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Schultz SK, Kothe U. RNA modifying enzymes shape tRNA biogenesis and function. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107488. [PMID: 38908752 PMCID: PMC11301382 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107488] [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: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are the most highly modified cellular RNAs, both with respect to the proportion of nucleotides that are modified within the tRNA sequence and with respect to the extraordinary diversity in tRNA modification chemistry. However, the functions of many different tRNA modifications are only beginning to emerge. tRNAs have two general clusters of modifications. The first cluster is within the anticodon stem-loop including several modifications essential for protein translation. The second cluster of modifications is within the tRNA elbow, and roles for these modifications are less clear. In general, tRNA elbow modifications are typically not essential for cell growth, but nonetheless several tRNA elbow modifications have been highly conserved throughout all domains of life. In addition to forming modifications, many tRNA modifying enzymes have been demonstrated or hypothesized to also play an important role in folding tRNA acting as tRNA chaperones. In this review, we summarize the known functions of tRNA modifying enzymes throughout the lifecycle of a tRNA molecule, from transcription to degradation. Thereby, we describe how tRNA modification and folding by tRNA modifying enzymes enhance tRNA maturation, tRNA aminoacylation, and tRNA function during protein synthesis, ultimately impacting cellular phenotypes and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K Schultz
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute (ARRTI), Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
| | - Ute Kothe
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute (ARRTI), Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
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2
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Mao XL, Eriani G, Zhou XL. ADATs: roles in tRNA editing and relevance to disease. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2024. [PMID: 39034823 DOI: 10.3724/abbs.2024125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) play central roles in protein biosynthesis. Post-transcriptional RNA modifications affect tRNA function and stability. Among these modifications, RNA editing is a widespread RNA modification in three domains of life. Proteins of the adenosine deaminase acting on tRNA (ADAT) family were discovered more than 20 years ago. They catalyze the deamination of adenosine to inosine (A-to-I) or cytidine to uridine (C-to-U) during tRNA maturation. The most studied example is the TadA- or ADAT2/3-mediated A-to-I conversion of the tRNA wobble position in the anticodon of prokaryotic or eukaryotic tRNAs, respectively. This review provides detailed information on A-to-I and C-to-U editing of tRNAs in different domains of life, presents recent new findings on ADATs for DNA editing, and finally comments on the association of mutations in the ADAT3 gene with intellectual disability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Ling Mao
- Key Laboratory of RNA Innovation, Science and Engineering, 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
| | - Gilbert Eriani
- Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 2 allée Konrad Roentgen, 67084 Strasbourg, France
| | - Xiao-Long Zhou
- Key Laboratory of RNA Innovation, Science and Engineering, 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
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3
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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.
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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.
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4
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Throll P, G Dolce L, Rico-Lastres P, Arnold K, Tengo L, Basu S, Kaiser S, Schneider R, Kowalinski E. Structural basis of tRNA recognition by the m 3C RNA methyltransferase METTL6 in complex with SerRS seryl-tRNA synthetase. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2024:10.1038/s41594-024-01341-3. [PMID: 38918637 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-024-01341-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Methylation of cytosine 32 in the anticodon loop of tRNAs to 3-methylcytosine (m3C) is crucial for cellular translation fidelity. Misregulation of the RNA methyltransferases setting this modification can cause aggressive cancers and metabolic disturbances. Here, we report the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the human m3C tRNA methyltransferase METTL6 in complex with seryl-tRNA synthetase (SerRS) and their common substrate tRNASer. Through the complex structure, we identify the tRNA-binding domain of METTL6. We show that SerRS acts as the tRNASer substrate selection factor for METTL6. We demonstrate that SerRS augments the methylation activity of METTL6 and that direct contacts between METTL6 and SerRS are necessary for efficient tRNASer methylation. Finally, on the basis of the structure of METTL6 in complex with SerRS and tRNASer, we postulate a universal tRNA-binding mode for m3C RNA methyltransferases, including METTL2 and METTL8, suggesting that these mammalian paralogs use similar ways to engage their respective tRNA substrates and cofactors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Palma Rico-Lastres
- Institute of Functional Epigenetics, Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Katharina Arnold
- Institute of Functional Epigenetics, Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Laura Tengo
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Grenoble, France
| | - Shibom Basu
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Grenoble, France
| | - Stefanie Kaiser
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Robert Schneider
- Institute of Functional Epigenetics, Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Eva Kowalinski
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Grenoble, France.
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5
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Flemmich L, Bereiter R, Micura R. Chemical Synthesis of Modified RNA. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202403063. [PMID: 38529723 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202403063] [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: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Ribonucleic acids (RNAs) play a vital role in living organisms. Many of their cellular functions depend critically on chemical modification. Methods to modify RNA in a controlled manner-both in vitro and in vivo-are thus essential to evaluate and understand RNA biology at the molecular and mechanistic levels. The diversity of modifications, combined with the size and uniformity of RNA (made up of only 4 nucleotides) makes its site-specific modification a challenging task that needs to be addressed by complementary approaches. One such approach is solid-phase RNA synthesis. We discuss recent developments in this field, starting with new protection concepts in the ongoing effort to overcome current size limitations. We continue with selected modifications that have posed significant challenges for their incorporation into RNA. These include deazapurine bases required for atomic mutagenesis to elucidate mechanistic aspects of catalytic RNAs, and RNA containing xanthosine, N4-acetylcytidine, 5-hydroxymethylcytidine, 3-methylcytidine, 2'-OCF3, and 2'-N3 ribose modifications. We also discuss the all-chemical synthesis of 5'-capped mRNAs and the enzymatic ligation of chemically synthesized oligoribonucleotides to obtain long RNA with multiple distinct modifications, such as those needed for single-molecule FRET studies. Finally, we highlight promising developments in RNA-catalyzed RNA modification using cofactors that transfer bioorthogonal functionalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurin Flemmich
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Raphael Bereiter
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Ronald Micura
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
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6
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Zhang Y, Zhou JB, Yin Y, Wang ED, Zhou XL. Multifaceted roles of t6A biogenesis in efficiency and fidelity of mitochondrial gene expression. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:3213-3233. [PMID: 38227555 PMCID: PMC11014344 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae013] [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: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
N 6-Threonylcarbamoyladenosine at A37 (t6A37) of ANN-decoding transfer RNAs (tRNAs) is a universal modification whose functions have been well documented in bacteria and lower eukaryotes; however, its role in organellar translation is not completely understood. In this study, we deleted the mitochondrial t6A37-modifying enzyme OSGEPL1 in HEK293T cells. OSGEPL1 is dispensable for cell viability. t6A37 hypomodification selectively stimulated N1-methyladenosine at A9 (m1A9) and N2-methylguanosine at G10 (m2G10) modifications and caused a substantial reduction in the aminoacylation of mitochondrial tRNAThr and tRNALys, resulting in impaired translation efficiency. Multiple types of amino acid misincorporation due to the misreading of near-cognate codons by t6A37-unmodified tRNAs were detected, indicating a triggered translational infidelity. Accordingly, the alterations in mitochondrial structure, function, and the activated mitochondrial unfolded protein response were observed. Mitochondrial function was efficiently restored by wild-type, but not by tRNA-binding-defective OSGEPL1. Lastly, in Osgepl1 deletion mice, disruption to mitochondrial translation was evident but resulted in no observable deficiency under physiological conditions in heart, which displays the highest Osgepl1 expression. Taken together, our data delineate the multifaceted roles of mitochondrial t6A37 modification in translation efficiency and quality control in mitochondria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong 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, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Jing-Bo 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, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yue Yin
- National Facility for Protein Science in Shanghai, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Science, 333 Haike Road, Shanghai 201210, 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, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, 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, 320 Yue Yang Road, 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
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7
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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.
