1
|
Zhang M, Lu Z. tRNA modifications: greasing the wheels of translation and beyond. RNA Biol 2025; 22:1-25. [PMID: 39723662 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2024.2442856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 11/29/2024] [Accepted: 12/11/2024] [Indexed: 12/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Transfer RNA (tRNA) is one of the most abundant RNA types in cells, acting as an adaptor to bridge the genetic information in mRNAs with the amino acid sequence in proteins. Both tRNAs and small fragments processed from them play many nonconventional roles in addition to translation. tRNA molecules undergo various types of chemical modifications to ensure the accuracy and efficiency of translation and regulate their diverse functions beyond translation. In this review, we discuss the biogenesis and molecular mechanisms of tRNA modifications, including major tRNA modifications, writer enzymes, and their dynamic regulation. We also summarize the state-of-the-art technologies for measuring tRNA modification, with a particular focus on 2'-O-methylation (Nm), and discuss their limitations and remaining challenges. Finally, we highlight recent discoveries linking dysregulation of tRNA modifications with genetic diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Minjie Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhipeng Lu
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Tepe ML, Chen Y, Carso A, Zhou H. MapID-based quantitative mapping of chemical modifications and expression of human transfer RNA. Cell Chem Biol 2025; 32:752-766.e7. [PMID: 40318625 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2025.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2024] [Revised: 03/12/2025] [Accepted: 04/11/2025] [Indexed: 05/07/2025]
Abstract
Detection and quantification of tRNA chemical modifications are critical for understanding their regulatory functions in biology and diseases. However, tRNA-seq-based methods for modification mapping encountered challenges both experimentally (poor processivity of heavily modified tRNAs during reverse transcription or RT) and bioinformatically (frequent reads misalignment to highly similar tRNA genes). Here, we report "MapID-tRNA-seq" where we deployed an evolved reverse transcriptase (RT-1306) into tRNA-seq and developed "MapIDs" that reduce redundancy of the human tRNA genome and explicitly annotate genetic variances. RT-1306 generated robust mutations against m1A and m3C, and RT stops against multiple bulky roadblock modifications. MapID-assisted data processing enabled systematic exclusion of false-positive discoveries of modifications which arise from reads misalignment onto similar genes. We applied MapID-tRNA-seq into mapping m1A, m3C and expression levels of tRNAs in three mammary cell lines, which revealed cell-type dependent modification sites and potential translational regulation of the reduced mitochondrial activities in breast cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mitchel L Tepe
- Chemistry Department, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
| | - Yitan Chen
- Chemistry Department, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
| | - Allison Carso
- Chemistry Department, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
| | - Huiqing Zhou
- Chemistry Department, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zbihley ONP, Johnson K, Frietze LR, Zhang W, Foo M, Tran HAV, Chevrier N, Pan T. Mammalian Queuosine tRNA Modification Impacts Translation to Enhance Cell Proliferation and MHC-II Expression. J Mol Biol 2025:169188. [PMID: 40339980 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2025.169188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2025] [Accepted: 05/01/2025] [Indexed: 05/10/2025]
Abstract
Queuosine (Q) is a conserved tRNA modification in the wobble anticodon position of tRNAs that read codons of Tyr/His/Asn/Asp. Eukaryotic tRNA Q-modification requires the metabolite queuine - derived from diet or catabolism of the gut microbiome - and a host-genome encoded enzyme complex, QTRT1/QTRT2. tRNA Q-modification has been shown to regulate translational efficiency, but the response of the mammalian transcriptome and tRNAome to tRNA Q-modification in the context of cell proliferation has not been thoroughly investigated. Using cells that differ only in their tRNA Q-modification levels, we found that both human HEK293T cultures and the primary, murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) proliferate faster when tRNA Q-modification level is high. We carried out tRNA-seq and mRNA-seq to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenotype, revealing distinct tRNA modification and transcriptome changes associated with altered proliferation. In both cell types, the m22G tRNA modification is positively correlated to Q-modification, consistent with its reported role in enhancing translational efficiency. We also find that elevated Q-modification levels result in transcriptome changes, but in a context-dependent manner. In HEK293T cells, upregulated genes are in catabolic processes and signaling pathway activation; whereas in BMDCs, upregulated genes are in immune response mediation, proliferation, and immunoglobulin diversification. Codon usage analysis of differentially expressed transcripts is consistent with Q-modification enhancing the translation of ribosomal proteins, which increases cell proliferation. We also find that tRNA Q-modification increases surface presentation of MHC-II in BMDCs. Our results provide insights into the broader implications of tRNA Q-modifications in regulating diverse biological functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olivia N P Zbihley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Katherine Johnson
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Luke R Frietze
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Wen Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Marcus Foo
- Committee on Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Hoang Anh V Tran
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Nicolas Chevrier
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Tao Pan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Xu C, Xu X, Huang Y, Shang S, Ma L. RNA methylation: A new promising biomaker in cancer liquid biopsy. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2025; 1880:189337. [PMID: 40315965 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2025.189337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2025] [Revised: 04/24/2025] [Accepted: 04/25/2025] [Indexed: 05/04/2025]
Abstract
RNA methylation is a vital epigenetic modification that regulates gene expression by influencing RNA processes such as transcription, degradation, translation, and transport. Aberrant methylation, including modifications like m6A, m5C, m1A, m7G, and m3C, is closely linked to tumorigenesis and progression. Liquid biopsy, a non-invasive technique analyzing tumor markers in body fluids, offers significant potential for early diagnosis and dynamic monitoring. In this context, RNA methylation, due to its tumor-specific properties, is emerging as a valuable marker. However, significant challenges remain in its clinical application. This review explores the roles of RNA methylation in cancer, recent advances in detection technologies, and its potential as a liquid biopsy marker in tumor management. It highlights its promising applications in cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and personalized treatment in the era of precision oncology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chenxin Xu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China; College of Health Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Xin Xu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China; Shanghai Institute of Thoracic Oncology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Yiwen Huang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China; Shanghai Institute of Thoracic Oncology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Shuang Shang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Lifang Ma
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China; College of Health Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; Shanghai Institute of Thoracic Oncology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Décout JL, Maurel MC. Purine Chemistry in the Early RNA World at the Origins of Life: From RNA and Nucleobases Lesions to Current Key Metabolic Routes. Chembiochem 2025:e2500035. [PMID: 40237374 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202500035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2025] [Revised: 03/25/2025] [Indexed: 04/18/2025]
Abstract
In early life, RNA probably played the central role and, in the corresponding RNA world, the main produced amino acids and small peptides had to react continuously with RNA, ribonucleos(t)ides and nucleobases, especially with purines. A RNA-peptide world and key metabolic pathways have emerged from the corresponding chemical modifications such as the translation process performed by the ribosome. Some interesting reactions of the purine bicycle and of the corresponding ribonucleos(t)ides are performed under plausible prebiotic conditions and described RNA chemical lesions are reviewed with the prospect to highlight their connection with some major steps of the purine and histidine biosynthetic pathways that are, in an intriguingly way, related through two key metabolites, adenosine 5'-triphosphate and the imidazole ribonucleotide 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide. Ring-opening reactions of purines stand out as efficient accesses to imidazole ribonucleotides and to formamidopyrimidine (Fapy) ribonucleotides suggesting that biosynthetic pathway' first steps have emerged from RNA and ribonucleos(t)ide damages. Also, are summarized the works on the formation and catalytic properties, under plausible prebiotic conditions, of N6-derivatives of the purine base adenine as potential surrogates of histidine in catalysis accordingly to their structural relationship.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Luc Décout
- Département de Pharmacochimie Moléculaire, UMR 5063, Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Marie-Christine Maurel
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISyEB), UMR 7205, CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, 75005, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Nguyen NYT, Liu X, Dutta A, Su Z. The Secret Life of N 1-methyladenosine: A Review on its Regulatory Functions. J Mol Biol 2025:169099. [PMID: 40139310 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2025.169099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2024] [Revised: 03/15/2025] [Accepted: 03/20/2025] [Indexed: 03/29/2025]
Abstract
N1-methyladenosine (m1A) is a conserved modification on house-keeping RNAs, including tRNAs and rRNAs. With recent advancement on m1A detection and mapping, m1A is revealed to have a secret life with regulatory functions. This includes the regulation of its canonical substrate tRNAs, and expands into new territories such as tRNA fragments, mRNAs and repeat RNAs. The dynamic regulation of m1A has been shown in different biological contexts, including stress response, diet, T cell activation and aging. Interestingly, m1A can also be installed by non-enzymatic mechanisms. However, technical challenges remain in m1A site mapping; as a result, controversies have been observed across different labs or different methods. In this review we will summarize the recent development of m1A detection, its dynamic regulation, and its biological functions on diverse RNA substrates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nhi Yen Tran Nguyen
- Department of Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, United States
| | - Xisheng Liu
- Department of Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, United States
| | - Anindya Dutta
- Department of Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, United States; O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, United States
| | - Zhangli Su
- Department of Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, United States; O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Yu H, Ma Z, Su S, Xu Z, Yi H. RNA modification: a promising code to unravel the puzzle of autoimmune diseases and CD4 + T cell differentiation. Front Immunol 2025; 16:1563150. [PMID: 40196109 PMCID: PMC11973318 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1563150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2025] [Accepted: 03/06/2025] [Indexed: 04/09/2025] Open
Abstract
Dynamic changes in various forms of RNA modification are critical to the functional homeostasis of the immune system and the pathophysiology of autoimmune diseases. RNA modification-related proteins play an essential role in these processes. At present, the research methods of RNA modification in autoimmune diseases are mainly to detect the expression changes of RNA modification-related proteins in tissues or cells, but there is a lack of explorations of target RNAs and in-depth mechanisms. Considering the important role of CD4+ T cell dysfunction in the pathogenesis and progression of autoimmune diseases, the regulatory effect of abnormal RNA modification on CD4+ T cells deserves attention, which will provide a perspective for further exploring the mechanism of RNA modification in autoimmune diseases. In this Review, we discuss the abnormal RNA modification changes in patients with autoimmune diseases and highlight the effects of these abnormal changes on CD4+ T cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hui Yu
- Central Laboratory, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation, Ministry of Education, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Zhanchuan Ma
- Central Laboratory, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation, Ministry of Education, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Sensen Su
- Central Laboratory, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation, Ministry of Education, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Zheng Xu
- Department of Cardiology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Huanfa Yi
- Central Laboratory, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation, Ministry of Education, Changchun, Jilin, China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Gurgo C, Fenizia C, McKinnon K, Hsia RC, Franchini G. Expression of HIV from a 1-LTR circular DNA in the absence of integration. Retrovirology 2025; 22:2. [PMID: 40098202 PMCID: PMC11912779 DOI: 10.1186/s12977-025-00658-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2025] [Indexed: 03/19/2025] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Like all retroviruses, two kinds of viral DNA are present in the nucleus of HIV-infected cells: integrated DNA and a pool of unintegrated DNA containing linear and circular forms. For the most part, it has been difficult to examine the role of the unintegrated DNA forms in the viral life cycle in the presence of the integrated form, or to distinguish the respective contributions of the two circular DNA forms in the context of the unintegrated DNA. RESULTS In our approach, we constructed a 1-LTR circular form of HIV in order to study its expression in isolation from the other forms; we derived a linear genomic HIV DNA lacking the 5'-LTR (1-LTRHIV) from a molecular clone of HIV. This linear form is transcriptionally incompetent, but via circularization becomes a transcriptionally competent 1-LTR circle. When transfected into cells lacking CD4 where neither the spread of virus nor reinfection can occur, the linear or in vitro circularized form produces a fully infectious HIV. Virus expression is stable throughout cell division as measured on a per cell basis by flow cytometry. A progressive accumulation of copies of the circular form is observed in the presence of the cell growth inhibitor aphidicolin, suggestive of episomal amplification, for which we propose a model. CONCLUSION We demonstrate in this study that production of infectious virus is initiated and completed by the 1-LTR episomal form of HIV DNA in the absence of reinfection and integration. In addition, we show that the 1-LTR episomal form replicates in the absence of an origin of replication, and we propose a model for its amplification. In line with the work of others but following a different approach, we provide support for a potential role of episomal forms in HIV persistence. Our data highlight the biological complexity of HIV replication and the potential of the episomal form to contribute to the persistence of HIV.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Corrado Gurgo
