology, Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Jing Gong
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Haidian, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Qiangfeng Cliff Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Haidian, Beijing, 100084, China.
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12
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Chen X, Lu L, Qian S, Scalf M, Smith LM, Zhong X. Canonical and Noncanonical Actions of Arabidopsis Histone Deacetylases in Ribosomal RNA Processing. THE PLANT CELL 2018; 30:134-152. [PMID: 29343504 PMCID: PMC5810568 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.17.00626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Revised: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Ribosome biogenesis is a fundamental process required for all cellular activities. Histone deacetylases play critical roles in many biological processes including transcriptional repression and rDNA silencing. However, their function in pre-rRNA processing remains poorly understood. Here, we discovered a previously uncharacterized role of Arabidopsis thaliana histone deacetylase HD2C in pre-rRNA processing via both canonical and noncanonical manners. HD2C interacts with another histone deacetylase HD2B and forms homo- and/or hetero-oligomers in the nucleolus. Depletion of HD2C and HD2B induces a ribosome-biogenesis deficient phenotype and aberrant accumulation of 18S pre-rRNA intermediates. Our genome-wide analysis revealed that HD2C binds and represses the expression of key genes involved in ribosome biogenesis. Using RNA immunoprecipitation and sequencing, we further uncovered a noncanonical mechanism of HD2C directly associating with pre-rRNA and small nucleolar RNAs to regulate rRNA methylation. Together, this study reveals a multifaceted role of HD2C in ribosome biogenesis and provides mechanistic insights into how histone deacetylases modulate rRNA maturation at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangsong Chen
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Li Lu
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Shuiming Qian
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Mark Scalf
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Lloyd M Smith
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Xuehua Zhong
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
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13
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A viral Sm-class RNA base-pairs with mRNAs and recruits microRNAs to inhibit apoptosis. Nature 2017; 550:275-279. [PMID: 28976967 DOI: 10.1038/nature24034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Viruses express several classes of non-coding RNAs; the functions and mechanisms by which most of these act are unknown. Herpesvirus saimiri, a γ-herpesvirus that establishes latency in the T cells of New World primates and has the ability to cause aggressive leukaemias and lymphomas in non-natural hosts, expresses seven small nuclear uracil-rich non-coding RNAs (called HSURs) in latently infected cells. These HSURs associate with Sm proteins, and share biogenesis and structural features with cellular Sm-class small nuclear RNAs. One of these HSURs (HSUR2) base-pairs with two host cellular microRNAs (miR-142-3p and miR-16) but does not affect their abundance or activity, which suggests that its interactions with them perform alternative functions. Here we show that HSUR2 also base-pairs with mRNAs in infected cells. We combined in vivo psoralen-mediated RNA-RNA crosslinking and high-throughput sequencing to identify the mRNAs targeted by HSUR2, which include mRNAs that encode retinoblastoma and factors involved in p53 signalling and apoptosis. We show that HSUR2 represses the expression of target mRNAs and that base-pairing between HSUR2 and miR-142-3p and miR-16 is essential for this repression, suggesting that HSUR2 recruits these two cellular microRNAs to its target mRNAs. Furthermore, we show that HSUR2 uses this mechanism to inhibit apoptosis. Our results uncover a role for this viral Sm-class RNA as a microRNA adaptor in the regulation of gene expression that follows precursor mRNA processing.