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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
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8
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Zeng Z, Zou Y, Cai W, Lin FC, Wang H. Roles of CcDFR and CcOMT9 in the cyanidin biosynthesis and development of Cordyceps cicadae. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1353710. [PMID: 38511011 PMCID: PMC10953825 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1353710] [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: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Cordyceps cicadae is a traditional Chinese medicinal fungus known for its rich production of bioactive substances, particularly cyanidin, an anthocyanin commonly found in plants with notable anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. This study revealed two key genes, CcDFR and CcOMT9, affecting cyanidin biosynthesis in C. cicadae. Methods The roles of these genes in cyanidin production, growth, and development were elucidated through the gene knockout method, phenotypic analysis, transcriptomics, and metabolomics. Results CcDFR deletion led to reduced cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G), suppressed expression of cyanidin biosynthesis genes, impaired synnemata formation, decreased polysaccharide and adenosine content, and diminished chitinase activity. Meanwhile, the ΔCcOMT9 mutant exhibited an increase in C3G production, promoted expression of cyanidin biosynthesis genes and rising bioactive compounds, suppressed RNA methylation, and led to phenylalanine accumulation with no effect on fruiting body formation. Discussion We revealed a distinct anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway in C. cicadae and identified two genes with opposite functions, laying the foundation for future genetic modification of cyanidin-producing strains using modern biological techniques. This will shorten the production period of this valuable compound, facilitating the industrial-scale production of cyanidin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zixuan Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yu Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Weiming Cai
- Institute of Horticulture, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Fu-Cheng Lin
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Treats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hongkai Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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9
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Dulic M, Godinic-Mikulcic V, Kekez M, Evic V, Rokov-Plavec J. Protein-Protein Interactions of Seryl-tRNA Synthetases with Emphasis on Human Counterparts and Their Connection to Health and Disease. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:124. [PMID: 38255739 PMCID: PMC10817482 DOI: 10.3390/life14010124] [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: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Seryl-tRNA synthetases (SerRSs), members of the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase family, interact with diverse proteins, enabling SerRSs to enhance their role in the translation of the genetic message or to perform alternative functions in cellular processes beyond translation. Atypical archaeal SerRS interacts with arginyl-tRNA synthetase and proteins of the ribosomal P-stalk to optimize translation through tRNA channeling. The complex between yeast SerRS and peroxin Pex21p provides a connection between translation and peroxisome function. The partnership between Arabidopsis SerRS and BEN1 indicates a link between translation and brassinosteroid metabolism and may be relevant in plant stress response mechanisms. In Drosophila, the unusual heterodimeric mitochondrial SerRS coordinates mitochondrial translation and replication via interaction with LON protease. Evolutionarily conserved interactions of yeast and human SerRSs with m3C32 tRNA methyltransferases indicate coordination between tRNA modification and aminoacylation in the cytosol and mitochondria. Human cytosolic SerRS is a cellular hub protein connecting translation to vascular development, angiogenesis, lipogenesis, and telomere maintenance. When translocated to the nucleus, SerRS acts as a master negative regulator of VEGFA gene expression. SerRS alone or in complex with YY1 and SIRT2 competes with activating transcription factors NFκB1 and c-Myc, resulting in balanced VEGFA expression important for proper vascular development and angiogenesis. In hypoxia, SerRS phosphorylation diminishes its binding to the VEGFA promoter, while the lack of nutrients triggers SerRS glycosylation, reducing its nuclear localization. Additionally, SerRS binds telomeric DNA and cooperates with the shelterin protein POT1 to regulate telomere length and cellular senescence. As an antitumor and antiangiogenic factor, human cytosolic SerRS appears to be a promising drug target and therapeutic agent for treating cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and possibly obesity and aging.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Jasmina Rokov-Plavec
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (M.D.); (V.G.-M.); (M.K.); (V.E.)
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10
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Lucas MC, Pryszcz LP, Medina R, Milenkovic I, Camacho N, Marchand V, Motorin Y, Ribas de Pouplana L, Novoa EM. Quantitative analysis of tRNA abundance and modifications by nanopore RNA sequencing. Nat Biotechnol 2024; 42:72-86. [PMID: 37024678 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-01743-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) play a central role in protein translation. Studying them has been difficult in part because a simple method to simultaneously quantify their abundance and chemical modifications is lacking. Here we introduce Nano-tRNAseq, a nanopore-based approach to sequence native tRNA populations that provides quantitative estimates of both tRNA abundances and modification dynamics in a single experiment. We show that default nanopore sequencing settings discard the vast majority of tRNA reads, leading to poor sequencing yields and biased representations of tRNA abundances based on their transcript length. Re-processing of raw nanopore current intensity signals leads to a 12-fold increase in the number of recovered tRNA reads and enables recapitulation of accurate tRNA abundances. We then apply Nano-tRNAseq to Saccharomyces cerevisiae tRNA populations, revealing crosstalks and interdependencies between different tRNA modification types within the same molecule and changes in tRNA populations in response to oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morghan C Lucas
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Leszek P Pryszcz
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rebeca Medina
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ivan Milenkovic
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Noelia Camacho
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Virginie Marchand
- CNRS-Université de Lorraine, UAR2008 IBSLor/UMR7365 IMoPA, Nancy, France
| | - Yuri Motorin
- CNRS-Université de Lorraine, UAR2008 IBSLor/UMR7365 IMoPA, Nancy, France
| | - Lluís Ribas de Pouplana
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eva Maria Novoa
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.
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11
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Yared MJ, Yoluç Y, Catala M, Tisné C, Kaiser S, Barraud P. Different modification pathways for m1A58 incorporation in yeast elongator and initiator tRNAs. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:10653-10667. [PMID: 37650648 PMCID: PMC10602860 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
As essential components of the protein synthesis machinery, tRNAs undergo a tightly controlled biogenesis process, which include the incorporation of numerous posttranscriptional modifications. Defects in these tRNA maturation steps may lead to the degradation of hypomodified tRNAs by the rapid tRNA decay (RTD) and nuclear surveillance pathways. We previously identified m1A58 as a late modification introduced after modifications Ψ55 and T54 in yeast elongator tRNAPhe. However, previous reports suggested that m1A58 is introduced early during the tRNA modification process, in particular on primary transcripts of initiator tRNAiMet, which prevents its degradation by RNA decay pathways. Here, aiming to reconcile this apparent inconsistency on the temporality of m1A58 incorporation, we examined its introduction into yeast elongator and initiator tRNAs. We used specifically modified tRNAs to report on the molecular aspects controlling the Ψ55 → T54 → m1A58 modification circuit in elongator tRNAs. We also show that m1A58 is efficiently introduced on unmodified tRNAiMet, and does not depend on prior modifications. Finally, we show that m1A58 has major effects on the structural properties of initiator tRNAiMet, so that the tRNA elbow structure is only properly assembled when this modification is present. This observation provides a structural explanation for the degradation of hypomodified tRNAiMet lacking m1A58 by the nuclear surveillance and RTD pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel-Joseph Yared
- Expression génétique microbienne, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut de biologie physico-chimique, Paris, France
| | - Yasemin Yoluç
- Department of Chemistry, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Marjorie Catala
- Expression génétique microbienne, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut de biologie physico-chimique, Paris, France
| | - Carine Tisné
- Expression génétique microbienne, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut de biologie physico-chimique, Paris, France
| | - Stefanie Kaiser
- Department of Chemistry, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Pierre Barraud
- Expression génétique microbienne, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut de biologie physico-chimique, Paris, France
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12
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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: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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.
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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.
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13
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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.
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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
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14
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The Repertoire of RNA Modifications Orchestrates a Plethora of Cellular Responses. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032387. [PMID: 36768716 PMCID: PMC9916637 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032387] [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: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Although a plethora of DNA modifications have been extensively investigated in the last decade, recent breakthroughs in molecular biology, including high throughput sequencing techniques, have enabled the identification of post-transcriptional marks that decorate RNAs; hence, epitranscriptomics has arisen. This recent scientific field aims to decode the regulatory layer of the transcriptome and set the ground for the detection of modifications in ribose nucleotides. Until now, more than 170 RNA modifications have been reported in diverse types of RNA that contribute to various biological processes, such as RNA biogenesis, stability, and transcriptional and translational accuracy. However, dysfunctions in the RNA-modifying enzymes that regulate their dynamic level can lead to human diseases and cancer. The present review aims to highlight the epitranscriptomic landscape in human RNAs and match the catalytic proteins with the deposition or deletion of a specific mark. In the current review, the most abundant RNA modifications, such as N6-methyladenosine (m6A), N5-methylcytosine (m5C), pseudouridine (Ψ) and inosine (I), are thoroughly described, their functional and regulatory roles are discussed and their contributions to cellular homeostasis are stated. Ultimately, the involvement of the RNA modifications and their writers, erasers, and readers in human diseases and cancer is also discussed.
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15
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Yamagami R, Hori H. Application of mutational profiling: New functional analyses reveal the tRNA recognition mechanism of tRNA m 1A22 methyltransferase. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:102759. [PMID: 36462666 PMCID: PMC9801127 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Transfer RNAs undergo diverse posttranscriptional modifications to regulate a myriad of cellular events including translation, stress response, and viral replication. These posttranscriptional modifications are synthesized by site-specific modification enzymes. Recent RNA-seq techniques have revealed multiple features of tRNA such as tRNA abundance, tRNA modification, and tRNA structure. Here, we adapt a tRNA-sequencing technique and design a new functional analysis where we perform mutational profiling of tRNA modifications to gain mechanistic insights into how tRNA modification enzymes recognize substrate tRNA. Profiling of Geobacillus stearothermophilus tRNAs and protein orthology analysis predict the existence of natural modifications in 44 tRNA molecular species of G. stearothermophilus. We selected the 1-methyladenosine modification at position 22 (m1A22) and tRNA (m1A22) methyltransferase (TrmK) for further analysis. Relative quantification of m1A22 levels in 59 tRNA transcripts by mutational profiling reveals that TrmK selectively methylates a subset of tRNAs. Using 240 variants of tRNALeu transcripts, we demonstrate the conserved nucleosides including U8, A14, G15, G18, G19, U55, Purine57, and A58 are important for the methyl transfer reaction of TrmK. Additional biochemical experiments reveal that TrmK strictly recognizes U8, A14, G18, and U55 in tRNA. Furthermore, these findings from tRNALeu variants were crossvalidated using variants of three different tRNA species. Finally, a model of the TrmK-tRNA complex structure was constructed based on our findings and previous biochemical and structural studies by others. Collectively, our study expands functional analyses of tRNA modification enzyme in a high-throughput manner where our assay rapidly identifies substrates from a large pool of tRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryota Yamagami
- Department of Materials Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan.
| | - Hiroyuki Hori
- Department of Materials Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan.