- Animal Models and Retroviral Vaccines Section, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Claudio Fenizia
- Animal Models and Retroviral Vaccines Section, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Katherine McKinnon
- Animal Models and Retroviral Vaccines Section, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Ru-Ching Hsia
- Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Genoveffa Franchini
- Animal Models and Retroviral Vaccines Section, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Gao Y, Hou J, Wei S, Wu C, Yan S, Sheng J, Zhang J, Chen Z, Gao X. Transcriptome-wide mapping of N3-methylcytidine modification at single-base resolution. Nucleic Acids Res 2025; 53:gkaf153. [PMID: 40071931 PMCID: PMC11897884 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaf153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2025] [Accepted: 02/21/2025] [Indexed: 03/15/2025] Open
Abstract
3-Methylcytidine (m3C), a prevalent modification of transfer RNAs (tRNAs), was recently identified in eukaryotic messenger RNAs (mRNAs). However, its precise distribution and formation mechanisms in mRNAs remain elusive. Here, we develop a novel approach, m3C immunoprecipitation and sequencing (m3C-IP-seq), utilizing antibody enrichment to profile the m3C methylome at single-nucleotide resolution. m3C-IP-seq captures 12 cytoplasmic tRNA isoacceptors and 2 mitochondrial tRNA isoacceptors containing m3C modifications. Moreover, m3C-IP-seq permits the comprehensive profiling of m3C sites in mRNAs and long noncoding RNAs, with their presence reliant on a nuclear isoform of METTL8. A significant proportion of m3C sites is concentrated in the 3' untranslated region (3' UTR) of mRNAs and is associated with mRNA degradation. Additionally, m3C methylation is dynamic and responds to hypoxia. Collectively, our data demonstrate the widespread presence of m3C modification in the human transcriptome and provide a resource for functional studies of m3C-mediated RNA metabolism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yunyi Gao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory of Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, and School of Public Health, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jingyu Hou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory of Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, and School of Public Health, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Zhanjiang Institute of Clinical Medicine, Zhanjiang Central Hospital, Zhanjiang 524000, China
| | - Saisai Wei
- Key Laboratory of Laparoscopic Technology of Zhejiang Province, Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Canlan Wu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory of Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, and School of Public Health, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Sujun Yan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory of Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, and School of Public Health, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jia Sheng
- Department of Chemistry, The RNA Institute, University at Albany SUNY, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory of Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, and School of Public Health, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Zhanghui Chen
- Zhanjiang Institute of Clinical Medicine, Zhanjiang Central Hospital, Zhanjiang 524000, China
| | - Xiangwei Gao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory of Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, and School of Public Health, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Qiu W, Hazard C, Li Y, Jin P, Zhou H. High-Sensitivity Fluorescence-Based Detection of Reverse Transcriptase Read-Through of GC-Rich Short Tandem Repeat RNA. Anal Chem 2025; 97:4111-4119. [PMID: 39945490 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c06236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/26/2025]
Abstract
Short tandem repeat (STR) RNAs play a pivotal role in the pathology of STR expansion-associated disorders. However, disease-related STR sequences are often GC-rich (>66% GC), which makes sample preparation and detection challenging. GC-rich STR RNAs, particularly those composed entirely of GC (100% GC), frequently cause interruptions during reverse transcription. Additionally, the GC-rich STR DNA sequences generate low-yield and heterogeneous products when amplified via polymerase chain reaction. The lack of robust processivity of polymerases for GC-only STR poses major challenges in preparing samples and detecting such sequences with physiologically relevant lengths. Herein, we report the in vitro preparation of r(CGG)29 and r(G4C2)15 RNAs, which had repeat numbers relevant to the human FMR1 and C9ORF72 genes, respectively, and achieved high yield and homogeneity of the prepared GC-only STR RNAs. Using the prepared RNAs, a fluorescence-based detection platform is developed that uses reverse transcriptases (RTases) to identify read-through cDNA products with high sensitivity, requiring minimal RNA input. Further, we demonstrate the versatile applications of this detection platform and provide structural insights into the r(CGG)29 and r(G4C2)15 RNAs during RTase processing. The findings of this study will enhance our ability to characterize and target disease-relevant STR RNAs in vitro and pave the way for future efforts in the directed evolution of RTases aimed at improving the detection of endogenous-expanded GC-rich STR RNAs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weiqi Qiu
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Catherine Hazard
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Yujing Li
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Peng Jin
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Huiqing Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Yeşiltaç-Tosun N, Qi Y, Li C, Stafflinger H, Hollnagel K, Rusling L, Wöhnert J, Kaiser S, Kaiser S. Chemical reactivity of RNA and its modifications with hydrazine. Commun Chem 2025; 8:48. [PMID: 39953096 PMCID: PMC11829040 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-025-01444-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2025] [Indexed: 02/17/2025] Open
Abstract
RNA modifications are essential for the regulation of cellular processes and have a key role in diseases such as cancer and neurological disorders. A major challenge in the analysis of RNA modification is the differentiation between isomers, including methylated nucleosides as well as uridine and pseudouridine. A solution is their differential chemical reactivity which enables isomer discrimination by mass spectrometry (MS) or sequencing. In this study, we systematically determine the chemical reactivity of hydrazine with RNA and its native modifications in an aniline-free environment. We optimize the conditions to achieve nearly full conversion of all uridines while avoiding RNA cleavage. We apply the conditions to native tRNAPhe which allows discrimination of pseudouridine and uridine by MALDI-MS. Furthermore, we determine the identity of the reaction product of hydrazine with various modified nucleosides using high resolution mass spectrometry and quantify the reaction yield in native tRNA from E. coli and human cells under various hydrazine conditions. Most modified nucleosides react quantitatively at lower hydrazine concentration while uridines do not decompose under these conditions. Thus, this study paves the way to exploit aniline-free hydrazine reactions in the detection of RNA modifications through MS and potentially even long-read RNA sequencing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nur Yeşiltaç-Tosun
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Frankfurt/M., Germany
| | - Yuyang Qi
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Frankfurt/M., Germany
| | - Chengkang Li
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Frankfurt/M., Germany
| | - Helena Stafflinger
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Goethe-University Frankfurt, Frankfurt/M., Germany
| | - Katja Hollnagel
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Goethe-University Frankfurt, Frankfurt/M., Germany
| | - Leona Rusling
- Mass Spectrometry Service Unit, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Frankfurt/M., Germany
| | - Jens Wöhnert
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Goethe-University Frankfurt, Frankfurt/M., Germany
| | - Steffen Kaiser
- Mass Spectrometry Service Unit, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Frankfurt/M., Germany
| | - Stefanie Kaiser
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Frankfurt/M., Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Sikarwar J, Meynier V, Tisné C. Advances in Human Pre-tRNA Maturation: TRMT10C and ELAC2 in Focus. J Mol Biol 2025:168989. [PMID: 39938738 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2025.168989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2024] [Revised: 02/06/2025] [Accepted: 02/06/2025] [Indexed: 02/14/2025]
Abstract
Mitochondrial pre-tRNA maturation is a multi-step process involving the removal of the 5'-leader by PRORP, 3'-trailer processing by ELAC2, 3'-CCA addition by TRNT1, and the incorporation of post-transcriptional modifications. In metazoans, the low structural stability of mitochondrial pre-tRNAs adds significant complexity to these steps, and defects in their maturation have been implicated in various human mitochondrial disorders. In this case, the tRNA methyltransferase complex TRMT10C/SDR5C1 compensates for the pre-tRNA structural alteration to present the pre-tRNA to maturation enzymes. Cryo-electron microscopy structures of human mitochondrial pre-tRNA maturation complexes have provided critical insights into these essential processes. Here we review the current understanding of tRNA maturation within human mitochondria and explore its implications for nuclear pre-tRNA maturation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juhi Sikarwar
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique (IBPC), Microbial Gene Expression Unit, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Vincent Meynier
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique (IBPC), Microbial Gene Expression Unit, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Carine Tisné
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique (IBPC), Microbial Gene Expression Unit, 75005 Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Warren JM, Ceriotti LF, Sanchez-Puerta MV, Sloan DB. Fungal-Derived tRNAs Are Expressed and Aminoacylated in Orchid Mitochondria. Mol Biol Evol 2025; 42:msaf025. [PMID: 39882964 PMCID: PMC11827590 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaf025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2024] [Revised: 01/21/2025] [Accepted: 01/21/2025] [Indexed: 01/31/2025] Open
Abstract
Plant mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) experience remarkable levels of horizontal gene transfer, including the recent discovery that orchids anciently acquired DNA from fungal mitogenomes. Thus far, however, there is no evidence that any of the genes from this interkingdom horizontal gene transfer are functional in orchid mitogenomes. Here, we applied a specialized sequencing approach to the orchid Corallorhiza maculata and found that some fungal-derived tRNA genes in the transferred region are transcribed, post-transcriptionally modified, and aminoacylated. In contrast, all the transferred protein-coding sequences appear to be pseudogenes. These findings show that fungal horizontal gene transfer has altered the composition of the orchid mitochondrial tRNA pool and suggest that these foreign tRNAs function in translation. The exceptional capacity of tRNAs for horizontal gene transfer and functional replacement is further illustrated by the diversity of tRNA genes in the C. maculata mitogenome, which also include genes of plastid and bacterial origin in addition to their native mitochondrial counterparts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Warren
- Biodesign Institute and School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Luis F Ceriotti
- IBAM, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Mendoza, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - M Virginia Sanchez-Puerta
- IBAM, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Mendoza, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Daniel B Sloan
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Hwang SP, Liao H, Barondeau K, Han X, Herbert C, McConie H, Shekar A, Pestov DG, Limbach PA, Chang JT, Denicourt C. TRMT1L-catalyzed m 22G27 on tyrosine tRNA is required for efficient mRNA translation and cell survival under oxidative stress. Cell Rep 2025; 44:115167. [PMID: 39786998 PMCID: PMC11834103 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.115167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2024] [Revised: 10/11/2024] [Accepted: 12/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2025] Open
Abstract
tRNA modifications are critical for several aspects of their functions, including decoding, folding, and stability. Using a multifaceted approach encompassing eCLIP-seq and nanopore tRNA-seq, we show that the human tRNA methyltransferase TRMT1L interacts with the component of the Rix1 ribosome biogenesis complex and binds to the 28S rRNA as well as to a subset of tRNAs. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that TRMT1L is responsible for catalyzing N2,N2-dimethylguanosine (m22G) solely at position 27 of tRNA-Tyr-GUA. Surprisingly, TRMT1L depletion also impaired the deposition of 3-(3-amino-3-carboxypropyl) uridine (acp3U) and dihydrouridine on tRNA-Tyr-GUA, Cys-GCA, and Ala-CGC. TRMT1L knockout cells have a marked decrease in tRNA-Tyr-GUA levels, coinciding with a reduction in global translation rates and hypersensitivity to oxidative stress. Our results establish TRMT1L as the elusive methyltransferase catalyzing the m22G27 modification on tRNA Tyr, resolving a long-standing gap of knowledge and highlighting its potential role in a tRNA modification circuit crucial for translation regulation and stress response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sseu-Pei Hwang
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Han Liao
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Katherine Barondeau
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xinyi Han
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Cassandra Herbert
- Rieveschl Laboratories for Mass Spectrometry, Department of Chemistry, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Hunter McConie
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Amirtha Shekar
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Dimitri G Pestov
