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Wagner V, Meese E, Keller A. The intricacies of isomiRs: from classification to clinical relevance. Trends Genet 2024:S0168-9525(24)00124-0. [PMID: 38862304 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2024.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and isoforms of their archetype, called isomiRs, regulate gene expression via complementary base-pair binding to messenger RNAs (mRNAs). The partially evolutionarily conserved isomiR sequence variations are differentially expressed among tissues, populations, and genders, and between healthy and diseased states. Aiming towards the clinical use of isomiRs as diagnostic biomarkers and for therapeutic purposes, several challenges need to be addressed, including (i) clarification of isomiR definition, (ii) improved annotation in databases with new standardization (such as the mirGFF3 format), and (iii) improved methods of isomiR detection, functional verification, and in silico analysis. In this review we discuss the respective challenges, and highlight the opportunities for clinical use of isomiRs, especially in the light of increasing amounts of next-generation sequencing (NGS) data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktoria Wagner
- Chair for Clinical Bioinformatics, Center for Bioinformatics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany; Helmholtz-Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Saarland University Campus, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Eckart Meese
- Department of Human Genetics, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg/Saar, Germany
| | - Andreas Keller
- Chair for Clinical Bioinformatics, Center for Bioinformatics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany; Helmholtz-Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Saarland University Campus, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.
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2
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Oyejobi GK, Yan X, Sliz P, Wang L. Regulating Protein-RNA Interactions: Advances in Targeting the LIN28/Let-7 Pathway. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3585. [PMID: 38612395 PMCID: PMC11011352 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073585] [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: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Originally discovered in C. elegans, LIN28 is an evolutionarily conserved zinc finger RNA-binding protein (RBP) that post-transcriptionally regulates genes involved in developmental timing, stem cell programming, and oncogenesis. LIN28 acts via two distinct mechanisms. It blocks the biogenesis of the lethal-7 (let-7) microRNA (miRNA) family, and also directly binds messenger RNA (mRNA) targets, such as IGF-2 mRNA, and alters downstream splicing and translation events. This review focuses on the molecular mechanism of LIN28 repression of let-7 and current strategies to overcome this blockade for the purpose of cancer therapy. We highlight the value of the LIN28/let-7 pathway as a drug target, as multiple oncogenic proteins that the pathway regulates are considered undruggable due to their inaccessible cellular location and lack of cavities for small molecule binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greater Kayode Oyejobi
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China; (G.K.O.); (X.Y.)
| | - Xiaodan Yan
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China; (G.K.O.); (X.Y.)
| | - Piotr Sliz
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Longfei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China; (G.K.O.); (X.Y.)
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3
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Bofill-De Ros X, Vang Ørom UA. Recent progress in miRNA biogenesis and decay. RNA Biol 2024; 21:1-8. [PMID: 38031325 PMCID: PMC10761092 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2023.2288741] [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] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs are a class of small regulatory RNAs that mediate regulation of protein synthesis by recognizing sequence elements in mRNAs. MicroRNAs are processed through a series of steps starting from transcription and primary processing in the nucleus to precursor processing and mature function in the cytoplasm. It is also in the cytoplasm where levels of mature microRNAs can be modulated through decay mechanisms. Here, we review the recent progress in the lifetime of a microRNA at all steps required for maintaining their homoeostasis. The increasing knowledge about microRNA regulation upholds great promise as therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Bofill-De Ros
- RNA Biology and Innovation, Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- RNA Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Ulf Andersson Vang Ørom
- RNA Biology and Innovation, Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Gómez-Martín C, Aparicio-Puerta E, van Eijndhoven MA, Medina JM, Hackenberg M, Pegtel DM. Reassessment of miRNA variant (isomiRs) composition by small RNA sequencing. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2023; 3:100480. [PMID: 37323569 PMCID: PMC10261927 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2023.100480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
IsomiRs, sequence variants of mature microRNAs, are usually detected and quantified using high-throughput sequencing. Many examples of their biological relevance have been reported, but sequencing artifacts identified as artificial variants might bias biological inference and therefore need to be ideally avoided. We conducted a comprehensive evaluation of 10 different small RNA sequencing protocols, exploring both a theoretically isomiR-free pool of synthetic miRNAs and HEK293T cells. We calculated that, with the exception of two protocols, less than 5% of miRNA reads can be attributed to library preparation artifacts. Randomized-end adapter protocols showed superior accuracy, with 40% of true biological isomiRs. Nevertheless, we demonstrate concordance across protocols for selected miRNAs in non-templated uridyl additions. Notably, NTA-U calling and isomiR target prediction can be inaccurate when using protocols with poor single-nucleotide resolution. Our results highlight the relevance of protocol choice for biological isomiRs detection and annotation, which has key potential implications for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Gómez-Martín