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16
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White LK, Hesselberth JR. Modification mapping by nanopore sequencing. Front Genet 2022; 13:1037134. [PMID: 36386798 PMCID: PMC9650216 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1037134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Next generation sequencing (NGS) has provided biologists with an unprecedented view into biological processes and their regulation over the past 2 decades, fueling a wave of development of high throughput methods based on short read DNA and RNA sequencing. For nucleic acid modifications, NGS has been coupled with immunoprecipitation, chemical treatment, enzymatic treatment, and/or the use of reverse transcriptase enzymes with fortuitous activities to enrich for and to identify covalent modifications of RNA and DNA. However, the majority of nucleic acid modifications lack commercial monoclonal antibodies, and mapping techniques that rely on chemical or enzymatic treatments to manipulate modification signatures add additional technical complexities to library preparation. Moreover, such approaches tend to be specific to a single class of RNA or DNA modification, and generate only indirect readouts of modification status. Third generation sequencing technologies such as the commercially available "long read" platforms from Pacific Biosciences and Oxford Nanopore Technologies are an attractive alternative for high throughput detection of nucleic acid modifications. While the former can indirectly sense modified nucleotides through changes in the kinetics of reverse transcription reactions, nanopore sequencing can in principle directly detect any nucleic acid modification that produces a signal distortion as the nucleic acid passes through a nanopore sensor embedded within a charged membrane. To date, more than a dozen endogenous DNA and RNA modifications have been interrogated by nanopore sequencing, as well as a number of synthetic nucleic acid modifications used in metabolic labeling, structure probing, and other emerging applications. This review is intended to introduce the reader to nanopore sequencing and key principles underlying its use in direct detection of nucleic acid modifications in unamplified DNA or RNA samples, and outline current approaches for detecting and quantifying nucleic acid modifications by nanopore sequencing. As this technology matures, we anticipate advances in both sequencing chemistry and analysis methods will lead to rapid improvements in the identification and quantification of these epigenetic marks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jay R. Hesselberth
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
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17
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Wang S, Li H, Liu J, Zhang Q, Xu W, Xiang J, Fang L, Xu P, Li Z. Integrative analysis of m3C associated genes reveals METTL2A as a potential oncogene in breast Cancer. J Transl Med 2022; 20:476. [PMID: 36266694 PMCID: PMC9583565 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03683-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA methylation modifications, especially m6A mRNA modification, are known to be extensively involved in tumor development. However, the relationship between N3-methylcytidine (m3C) related genes and tumorigenesis has rarely been studied. In this research, we found that m3C-related genes were expressed at different levels and affected patients’ prognosis across multiple cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas and multi-omics levels. Importantly, methyltransferase-like proteins 2A (METTL2A) had a high amplification frequency (~ 7%) in patients with breast invasive carcinoma (BRCA), and its overexpression was an independent predictor of poor overall survival. Enrichment analysis of associated genes revealed that METTL2A may activate DNA synthesis and cell proliferation pathways in BRCA cells. Through drug sensitivity analysis, Trifluridine, PD407824, and Taselisib were shown to be effective drugs for METTL2A-positive BRCA patients. Overall, our research conducts a holistic view of the expression level and prognostic signature of m3C-related genes with multiple malignancies. Importantly, METTL2A has been intensely explored as a potential oncogene in BRCA, to aid the development of potential drug agents for precision therapy in breast cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Wang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Huiting Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jiheng Liu
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, First Hospital of Changsha, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Qianqian Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Wei Xu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Juanjuan Xiang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Li Fang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Ping Xu
- Departments of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Zheng Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
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18
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Feng Q, Wang D, Xue T, Lin C, Gao Y, Sun L, Jin Y, Liu D. The role of RNA modification in hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:984453. [PMID: 36120301 PMCID: PMC9479111 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.984453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly mortal type of primary liver cancer. Abnormal epigenetic modifications are present in HCC, and RNA modification is dynamic and reversible and is a key post-transcriptional regulator. With the in-depth study of post-transcriptional modifications, RNA modifications are aberrantly expressed in human cancers. Moreover, the regulators of RNA modifications can be used as potential targets for cancer therapy. In RNA modifications, N6-methyladenosine (m6A), N7-methylguanosine (m7G), and 5-methylcytosine (m5C) and their regulators have important regulatory roles in HCC progression and represent potential novel biomarkers for the confirmation of diagnosis and treatment of HCC. This review focuses on RNA modifications in HCC and the roles and mechanisms of m6A, m7G, m5C, N1-methyladenosine (m1A), N3-methylcytosine (m3C), and pseudouridine (ψ) on its development and maintenance. The potential therapeutic strategies of RNA modifications are elaborated for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Feng
- Laboratory Animal Center, College of Animal Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Dongxu Wang
- Laboratory Animal Center, College of Animal Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Tianyi Xue
- Laboratory Animal Center, College of Animal Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Chao Lin
- School of Grain Science and Technology, Jilin Business and Technology College, Changchun, China
| | - Yongjian Gao
- Department of Gastrointestinal Colorectal and Anal Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Liqun Sun
- Department of Pediatrics, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ye Jin
- School of Pharmacy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
| | - Dianfeng Liu
- Laboratory Animal Center, College of Animal Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- *Correspondence: Dianfeng Liu,
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19
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Lentini JM, Bargabos R, Chen C, Fu D. Methyltransferase METTL8 is required for 3-methylcytosine modification in human mitochondrial tRNAs. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101788. [PMID: 35247384 PMCID: PMC8980813 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
A subset of eukaryotic tRNAs is methylated in the anticodon loop, forming 3-methylcytosine (m3C) modifications. In mammals, the number of tRNAs containing m3C modifications has been expanded to include mitochondrial (mt) tRNA-Ser-UGA and mt-tRNA-Thr-UGU. However, whereas the enzymes catalyzing m3C formation in nuclear-encoded tRNAs have been identified, the proteins responsible for m3C modification in mt-tRNAs are unknown. Here, we show that m3C formation in human mt-tRNAs is dependent upon the Methyltransferase-Like 8 (METTL8) enzyme. We find that METTL8 is a mitochondria-associated protein that interacts with mitochondrial seryl-tRNA synthetase, as well as with mt-tRNAs containing m3C. We demonstrate that human cells deficient in METTL8 exhibit loss of m3C modification in mt-tRNAs, but not nuclear-encoded tRNAs. Consistent with the mitochondrial import of METTL8, the formation of m3C in METTL8-deficient cells could be rescued by re-expression of wildtype METTL8, but not by a METTL8 variant lacking the N-terminal mitochondrial localization signal. Notably, we found METTL8-deficiency in human cells causes alterations in the native migration pattern of mt-tRNA-Ser-UGA, suggesting a role for m3C in tRNA folding. Altogether, these findings demonstrate that METTL8 is required for m3C formation in mitochondrial tRNAs and uncover a potential function for m3C modification in mitochondrial tRNA structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna M Lentini
- Department of Biology, Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Rachel Bargabos
- Department of Biology, Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Chen Chen
- Department of Biology, Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Dragony Fu
- Department of Biology, Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States of America.
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20
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Bohnsack KE, Kleiber N, Lemus-Diaz N, Bohnsack MT. Roles and dynamics of 3-methylcytidine in cellular RNAs. Trends Biochem Sci 2022; 47:596-608. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2022.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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21
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Synthesis of N4-acetylated 3-methylcytidine phosphoramidites for RNA solid-phase synthesis. MONATSHEFTE FUR CHEMIE 2022; 153:285-291. [PMID: 35400759 PMCID: PMC8948120 DOI: 10.1007/s00706-022-02896-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The growing interest in 3-methylcytidine (m3C) originates from the recent discoveries of m3C modified tRNAs in humans as well as its intensively debated occurrence in mRNA. Moreover, m3C formation can be catalyzed by RNA without the assistance of proteins as has been demonstrated for a naturally occurring riboswitch fold using the methylated form of its cognate ligand as cofactor. Additionally, new RNA sequencing methods have been developed to detect this modification in transcriptome-wide manner. For all these reasons, an increasing demand for synthetic m3C containing oligoribonucleotides is emerging. Their chemical synthesis relies on RNA solid-phase synthesis using phosphoramidite building blocks. Here, we describe a facile synthetic path towards N4-acetylated 2′-O-TBDMS- and 2′-O-TOM m3C phosphoramidites to provide an optimal toolbox for solid-phase synthesis of m3C containing RNA.
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22
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Kleiber N, Lemus-Diaz N, Stiller C, Heinrichs M, Mai MMQ, Hackert P, Richter-Dennerlein R, Höbartner C, Bohnsack KE, Bohnsack MT. The RNA methyltransferase METTL8 installs m 3C 32 in mitochondrial tRNAs Thr/Ser(UCN) to optimise tRNA structure and mitochondrial translation. Nat Commun 2022; 13:209. [PMID: 35017528 PMCID: PMC8752778 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27905-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Modified nucleotides in tRNAs are important determinants of folding, structure and function. Here we identify METTL8 as a mitochondrial matrix protein and active RNA methyltransferase responsible for installing m3C32 in the human mitochondrial (mt-)tRNAThr and mt-tRNASer(UCN). METTL8 crosslinks to the anticodon stem loop (ASL) of many mt-tRNAs in cells, raising the question of how methylation target specificity is achieved. Dissection of mt-tRNA recognition elements revealed U34G35 and t6A37/(ms2)i6A37, present concomitantly only in the ASLs of the two substrate mt-tRNAs, as key determinants for METTL8-mediated methylation of C32. Several lines of evidence demonstrate the influence of U34, G35, and the m3C32 and t6A37/(ms2)i6A37 modifications in mt-tRNAThr/Ser(UCN) on the structure of these mt-tRNAs. Although mt-tRNAThr/Ser(UCN) lacking METTL8-mediated m3C32 are efficiently aminoacylated and associate with mitochondrial ribosomes, mitochondrial translation is mildly impaired by lack of METTL8. Together these results define the cellular targets of METTL8 and shed new light on the role of m3C32 within mt-tRNAs.