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14
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Kanno T, Lin WD, Fu JL, Matzke AJM, Matzke M. A genetic screen implicates a CWC16/Yju2/CCDC130 protein and SMU1 in alternative splicing in Arabidopsis thaliana. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2017; 23:1068-1079. [PMID: 28373290 PMCID: PMC5473141 DOI: 10.1261/rna.060517.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 03/30/2017] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
To identify regulators of pre-mRNA splicing in plants, we developed a forward genetic screen based on an alternatively spliced GFP reporter gene in Arabidopsis thaliana In wild-type plants, three major splice variants issue from the GFP gene but only one represents a translatable GFP mRNA. Compared to wild-type seedlings, which exhibit an intermediate level of GFP expression, mutants identified in the screen feature either a "GFP-weak" or "Hyper-GFP" phenotype depending on the ratio of the three splice variants. GFP-weak mutants, including previously identified prp8 and rtf2, contain a higher proportion of unspliced transcript or canonically spliced transcript, neither of which is translatable into GFP protein. In contrast, the coilin-deficient hyper-gfp1 (hgf1) mutant displays a higher proportion of translatable GFP mRNA, which arises from enhanced splicing of a U2-type intron with noncanonical AT-AC splice sites. Here we report three new hgf mutants that are defective, respectively, in spliceosome-associated proteins SMU1, SmF, and CWC16, an Yju2/CCDC130-related protein that has not yet been described in plants. The smu1 and cwc16 mutants have substantially increased levels of translatable GFP transcript owing to preferential splicing of the U2-type AT-AC intron, suggesting that SMU1 and CWC16 influence splice site selection in GFP pre-mRNA. Genome-wide analyses of splicing in smu1 and cwc16 mutants revealed a number of introns that were variably spliced from endogenous pre-mRNAs. These results indicate that SMU1 and CWC16, which are predicted to act directly prior to and during the first catalytic step of splicing, respectively, function more generally to modulate splicing patterns in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuo Kanno
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Dar Lin
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Jason L Fu
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Antonius J M Matzke
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Marjori Matzke
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
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15
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Beletsky AV, Malyavko AN, Sukhanova MV, Mardanova ES, Zvereva MI, Petrova OA, Parfenova YY, Rubtsova MP, Mardanov AV, Lavrik OI, Dontsova OA, Ravin NV. The genome-wide transcription response to telomerase deficiency in the thermotolerant yeast Hansenula polymorpha DL-1. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:492. [PMID: 28659185 PMCID: PMC5490237 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-3889-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the course of replication of eukaryotic chromosomes, the telomere length is maintained due to activity of telomerase, the ribonucleoprotein reverse transcriptase. Abolishing telomerase function causes progressive shortening of telomeres and, ultimately, cell cycle arrest and replicative senescence. To better understand the cellular response to telomerase deficiency, we performed a transcriptomic study for the thermotolerant methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha DL-1 lacking telomerase activity. RESULTS Mutant strain of H. polymorpha carrying a disrupted telomerase RNA gene was produced, grown to senescence and analyzed by RNA-seq along with wild type strain. Telomere shortening induced a transcriptional response involving genes relevant to telomere structure and maintenance, DNA damage response, information processing, and some metabolic pathways. Genes involved in DNA replication and repair, response to environmental stresses and intracellular traffic were up-regulated in senescent H. polymorpha cells, while strong down-regulation was observed for genes involved in transcription and translation, as well as core histones. CONCLUSIONS Comparison of the telomerase deletion transcription responses by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and H. polymorpha demonstrates that senescence makes different impact on the main metabolic pathways of these yeast species but induces similar changes in processes related to nucleic acids metabolism and protein synthesis. Up-regulation of a subunit of the TORC1 complex is clearly relevant for both types of yeast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey V Beletsky
- Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Ave. 33, bld 2, Moscow, 119071, Russia
| | - Alexander N Malyavko
- Faculty of Chemistry, Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, bld. 3, Moscow, 119991, Russia.,Center of Functional Genomics, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, 143026, Russia
| | - Maria V Sukhanova
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Lavrentiev Ave. 8, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
| | - Eugenia S Mardanova
- Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Ave. 33, bld 2, Moscow, 119071, Russia
| | - Maria I Zvereva
- Faculty of Chemistry, Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, bld. 3, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Olga A Petrova
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, bld. 40, Moscow, 119992, Russia
| | - Yulia Yu Parfenova
- Faculty of Chemistry, Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, bld. 3, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Maria P Rubtsova
- Faculty of Chemistry, Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, bld. 3, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Andrey V Mardanov
- Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Ave. 33, bld 2, Moscow, 119071, Russia
| | - Olga I Lavrik
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Lavrentiev Ave. 8, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia.,Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
| | - Olga A Dontsova
- Faculty of Chemistry, Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, bld. 3, Moscow, 119991, Russia.,Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, bld. 40, Moscow, 119992, Russia.,Center of Functional Genomics, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, 143026, Russia
| | - Nikolai V Ravin
- Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Ave. 33, bld 2, Moscow, 119071, Russia.