- Department of Molecular Biology, Virtua Health College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Rowan University, Stratford, NJ 08084, USA
| | - Patrick A Limbach
- Rieveschl Laboratories for Mass Spectrometry, Department of Chemistry, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Jeffrey T Chang
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Catherine Denicourt
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Zhang K, Manning AC, Lentini JM, Howard J, Dalwigk F, Maroofian R, Efthymiou S, Chan P, Eliseev SI, Yang Z, Chang H, Karimiani EG, Bakhshoodeh B, Houlden H, Kaiser SM, Lowe TM, Fu D. Human TRMT1 and TRMT1L paralogs ensure the proper modification state, stability, and function of tRNAs. Cell Rep 2025; 44:115092. [PMID: 39786990 PMCID: PMC11831618 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.115092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2024] [Revised: 10/10/2024] [Accepted: 11/29/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2025] Open
Abstract
The tRNA methyltransferase 1 (TRMT1) enzyme catalyzes the N2,N2-dimethylguanosine (m2,2G) modification in tRNAs. Intriguingly, vertebrates encode an additional tRNA methyltransferase 1-like (TRMT1L) paralog. Here, we use a comprehensive tRNA sequencing approach to decipher targets of human TRMT1 and TRMT1L. We find that TRMT1 methylates all known tRNAs containing guanosine at position 26, while TRMT1L represents the elusive enzyme catalyzing m2,2G at position 27 in tyrosine tRNAs. Surprisingly, TRMT1L is also necessary for maintaining 3-(3-amino-3-carboxypropyl)uridine (acp3U) modifications in a subset of tRNAs through a process that can be uncoupled from methyltransferase activity. We also demonstrate that tyrosine and serine tRNAs are dependent upon m2,2G modifications for their stability and function in translation. Notably, human patient cells with disease-associated TRMT1 variants exhibit reduced levels of tyrosine and serine tRNAs. These findings uncover unexpected roles for TRMT1 paralogs, decipher functions for m2,2G modifications, and pinpoint tRNAs dysregulated in human disorders caused by tRNA modification deficiency.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kejia Zhang
- Department of Biology, Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Aidan C Manning
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Jenna M Lentini
- Department of Biology, Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Jonathan Howard
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Felix Dalwigk
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Reza Maroofian
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, WC1N 3BG London, UK
| | - Stephanie Efthymiou
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, WC1N 3BG London, UK
| | - Patricia Chan
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Sergei I Eliseev
- Department of Biology, Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Zi Yang
- Department of Biology, Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Hayley Chang
- Department of Biology, Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Ehsan Ghayoor Karimiani
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, WC1N 3BG London, UK
| | - Behnoosh Bakhshoodeh
- Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan Province 91778 99191, Iran
| | - Henry Houlden
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, WC1N 3BG London, UK
| | - Stefanie M Kaiser
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Todd M Lowe
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Dragony Fu
- Department of Biology, Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Mandler MD, Kulkarni S, Batista PJ. acp³U: A Conserved RNA Modification with Lessons Yet to Unfold. Mol Cell Biol 2025:1-8. [PMID: 39757918 DOI: 10.1080/10985549.2024.2443138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2024] [Revised: 12/04/2024] [Accepted: 12/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/07/2025] Open
Abstract
RNA modifications are highly conserved across all domains of life, suggesting an early emergence and a fundamental role in cellular processes. The modification 3-(3-amino-3-carboxypropyl)uridine (acp³U) is found in tRNAs of eukaryotes and prokaryotes, and in the 16S rRNA of archaea. In eukaryotic rRNA, a complex modification containing the acp group, m1acp3Ψ is present at the analogous position. Although this modification was first identified in tRNA in 1969, only recently have the enzymes responsible for the synthesis of this modification on tRNA been identified. Despite its deep evolutionary conservation, the biological role of acp³U on tRNAs remains elusive. In Escherichia coli, it may contribute to genomic stability, while in human cells, loss of both tRNA acp³U-modifying enzymes impairs cell growth, though the underlying mechanisms are not yet understood. The conservation and multifunctionality of acp³U highlight the broader challenges of elucidating the roles of tRNA modifications in cellular homeostasis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariana D Mandler
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Sneha Kulkarni
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Pedro J Batista
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Ceriotti LF, Warren JM, Sanchez-Puerta MV, Sloan DB. The landscape of Arabidopsis tRNA aminoacylation. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 120:2784-2802. [PMID: 39555621 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.17146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2024] [Revised: 11/02/2024] [Accepted: 11/06/2024] [Indexed: 11/19/2024]
Abstract
The function of transfer RNAs (tRNAs) depends on enzymes that cleave primary transcript ends, add a 3' CCA tail, introduce post-transcriptional base modifications, and charge (aminoacylate) mature tRNAs with the correct amino acid. Maintaining an available pool of the resulting aminoacylated tRNAs is essential for protein synthesis. High-throughput sequencing techniques have recently been developed to provide a comprehensive view of aminoacylation state in a tRNA-specific fashion. However, these methods have never been applied to plants. Here, we treated Arabidopsis thaliana RNA samples with periodate and then performed tRNA-seq to distinguish between aminoacylated and uncharged tRNAs. This approach successfully captured every tRNA isodecoder family and detected expression of additional tRNA-like transcripts. We found that estimated aminoacylation rates and CCA tail integrity were significantly higher on average for organellar (mitochondrial and plastid) tRNAs than for nuclear/cytosolic tRNAs. Reanalysis of previously published human cell line data showed a similar pattern. Base modifications result in nucleotide misincorporations and truncations during reverse transcription, which we quantified and used to test for relationships with aminoacylation levels. We also determined that the Arabidopsis tRNA-like sequences (t-elements) that are cleaved from the ends of some mitochondrial messenger RNAs have post-transcriptionally modified bases and CCA-tail addition. However, these t-elements are not aminoacylated, indicating that they are only recognized by a subset of tRNA-interacting enzymes and do not play a role in translation. Overall, this work provides a characterization of the baseline landscape of plant tRNA aminoacylation rates and demonstrates an approach for investigating environmental and genetic perturbations to plant translation machinery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luis F Ceriotti
- IBAM, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Mendoza, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Jessica M Warren
- Biodesign Institute and School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA
| | - M Virginia Sanchez-Puerta
- IBAM, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Mendoza, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Daniel B Sloan
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Meng Y, Meng Y, Zheng H, Huo J, Li P, Shan Y, He J. METTL2B m3C RNA transferase: oncogenic role in ovarian cancer progression via regulation of the mTOR/AKT pathway and its link to the tumor immune microenvironment. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:1455. [PMID: 39592997 PMCID: PMC11600782 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-13225-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2024] [Accepted: 11/21/2024] [Indexed: 11/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aberrant expression of N3-methylcytidine methyltransferase 2B (METTL2B) has been observed in various human malignancies, including those of the prostate, liver, breasts, and bladder. However, its role in ovarian cancer (OC) remains largely unexplored. This research preliminarily investigated METTL2B expression in OC and elucidated the associated molecular mechanisms. METHODS We utilized three publicly available cancer-related databases (Genotype-Tissue Expression, Gene Expression Omnibus, and The Cancer Genome Atlas) to identify gene signatures in patients with OC and normal individuals with a specific focus on METTL2B. The role of METTL2B in OC was evaluated using patient survival data, and its impact on oncogenic behaviors in both cell and animal models, including growth potential, migration, invasion, and the tumor microenvironment, was examined. This assessment was conducted using bioinformatics tools such as Gene Set Cancer Analysis, GeneMANIA, and Tumor Immune Single-cell Hub 2. Additionally, the association between drug sensitivity and METTL2B expression was analyzed using CellMiner. RESULTS METTL2B expression was significantly elevated in OC, highlighting its potential clinical value in the diagnosis and prognosis of OC. Patients with lower METTL2B expression exhibited favorable survival. Furthermore, METTL2B knockdown significantly disrupted oncogenic behaviors in OC cell lines by suppressing the mTOR/AKT signaling pathway. Additionally, bioinformatics-based Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses suggested a close correlation between METTL2B and immune responses. CONCLUSIONS Our research confirmed the upregulation of METTL2B in OC, suggesting its oncogenic function. However, METTL2B expression was negatively correlated with the infiltration scores of multiple immune cells, including cytotoxic cells and T cells, indicating its complex role in the tumor immune microenvironment. These findings highlight the significant clinical value of METTL2B in the diagnosis and prognosis of OC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yizi Meng
- Department of Obstetrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, No. 1 Xinmin Road, Changchun, Jilin, 130000, China
| | - Yimei Meng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, No 246, Xuefu Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150001, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Hui Zheng
- Department of Obstetrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, No. 1 Xinmin Road, Changchun, Jilin, 130000, China
| | - Jinru Huo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, No 246, Xuefu Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150001, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Peiling Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, No 246, Xuefu Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150001, Heilongjiang, China.
| | - Yanhong Shan
- Department of Obstetrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, No. 1 Xinmin Road, Changchun, Jilin, 130000, China.
| | - Jin He
- Department of Obstetrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, No. 1 Xinmin Road, Changchun, Jilin, 130000, China.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
He R, Lv Z, Li Y, Ren S, Cao J, Zhu J, Zhang X, Wu H, Wan L, Tang J, Xu S, Chen XL, Zhou Z. tRNA-m 1A methylation controls the infection of Magnaporthe oryzae by supporting ergosterol biosynthesis. Dev Cell 2024; 59:2931-2946.e7. [PMID: 39191251 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2024.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
Ergosterols are essential components of fungal plasma membranes. Inhibitors targeting ergosterol biosynthesis (ERG) genes are critical for controlling fungal pathogens, including Magnaporthe oryzae, the fungus that causes rice blast. However, the translational mechanisms governing ERG gene expression remain largely unexplored. Here, we show that the Trm6/Trm61 complex catalyzes dynamic N1-methyladenosine at position 58 (m1A58) in 51 transfer RNAs (tRNAs) of M. oryzae, significantly influencing translation at both the initiation and elongation stages. Notably, tRNA m1A58 promotes elongation speed at most cognate codons mainly by enhancing eEF1-tRNA binding rather than affecting tRNA abundance or charging. The absence of m1A58 leads to substantial decreases in the translation of ERG genes, ergosterol production, and, consequently, fungal virulence. Simultaneously targeting the Trm6/Trm61 complex and the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway markedly improves rice blast control. Our findings demonstrate an important role of m1A58-mediated translational regulation in ergosterol production and fungal infection, offering a potential strategy for fungicide development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rongrong He
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Ziwei Lv
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yinan Li
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Shuchao Ren
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Jiaqi Cao
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Jun Zhu
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Xinrong Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Huimin Wu
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Lihao Wan
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Ji Tang
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Shutong Xu
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Xiao-Lin Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology of Hubei Province, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Zhipeng Zhou
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Hwang SP, Liao H, Barondeau K, Han X, Herbert C, McConie H, Shekar A, Pestov D, Limbach PA, Chang JT, Denicourt C. TRMT1L-catalyzed m 2 2G27 on tyrosine tRNA is required for efficient mRNA translation and cell survival under oxidative stress. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.02.591343. [PMID: 39416027 PMCID: PMC11482778 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.02.591343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2024]
Abstract
tRNA modifications are critical for several aspects of their functions, including decoding, folding, and stability. Using a multifaceted approach encompassing eCLIP-seq and Nanopore tRNA-seq, we show that the human tRNA methyltransferase TRMT1L interacts with component of the Rix1 ribosome biogenesis complex and binds to the 28S rRNA, as well as to a subset of tRNAs. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that TRMT1L is responsible for catalyzing m2 2G solely at position 27 of tRNA-Tyr-GUA. Surprisingly, TRMT1L depletion also impaired the deposition of acp3U and dihydrouridine on tRNA-Tyr-GUA, Cys-GCA, and Ala-CGC. TRMT1L knockout cells have a marked decrease in tRNA-Tyr-GUA levels, coinciding with a reduction in global translation rates and hypersensitivity to oxidative stress. Our results establish TRMT1L as the elusive methyltransferase catalyzing the m2 2G27 modification on tRNA Tyr, resolving a long-standing gap of knowledge and highlighting its potential role in a tRNA modification circuit crucial for translation regulation and stress response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sseu-Pei Hwang
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Han Liao