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MESH Headings
- Anticodon/chemistry
- Anticodon/metabolism
- Base Pairing
- Cytosine/metabolism
- Gene Expression Regulation
- HEK293 Cells
- Humans
- Methylation
- Methyltransferases/genetics
- Methyltransferases/metabolism
- Mitochondria/genetics
- Mitochondria/metabolism
- Nucleic Acid Conformation
- Protein Binding
- Protein Biosynthesis
- RNA, Mitochondrial/chemistry
- RNA, Mitochondrial/genetics
- RNA, Mitochondrial/metabolism
- RNA, Transfer, Ser/chemistry
- RNA, Transfer, Ser/genetics
- RNA, Transfer, Ser/metabolism
- RNA, Transfer, Thr/chemistry
- RNA, Transfer, Thr/genetics
- RNA, Transfer, Thr/metabolism
- Signal Transduction
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Kleiber
- Department of Molecular Biology, University Medical Centre Göttingen, Humboldtallee 23, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nicolas Lemus-Diaz
- Department of Molecular Biology, University Medical Centre Göttingen, Humboldtallee 23, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Carina Stiller
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Marleen Heinrichs
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, University Medical Centre Göttingen, Humboldtallee 23, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Mandy Mong-Quyen Mai
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, University Medical Centre Göttingen, Humboldtallee 23, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Philipp Hackert
- Department of Molecular Biology, University Medical Centre Göttingen, Humboldtallee 23, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ricarda Richter-Dennerlein
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, University Medical Centre Göttingen, Humboldtallee 23, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), Göttingen, Germany
| | - Claudia Höbartner
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Katherine E Bohnsack
- Department of Molecular Biology, University Medical Centre Göttingen, Humboldtallee 23, 37073, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Markus T Bohnsack
- Department of Molecular Biology, University Medical Centre Göttingen, Humboldtallee 23, 37073, Göttingen, Germany.
- Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), Göttingen, Germany.
- Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences, Georg-August University Göttingen, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 11, Göttingen, 37077, Germany.
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23
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Huang MH, Peng GX, Mao XL, Wang JT, Zhou JB, Zhang JH, Chen M, Wang ED, Zhou XL. OUP accepted manuscript. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:4012-4028. [PMID: 35357504 PMCID: PMC9023283 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
METTL8 has recently been identified as the methyltransferase catalyzing 3-methylcytidine biogenesis at position 32 (m3C32) of mitochondrial tRNAs. METTL8 also potentially participates in mRNA methylation and R-loop biogenesis. How METTL8 plays multiple roles in distinct cell compartments and catalyzes mitochondrial tRNA m3C formation remain unclear. Here, we discovered that alternative mRNA splicing generated several isoforms of METTL8. One isoform (METTL8-Iso1) was targeted to mitochondria via an N-terminal pre-sequence, while another one (METTL8-Iso4) mainly localized to the nucleolus. METTL8-Iso1-mediated m3C32 modification of human mitochondrial tRNAThr (hmtRNAThr) was not reliant on t6A modification at A37 (t6A37), while that of hmtRNASer(UCN) critically depended on i6A modification at A37 (i6A37). We clarified the hmtRNAThr substrate recognition mechanism, which was obviously different from that of hmtRNASer(UCN), in terms of requiring a G35 determinant. Moreover, SARS2 (mitochondrial seryl-tRNA synthetase) interacted with METTL8-Iso1 in an RNA-independent manner and modestly accelerated m3C modification activity. We further elucidated how nonsubstrate tRNAs in human mitochondria were efficiently discriminated by METTL8-Iso1. In summary, our results established the expression pattern of METTL8, clarified the molecular basis for m3C32 modification by METTL8-Iso1 and provided the rationale for the involvement of METTL8 in tRNA modification, mRNA methylation or R-loop biogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Han Huang
- 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, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Gui-Xin Peng
- 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, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Hua Xia Road, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Xue-Ling Mao
- 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, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Jin-Tao Wang
- 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, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Jing-Bo Zhou
- 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, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Jian-Hui Zhang
- 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, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Meirong Chen
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing 211198, Jiangsu, China
| | - En-Duo Wang
- Correspondence may also be addressed to Prof. En-Duo Wang. Tel: +86 21 5492 1241; Fax: +86 21 5492 1011;
| | - Xiao-Long Zhou
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +86 21 5492 1247; Fax: +86 21 5492 1011;
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24
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Motorin Y, Helm M. RNA nucleotide methylation: 2021 update. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2022; 13:e1691. [PMID: 34913259 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Among RNA modifications, transfer of methylgroups from the typical cofactor S-adenosyl-l-methionine by methyltransferases (MTases) to RNA is by far the most common reaction. Since our last review about a decade ago, the field has witnessed the re-emergence of mRNA methylation as an important mechanism in gene regulation. Attention has then spread to many other RNA species; all being included into the newly coined concept of the "epitranscriptome." The focus moved from prokaryotes and single cell eukaryotes as model organisms to higher eukaryotes, in particular to mammals. The perception of the field has dramatically changed over the past decade. A previous lack of phenotypes in knockouts in single cell organisms has been replaced by the apparition of MTases in numerous disease models and clinical investigations. Major driving forces of the field include methylation mapping techniques, as well as the characterization of the various MTases, termed "writers." The latter term has spilled over from DNA modification in the neighboring epigenetics field, along with the designations "readers," applied to mediators of biological effects upon specific binding to a methylated RNA. Furthermore "eraser" enzymes effect the newly discovered oxidative removal of methylgroups. A sense of reversibility and dynamics has replaced the older perception of RNA modification as a concrete-cast, irreversible part of RNA maturation. A related concept concerns incompletely methylated residues, which, through permutation of each site, lead to inhomogeneous populations of numerous modivariants. This review recapitulates the major developments of the past decade outlined above, and attempts a prediction of upcoming trends. This article is categorized under: RNA Processing > RNA Editing and Modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri Motorin
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, INSERM, UMS2008/US40 IBSLor, EpiRNA-Seq Core Facility, Nancy, France.,Université de Lorraine, CNRS, UMR7365 IMoPA, Nancy, France
| | - Mark Helm
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, Germany
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25
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Chen R, Zhou J, Liu L, Mao XL, Zhou X, Xie W. Crystal structure of human METTL6, the m 3C methyltransferase. Commun Biol 2021; 4:1361. [PMID: 34862464 PMCID: PMC8642396 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02890-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
In tRNA, the epigenetic m3C modification at position 32 in the anticodon loop is highly conserved in eukaryotes, which maintains the folding and basepairing functions of the anticodon. However, the responsible enzymes METTL2 and METTL6 were identified only in recent years. The loss of human METTL6 (hMETTL6) affects the translational process and proteostasis in cells, while in mESCs cells, it leads to defective pluripotency potential. Despite its important functions, the catalytic mechanism of the C32 methylation by this enzyme is poorly understood. Here we present the 1.9 Å high-resolution crystal structure of hMETTL6 bound by SAH. The key residues interacting with the ligand were identified and their roles were confirmed by ITC. We generated a docking model for the hMETTL6-SAH-CMP ternary complex. Interestingly, the CMP molecule binds into a cavity in a positive patch with the base ring pointing to the inside, suggesting a flipped-base mechanism for methylation. We further generated a model for the quaternary complex with tRNASer as a component, which reasonably explained the biochemical behaviors of hMETTL6. Taken together, our crystallographic and biochemical studies provide important insight into the molecular recognition mechanism by METTL6 and may aid in the METTL-based rational drug design in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, The Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1119, Haibin Road, Nansha District, Guangzhou, 511458, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Zhou
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, The Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, People's Republic of China
| | - Ling Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, The Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue-Ling Mao
- 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, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai, 200031, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaolong Zhou
- 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, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai, 200031, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Xie
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, The Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, People's Republic of China.
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26
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Zhou JB, Wang ED, Zhou XL. Modifications of the human tRNA anticodon loop and their associations with genetic diseases. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:7087-7105. [PMID: 34605973 PMCID: PMC11071707 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03948-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) harbor the most diverse posttranscriptional modifications. Among such modifications, those in the anticodon loop, either on nucleosides or base groups, compose over half of the identified posttranscriptional modifications. The derivatives of modified nucleotides and the crosstalk of different chemical modifications further add to the structural and functional complexity of tRNAs. These modifications play critical roles in maintaining anticodon loop conformation, wobble base pairing, efficient aminoacylation, and translation speed and fidelity as well as mediating various responses to different stress conditions. Posttranscriptional modifications of tRNA are catalyzed mainly by enzymes and/or cofactors encoded by nuclear genes, whose mutations are firmly connected with diverse human diseases involving genetic nervous system disorders and/or the onset of multisystem failure. In this review, we summarize recent studies about the mechanisms of tRNA modifications occurring at tRNA anticodon loops. In addition, the pathogenesis of related disease-causing mutations at these genes is briefly described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Bo Zhou
- 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, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - En-Duo Wang
- 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, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai, 200031, China.