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16
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RNA Duplex Map in Living Cells Reveals Higher-Order Transcriptome Structure. Cell 2016; 165:1267-1279. [PMID: 27180905 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 413] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Revised: 03/03/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
RNA has the intrinsic property to base pair, forming complex structures fundamental to its diverse functions. Here, we develop PARIS, a method based on reversible psoralen crosslinking for global mapping of RNA duplexes with near base-pair resolution in living cells. PARIS analysis in three human and mouse cell types reveals frequent long-range structures, higher-order architectures, and RNA-RNA interactions in trans across the transcriptome. PARIS determines base-pairing interactions on an individual-molecule level, revealing pervasive alternative conformations. We used PARIS-determined helices to guide phylogenetic analysis of RNA structures and discovered conserved long-range and alternative structures. XIST, a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) essential for X chromosome inactivation, folds into evolutionarily conserved RNA structural domains that span many kilobases. XIST A-repeat forms complex inter-repeat duplexes that nucleate higher-order assembly of the key epigenetic silencing protein SPEN. PARIS is a generally applicable and versatile method that provides novel insights into the RNA structurome and interactome. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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17
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Abstract
Over the last decade, the long accepted dogma that heterochromatin is silent has been challenged by increasing evidence of active transcription in these apocryphally annotated quiescent regions of the genome. The recent discovery of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) originating from, or localizing to, centromeres, pericentromeres, and telomeres (ie, constitutive heterochromatin) suggest a potential role for ncRNAs in genome integrity. This new paradigm suggests that ncRNAs may recruit chromatin-binding factors, stabilize the higher order folded state of the chromatin fiber, and participate in regulation of processes such as transcription-mediated nucleosome assembly. Thus, identifying, purifying, and elucidating the function of ncRNAs has the potential to provide key insights into genome organization and is currently a topic of intense experimental investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Quénet
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States.
| | - D Sturgill
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Y Dalal
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States.
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18
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Hyjek M, Wojciechowska N, Rudzka M, Kołowerzo-Lubnau A, Smoliński DJ. Spatial regulation of cytoplasmic snRNP assembly at the cellular level. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2015; 66:7019-30. [PMID: 26320237 PMCID: PMC4765780 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erv399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs) play a crucial role in pre-mRNA splicing in all eukaryotic cells. In contrast to the relatively broad knowledge on snRNP assembly within the nucleus, the spatial organization of the cytoplasmic stages of their maturation remains poorly understood. Nevertheless, sparse research indicates that, similar to the nuclear steps, the crucial processes of cytoplasmic snRNP assembly may also be strictly spatially regulated. In European larch microsporocytes, it was determined that the cytoplasmic assembly of snRNPs within a cell might occur in two distinct spatial manners, which depend on the rate of de novo snRNP formation in relation to the steady state of these particles within the nucleus. During periods of moderate expression of splicing elements, the cytoplasmic assembly of snRNPs occurred diffusely throughout the cytoplasm. Increased expression of both Sm proteins and U snRNA triggered the accumulation of these particles within distinct, non-membranous RNP-rich granules, which are referred to as snRNP-rich cytoplasmic bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malwina Hyjek
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Lwowska 1, Toruń, 87-100, Poland Centre For Modern Interdisciplinary Technologies, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Wileńska 4, 87-100 Toruń Poland
| | - Natalia Wojciechowska
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Lwowska 1, Toruń, 87-100, Poland Department of General Botany, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, A. Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Magda Rudzka
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Lwowska 1, Toruń, 87-100, Poland Centre For Modern Interdisciplinary Technologies, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Wileńska 4, 87-100 Toruń Poland
| | - Agnieszka Kołowerzo-Lubnau
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Lwowska 1, Toruń, 87-100, Poland Centre For Modern Interdisciplinary Technologies, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Wileńska 4, 87-100 Toruń Poland
| | - Dariusz Jan Smoliński