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Katherine Barondeau
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xinyi Han
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Cassandra Herbert
- Rieveschl Laboratories for Mass Spectrometry, Department of Chemistry, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Hunter McConie
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Amirtha Shekar
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Dimitri Pestov
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Virtua Health College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Rowan University, Stratford, NJ 08028, USA
| | - Patrick A Limbach
- Rieveschl Laboratories for Mass Spectrometry, Department of Chemistry, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Jeffrey T Chang
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Catherine Denicourt
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Lead Contact
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Matsuura J, Akichika S, Wei FY, Suzuki T, Yamamoto T, Watanabe Y, Valášek LS, Mukasa A, Tomizawa K, Chujo T. Human DUS1L catalyzes dihydrouridine modification at tRNA positions 16/17, and DUS1L overexpression perturbs translation. Commun Biol 2024; 7:1238. [PMID: 39354220 PMCID: PMC11445529 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06942-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 09/23/2024] [Indexed: 10/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Human cytoplasmic tRNAs contain dihydrouridine modifications at positions 16 and 17 (D16/D17). The enzyme responsible for D16/D17 formation and its cellular roles remain elusive. Here, we identify DUS1L as the human tRNA D16/D17 writer. DUS1L knockout in the glioblastoma cell lines LNZ308 and U87 causes loss of D16/D17. D formation is reconstituted in vitro using recombinant DUS1L in the presence of NADPH or NADH. DUS1L knockout/overexpression in LNZ308 cells shows that DUS1L supports cell growth. Moreover, higher DUS1L expression in glioma patients is associated with poorer prognosis. Upon vector-mediated DUS1L overexpression in LNZ308 cells, 5' and 3' processing of precursor tRNATyr(GUA) is inhibited, resulting in a reduced mature tRNATyr(GUA) level, reduced translation of the tyrosine codons UAC and UAU, and reduced translational readthrough of the near-cognate stop codons UAA and UAG. Moreover, DUS1L overexpression increases the amounts of several D16/D17-containing tRNAs and total cellular translation. Our study identifies a human dihydrouridine writer, providing the foundation to study its roles in health and disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jin Matsuura
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Shinichiro Akichika
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Fan-Yan Wei
- Department of Modomics Biology and Medicine, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Suzuki
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takahiro Yamamoto
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Yuka Watanabe
- Department of Cell Pathology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Leoš Shivaya Valášek
- Laboratory of Regulation of Gene Expression, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Akitake Mukasa
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Kazuhito Tomizawa
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
- Center for Metabolic Regulation of Healthy Aging, Faculty of Life Science, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
| | - Takeshi Chujo
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Rappol T, Waldl M, Chugunova A, Hofacker I, Pauli A, Vilardo E. tRNA expression and modification landscapes, and their dynamics during zebrafish embryo development. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:10575-10594. [PMID: 38989621 PMCID: PMC11417395 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
tRNA genes exist in multiple copies in the genome of all organisms across the three domains of life. Besides the sequence differences across tRNA copies, extensive post-transcriptional modification adds a further layer to tRNA diversification. Whilst the crucial role of tRNAs as adapter molecules in protein translation is well established, whether all tRNAs are actually expressed, and whether the differences across isodecoders play any regulatory role is only recently being uncovered. Here we built upon recent developments in the use of NGS-based methods for RNA modification detection and developed tRAM-seq, an experimental protocol and in silico analysis pipeline to investigate tRNA expression and modification. Using tRAM-seq, we analysed the full ensemble of nucleo-cytoplasmic and mitochondrial tRNAs during embryonic development of the model vertebrate zebrafish. We show that the repertoire of tRNAs changes during development, with an apparent major switch in tRNA isodecoder expression and modification profile taking place around the start of gastrulation. Taken together, our findings suggest the existence of a general reprogramming of the expressed tRNA pool, possibly gearing the translational machinery for distinct stages of the delicate and crucial process of embryo development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tom Rappol
- Center for Anatomy & Cell Biology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Maria Waldl
- Center for Anatomy & Cell Biology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Theoretical Chemistry, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Doctoral School in Chemistry (DoSChem), University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Computer Science and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig University, D-04107 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anastasia Chugunova
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ivo L Hofacker
- Department of Theoretical Chemistry, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Faculty of Computer Science, Research Group Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Andrea Pauli
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Elisa Vilardo
- Center for Anatomy & Cell Biology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Tresky R, Miyamoto Y, Nagayoshi Y, Yabuki Y, Araki K, Takahashi Y, Komohara Y, Ge H, Nishiguchi K, Fukuda T, Kaneko H, Maeda N, Matsuura J, Iwasaki S, Sakakida K, Shioda N, Wei FY, Tomizawa K, Chujo T. TRMT10A dysfunction perturbs codon translation of initiator methionine and glutamine and impairs brain functions in mice. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:9230-9246. [PMID: 38950903 PMCID: PMC11347157 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
In higher eukaryotes, tRNA methyltransferase 10A (TRMT10A) is responsible for N1-methylguanosine modification at position nine of various cytoplasmic tRNAs. Pathogenic mutations in TRMT10A cause intellectual disability, microcephaly, diabetes, and short stature in humans, and generate cytotoxic tRNA fragments in cultured cells; however, it is not clear how TRMT10A supports codon translation or brain functions. Here, we generated Trmt10a null mice and showed that tRNAGln(CUG) and initiator methionine tRNA levels were universally decreased in various tissues; the same was true in a human cell line lacking TRMT10A. Ribosome profiling of mouse brain revealed that dysfunction of TRMT10A causes ribosome slowdown at the Gln(CAG) codon and increases translation of Atf4 due to higher frequency of leaky scanning of its upstream open reading frames. Broadly speaking, translation of a subset of mRNAs, especially those for neuronal structures, is perturbed in the mutant brain. Despite not showing discernable defects in the pancreas, liver, or kidney, Trmt10a null mice showed lower body weight and smaller hippocampal postsynaptic densities, which is associated with defective synaptic plasticity and memory. Taken together, our study provides mechanistic insight into the roles of TRMT10A in the brain, and exemplifies the importance of universal tRNA modification during translation of specific codons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roland Tresky
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
| | - Yuta Miyamoto
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
| | - Yu Nagayoshi
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
- Department of Nephrology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
| | - Yasushi Yabuki
- Department of Genomic Neurology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan
| | - Kimi Araki
- Division of Developmental Genetics, Institute of Resource Development and Analysis, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan
| | - Yukie Takahashi
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Komohara
- Department of Cell Pathology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
| | - Huicong Ge
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
| | - Kayo Nishiguchi
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
- Department of Nephrology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
| | - Takaichi Fukuda
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
| | - Hitomi Kaneko
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
| | - Nobuko Maeda
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
| | - Jin Matsuura
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
| | - Shintaro Iwasaki
- RNA Systems Biochemistry Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8561, Japan
| | - Kourin Sakakida
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
- Department of Metabolic Medicine, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
| | - Norifumi Shioda
- Department of Genomic Neurology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan
| | - Fan-Yan Wei
- Department of Modomics Biology and Medicine, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Kazuhito Tomizawa
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
| | - Takeshi Chujo
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Davidsen K, Sullivan LB. A robust method for measuring aminoacylation through tRNA-Seq. eLife 2024; 12:RP91554. [PMID: 39076160 PMCID: PMC11288633 DOI: 10.7554/elife.91554] [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] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Current methods to quantify the fraction of aminoacylated tRNAs, also known as the tRNA charge, are limited by issues with either low throughput, precision, and/or accuracy. Here, we present an optimized charge transfer RNA sequencing (tRNA-Seq) method that combines previous developments with newly described approaches to establish a protocol for precise and accurate tRNA charge measurements. We verify that this protocol provides robust quantification of tRNA aminoacylation and we provide an end-to-end method that scales to hundreds of samples including software for data processing. Additionally, we show that this method supports measurements of relative tRNA expression levels and can be used to infer tRNA modifications through reverse transcription misincorporations, thereby supporting multipurpose applications in tRNA biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristian Davidsen
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Lucas B Sullivan
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Cui J, Sendinc E, Liu Q, Kim S, Fang JY, Gregory RI. m 3C32 tRNA modification controls serine codon-biased mRNA translation, cell cycle, and DNA-damage response. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5775. [PMID: 38982125 PMCID: PMC11233606 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50161-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The epitranscriptome includes a diversity of RNA modifications that influence gene expression. N3-methylcytidine (m3C) mainly occurs in the anticodon loop (position C32) of certain tRNAs yet its role is poorly understood. Here, using HAC-Seq, we report comprehensive METTL2A/2B-, METTL6-, and METTL2A/2B/6-dependent m3C profiles in human cells. METTL2A/2B modifies tRNA-arginine and tRNA-threonine members, whereas METTL6 modifies the tRNA-serine family. However, decreased m3C32 on tRNA-Ser-GCT isodecoders is only observed with combined METTL2A/2B/6 deletion. Ribo-Seq reveals altered translation of genes related to cell cycle and DNA repair pathways in METTL2A/2B/6-deficient cells, and these mRNAs are enriched in AGU codons that require tRNA-Ser-GCT for translation. These results, supported by reporter assays, help explain the observed altered cell cycle, slowed proliferation, and increased cisplatin sensitivity phenotypes of METTL2A/2B/6-deficient cells. Thus, we define METTL2A/2B/6-dependent methylomes and uncover a particular requirement of m3C32 tRNA modification for serine codon-biased mRNA translation of cell cycle, and DNA repair genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jia Cui
- Stem Cell Program, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Erdem Sendinc
- Stem Cell Program, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Qi Liu
- Stem Cell Program, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Rice Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 510640, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of New Technology in Rice Breeding, 510640, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Sujin Kim
- Stem Cell Program, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jaden Y Fang
- Stem Cell Program, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Richard I Gregory
- Stem Cell Program, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Harvard Initiative for RNA Medicine, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Saha S, Mukherjee B, Banerjee P, Das D. The 'Not-So-Famous Five' in tumorigenesis: tRNAs, tRNA fragments, and tRNA epitranscriptome in concert with AARSs and AIMPs. Biochimie 2024; 222:45-62. [PMID: 38401639 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2024.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
RNA profiling studies have revealed that ∼75% of the human genome is transcribed to RNA but only a meagre fraction of it is translated to proteins. Majority of transcribed RNA constitute a specialized pool of non-coding RNAs. Human genome contains approximately 506 genes encoding a set of 51 different tRNAs, constituting a unique class of non-coding RNAs that not only have essential housekeeping functions as translator molecules during protein synthesis, but have numerous uncharted regulatory functions. Intriguing findings regarding a variety of non-canonical functions of tRNAs, tRNA derived fragments (tRFs), esoteric epitranscriptomic modifications of tRNAs, along with aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (AARSs) and ARS-interacting multifunctional proteins (AIMPs), envision a 'peripheral dogma' controlling the flow of genetic information in the backdrop of qualitative information wrung out of the long-live central dogma of molecular biology, to drive cells towards either proliferation or differentiation programs. Our review will substantiate intriguing peculiarities of tRNA gene clusters, atypical tRNA-transcription from internal promoters catalysed by another distinct RNA polymerase enzyme, dynamically diverse tRNA epitranscriptome, intricate mechanism of tRNA-charging by AARSs governing translation fidelity, epigenetic regulation of gene expression by tRNA fragments, and the role of tRNAs and tRNA derived/associated molecules as quantitative determinants of the functional proteome, covertly orchestrating the process of tumorigenesis, through a deregulated tRNA-ome mediating selective codon-biased translation of cancer related gene transcripts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sutapa Saha
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, 86/1, College Street, Kolkata, 700073, WB, India.