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 93 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai, 201210, China.
| | - Xiao-Long Zhou
- 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, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai, 200031, China.
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27
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Mathivanan J, Du J, Mao S, Zheng YY, Sheng J. Synthesis and Purification of N 3 -Methylcytidine (m 3 C) Modified RNA Oligonucleotides. Curr Protoc 2021; 1:e307. [PMID: 34792865 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
This protocol describes a step-by-step chemical synthesis approach to prepare N3 -methylcytidine (m3 C) and its phosphoramidite. The method for synthesizing m3 C starts from commercially available cytidine, and proceeds via N3 -methylation in the presence of MeI, which generates the N3 -methylcytidine (m3 C) nucleoside, followed by the installation of several protecting groups at sites that include the 5'-hydroxyl group (4,4'-dimethoxytrityl protection), the 4-amino group (benzoyl protection), and the 2'-hydroxyl group (tert-butyldimethylsilyl, TBDMS, protection). Standard phosphoramidite chemistry is applied to prepare the final m3 C phosphoramidite for solid-phase synthesis of a series of RNA oligonucleotides. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Synthesis of N3 -methylcytidine (m3 C) and its phosphoramidite Basic Protocol 2: Automated synthesis of m3 C modified RNA oligonucleotides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnsi Mathivanan
- Department of Chemistry and the RNA Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York
| | - Jinxi Du
- Department of Chemistry and the RNA Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York
| | - Song Mao
- Department of Chemistry and the RNA Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York
| | - Ya Ying Zheng
- Department of Chemistry and the RNA Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York
| | - Jia Sheng
- Department of Chemistry and the RNA Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York
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28
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Li J, Zhu WY, Yang WQ, Li CT, Liu RJ. The occurrence order and cross-talk of different tRNA modifications. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2021; 64:1423-1436. [PMID: 33881742 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-020-1906-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Chemical modifications expand the composition of RNA molecules from four standard nucleosides to over 160 modified nucleosides, which greatly increase the complexity and utility of RNAs. Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are the most heavily modified cellular RNA molecules and contain the largest variety of modifications. Modification of tRNAs is pivotal for protein synthesis and also precisely regulates the noncanonical functions of tRNAs. Defects in tRNA modifications lead to numerous human diseases. Up to now, more than 100 types of modifications have been found in tRNAs. Intriguingly, some modifications occur widely on all tRNAs, while others only occur on a subgroup of tRNAs or even only a specific tRNA. The modification frequency of each tRNA is approximately 7% to 25%, with 5-20 modification sites present on each tRNA. The occurrence and modulation of tRNA modifications are specifically noticeable as plenty of interplays among different sites and modifications have been discovered. In particular, tRNA modifications are responsive to environmental changes, indicating their dynamic and highly organized nature. In this review, we summarized the known occurrence order, cross-talk, and cooperativity of tRNA modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Wen-Yu Zhu
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Wen-Qing Yang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Cai-Tao Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Ru-Juan Liu
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China.
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29
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Valadon C, Namy O. The Importance of the Epi-Transcriptome in Translation Fidelity. Noncoding RNA 2021; 7:51. [PMID: 34564313 PMCID: PMC8482273 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna7030051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA modifications play an essential role in determining RNA fate. Recent studies have revealed the effects of such modifications on all steps of RNA metabolism. These modifications range from the addition of simple groups, such as methyl groups, to the addition of highly complex structures, such as sugars. Their consequences for translation fidelity are not always well documented. Unlike the well-known m6A modification, they are thought to have direct effects on either the folding of the molecule or the ability of tRNAs to bind their codons. Here we describe how modifications found in tRNAs anticodon-loop, rRNA, and mRNA can affect translation fidelity, and how approaches based on direct manipulations of the level of RNA modification could potentially be used to modulate translation for the treatment of human genetic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Olivier Namy
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France;
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30
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Mao XL, Li ZH, Huang MH, Wang JT, Zhou JB, Li QR, Xu H, Wang XJ, Zhou XL. Mutually exclusive substrate selection strategy by human m3C RNA transferases METTL2A and METTL6. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:8309-8323. [PMID: 34268557 PMCID: PMC8373065 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
tRNAs harbor the most diverse posttranscriptional modifications. The 3-methylcytidine (m3C) is widely distributed at position C32 (m3C32) of eukaryotic tRNAThr and tRNASer species. m3C32 is decorated by the single methyltransferase Trm140 in budding yeasts; however, two (Trm140 and Trm141 in fission yeasts) or three enzymes (METTL2A, METTL2B and METTL6 in mammals) are involved in its biogenesis. The rationale for the existence of multiple m3C32 methyltransferases and their substrate discrimination mechanism is hitherto unknown. Here, we revealed that both METTL2A and METTL2B are expressed in vivo. We purified human METTL2A, METTL2B, and METTL6 to high homogeneity. We successfully reconstituted m3C32 modification activity for tRNAThr by METT2A and for tRNASer(GCU) by METTL6, assisted by seryl-tRNA synthetase (SerRS) in vitro. Compared with METTL2A, METTL2B exhibited dramatically lower activity in vitro. Both G35 and t6A at position 37 (t6A37) are necessary but insufficient prerequisites for tRNAThr m3C32 formation, while the anticodon loop and the long variable arm, but not t6A37, are key determinants for tRNASer(GCU) m3C32 biogenesis, likely being recognized synergistically by METTL6 and SerRS, respectively. Finally, we proposed a mutually exclusive substrate selection model to ensure correct discrimination among multiple tRNAs by multiple m3C32 methyltransferases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Ling Mao
- 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, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Zi-Han Li
- 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, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Meng-Han Huang
- 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, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Jin-Tao Wang
- 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, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Jing-Bo Zhou
- 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, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Qing-Run Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Systems 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, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Hong Xu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases, the International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 910 Heng Shan Road, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Xi-Jin Wang
- Department of Neurology, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 1665 Kong Jiang Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xiao-Long Zhou
- 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, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
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31
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A semi-quantitative pull-down assay to study tRNA substrate specificity of modification enzymes. Methods Enzymol 2021; 658:359-377. [PMID: 34517954 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2021.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
A tRNA interacts with numerous proteins throughout its biogenesis and during translation, and a significant portion of these interacting proteins are involved in post-transcriptional modifications. While some of the modifying enzymes use relatively simple recognition elements for substrate recognition, many enzymes selectively modify a specific subset of tRNA species without obvious recognition rules. In this chapter we describe a semi-quantitative pull-down assay to study tRNA substrate specificity of modification enzymes, by using the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae m3C32 methyltransferase Trm140 as an example. We also discuss some overall considerations for a successful pull-down experiment, with a focus on practical applications of the dissociation constant KD between the protein and the tRNA and the off-rate.
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32
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Flemmich L, Heel S, Moreno S, Breuker K, Micura R. A natural riboswitch scaffold with self-methylation activity. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3877. [PMID: 34162884 PMCID: PMC8222354 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24193-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Methylation is a prevalent post-transcriptional modification encountered in coding and non-coding RNA. For RNA methylation, cells use methyltransferases and small organic substances as methyl-group donors, such as S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). SAM and other nucleotide-derived cofactors are viewed as evolutionary leftovers from an RNA world, in which riboswitches have regulated, and ribozymes have catalyzed essential metabolic reactions. Here, we disclose the thus far unrecognized direct link between a present-day riboswitch and its inherent reactivity for site-specific methylation. The key is O6-methyl pre-queuosine (m6preQ1), a potentially prebiotic nucleobase which is recognized by the native aptamer of a preQ1 class I riboswitch. Upon binding, the transfer of the ligand’s methyl group to a specific cytidine occurs, installing 3-methylcytidine (m3C) in the RNA pocket under release of pre-queuosine (preQ1). Our finding suggests that nucleic acid-mediated methylation is an ancient mechanism that has offered an early path for RNA epigenetics prior to the evolution of protein methyltransferases. Furthermore, our findings may pave the way for the development of riboswitch-descending methylation tools based on rational design as a powerful alternative to in vitro selection approaches. In humans, protein methyltransferase is responsible for RNA methylation using S-adenosylmethionine as a methyl group donor. Here the authors report a self-methylation activity of a bacterial riboswitch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurin Flemmich
- University of Innsbruck, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences (CMBI), Innrain 80-82, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - Sarah Heel
- University of Innsbruck, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences (CMBI), Innrain 80-82, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - Sarah Moreno
- University of Innsbruck, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences (CMBI), Innrain 80-82, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - Kathrin Breuker
- University of Innsbruck, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences (CMBI), Innrain 80-82, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - Ronald Micura
- University of Innsbruck, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences (CMBI), Innrain 80-82, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria.