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Lwowska 1, Toruń, 87-100, Poland Centre For Modern Interdisciplinary Technologies, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Wileńska 4, 87-100 Toruń Poland
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19
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Stoiber MH, Olson S, May GE, Duff MO, Manent J, Obar R, Guruharsha KG, Bickel PJ, Artavanis-Tsakonas S, Brown JB, Graveley BR, Celniker SE. Extensive cross-regulation of post-transcriptional regulatory networks in Drosophila. Genome Res 2015; 25:1692-702. [PMID: 26294687 PMCID: PMC4617965 DOI: 10.1101/gr.182675.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2014] [Accepted: 06/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
In eukaryotic cells, RNAs exist as ribonucleoprotein particles (RNPs). Despite the importance of these complexes in many biological processes, including splicing, polyadenylation, stability, transportation, localization, and translation, their compositions are largely unknown. We affinity-purified 20 distinct RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) from cultured Drosophila melanogaster cells under native conditions and identified both the RNA and protein compositions of these RNP complexes. We identified “high occupancy target” (HOT) RNAs that interact with the majority of the RBPs we surveyed. HOT RNAs encode components of the nonsense-mediated decay and splicing machinery, as well as RNA-binding and translation initiation proteins. The RNP complexes contain proteins and mRNAs involved in RNA binding and post-transcriptional regulation. Genes with the capacity to produce hundreds of mRNA isoforms, ultracomplex genes, interact extensively with heterogeneous nuclear ribonuclear proteins (hnRNPs). Our data are consistent with a model in which subsets of RNPs include mRNA and protein products from the same gene, indicating the widespread existence of auto-regulatory RNPs. From the simultaneous acquisition and integrative analysis of protein and RNA constituents of RNPs, we identify extensive cross-regulatory and hierarchical interactions in post-transcriptional control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus H Stoiber
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA; Department of Genome Dynamics, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Sara Olson
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030, USA
| | - Gemma E May
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030, USA
| | - Michael O Duff
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030, USA
| | - Jan Manent
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Robert Obar
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - K G Guruharsha
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA; Biogen Incorporated, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
| | - Peter J Bickel
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Spyros Artavanis-Tsakonas
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA; Biogen Incorporated, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
| | - James B Brown
- Department of Genome Dynamics, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA; Department of Statistics, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Brenton R Graveley
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030, USA
| | - Susan E Celniker
- Department of Genome Dynamics, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
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Abstract
In recent year, increasing evidence suggests that noncoding RNAs play important roles in the regulation of tissue homeostasis and pathophysiological conditions. Besides small noncoding RNAs (eg, microRNAs), >200-nucleotide long transcripts, namely long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), can interfere with gene expressions and signaling pathways at various stages. In the cardiovascular system, studies have detected and characterized the expression of lncRNAs under normal physiological condition and in disease states. Several lncRNAs are regulated during acute myocardial infarction (eg, Novlnc6) and heart failure (eg, Mhrt), whereas others control hypertrophy, mitochondrial function and apoptosis of cardiomyocytes. In the vascular system, the endothelial-expressed lncRNAs (eg, MALAT1 and Tie-1-AS) can regulate vessel growth and function, whereas the smooth-muscle-expressed lncRNA smooth muscle and endothelial cell-enriched migration/differentiation-associated long noncoding RNA was recently shown to control the contractile phenotype of smooth muscle cells. This review article summarizes the data on lncRNA expressions in mouse and human and highlights identified cardiovascular lncRNAs that might play a role in cardiovascular diseases. Although our understanding of lncRNAs is still in its infancy, these examples may provide helpful insights how lncRNAs interfere with cardiovascular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shizuka Uchida
- From the Institute of Cardiovascular Regeneration, Centre for Molecular Medicine, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany (S.U., S.D.); and German Center for Cardiovascular Research, Partner side Rhein-Main, Frankfurt, Germany (S.U., S.D.)
| | - Stefanie Dimmeler
- From the Institute of Cardiovascular Regeneration, Centre for Molecular Medicine, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany (S.U., S.D.); and German Center for Cardiovascular Research, Partner side Rhein-Main, Frankfurt, Germany (S.U., S.D.).