| | - Biyas Mukherjee
- Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF, Bidhannagar, Kolkata, 700064, India
| | - Proma Banerjee
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, 86/1, College Street, Kolkata, 700073, WB, India
| | - Debadrita Das
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, 86/1, College Street, Kolkata, 700073, WB, India
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Li Y, Gu X, Shi Y, Li J, Wen S. Internal mechanism of correlation between angiotensin II gene and serum adiponectin level in patients with cerebrovascular complications of H-type hypertension. J Med Biochem 2024; 43:597-604. [PMID: 39139174 PMCID: PMC11318843 DOI: 10.5937/jomb0-45532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The study aimed to explore the correlation between the angiotensin II (Ang II) gene and serum adiponectin expression in patients with cerebrovascular complications of H-type hypertension (HH) and its mechanism. Methods A total of 50 cases of outpatient patients in Tianjin Fourth Central Hospital were recruited from January 2022 to June 2023 and rolled into three groups according to their blood pressure and basic information, namely the HH cerebrovascular complications group, the non-H-type hypertension (NHH) group, and the healthy control (HC) group. Peripheral blood samples were taken; one sample was utilized to test for the Ang II gene and the methylation of Ang II, and the other sample was utilized to measure serum adiponectin levels to analyze the relationship between serum adiponectin level and Ang II in patients with cerebrovascular complications of HH. Results The ratio of male to female was 8:7 in the group of cerebrovascular complications of HH, and mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were 167.34 mm Hg and 112.56 mm Hg, respectively. In the NHH group, the mean SBP was 165.89 mm Hg, and the mean DBP was 113.47 mm Hg. The blood pressure of the HC group was in the normal range. The Ang II content was the highest in the group with cerebrovascular complications of HH, followed by the group with NHH, and the lowest in the HC group. Conclusions Pyrosequencing chart of patients with cerebrovascular complications of HH showed that the content of deoxyphosphate ribose G was the highest, while the content of A was the highest in NHH patients. Moreover, the serum adiponectin level of patients with HH and NHH was superior to that of the HC group, and the adiponectin level between the former two groups and the HC group differed considerably. Ang II levels were high in patients with cerebrovascular complications of HH and were positively correlated with adiponectin levels. The incidence of cerebrovascular complications of HH may be related to Ang II levels in patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Li
- Tianjin Fourth Central Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiufeng Gu
- Tianjin Fourth Central Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Tianjin, China
| | - Yun Shi
- Tianjin Fourth Central Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Tianjin, China
| | - Jie Li
- Tianjin Fourth Central Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Tianjin, China
| | - Shangyu Wen
- Tianjin Fourth Central Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Tianjin, China
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Wang X, Gan M, Wang Y, Wang S, Lei Y, Wang K, Zhang X, Chen L, Zhao Y, Niu L, Zhang S, Zhu L, Shen L. Comprehensive review on lipid metabolism and RNA methylation: Biological mechanisms, perspectives and challenges. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 270:132057. [PMID: 38710243 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Adipose tissue plays a crucial role in maintaining energy balance, regulating hormones, and promoting metabolic health. To address disorders related to obesity and develop effective therapies, it is essential to have a deep understanding of adipose tissue biology. In recent years, RNA methylation has emerged as a significant epigenetic modification involved in various cellular functions and metabolic pathways. Particularly in the realm of adipogenesis and lipid metabolism, extensive research is ongoing to uncover the mechanisms and functional importance of RNA methylation. Increasing evidence suggests that RNA methylation plays a regulatory role in adipocyte development, metabolism, and lipid utilization across different organs. This comprehensive review aims to provide an overview of common RNA methylation modifications, their occurrences, and regulatory mechanisms, focusing specifically on their intricate connections to fat metabolism. Additionally, we discuss the research methodologies used in studying RNA methylation and highlight relevant databases that can aid researchers in this rapidly advancing field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xingyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Mailin Gan
- State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Yan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Saihao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Yuhang Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Kai Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Lei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Ye Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Lili Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Shunhua Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Li Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.
| | - Linyuan Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Zhang W, Chen H, Sobczyk M, Krochmal D, Katanski CD, Assari M, Chen A, Hou Y, Dai Q, Pan T. Quantification of tRNA m 1A modification by templated-ligation qPCR. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2024; 30:739-747. [PMID: 38471794 PMCID: PMC11098454 DOI: 10.1261/rna.079895.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
N1-methyladenosine (m1A) is a widespread modification in all eukaryotic, many archaeal, and some bacterial tRNAs. m1A is generally located in the T loop of cytosolic tRNA and between the acceptor and D stems of mitochondrial tRNAs; it is involved in the tertiary interaction that stabilizes tRNA. Human tRNA m1A levels are dynamically regulated that fine-tune translation and can also serve as biomarkers for infectious disease. Although many methods have been used to measure m1A, a PCR method to assess m1A levels quantitatively in specific tRNAs has been lacking. Here we develop a templated-ligation followed by a qPCR method (TL-qPCR) that measures m1A levels in target tRNAs. Our method uses the SplintR ligase that efficiently ligates two tRNA complementary DNA oligonucleotides using tRNA as the template, followed by qPCR using the ligation product as the template. m1A interferes with the ligation in specific ways, allowing for the quantitative assessment of m1A levels using subnanogram amounts of total RNA. We identify the features of specificity and quantitation for m1A-modified model RNAs and apply these to total RNA samples from human cells. Our method enables easy access to study the dynamics and function of this pervasive tRNA modification.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wen Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
| | - Hankui Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
| | | | | | | | - Mahdi Assari
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Amy Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
| | - Yichen Hou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
| | - Qing Dai
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Tao Pan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Scheepbouwer C, Aparicio-Puerta E, Gómez-Martin C, van Eijndhoven MA, Drees EE, Bosch L, de Jong D, Wurdinger T, Zijlstra JM, Hackenberg M, Gerber A, Pegtel DM. Full-length tRNAs lacking a functional CCA tail are selectively sorted into the lumen of extracellular vesicles. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.12.593148. [PMID: 38765958 PMCID: PMC11100784 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.12.593148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are heterogenous lipid membrane particles typically less than 200 nm in size and secreted by most cell types either constitutively or upon activation signals. sEVs isolated from biofluids contain RNAs, including small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), that can be either encapsulated within the EV lumen or bound to the EV surface. EV-associated microRNAs (miRNAs) are, despite a relatively low abundance, extensively investigated for their selective incorporation and their role in cell-cell communication. In contrast, the sorting of highly-structured ncRNA species is understudied, mainly due to technical limitations of traditional small RNA sequencing protocols. Here, we adapted ALL-tRNAseq to profile the relative abundance of highly structured and potentially methylated small ncRNA species, including transfer RNAs (tRNAs), small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs), and Y RNAs in bulk EV preparations. We determined that full-length tRNAs, typically 75 to 90 nucleotides in length, were the dominant small ncRNA species (>60% of all reads in the 18-120 nucleotides size-range) in all cell culture-derived EVs, as well as in human plasma-derived EV samples, vastly outnumbering 21 nucleotides-long miRNAs. Nearly all EV-associated tRNAs were protected from external RNAse treatment, indicating a location within the EV lumen. Strikingly, the vast majority of luminal-sorted, full-length, nucleobase modification-containing EV-tRNA sequences, harbored a dysfunctional 3' CCA tail, 1 to 3 nucleotides truncated, rendering them incompetent for amino acid loading. In contrast, in non-EV associated extracellular particle fractions (NVEPs), tRNAs appeared almost exclusively fragmented or 'nicked' into tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) with lengths between 18 to 35 nucleotides. We propose that in mammalian cells, tRNAs that lack a functional 3' CCA tail are selectively sorted into EVs and shuttled out of the producing cell, offering a new perspective into the physiological role of secreted EVs and luminal cargo-selection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chantal Scheepbouwer
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Center, VU University, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Center, VU University, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Ernesto Aparicio-Puerta
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Cristina Gómez-Martin
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Center, VU University, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Imaging and Biomarkers, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Monique A.J. van Eijndhoven
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Center, VU University, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Imaging and Biomarkers, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Esther E.E. Drees
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Center, VU University, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Imaging and Biomarkers, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Hematology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Center, VU University, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Leontien Bosch
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Center, VU University, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Imaging and Biomarkers, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Daphne de Jong
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Center, VU University, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Imaging and Biomarkers, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Thomas Wurdinger
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Center, VU University, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Imaging and Biomarkers, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Josée M. Zijlstra
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Imaging and Biomarkers, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Hematology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Center, VU University, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Michael Hackenberg
- Bioinformatics Laboratory, Biomedical Research Centre (CIBM), Biotechnology Institute, PTS, Avda. del Conocimiento s/n, 18100 Granada, Spain
- Genetics Department, Faculty of Science, Universidad de Granada, Campus de Fuentenueva s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain
- Excellence Research Unit “Modeling Nature” (MNat), University of Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs. Granada, University Hospitals of Granada-University of Granada, Spain; Conocimiento s/n 18100, Granada. Spain
| | - Alan Gerber
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Center, VU University, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - D. Michiel Pegtel
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Center, VU University, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Imaging and Biomarkers, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Shen Z, Naveed M, Bao J. Untacking small RNA profiling and RNA fragment footprinting: Approaches and challenges in library construction. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2024; 15:e1852. [PMID: 38715192 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
Small RNAs (sRNAs) with sizes ranging from 15 to 50 nucleotides (nt) are critical regulators of gene expression control. Prior studies have shown that sRNAs are involved in a broad range of biological processes, such as organ development, tumorigenesis, and epigenomic regulation; however, emerging evidence unveils a hidden layer of diversity and complexity of endogenously encoded sRNAs profile in eukaryotic organisms, including novel types of sRNAs and the previously unknown post-transcriptional RNA modifications. This underscores the importance for accurate, unbiased detection of sRNAs in various cellular contexts. A multitude of high-throughput methods based on next-generation sequencing (NGS) are developed to decipher the sRNA expression and their modifications. Nonetheless, distinct from mRNA sequencing, the data from sRNA sequencing suffer frequent inconsistencies and high variations emanating from the adapter contaminations and RNA modifications, which overall skew the sRNA libraries. Here, we summarize the sRNA-sequencing approaches, and discuss the considerations and challenges for the strategies and methods of sRNA library construction. The pros and cons of sRNA sequencing have significant implications for implementing RNA fragment footprinting approaches, including CLIP-seq and Ribo-seq. We envision that this review can inspire novel improvements in small RNA sequencing and RNA fragment footprinting in future. This article is categorized under: RNA Evolution and Genomics > Computational Analyses of RNA RNA Processing > Processing of Small RNAs Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches > Biogenesis of Effector Small RNAs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhaokang Shen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Reproduction and Genetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Muhammad Naveed
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei, Anhui, China
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Reproduction and Genetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Jianqiang Bao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Reproduction and Genetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei, Anhui, China
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Li G, Yao Q, Liu P, Zhang H, Liu Y, Li S, Shi Y, Li Z, Zhu W. Critical roles and clinical perspectives of RNA methylation in cancer. MedComm (Beijing) 2024; 5:e559. [PMID: 38721006 PMCID: PMC11077291 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/06/2025] Open
Abstract