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33
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Cui J, Liu Q, Sendinc E, Shi Y, Gregory RI. Nucleotide resolution profiling of m3C RNA modification by HAC-seq. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:e27. [PMID: 33313824 PMCID: PMC7969016 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa1186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellular RNAs are subject to a myriad of different chemical modifications that play important roles in controlling RNA expression and function. Dysregulation of certain RNA modifications, the so-called 'epitranscriptome', contributes to human disease. One limitation in studying the functional, physiological, and pathological roles of the epitranscriptome is the availability of methods for the precise mapping of individual RNA modifications throughout the transcriptome. 3-Methylcytidine (m3C) modification of certain tRNAs is well established and was also recently detected in mRNA. However, methods for the specific mapping of m3C throughout the transcriptome are lacking. Here, we developed a m3C-specific technique, Hydrazine-Aniline Cleavage sequencing (HAC-seq), to profile the m3C methylome at single-nucleotide resolution. We applied HAC-seq to analyze ribosomal RNA (rRNA)-depleted total RNAs in human cells. We found that tRNAs are the predominant m3C-modified RNA species, with 17 m3C modification sites on 11 cytoplasmic and 2 mitochondrial tRNA isoacceptors in MCF7 cells. We found no evidence for m3C-modification of mRNA or other non-coding RNAs at comparable levels to tRNAs in these cells. HAC-seq provides a novel method for the unbiased, transcriptome-wide identification of m3C RNA modification at single-nucleotide resolution, and could be widely applied to reveal the m3C methylome in different cells and tissues.
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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
| | - 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
| | - Erdem Sendinc
- Division of Newborn Medicine and Epigenetics Program, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Yang Shi
- Division of Newborn Medicine and Epigenetics Program, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Oxford Branch, Oxford University, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - 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
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34
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Mao S, Haruehanroengra P, Ranganathan SV, Shen F, Begley TJ, Sheng J. Base Pairing and Functional Insights into N3-Methylcytidine (m 3C) in RNA. ACS Chem Biol 2021; 16:76-85. [PMID: 33332971 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
N3-methylcytidine (m3C) is present in both eukaryotic tRNA and mRNA and plays critical roles in many biological processes. We report the synthesis of the m3C phosphoramidite building block and its containing RNA oligonucleotides. The base-pairing stability and specificity studies show that the m3C modification significantly disrupts the stability of the Watson-Crick C:G pair. Further m3C decreases the base pairing discrimination between C:G and the other mismatched C:A, C:U, and C:C pairs. Our molecular dynamic simulation study further reveals the detailed structural insights into the m3C:G base pairing pattern in an RNA duplex. More importantly, the biochemical investigation of m3C using reverse transcription in vitro shows that N3-methylation specifies the C:A pair and induces a G to A change using HIV-1-RT, MMLV-RT, and MutiScribe-RT enzymes, all with relatively low replication fidelity. For other reverse transcriptases with higher fidelity like AMV-RT, the methylation could completely shut down DNA synthesis. Our work provides detailed insights into the thermostability of m3C in RNA and a foundation for developing new molecular tools for mapping m3C in different RNA contexts and exploring the biochemical and biomedical potentials of m3C in the design and development of RNA based therapeutics.
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Zhou JB, Wang Y, Zeng QY, Meng SX, Wang ED, Zhou XL. Molecular basis for t6A modification in human mitochondria. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:3181-3194. [PMID: 32047918 PMCID: PMC7102964 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
N6-Threonylcarbamoyladenosine (t6A) is a universal tRNA modification essential for translational accuracy and fidelity. In human mitochondria, YrdC synthesises an l-threonylcarbamoyl adenylate (TC-AMP) intermediate, and OSGEPL1 transfers the TC-moiety to five tRNAs, including human mitochondrial tRNAThr (hmtRNAThr). Mutation of hmtRNAs, YrdC and OSGEPL1, affecting efficient t6A modification, has been implicated in various human diseases. However, little is known about the tRNA recognition mechanism in t6A formation in human mitochondria. Herein, we showed that OSGEPL1 is a monomer and is unique in utilising C34 as an anti-determinant by studying the contributions of individual bases in the anticodon loop of hmtRNAThr to t6A modification. OSGEPL1 activity was greatly enhanced by introducing G38A in hmtRNAIle or the A28:U42 base pair in a chimeric tRNA containing the anticodon stem of hmtRNASer(AGY), suggesting that sequences of specific hmtRNAs are fine-tuned for different modification levels. Moreover, using purified OSGEPL1, we identified multiple acetylation sites, and OSGEPL1 activity was readily affected by acetylation via multiple mechanisms in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, we systematically elucidated the nucleotide requirement in the anticodon loop of hmtRNAs, and revealed mechanisms involving tRNA sequence optimisation and post-translational protein modification that determine t6A modification levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Bo Zhou
- 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, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yong Wang
- 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, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 100 Hai Ke Road, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Qi-Yu Zeng
- 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, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Shi-Xin Meng
- Biology Department, College of Science, Purdue University, 150 N. University St, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - En-Duo Wang
- 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, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 100 Hai Ke Road, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Xiao-Long Zhou
- 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, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
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Lentini JM, Alsaif HS, Faqeih E, Alkuraya FS, Fu D. DALRD3 encodes a protein mutated in epileptic encephalopathy that targets arginine tRNAs for 3-methylcytosine modification. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2510. [PMID: 32427860 PMCID: PMC7237682 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16321-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammals, a subset of arginine tRNA isoacceptors are methylated in the anticodon loop by the METTL2 methyltransferase to form the 3-methylcytosine (m3C) modification. However, the mechanism by which METTL2 identifies specific tRNA arginine species for m3C formation as well as the biological role of m3C in mammals is unknown. Here, we show that human METTL2 forms a complex with DALR anticodon binding domain containing 3 (DALRD3) protein to recognize particular arginine tRNAs destined for m3C modification. DALRD3-deficient human cells exhibit nearly complete loss of the m3C modification in tRNA-Arg species. Notably, we identify a homozygous nonsense mutation in the DALRD3 gene that impairs m3C formation in human patients exhibiting developmental delay and early-onset epileptic encephalopathy. These findings uncover an unexpected function for the DALRD3 protein in the targeting of distinct arginine tRNAs for m3C modification and suggest a crucial biological role for DALRD3-dependent tRNA modification in proper neurological development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna M Lentini
- Department of Biology, Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Hessa S Alsaif
- Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Eissa Faqeih
- Section of Medical Genetics, Children's Specialist Hospital, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fowzan S Alkuraya
- Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Dragony Fu
- Department of Biology, Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.
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37
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Khalique A, Mattijssen S, Haddad AF, Chaudhry S, Maraia RJ. Targeting mitochondrial and cytosolic substrates of TRIT1 isopentenyltransferase: Specificity determinants and tRNA-i6A37 profiles. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008330. [PMID: 32324744 PMCID: PMC7200024 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2019] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The tRNA isopentenyltransferases (IPTases), which add an isopentenyl group to N6 of A37 (i6A37) of certain tRNAs, are among a minority of enzymes that modify cytosolic and mitochondrial tRNAs. Pathogenic mutations to the human IPTase, TRIT1, that decrease i6A37 levels, cause mitochondrial insufficiency that leads to neurodevelopmental disease. We show that TRIT1 encodes an amino-terminal mitochondrial targeting sequence (MTS) that directs mitochondrial import and modification of mitochondrial-tRNAs. Full understanding of IPTase function must consider the tRNAs selected for modification, which vary among species, and in their cytosol and mitochondria. Selection is principally via recognition of the tRNA A36-A37-A38 sequence. An exception is unmodified tRNATrpCCA-A37-A38 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, whereas tRNATrpCCA is readily modified in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, indicating variable IPTase recognition systems and suggesting that additional exceptions may account for some of the tRNA-i6A37 paucity in higher eukaryotes. Yet TRIT1 had not been characterized for restrictive type substrate-specific recognition. We used i6A37-dependent tRNA-mediated suppression and i6A37-sensitive northern blotting to examine IPTase activities in S. pombe and S. cerevisiae lacking endogenous IPTases on a diversity of tRNA-A36-A37-A38 substrates. Point mutations to the TRIT1 MTS that decrease human mitochondrial import, decrease modification of mitochondrial but not cytosolic tRNAs in both yeasts. TRIT1 exhibits clear substrate-specific restriction against a cytosolic-tRNATrpCCA-A37-A38. Additional data suggest that position 32 of tRNATrpCCA is a conditional determinant for substrate-specific i6A37 modification by the restrictive IPTases, Mod5 and TRIT1. The cumulative biochemical and phylogenetic sequence analyses provide new insights into IPTase activities and determinants of tRNA-i6A37 profiles in cytosol and mitochondria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdul Khalique
- Intramural Research Program of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, of the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Sandy Mattijssen
- Intramural Research Program of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, of the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Alexander F. Haddad
- Intramural Research Program of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, of the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Shereen Chaudhry
- Intramural Research Program of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, of the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Richard J. Maraia
- Intramural Research Program of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, of the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- Commissioned Corps, United States Public Health Service, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
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38
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Abstract
The posttranscriptional modification of messenger RNA (mRNA) and transfer RNA (tRNA) provides an additional layer of regulatory complexity during gene expression. Here, we show that a tRNA methyltransferase, TRMT10A, interacts with an mRNA demethylase FTO (ALKBH9), both in vitro and inside cells. TRMT10A installs N 1-methylguanosine (m1G) in tRNA, and FTO performs demethylation on N 6-methyladenosine (m6A) and N 6,2'-O-dimethyladenosine (m6Am) in mRNA. We show that TRMT10A ablation not only leads to decreased m1G in tRNA but also significantly increases m6A levels in mRNA. Cross-linking and immunoprecipitation, followed by high-throughput sequencing results show that TRMT10A shares a significant overlap of associated mRNAs with FTO, and these mRNAs have accelerated decay rates potentially through the regulation by a specific m6A reader, YTHDF2. Furthermore, transcripts with increased m6A upon TRMT10A ablation contain an overrepresentation of m1G9-containing tRNAs codons read by tRNAGln(TTG), tRNAArg(CCG), and tRNAThr(CGT) These findings collectively reveal the presence of coordinated mRNA and tRNA methylations and demonstrate a mechanism for regulating gene expression through the interactions between mRNA and tRNA modifying enzymes.