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21
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Abstract
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.
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22
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Abstract
Pre-mRNA splicing is a critical step in eukaryotic gene expression that contributes to proteomic, cellular, and developmental complexity. Small nuclear (sn)RNAs are core spliceosomal components; however, the extent to which differential expression of snRNA isoforms regulates splicing is completely unknown. This is partly due to difficulties in the accurate analysis of the spatial and temporal expression patterns of snRNAs. Here, we use high-throughput RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data to profile expression of four major snRNAs throughout Drosophila development. This analysis shows that individual isoforms of each snRNA have distinct expression patterns in the embryo, larva, and pharate adult stages. Expression of these isoforms is more heterogeneous during embryogenesis; as development progresses, a single isoform from each snRNA subtype gradually dominates expression. Despite the lack of stable snRNA orthologous groups during evolution, this developmental switching of snRNA isoforms also occurs in distantly related vertebrate species, such as Xenopus, mouse, and human. Our results indicate that expression of snRNA isoforms is regulated and lays the foundation for functional studies of individual snRNA isoforms.
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23
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Abstract
Growing evidence suggests that core spliceosomal components differentially affect RNA processing of specific genes; however, whether changes in the levels or activities of these factors control specific signaling pathways is largely unknown. Here we show that some SM-like (LSM) genes, which encode core components of the spliceosomal U6 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein complex, regulate circadian rhythms in plants and mammals. We found that the circadian clock regulates the expression of LSM5 in Arabidopsis plants and several LSM genes in mouse suprachiasmatic nucleus. Further, mutations in LSM5 or LSM4 in Arabidopsis, or down-regulation of LSM3, LSM5, or LSM7 expression in human cells, lengthens the circadian period. Although we identified changes in the expression and alternative splicing of some core clock genes in Arabidopsis lsm5 mutants, the precise molecular mechanism causing period lengthening remains to be identified. Genome-wide expression analysis of either a weak lsm5 or a strong lsm4 mutant allele in Arabidopsis revealed larger effects on alternative splicing than on constitutive splicing. Remarkably, large splicing defects were not observed in most of the introns evaluated using RNA-seq in the strong lsm4 mutant allele used in this study. These findings support the idea that some LSM genes play both regulatory and constitutive roles in RNA processing, contributing to the fine-tuning of specific signaling pathways.
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24
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Lu Z, Matera AG. Vicinal: a method for the determination of ncRNA ends using chimeric reads from RNA-seq experiments. Nucleic Acids Res 2014; 42:e79. [PMID: 24623808 PMCID: PMC4027162 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gku207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-coding (nc)RNAs are important structural and regulatory molecules. Accurate determination of the primary sequence and secondary structure of ncRNAs is important for understanding their functions. During cDNA synthesis, RNA 3' end stem-loops can self-prime reverse transcription, creating RNA-cDNA chimeras. We found that chimeric RNA-cDNA fragments can also be detected at 5' end stem-loops, although at much lower frequency. Using the Gubler-Hoffman method, both types of chimeric fragments can be converted to cDNA during library construction, and they are readily detectable in high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) experiments. Here, we show that these chimeric reads contain valuable information about the boundaries of ncRNAs. We developed a bioinformatic method, called Vicinal, to precisely map the ends of numerous fruitfly, mouse and human ncRNAs. Using this method, we analyzed chimeric reads from over 100 RNA-seq datasets, the results of which we make available for users to find RNAs of interest. In summary, we show that Vicinal is a useful tool for determination of the precise boundaries of uncharacterized ncRNAs, facilitating further structure/function studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhipeng Lu
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
| | - A Gregory Matera
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
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