RNA modification, especially RNA methylation, is a critical posttranscriptional process influencing cellular functions and disease progression, accounting for over 60% of all RNA modifications. It plays a significant role in RNA metabolism, affecting RNA processing, stability, and translation, thereby modulating gene expression and cell functions essential for proliferation, survival, and metastasis. Increasing studies have revealed the disruption in RNA metabolism mediated by RNA methylation has been implicated in various aspects of cancer progression, particularly in metabolic reprogramming and immunity. This disruption of RNA methylation has profound implications for tumor growth, metastasis, and therapy response. Herein, we elucidate the fundamental characteristics of RNA methylation and their impact on RNA metabolism and gene expression. We highlight the intricate relationship between RNA methylation, cancer metabolic reprogramming, and immunity, using the well-characterized phenomenon of cancer metabolic reprogramming as a framework to discuss RNA methylation's specific roles and mechanisms in cancer progression. Furthermore, we explore the potential of targeting RNA methylation regulators as a novel approach for cancer therapy. By underscoring the complex mechanisms by which RNA methylation contributes to cancer progression, this review provides a foundation for developing new prognostic markers and therapeutic strategies aimed at modulating RNA methylation in cancer treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ganglei Li
- Department of NeurosurgeryHuashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- National Center for Neurological DisordersShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Restoration and Neural RegenerationShanghaiChina
- Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of NeurosurgeryShanghaiChina
| | - Qinfan Yao
- Kidney Disease CenterThe First Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Peixi Liu
- Department of NeurosurgeryHuashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- National Center for Neurological DisordersShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Restoration and Neural RegenerationShanghaiChina
- Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of NeurosurgeryShanghaiChina
| | - Hongfei Zhang
- Department of NeurosurgeryHuashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- National Center for Neurological DisordersShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Restoration and Neural RegenerationShanghaiChina
- Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of NeurosurgeryShanghaiChina
| | - Yingjun Liu
- Department of NeurosurgeryHuashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- National Center for Neurological DisordersShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Restoration and Neural RegenerationShanghaiChina
- Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of NeurosurgeryShanghaiChina
| | - Sichen Li
- Department of NeurosurgeryHuashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- National Center for Neurological DisordersShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Restoration and Neural RegenerationShanghaiChina
- Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of NeurosurgeryShanghaiChina
| | - Yuan Shi
- Department of NeurosurgeryHuashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- National Center for Neurological DisordersShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Restoration and Neural RegenerationShanghaiChina
- Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of NeurosurgeryShanghaiChina
| | - Zongze Li
- Department of NeurosurgeryHuashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- National Center for Neurological DisordersShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Restoration and Neural RegenerationShanghaiChina
- Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of NeurosurgeryShanghaiChina
| | - Wei Zhu
- Department of NeurosurgeryHuashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- National Center for Neurological DisordersShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Restoration and Neural RegenerationShanghaiChina
- Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of NeurosurgeryShanghaiChina
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Muthukumar S, Li CT, Liu RJ, Bellodi C. Roles and regulation of tRNA-derived small RNAs in animals. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2024; 25:359-378. [PMID: 38182846 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-023-00690-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
A growing class of small RNAs, known as tRNA-derived RNAs (tdRs), tRNA-derived small RNAs or tRNA-derived fragments, have long been considered mere intermediates of tRNA degradation. These small RNAs have recently been implicated in an evolutionarily conserved repertoire of biological processes. In this Review, we discuss the biogenesis and molecular functions of tdRs in mammals, including tdR-mediated gene regulation in cell metabolism, immune responses, transgenerational inheritance, development and cancer. We also discuss the accumulation of tRNA-derived stress-induced RNAs as a distinct adaptive cellular response to pathophysiological conditions. Furthermore, we highlight new conceptual advances linking RNA modifications with tdR activities and discuss challenges in studying tdR biology in health and disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sowndarya Muthukumar
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Stem Cell Center, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Cai-Tao Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ru-Juan Liu
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Cristian Bellodi
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Stem Cell Center, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Pajdzik K, Lyu R, Dou X, Ye C, Zhang LS, Dai Q, He C. Chemical manipulation of m 1A mediates its detection in human tRNA. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2024; 30:548-559. [PMID: 38531647 PMCID: PMC11019740 DOI: 10.1261/rna.079966.124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
N 1-methyl adenosine (m1A) is a widespread RNA modification present in tRNA, rRNA, and mRNA. m1A modification sites in tRNAs are evolutionarily conserved and its formation on tRNA is catalyzed by methyltransferase TRMT61A and TRMT6 complex. m1A promotes translation initiation and elongation. Due to its positive charge under physiological conditions, m1A can notably modulate RNA structure. It also blocks Watson-Crick-Franklin base-pairing and causes mutation and truncation during reverse transcription. Several misincorporation-based high-throughput sequencing methods have been developed to sequence m1A. In this study, we introduce a reduction-based m1A sequencing (red-m1A-seq). We report that NaBH4 reduction of m1A can improve the mutation and readthrough rates using commercially available RT enzymes to give a better positive signature, while alkaline-catalyzed Dimroth rearrangement can efficiently convert m1A to m6A to provide good controls, allowing the detection of m1A with higher sensitivity and accuracy. We applied red-m1A-seq to sequence human small RNA, and we not only detected all the previously reported tRNA m1A sites, but also new m1A sites in mt-tRNAAsn-GTT and 5.8S rRNA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kinga Pajdzik
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Ruitu Lyu
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Xiaoyang Dou
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Chang Ye
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Li-Sheng Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Qing Dai
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Chuan He
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Li Y, Zhou H, Chen S, Li Y, Guo Y, Chen X, Wang S, Wang L, Gan Y, Zhang S, Zheng Y, Sheng J, Zhou Z, Wang R. Bioorthogonal labeling and profiling of N6-isopentenyladenosine (i6A) modified RNA. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:2808-2820. [PMID: 38426933 PMCID: PMC11014277 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Chemical modifications in RNAs play crucial roles in diversifying their structures and regulating numerous biochemical processes. Since the 1990s, several hydrophobic prenyl-modifications have been discovered in various RNAs. Prenyl groups serve as precursors for terpenes and many other biological molecules. The processes of prenylation in different macromolecules have been extensively studied. We introduce here a novel chemical biology toolkit that not only labels i6A, a prenyl-modified RNA residue, by leveraging the unique reactivity of the prenyl group, but also provides a general strategy to incorporate fluorescence functionalities into RNAs for molecular tracking purposes. Our findings revealed that iodine-mediated cyclization reactions of the prenyl group occur rapidly, transforming i6A from a hydrogen-bond acceptor to a donor. Based on this reactivity, we developed an Iodine-Mediated Cyclization and Reverse Transcription (IMCRT) tRNA-seq method, which can profile all nine endogenous tRNAs containing i6A residues in Saccharomyces cerevisiae with single-base resolution. Furthermore, under stress conditions, we observed a decline in i6A levels in budding yeast, accompanied by significant decrease of mutation rate at A37 position. Thus, the IMCRT tRNA-seq method not only permits semi-quantification of i6A levels in tRNAs but also holds potential for transcriptome-wide detection and analysis of various RNA species containing i6A modifications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Hongling Zhou
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Shasha Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Yinan Li
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Yuyang Guo
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Xiaoqian Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Sheng Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Li Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Youfang Gan
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Shusheng Zhang
- Innovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ya Ying Zheng
- Department of Chemistry and The RNA Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Jia Sheng
- Department of Chemistry and The RNA Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Zhipeng Zhou
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
- Shenzhen Huazhong University of Science and Technology Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518057, China
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Davidsen K, Sullivan LB. A robust method for measuring aminoacylation through tRNA-Seq. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.07.31.551363. [PMID: 37577502 PMCID: PMC10418082 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.31.551363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Current methods to quantify the fraction of aminoacylated tRNAs, also known as the tRNA charge, are limited by issues with either low throughput, precision, and/or accuracy. Here, we present an optimized charge tRNA-Seq method that combines previous developments with newly described approaches to establish a protocol for precise and accurate tRNA charge measurements. We verify that this protocol provides robust quantification of tRNA aminoacylation and we provide an end-to-end method that scales to hundreds of samples including software for data processing. Additionally, we show that this method supports measurements of relative tRNA expression levels and can be used to infer tRNA modifications through reverse transcription misincorporations, thereby supporting multipurpose applications in tRNA biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristian Davidsen
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, United States
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, United States
| | - Lucas B Sullivan
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, United States
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Rossmanith W, Giegé P, Hartmann RK. Discovery, structure, mechanisms, and evolution of protein-only RNase P enzymes. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:105731. [PMID: 38336295 PMCID: PMC10941002 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.105731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The endoribonuclease RNase P is responsible for tRNA 5' maturation in all domains of life. A unique feature of RNase P is the variety of enzyme architectures, ranging from dual- to multi-subunit ribonucleoprotein forms with catalytic RNA subunits to protein-only enzymes, the latter occurring as single- or multi-subunit forms or homo-oligomeric assemblies. The protein-only enzymes evolved twice: a eukaryal protein-only RNase P termed PRORP and a bacterial/archaeal variant termed homolog of Aquifex RNase P (HARP); the latter replaced the RNA-based enzyme in a small group of thermophilic bacteria but otherwise coexists with the ribonucleoprotein enzyme in a few other bacteria as well as in those archaea that also encode a HARP. Here we summarize the history of the discovery of protein-only RNase P enzymes and review the state of knowledge on structure and function of bacterial HARPs and eukaryal PRORPs, including human mitochondrial RNase P as a paradigm of multi-subunit PRORPs. We also describe the phylogenetic distribution and evolution of PRORPs, as well as possible reasons for the spread of PRORPs in the eukaryal tree and for the recruitment of two additional protein subunits to metazoan mitochondrial PRORP. We outline potential applications of PRORPs in plant biotechnology and address diseases associated with mutations in human mitochondrial RNase P genes. Finally, we consider possible causes underlying the displacement of the ancient RNA enzyme by a protein-only enzyme in a small group of bacteria.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Walter Rossmanith
- Center for Anatomy & Cell Biology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Philippe Giegé
- Institute for Plant Molecular Biology, IBMP-CNRS, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
| | - Roland K Hartmann
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Padhiar NH, Katneni U, Komar AA, Motorin Y, Kimchi-Sarfaty C. Advances in methods for tRNA sequencing and quantification. Trends Genet 2024; 40:276-290. [PMID: 38123442 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2023.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
In the past decade tRNA sequencing (tRNA-seq) has attracted considerable attention as an important tool for the development of novel approaches to quantify highly modified tRNA species and to propel tRNA research aimed at understanding the cellular physiology and disease and development of tRNA-based therapeutics. Many methods are available to quantify tRNA abundance while accounting for modifications and tRNA charging/acylation. Advances in both library preparation methods and bioinformatic workflows have enabled developments in next-generation sequencing (NGS) workflows. Other approaches forgo NGS applications in favor of hybridization-based approaches. In this review we provide a brief comparative overview of various tRNA quantification approaches, focusing on the advantages and disadvantages of these methods, which together facilitate reliable tRNA quantification.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nigam H Padhiar
- Hemostasis Branch 1, Division of Hemostasis, Office of Plasma Protein Therapeutics, Office of Therapeutic Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Upendra Katneni
- Hemostasis Branch 1, Division of Hemostasis, Office of Plasma Protein Therapeutics, Office of Therapeutic Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Anton A Komar
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Yuri Motorin
- CNRS-Université de Lorraine, UAR 2008, IBSLor UMR 7365 IMoPA, Nancy, France.