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39
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Barraud P, Tisné C. To be or not to be modified: Miscellaneous aspects influencing nucleotide modifications in tRNAs. IUBMB Life 2019; 71:1126-1140. [PMID: 30932315 PMCID: PMC6850298 DOI: 10.1002/iub.2041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are essential components of the cellular protein synthesis machineries, but are also implicated in many roles outside translation. To become functional, tRNAs, initially transcribed as longer precursor tRNAs, undergo a tightly controlled biogenesis process comprising the maturation of their extremities, removal of intronic sequences if present, addition of the 3'-CCA amino-acid accepting sequence, and aminoacylation. In addition, the most impressive feature of tRNA biogenesis consists in the incorporation of a large number of posttranscriptional chemical modifications along its sequence. The chemical nature of these modifications is highly diverse, with more than hundred different modifications identified in tRNAs to date. All functions of tRNAs in cells are controlled and modulated by modifications, making the understanding of the mechanisms that determine and influence nucleotide modifications in tRNAs an essential point in tRNA biology. This review describes the different aspects that determine whether a certain position in a tRNA molecule is modified or not. We describe how sequence and structural determinants, as well as the presence of prior modifications control modification processes. We also describe how environmental factors and cellular stresses influence the level and/or the nature of certain modifications introduced in tRNAs, and report situations where these dynamic modulations of tRNA modification levels are regulated by active demodification processes. © 2019 IUBMB Life, 71(8):1126-1140, 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Barraud
- Expression génétique microbienneInstitut de biologie physico‐chimique (IBPC), UMR 8261, CNRS, Université Paris DiderotParisFrance
| | - Carine Tisné
- Expression génétique microbienneInstitut de biologie physico‐chimique (IBPC), UMR 8261, CNRS, Université Paris DiderotParisFrance
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40
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Charging the code - tRNA modification complexes. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2019; 55:138-146. [PMID: 31102979 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2019.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
All types of cellular RNAs are post-transcriptionally modified, constituting the so called 'epitranscriptome'. In particular, tRNAs and their anticodon stem loops represent major modification hotspots. The attachment of small chemical groups at the heart of the ribosomal decoding machinery can directly affect translational rates, reading frame maintenance, co-translational folding dynamics and overall proteome stability. The variety of tRNA modification patterns is driven by the activity of specialized tRNA modifiers and large modification complexes. Notably, the absence or dysfunction of these cellular machines is correlated with several human pathophysiologies. In this review, we aim to highlight the most recent scientific progress and summarize currently available structural information of the most prominent eukaryotic tRNA modifiers.
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41
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Dixit S, Henderson JC, Alfonzo JD. Multi-Substrate Specificity and the Evolutionary Basis for Interdependence in tRNA Editing and Methylation Enzymes. Front Genet 2019; 10:104. [PMID: 30838029 PMCID: PMC6382703 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Among tRNA modification enzymes there is a correlation between specificity for multiple tRNA substrates and heteromultimerization. In general, enzymes that modify a conserved residue in different tRNA sequences adopt a heterodimeric structure. Presumably, such changes in the oligomeric state of enzymes, to gain multi-substrate recognition, are driven by the need to accommodate and catalyze a particular reaction in different substrates while maintaining high specificity. This review focuses on two classes of enzymes where the case for multimerization as a way to diversify molecular recognition can be made. We will highlight several new themes with tRNA methyltransferases and will also discuss recent findings with tRNA editing deaminases. These topics will be discussed in the context of several mechanisms by which heterodimerization may have been achieved during evolution and how these mechanisms might impact modifications in different systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Juan D. Alfonzo
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State Biochemistry Program, The Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
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42
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Abstract
A wide variety of factors are required for the conversion of pre-tRNA molecules into the mature tRNAs that function in translation. To identify factors influencing tRNA biogenesis, we previously performed a screen for strains carrying mutations that induce lethality when combined with a sup61-T47:2C allele, encoding a mutant form of [Formula: see text]. Analyzes of two complementation groups led to the identification of Tan1 as a protein involved in formation of the modified nucleoside N4-acetylcytidine (ac4C) in tRNA and Bud13 as a factor controlling the levels of ac4C by promoting TAN1 pre-mRNA splicing. Here, we describe the remaining complementation groups and show that they include strains with mutations in genes for known tRNA biogenesis factors that modify (DUS2, MOD5 and TRM1), transport (LOS1), or aminoacylate (SES1) [Formula: see text]. Other strains carried mutations in genes for factors involved in rRNA/mRNA synthesis (RPA49, RRN3 and MOT1) or magnesium uptake (ALR1). We show that mutations in not only DUS2, LOS1 and SES1 but also in RPA49, RRN3 and MOT1 cause a reduction in the levels of the altered [Formula: see text]. These results indicate that Rpa49, Rrn3 and Mot1 directly or indirectly influence [Formula: see text] biogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fu Xu
- a Department of Molecular Biology , Umeå University , Umeå , Sweden
| | - Yang Zhou
- a Department of Molecular Biology , Umeå University , Umeå , Sweden
| | - Anders S Byström
- a Department of Molecular Biology , Umeå University , Umeå , Sweden
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43
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Han L, Phizicky EM. A rationale for tRNA modification circuits in the anticodon loop. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2018; 24:1277-1284. [PMID: 30026310 PMCID: PMC6140457 DOI: 10.1261/rna.067736.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The numerous post-transcriptional modifications of tRNA play a crucial role in tRNA function. While most modifications are introduced to tRNA independently, several sets of modifications are found to be interconnected such that the presence of one set of modifications drives the formation of another modification. The vast majority of these modification circuits are found in the anticodon loop (ACL) region where the largest variety and highest density of modifications occur compared to the other parts of the tRNA and where there is relatively limited sequence and structural information. We speculate here that the modification circuits in the ACL region arise to enhance enzyme modification specificity by direct or indirect use of the first modification in the circuit as an additional recognition element for the second modification. We also describe the five well-studied modification circuits in the ACL, and outline possible mechanisms by which they may act. The prevalence of these modification circuits in the ACL and the phylogenetic conservation of some of them suggest that a number of other modification circuits will be found in this region in different organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Han
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York 14642, USA
| | - Eric M Phizicky
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York 14642, USA
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44
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Zimmerman SM, Kon Y, Hauke AC, Ruiz BY, Fields S, Phizicky EM. Conditional accumulation of toxic tRNAs to cause amino acid misincorporation. Nucleic Acids Res 2018; 46:7831-7843. [PMID: 30007351 PMCID: PMC6125640 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Revised: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 07/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
To develop a system for conditional amino acid misincorporation, we engineered tRNAs in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to be substrates of the rapid tRNA decay (RTD) pathway, such that they accumulate when RTD is turned off. We used this system to test the effects on growth of a library of tRNASer variants with all possible anticodons, and show that many are lethal when RTD is inhibited and the tRNA accumulates. Using mass spectrometry, we measured serine misincorporation in yeast containing each of six tRNA variants, and for five of them identified hundreds of peptides with serine substitutions at the targeted amino acid sites. Unexpectedly, we found that there is not a simple correlation between toxicity and the level of serine misincorporation; in particular, high levels of serine misincorporation can occur at cysteine residues without obvious growth defects. We also showed that toxic tRNAs can be used as a tool to identify sequence variants that reduce tRNA function. Finally, we generalized this method to another tRNA species, and generated conditionally toxic tRNATyr variants in a similar manner. This method should facilitate the study of tRNA biology and provide a tool to probe the effects of amino acid misincorporation on cellular physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yoshiko Kon
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Alayna C Hauke
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Bianca Y Ruiz
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Stanley Fields
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Eric M Phizicky
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
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45
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Kadumuri RV, Janga SC. Epitranscriptomic Code and Its Alterations in Human Disease. Trends Mol Med 2018; 24:886-903. [PMID: 30120023 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2018.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Innovations in epitranscriptomics have resulted in the identification of more than 160 RNA modifications to date. These developments, together with the recent discovery of writers, readers, and erasers of modifications occurring across a wide range of RNAs and tissue types, have led to a surge in integrative approaches for transcriptome-wide mapping of modifications and protein-RNA interaction profiles of epitranscriptome players. RNA modification maps and crosstalk between them have begun to elucidate the role of modifications as signaling switches, entertaining the notion of an epitranscriptomic code as a driver of the post-transcriptional fate of RNA. Emerging single-molecule sequencing technologies and development of antibodies specific to various RNA modifications could enable charting of transcript-specific epitranscriptomic marks across cell types and their alterations in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajashekar Varma Kadumuri
- Department of BioHealth Informatics, School of Informatics and Computing, Walker Plaza Building, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, 719 Indiana Avenue, Suite 319, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Sarath Chandra Janga
- Department of BioHealth Informatics, School of Informatics and Computing, Walker Plaza Building, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, 719 Indiana Avenue, Suite 319, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Medical Research and Library Building, Indiana University School of Medicine, 975 West Walnut Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; Centre for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, 5021 Health Information and Translational Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, 410 West 10th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
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46
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McKenney KM, Rubio MAT, Alfonzo JD. Binding synergy as an essential step for tRNA editing and modification enzyme codependence in Trypanosoma brucei. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2018; 24:56-66. [PMID: 29042505 PMCID: PMC5733570 DOI: 10.1261/rna.062893.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Transfer RNAs acquire a variety of naturally occurring chemical modifications during their maturation; these fine-tune their structure and decoding properties in a manner critical for protein synthesis. We recently reported that in the eukaryotic parasite, Trypanosoma brucei, a methylation and deamination event are unexpectedly interconnected, whereby the tRNA adenosine deaminase (TbADAT2/3) and the 3-methylcytosine methyltransferase (TbTrm140) strictly rely on each other for activity, leading to formation of m3C and m3U at position 32 in several tRNAs. Still however, it is not clear why these two enzymes, which work independently in other systems, are strictly codependent in T. brucei Here, we show that these enzymes exhibit binding synergism, or a mutual increase in binding affinity, that is more than the sum of the parts, when added together in a reaction. Although these enzymes interact directly with each other, tRNA binding assays using enzyme variants mutated in critical binding and catalytic sites indicate that the observed binding synergy stems from contributions from tRNA-binding domains distal to their active sites. These results provide a rationale for the known interactions of these proteins, while also speaking to the modulation of substrate specificity between seemingly unrelated enzymes. This information should be of value in furthering our understanding of how tRNA modification enzymes act together to regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level and provide a basis for the interdependence of such activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine M McKenney
- Department of Microbiology, Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
- Ohio State Biochemistry Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Mary Anne T Rubio
- Department of Microbiology, Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Juan D Alfonzo
- Department of Microbiology, Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
- Ohio State Biochemistry Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
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47
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Sokołowski M, Klassen R, Bruch A, Schaffrath R, Glatt S. Cooperativity between different tRNA modifications and their modification pathways. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2017; 1861:409-418. [PMID: 29222069 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2017.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Revised: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 12/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Ribonucleotide modifications perform a wide variety of roles in synthesis, turnover and functionality of tRNA molecules. The presence of particular chemical moieties can refine the internal interaction network within a tRNA molecule, influence its thermodynamic stability, contribute novel chemical properties and affect its decoding behavior during mRNA translation. As the lack of specific modifications in the anticodon stem and loop causes disrupted proteome homeostasis, diminished response to stress conditions, and the onset of human diseases, the underlying modification cascades have recently gained particular scientific and clinical interest. Nowadays, a complicated but conclusive image of the interconnectivity between different enzymatic modification cascades and their resulting tRNA modifications emerges. Here we summarize the current knowledge in the field, focusing on the known instances of cross talk among the enzymatic tRNA modification pathways and the consequences on the dynamic regulation of the tRNA modificome by various factors. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: SI: Regulation of tRNA synthesis and modification in physiological conditions and disease edited by Dr. Boguta Magdalena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikołaj Sokołowski
- Max Planck Research Group at the Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland; Postgraduate School of Molecular Medicine, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Roland Klassen
- Institut für Biologie, Fachgebiet Mikrobiologie, Universität Kassel, Kassel, Germany
| | - Alexander Bruch
- Institut für Biologie, Fachgebiet Mikrobiologie, Universität Kassel, Kassel, Germany
| | - Raffael Schaffrath
- Institut für Biologie, Fachgebiet Mikrobiologie, Universität Kassel, Kassel, Germany.
| | - Sebastian Glatt
- Max Planck Research Group at the Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.
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48
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Abstract
The discovery of multiple RNA modifications in the past few years has broadened our views of the structures and potential functions of RNA species, but deciphering which modifications are made where and how remains a challenge. A new study by Xu et al. applies a combination of mass spectrometry, biochemistry, genetics, and cellular biology tools to reveal the two mammalian methyltransferases that are responsible for m3C installation in tRNA and a third that mediates the previously unknown installation of m3C in mammalian mRNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fange Liu
- From the Departments of Chemistry and.,Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics
| | - Chuan He
- From the Departments of Chemistry and .,Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
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49
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Xu L, Liu X, Sheng N, Oo KS, Liang J, Chionh YH, Xu J, Ye F, Gao YG, Dedon PC, Fu XY. Three distinct 3-methylcytidine (m 3C) methyltransferases modify tRNA and mRNA in mice and humans. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:14695-14703. [PMID: 28655767 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.798298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Revised: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemical RNA modifications are central features of epitranscriptomics, highlighted by the discovery of modified ribonucleosides in mRNA and exemplified by the critical roles of RNA modifications in normal physiology and disease. Despite a resurgent interest in these modifications, the biochemistry of 3-methylcytidine (m3C) formation in mammalian RNAs is still poorly understood. However, the recent discovery of trm141 as the second gene responsible for m3C presence in RNA in fission yeast raises the possibility that multiple enzymes are involved in m3C formation in mammals as well. Here, we report the discovery and characterization of three distinct m3C-contributing enzymes in mice and humans. We found that methyltransferase-like (METTL) 2 and 6 contribute m3C in specific tRNAs and that METTL8 only contributes m3C to mRNA. MS analysis revealed that there is an ∼30-40% and ∼10-15% reduction, respectively, in METTL2 and -6 null-mutant cells, of m3C in total tRNA, and primer extension analysis located METTL2-modified m3C at position 32 of tRNAThr isoacceptors and tRNAArg(CCU) We also noted that METTL6 interacts with seryl-tRNA synthetase in an RNA-dependent manner, suggesting a role for METTL6 in modifying serine tRNA isoacceptors. METTL8, however, modified only mRNA, as determined by biochemical and genetic analyses in Mettl8 null-mutant mice and two human METTL8 mutant cell lines. Our findings provide the first evidence of the existence of m3C modification in mRNA, and the discovery of METTL8 as an mRNA m3C writer enzyme opens the door to future studies of other m3C epitranscriptomic reader and eraser functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luang Xu
- From the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, 117599 Singapore
| | - Xinyu Liu
- From the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, 117599 Singapore
| | - Na Sheng
- the Model Animal Research Center of Nanjing University, 12 Xuefu Road, 210032 Nanjing, China
| | - Kyaw Soe Oo
- From the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, 117599 Singapore
| | - Junxin Liang
- the Department of Biochemistry, National University of Singapore, 8 Medical Drive, 117596 Singapore
| | - Yok Hian Chionh
- the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, 1 CREATE Way, 138602 Singapore
| | - Juan Xu
- the Model Animal Research Center of Nanjing University, 12 Xuefu Road, 210032 Nanjing, China
| | - Fuzhou Ye
- the School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, 637551 Singapore, and
| | - Yong-Gui Gao
- the School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, 637551 Singapore, and
| | - Peter C Dedon
- the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, 1 CREATE Way, 138602 Singapore, .,the Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Xin-Yuan Fu
- From the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, 117599 Singapore, .,the Model Animal Research Center of Nanjing University, 12 Xuefu Road, 210032 Nanjing, China.,the Department of Biochemistry, National University of Singapore, 8 Medical Drive, 117596 Singapore
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Maraia RJ, Arimbasseri AG. Factors That Shape Eukaryotic tRNAomes: Processing, Modification and Anticodon-Codon Use. Biomolecules 2017; 7:biom7010026. [PMID: 28282871 PMCID: PMC5372738 DOI: 10.3390/biom7010026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) contain sequence diversity beyond their anticodons and the large variety of nucleotide modifications found in all kingdoms of life. Some modifications stabilize structure and fit in the ribosome whereas those to the anticodon loop modulate messenger RNA (mRNA) decoding activity more directly. The identities of tRNAs with some universal anticodon loop modifications vary among distant and parallel species, likely to accommodate fine tuning for their translation systems. This plasticity in positions 34 (wobble) and 37 is reflected in codon use bias. Here, we review convergent evidence that suggest that expansion of the eukaryotic tRNAome was supported by its dedicated RNA polymerase III transcription system and coupling to the precursor-tRNA chaperone, La protein. We also review aspects of eukaryotic tRNAome evolution involving G34/A34 anticodon-sparing, relation to A34 modification to inosine, biased codon use and regulatory information in the redundancy (synonymous) component of the genetic code. We then review interdependent anticodon loop modifications involving position 37 in eukaryotes. This includes the eukaryote-specific tRNA modification, 3-methylcytidine-32 (m3C32) and the responsible gene, TRM140 and homologs which were duplicated and subspecialized for isoacceptor-specific substrates and dependence on i6A37 or t6A37. The genetics of tRNA function is relevant to health directly and as disease modifiers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Maraia
- Intramural Research Program, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
- Commissioned Corps, U.S. Public Health Service, Rockville, MD, 20016, USA.
| | - Aneeshkumar G Arimbasseri
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory, National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India.
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