| | - Chava Kimchi-Sarfaty
- Hemostasis Branch 1, Division of Hemostasis, Office of Plasma Protein Therapeutics, Office of Therapeutic Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Zhang L, Duan HC, Paduch M, Hu J, Zhang C, Mu Y, Lin H, He C, Kossiakoff AA, Jia G, Zhang L. The Molecular Basis of Human ALKBH3 Mediated RNA N 1 -methyladenosine (m 1 A) Demethylation. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202313900. [PMID: 38158383 PMCID: PMC11846542 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202313900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
N1 -methyladenosine (m1 A) is a prevalent post-transcriptional RNA modification, and the distribution and dynamics of the modification play key epitranscriptomic roles in cell development. At present, the human AlkB Fe(II)/α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase family member ALKBH3 is the only known mRNA m1 A demethylase, but its catalytic mechanism remains unclear. Here, we present the structures of ALKBH3-oligo crosslinked complexes obtained with the assistance of a synthetic antibody crystallization chaperone. Structural and biochemical results showed that ALKBH3 utilized two β-hairpins (β4-loop-β5 and β'-loop-β'') and the α2 helix to facilitate single-stranded substrate binding. Moreover, a bubble-like region around Asp194 and a key residue inside the active pocket (Thr133) enabled specific recognition and demethylation of m1 A- and 3-methylcytidine (m3 C)-modified substrates. Mutation of Thr133 to the corresponding residue in the AlkB Fe(II)/α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase family members FTO or ALKBH5 converted ALKBH3 substrate selectivity from m1 A to N6 -methyladenosine (m6 A), as did Asp194 deletion. Our findings provide a molecular basis for understanding the mechanisms of substrate recognition and m1 A demethylation by ALKBH3. This study is expected to aid structure-guided design of chemical probes for further functional studies and therapeutic applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lin Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025 (China)
| | - Hong-Chao Duan
- Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University Beijing 100871 (China)
| | - Marcin Paduch
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago Chicago, IL (USA)
| | - Jingyan Hu
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025 (China)
| | - Chi Zhang
- Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University Beijing 100871 (China)
| | - Yajuan Mu
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025 (China)
| | - Houwen Lin
- Research Centre for Marine Drugs, State Key Laboratory of Oncogene and Related Genes, Department of Pharmacy, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200127 (China)
- Institute of Marine Biomedicine, Shenzhen Polytechnic Shenzhen 518055 (China)
| | - Chuan He
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL (USA)
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL (USA)
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Chicago Chicago, IL (USA)
| | - Anthony A. Kossiakoff
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL (USA)
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago Chicago, IL (USA)
| | - Guifang Jia
- Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University Beijing 100871 (China)
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100871 (China)
| | - Liang Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025 (China)
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Smoczynski J, Yared MJ, Meynier V, Barraud P, Tisné C. Advances in the Structural and Functional Understanding of m 1A RNA Modification. Acc Chem Res 2024; 57. [PMID: 38331425 PMCID: PMC10882958 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.3c00568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
ConspectusRNA modification is a co- or post-transcriptional process by which specific nucleotides are chemically altered by enzymes after their initial incorporation into the RNA chain, expanding the chemical and functional diversity of RNAs. Our understanding of RNA modifications has changed dramatically in recent years. In the past decade, RNA methyltransferases (MTases) have been highlighted in numerous clinical studies and disease models, modifications have been found to be dynamically regulated by demodification enzymes, and significant technological advances have been made in the fields of RNA sequencing, mass spectrometry, and structural biology. Among RNAs, transfer RNAs (tRNAs) exhibit the greatest diversity and density of post-transcriptional modifications, which allow for potential cross-talks and regulation during their incorporation. N1-methyladenosine (m1A) modification is found in tRNAs at positions 9, 14, 16, 22, 57, and 58, depending on the tRNA and organism.Our laboratory has used and developed a large panel of tools to decipher the different mechanisms used by m1A tRNA MTases to recognize and methylate tRNA. We have solved the structures of TrmI from Thermus thermophilus (m1A58), TrmK from Bacillus subtilis (m1A22), and human TRMT10C (m1A9). These MTases do not share the same structure or organization to recognize tRNAs, but they all modify an adenosine, forming a non-Watson-Crick (WC) interaction. For TrmK, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) chemical shift mapping of the binding interface between TrmK and tRNASer was invaluable to build a TrmK/tRNA model, where both domains of TrmK participate in the binding of a full-length L-shaped tRNA and where the non-WC purine 13-A22 base pair positions the A22 N1-atom close to the methyl of the S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) TrmK cofactor. For TRMT10C, cryoEM structures showed the MTase poised to N1-methylate A9 or G9 in tRNA and revealed different steps of tRNA maturation, where TRMT10C acts as a tRNA binding platform for sequential docking of each maturation enzyme. This work confers a role for TRMT10C in tRNA quality control and provides a framework to understand the link between mitochondrial tRNA maturation dysfunction and diseases.Methods to directly detect the incorporation of modifications during tRNA biosynthesis are rare and do not provide easy access to the temporality of their introduction. To this end, we have introduced time-resolved NMR to monitor tRNA maturation in the cellular environment. Combined with genetic and biochemical approaches involving the synthesis of specifically modified tRNAs, our methodology revealed that some modifications are incorporated in a defined sequential order, controlled by cross-talks between modification events. In particular, a strong modification circuit, namely Ψ55 → m5U54 → m1A58, controls the modification process in the T-arm of yeast elongator tRNAs. Conversely, we showed that m1A58 is efficiently introduced on unmodified initiator tRNAiMet without the need of any prior modification. Two distinct pathways are therefore followed for m1A58 incorporation in elongator and initiator tRNAs.We are undoubtedly entering an exciting period for the elucidation of the functions of RNA modifications and the intricate mechanisms by which modification enzymes identify and alter their RNA substrates. These are promising directions for the field of epitranscriptomics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Pierre Barraud
- Université Paris
Cité, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, IBPC, Expression
Génétique Microbienne, Paris 75005, France
| | - Carine Tisné
- Université Paris
Cité, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, IBPC, Expression
Génétique Microbienne, Paris 75005, France
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Hou Y, Zhang W, McGilvray PT, Sobczyk M, Wang T, Weng SHS, Huff A, Huang S, Pena N, Katanski CD, Pan T. Engineered mischarged transfer RNAs for correcting pathogenic missense mutations. Mol Ther 2024; 32:352-371. [PMID: 38104240 PMCID: PMC10861979 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Missense mutations account for approximately 50% of pathogenic mutations in human genetic diseases, and most lack effective treatments. Gene therapies, gene editing, and RNA therapies, including transfer RNA (tRNA) modalities, are common strategies for genetic disease treatments. However, reported tRNA therapies are for nonsense mutations only. It has not been explored how tRNAs can be engineered to correct missense mutations. Here, we describe missense-correcting tRNAs (mc-tRNAs) as a potential therapeutic for correcting pathogenic missense mutations. Mc-tRNAs are engineered tRNAs charged with one amino acid, but read codons of another in translation. We first developed a series of fluorescent protein-based reporters that indicate the successful correction of missense mutations via restoration of fluorescence. We engineered mc-tRNAs that effectively corrected serine and arginine missense mutations in the reporters and confirmed the amino acid substitution by mass spectrometry and mc-tRNA expression by sequencing. We examined the transcriptome response to mc-tRNA expression and found some mc-tRNAs induced minimum transcriptomic changes. Furthermore, we applied an mc-tRNA to rescue a pathogenic CAPN3 Arg-to-Gln mutant involved in LGMD2A. These results establish a versatile pipeline for mc-tRNA engineering and demonstrate the potential of mc-tRNA as an alternative therapeutic platform for the treatment of genetic disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yichen Hou
- Committee on Genomics, Genetics and Systems Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Wen Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | | | - Marek Sobczyk
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Tianxin Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | | | - Allen Huff
- Proteomics Platform, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Sihao Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Noah Pena
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | | | - Tao Pan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Motorin Y, Helm M. General Principles and Limitations for Detection of RNA Modifications by Sequencing. Acc Chem Res 2024; 57:275-288. [PMID: 38065564 PMCID: PMC10851944 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.3c00529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Among the many analytical methods applied to RNA modifications, a particularly pronounced surge has occurred in the past decade in the field of modification mapping. The occurrence of modifications such as m6A in mRNA, albeit known since the 1980s, became amenable to transcriptome-wide analyses through the advent of next-generation sequencing techniques in a rather sudden manner. The term "mapping" here refers to detection of RNA modifications in a sequence context, which has a dramatic impact on the interpretation of biological functions. As a consequence, an impressive number of mapping techniques were published, most in the perspective of what now has become known as "epitranscriptomics". While more and more different modifications were reported to occur in mRNA, conflicting reports and controversial results pointed to a number of technical and theoretical problems rooted in analytics, statistics, and reagents. Rather than finding the proverbial needle in a haystack, the tasks were to determine how many needles of what color in what size of a haystack one was looking at.As the authors of this Account, we think it important to outline the limitations of different mapping methods since many life scientists freshly entering the field confuse the accuracy and precision of modification mapping with that of normal sequencing, which already features numerous caveats by itself. Indeed, we propose here to qualify a specific mapping method by the size of the transcriptome that can be meaningfully analyzed with it.We here focus on high throughput sequencing by Illumina technology, referred to as RNA-Seq. We noted with interest the development of methods for modification detection by other high throughput sequencing platforms that act directly on RNA, e.g., PacBio SMRT and nanopore sequencing, but those are not considered here.In contrast to approaches relying on direct RNA sequencing, current Illumina RNA-Seq protocols require prior conversion of RNA into DNA. This conversion relies on reverse transcription (RT) to create cDNA; thereafter, the cDNA undergoes a sequencing-by-synthesis type of analysis. Thus, a particular behavior of RNA modified nucleotides during the RT-step is a prerequisite for their detection (and quantification) by deep sequencing, and RT properties have great influence on the detection efficiency and reliability. Moreover, the RT-step requires annealing of a synthetic primer, a prerequisite with a crucial impact on library preparation. Thus, all RNA-Seq protocols must feature steps for the introduction of primers, primer landing sites, or adapters on both the RNA 3'- and 5'-ends.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuri Motorin
- Université
de Lorraine, UMR7365 IMoPA CNRS-UL
and UAR2008/US40 IBSLor CNRS-Inserm, Biopole UL, Nancy F54000, France
| | - Mark Helm
- Institute
of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Davey-Young J, Hasan F, Tennakoon R, Rozik P, Moore H, Hall P, Cozma E, Genereaux J, Hoffman KS, Chan PP, Lowe TM, Brandl CJ, O’Donoghue P. Mistranslating the genetic code with leucine in yeast and mammalian cells. RNA Biol 2024; 21:1-23. [PMID: 38629491 PMCID: PMC11028032 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2024.2340297] [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] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Translation fidelity relies on accurate aminoacylation of transfer RNAs (tRNAs) by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (AARSs). AARSs specific for alanine (Ala), leucine (Leu), serine, and pyrrolysine do not recognize the anticodon bases. Single nucleotide anticodon variants in their cognate tRNAs can lead to mistranslation. Human genomes include both rare and more common mistranslating tRNA variants. We investigated three rare human tRNALeu variants that mis-incorporate Leu at phenylalanine or tryptophan codons. Expression of each tRNALeu anticodon variant in neuroblastoma cells caused defects in fluorescent protein production without significantly increased cytotoxicity under normal conditions or in the context of proteasome inhibition. Using tRNA sequencing and mass spectrometry we confirmed that each tRNALeu variant was expressed and generated mistranslation with Leu. To probe the flexibility of the entire genetic code towards Leu mis-incorporation, we created 64 yeast strains to express all possible tRNALeu anticodon variants in a doxycycline-inducible system. While some variants showed mild or no growth defects, many anticodon variants, enriched with G/C at positions 35 and 36, including those replacing Leu for proline, arginine, alanine, or glycine, caused dramatic reductions in growth. Differential phenotypic defects were observed for tRNALeu mutants with synonymous anticodons and for different tRNALeu isoacceptors with the same anticodon. A comparison to tRNAAla anticodon variants demonstrates that Ala mis-incorporation is more tolerable than Leu at nearly every codon. The data show that the nature of the amino acid substitution, the tRNA gene, and the anticodon are each important factors that influence the ability of cells to tolerate mistranslating tRNAs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Josephine Davey-Young
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Farah Hasan
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rasangi Tennakoon
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Peter Rozik
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Henry Moore
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Baskin School of Engineering & UCSC Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Peter Hall
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ecaterina Cozma
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Julie Genereaux
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Patricia P. Chan
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Baskin School of Engineering & UCSC Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Todd M. Lowe
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Baskin School of Engineering & UCSC Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Christopher J. Brandl
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Patrick O’Donoghue
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Bowles IE, Jackman JE. Diversity in Biological Function and Mechanism of the tRNA Methyltransferase Trm10. Acc Chem Res 2023; 56:3595-3603. [PMID: 38048440 PMCID: PMC11210281 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.3c00533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
Transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) is the most highly modified RNA species in the cell, and loss of tRNA modifications can lead to growth defects in yeast as well as metabolic, neurological, and mitochondrial disorders in humans. Significant progress has been made toward identifying the enzymes that are responsible for installing diverse modifications in tRNA, revealing a landscape of fascinating biological and mechanistic diversity that remains to be fully explored. Most early discoveries of tRNA modification enzymes were in model systems, where many enzymes were not strictly required for viability, an observation somewhat at odds with the extreme conservation of many of the same enzymes throughout multiple domains of life. Moreover, many tRNA modification enzymes act on more than one type of tRNA substrate, which is not necessarily surprising given the similar overall secondary and tertiary structures of tRNA, yet biochemical characterization has revealed interesting patterns of substrate specificity that can be challenging to rationalize on a molecular level. Questions about how many enzymes efficiently select a precise set of target tRNAs from among a structurally similar pool of molecules persist.The tRNA methyltransferase Trm10 provides an exciting paradigm to study the biological and mechanistic questions surrounding tRNA modifications. Even though the enzyme was originally characterized in Saccharomyces cerevisiae where its deletion causes no detectable phenotype under standard lab conditions, several more recently identified phenotypes provide insight into the requirement for this modification in the overall quality control of the tRNA pool. Studies of Trm10 in yeast also revealed another characteristic feature that has turned out to be a conserved feature of enzymes throughout the Trm10 family tree. We were initially surprised to see that purified S. cerevisiae Trm10 was capable of modifying tRNA substrates that were not detectably modified by the enzyme in vivo in yeast. This pattern has continued to emerge as we and others have studied Trm10 orthologs from Archaea and Eukarya, with enzymes exhibiting in vitro substrate specificities that can differ significantly from in vivo patterns of modification. While this feature complicates efforts to predict substrate specificities of Trm10 enzymes in the absence of appropriate genetic systems, it also provides an exciting opportunity for studying how enzyme activities can be regulated to achieve dynamic patterns of biological tRNA modification, which have been shown to be increasingly important for stress responses and human disease. Finally, the intriguing diversity in target nucleotide modification that has been revealed among Trm10 orthologs is distinctive among known tRNA modifying enzymes and necessitates unusual and likely novel catalytic strategies for methylation that are being revealed by biochemical and structural studies directed toward various family members. These efforts will no doubt yield more surprising discoveries in terms of tRNA modification enzymology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isobel E. Bowles
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for RNA Biology and Ohio State Biochemistry Program, 484 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Jane E. Jackman
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for RNA Biology and Ohio State Biochemistry Program, 484 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Pinzaru AM, Tavazoie SF. Transfer RNAs as dynamic and critical regulators of cancer progression. Nat Rev Cancer 2023; 23:746-761. [PMID: 37814109 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-023-00611-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) have been historically viewed as non-dynamic adaptors that decode the genetic code into proteins. Recent work has uncovered dynamic regulatory roles for these fascinating molecules. Advances in tRNA detection methods have revealed that specific tRNAs can become modulated upon DNA copy number and chromatin alterations and can also be perturbed by oncogenic signalling and transcriptional regulators in cancer cells or the tumour microenvironment. Such alterations in the levels of specific tRNAs have been shown to causally impact cancer progression, including metastasis. Moreover, sequencing methods have identified tRNA-derived small RNAs that influence various aspects of cancer progression, such as cell proliferation and invasion, and could serve as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers or putative therapeutic targets in various cancers. Finally, there is accumulating evidence, including from genetic models, that specific tRNA synthetases - the enzymes responsible for charging tRNAs with amino acids - can either promote or suppress tumour formation. In this Review, we provide an overview of how deregulation of tRNAs influences cancer formation and progression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M Pinzaru
- Laboratory of Systems Cancer Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Sohail F Tavazoie
- Laboratory of Systems Cancer Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Wei D, Niu B, Zhai B, Liu XB, Yao YL, Liang CC, Wang P. Expression profiles and function prediction of tRNA-derived fragments in glioma. BMC Cancer 2023; 23:1015. [PMID: 37864150 PMCID: PMC10588164 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-11532-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive malignant primary brain tumor. The transfer RNA-derived fragments (tRFs) are a new group of small noncoding RNAs, which are dysregulated in many cancers. Until now, the expression and function of tRFs in glioma remain unknown. METHODS The expression profiles of tRF subtypes were analyzed using the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-low-grade gliomas (LGG)/GBM dataset. The target genes of tRFs were subjected to Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia and Gene set enrichment analysis of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis. The protein-protein interaction enrichment analysis was performed by STRING. QRT-PCR was performed to detect the expressions of tRFs in human glioma cell lines U87, U373, U251, and human astrocyte cell line SVG p12. Western blot assay was used to detect to the expression of S100A11. The interaction between tRF-19-R118LOJX and S100A11 mRNA 3'UTR was detected by dual-luciferase reporter assay. The effects of tRF-19-R118LOJX, tRF-19-6SM83OJX and S100A11 on the glioma cell proliferation, migration and in vitro vasculogenic mimicry formation ability were examined by CCK-8 proliferation assay, EdU assay, HoloMonitor cell migration assay and tube formation assay, respectively. RESULTS tRF-19-R118LOJX and tRF-19-6SM83OJX are the most differentially expressed tRFs between LGG and GBM groups. The functional enrichment analysis showed that the target genes of tRF-19-R118LOJX and tRF-19-6SM83OJX are enriched in regulating blood vessel development. The upregulated target genes are linked to adverse survival outcomes in glioma patients. tRF-19-R118LOJX and tRF-19-6SM83OJX were identified to suppress glioma cell proliferation, migration, and in vitro vasculogenic mimicry formation. The mechanism of tRF-19-R118LOJX might be related to its function as an RNA silencer by targeting the S100A11 mRNA 3'UTR. CONCLUSION tRFs would become novel diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets of glioma, and the mechanism might be related to its post-transcriptionally regulation of gene expression by targeting mRNA 3'UTR.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Deng Wei
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, China
- Key Laboratory of Neuro-oncology in Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
| | - Ben Niu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, China
- Key Laboratory of Neuro-oncology in Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
| | - Bei Zhai
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, China
- Key Laboratory of Neuro-oncology in Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiao-Bai Liu
- Key Laboratory of Neuro-oncology in Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, China
| | - Yi-Long Yao
- Key Laboratory of Neuro-oncology in Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, China
| | - Chan-Chan Liang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, China
- Key Laboratory of Neuro-oncology in Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
| | - Ping Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, China.
- Key Laboratory of Neuro-oncology in Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Huang MH, Wang JT, Zhang JH, Mao XL, Peng GX, Lin X, Lv D, Yuan C, Lin H, Wang ED, Zhou XL. Mitochondrial RNA m 3C methyltransferase METTL8 relies on an isoform-specific N-terminal extension and modifies multiple heterogenous tRNAs. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2023; 68:2094-2105. [PMID: 37573249 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2023.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
Methyltransferase-like 8 (METTL8) encodes a mitochondria-localized METTL8-Iso1 and a nucleolus-distributed METTL8-Iso4 isoform, which differ only in their N-terminal extension (N-extension), by mRNA alternative splicing. METTL8-Iso1 generates 3-methylcytidine at position 32 (m3C32) of mitochondrial tRNAThr and tRNASer(UCN). Whether METTL8-Iso4 is an active m3C32 methyltransferase and the role of the N-extension in mitochondrial tRNA m3C32 formation remain unclear. Here, we revealed that METTL8-Iso4 was inactive in m3C32 generation due to the lack of N-extension, which contains several absolutely conserved modification-critical residues; the counterparts were likewise essential in cytoplasmic m3C32 biogenesis by methyltransferase-like 2A (METTL2A) or budding yeasts tRNA N3-methylcytidine methyltransferase (Trm140), in vitro and in vivo. Cross-compartment/species tRNA modification assays unexpectedly found that METTL8-Iso1 efficiently introduced m3C32 to several cytoplasmic or even bacterial tRNAs in vitro. m3C32 did not influence tRNAThrN6-threonylcarbamoyladenosine (t6A) modification or aminoacylation. In addition to its interaction with mitochondrial seryl-tRNA synthetase (SARS2), we further discovered an interaction between mitochondrial threonyl-tRNA synthetase (TARS2) and METTL8-Iso1. METTL8-Iso1 substantially stimulated the aminoacylation activities of SARS2 and TARS2 in vitro, suggesting a functional connection between mitochondrial tRNA modification and charging. Altogether, our results deepen the mechanistic insights into mitochondrial m3C32 biogenesis and provide a valuable route to prepare cytoplasmic/bacterial tRNAs with only a m3C32 moiety, aiding in future efforts to investigate its effects on tRNA structure and function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Han Huang
- Key Laboratory of RNA Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Jin-Tao Wang
- Key Laboratory of RNA Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Jian-Hui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of RNA Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; Key Laboratory of Systems Health Science of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Xue-Ling Mao
- Key Laboratory of RNA Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Gui-Xin Peng
- Key Laboratory of RNA Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Xiuying Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; School of Life Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Daizhu Lv
- Analysis and Testing Center, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou 571101, China
| | - Chen Yuan
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Huan Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - En-Duo Wang
- Key Laboratory of RNA Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China.
| | - Xiao-Long Zhou
- Key Laboratory of RNA Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; Key Laboratory of Systems Health Science of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Valášek LS, Kučerová M, Zeman J, Beznosková P. Cysteine tRNA acts as a stop codon readthrough-inducing tRNA in the human HEK293T cell line. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2023; 29:1379-1387. [PMID: 37221013 PMCID: PMC10573299 DOI: 10.1261/rna.079688.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Under certain circumstances, any of the three termination codons can be read through by a near-cognate tRNA; i.e., a tRNA whose two out of three anticodon nucleotides base pair with those of the stop codon. Unless programed to synthetize C-terminally extended protein variants with expanded physiological roles, readthrough represents an undesirable translational error. On the other side of a coin, a significant number of human genetic diseases is associated with the introduction of nonsense mutations (premature termination codons [PTCs]) into coding sequences, where stopping is not desirable. Here, the tRNA's ability to induce readthrough opens up the intriguing possibility of mitigating the deleterious effects of PTCs on human health. In yeast, the UGA and UAR stop codons were described to be read through by four readthrough-inducing rti-tRNAs-tRNATrp and tRNACys, and tRNATyr and tRNAGln, respectively. The readthrough-inducing potential of tRNATrp and tRNATyr was also observed in human cell lines. Here, we investigated the readthrough-inducing potential of human tRNACys in the HEK293T cell line. The tRNACys family consists of two isoacceptors, one with ACA and the other with GCA anticodons. We selected nine representative tRNACys isodecoders (differing in primary sequence and expression level) and tested them using dual luciferase reporter assays. We found that at least two tRNACys can significantly elevate UGA readthrough when overexpressed. This indicates a mechanistically conserved nature of rti-tRNAs between yeast and human, supporting the idea that they could be used in the PTC-associated RNA therapies.
Collapse
MESH Headings
- Humans
- Codon, Terminator/genetics
- Cysteine/genetics
- Cysteine/metabolism
- HEK293 Cells
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genetics
- RNA, Transfer, Cys/metabolism
- RNA, Transfer, Trp/metabolism
- RNA, Transfer, Tyr
- RNA, Transfer/genetics
- RNA, Transfer/metabolism
- Anticodon
- Codon, Nonsense/genetics
- Protein Biosynthesis
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leoš Shivaya Valášek
- Laboratory of Regulation of Gene Expression, Institute of Microbiology ASCR, 142 20 Prague, the Czech Republic
| | - Michaela Kučerová
- Laboratory of Regulation of Gene Expression, Institute of Microbiology ASCR, 142 20 Prague, the Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Zeman
- Laboratory of Regulation of Gene Expression, Institute of Microbiology ASCR, 142 20 Prague, the Czech Republic
| | - Petra Beznosková
- Laboratory of Regulation of Gene Expression, Institute of Microbiology ASCR, 142 20 Prague, the Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Abstract
The study of eukaryotic tRNA processing has given rise to an explosion of new information and insights in the last several years. We now have unprecedented knowledge of each step in the tRNA processing pathway, revealing unexpected twists in biochemical pathways, multiple new connections with regulatory pathways, and numerous biological effects of defects in processing steps that have profound consequences throughout eukaryotes, leading to growth phenotypes in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and to neurological and other disorders in humans. This review highlights seminal new results within the pathways that comprise the life of a tRNA, from its birth after transcription until its death by decay. We focus on new findings and revelations in each step of the pathway including the end-processing and splicing steps, many of the numerous modifications throughout the main body and anticodon loop of tRNA that are so crucial for tRNA function, the intricate tRNA trafficking pathways, and the quality control decay pathways, as well as the biogenesis and biology of tRNA-derived fragments. We also describe the many interactions of these pathways with signaling and other pathways in the cell.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eric M Phizicky
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York 14642, USA
| | - Anita K Hopper
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Center for RNA Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43235, USA
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Xiong Q, Zhang Y. Small RNA modifications: regulatory molecules and potential applications. J Hematol Oncol 2023; 16:64. [PMID: 37349851 PMCID: PMC10286502 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-023-01466-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Small RNAs (also referred to as small noncoding RNAs, sncRNA) are defined as polymeric ribonucleic acid molecules that are less than 200 nucleotides in length and serve a variety of essential functions within cells. Small RNA species include microRNA (miRNA), PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA), small interfering RNA (siRNA), tRNA-derived small RNA (tsRNA), etc. Current evidence suggest that small RNAs can also have diverse modifications to their nucleotide composition that affect their stability as well as their capacity for nuclear export, and these modifications are relevant to their capacity to drive molecular signaling processes relevant to biogenesis, cell proliferation and differentiation. In this review, we highlight the molecular characteristics and cellular functions of small RNA and their modifications, as well as current techniques for their reliable detection. We also discuss how small RNA modifications may be relevant to the clinical applications for the diagnosis and treatment of human health conditions such as cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qunli Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics and Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China
- Abdominal Oncology Ward, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yaguang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics and Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|