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Pathology, De Boelelaan, 1117 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Imaging and Biomarkers, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Monique A.J. van Eijndhoven
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Pathology, De Boelelaan, 1117 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Imaging and Biomarkers, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - José M. Medina
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
- Bioinformatics Laboratory, Biotechnology Institute, Centro de Investigación Biomédica, PTS, Avda. del Conocimiento s/n, 18100 Granada, Spain
| | - Michael Hackenberg
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
- Bioinformatics Laboratory, Biotechnology Institute, Centro de Investigación Biomédica, PTS, Avda. del Conocimiento s/n, 18100 Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
- Excellence Research Unit “Modelling Nature” (MNat), University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - D. Michiel Pegtel
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Pathology, De Boelelaan, 1117 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Imaging and Biomarkers, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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5
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Lee S, Jee D, Srivastava S, Yang A, Ramidi A, Shang R, Bortolamiol-Becet D, Pfeffer S, Gu S, Wen J, Lai EC. Promiscuous splicing-derived hairpins are dominant substrates of tailing-mediated defense of miRNA biogenesis in mammals. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112111. [PMID: 36800291 PMCID: PMC10508058 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112111] [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: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Canonical microRNA (miRNA) hairpins are processed by the RNase III enzymes Drosha and Dicer into ∼22 nt RNAs loaded into an Argonaute (Ago) effector. In addition, splicing generates numerous intronic hairpins that bypass Drosha (mirtrons) to yield mature miRNAs. Here, we identify hundreds of previously unannotated, splicing-derived hairpins in intermediate-length (∼50-100 nt) but not small (20-30 nt) RNA data. Since we originally defined mirtrons from small RNA duplexes, we term this larger set as structured splicing-derived RNAs (ssdRNAs). These associate with Dicer and/or Ago complexes, but generally accumulate modestly and are poorly conserved. We propose they contaminate the canonical miRNA pathway, which consequently requires defense against the siege of splicing-derived substrates. Accordingly, ssdRNAs/mirtrons comprise dominant hairpin substrates for 3' tailing by multiple terminal nucleotidyltransferases, notably TUT4/7 and TENT2. Overall, the rampant proliferation of young mammalian mirtrons/ssdRNAs, coupled with an inhibitory molecular defense, comprises a Red Queen's race of intragenomic conflict.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungjae Lee
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, 1275 York Avenue, Box 252, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - David Jee
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, 1275 York Avenue, Box 252, New York, NY 10065, USA; Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Sid Srivastava
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, 1275 York Avenue, Box 252, New York, NY 10065, USA; High Technology High School, Lincroft, NJ 07738, USA
| | - Acong Yang
- RNA Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, 8 National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Abhinav Ramidi
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, 1275 York Avenue, Box 252, New York, NY 10065, USA; High Technology High School, Lincroft, NJ 07738, USA
| | - Renfu Shang
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, 1275 York Avenue, Box 252, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Diane Bortolamiol-Becet
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, 1275 York Avenue, Box 252, New York, NY 10065, USA; Université de Strasbourg, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du CNRS, 2 Allée Konrad Roentgen, 67084 Strasbourg, France
| | - Sébastien Pfeffer
- Université de Strasbourg, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du CNRS, 2 Allée Konrad Roentgen, 67084 Strasbourg, France
| | - Shuo Gu
- RNA Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, 8 National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Jiayu Wen
- Division of Genome Sciences and Cancer, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
| | - Eric C Lai
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, 1275 York Avenue, Box 252, New York, NY 10065, USA; Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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Zhang P, Frederick MI, Heinemann IU. Terminal Uridylyltransferases TUT4/7 Regulate microRNA and mRNA Homeostasis. Cells 2022; 11:cells11233742. [PMID: 36497000 PMCID: PMC9736393 DOI: 10.3390/cells11233742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The terminal nucleotidyltransferases TUT4 and TUT7 (TUT4/7) regulate miRNA and mRNA stability by 3' end uridylation. In humans, TUT4/7 polyuridylates both mRNA and pre-miRNA, leading to degradation by the U-specific exonuclease DIS3L2. We investigate the role of uridylation-dependent decay in maintaining the transcriptome by transcriptionally profiling TUT4/7 deleted cells. We found that while the disruption of TUT4/7 expression increases the abundance of a variety of miRNAs, the let-7 family of miRNAs is the most impacted. Eight let-7 family miRNAs were increased in abundance in TUT4/7 deleted cells, and many let-7 mRNA targets are decreased in abundance. The mRNAs with increased abundance in the deletion strain are potential direct targets of TUT4/7, with transcripts coding for proteins involved in cellular stress response, rRNA processing, ribonucleoprotein complex biogenesis, cell-cell signaling, and regulation of metabolic processes most affected in the TUT4/7 knockout cells. We found that TUT4/7 indirectly control oncogenic signaling via the miRNA let-7a, which regulates AKT phosphorylation status. Finally, we find that, similar to fission yeast, the disruption of uridylation-dependent decay leads to major rearrangements of the transcriptome and reduces cell proliferation and adhesion.
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Chen S, Wang Y, Li D, Wang H, Zhao X, Yang J, Chen L, Guo M, Zhao J, Chen C, Zhou Y, Liang G, Xu L. Mechanisms Controlling MicroRNA Expression in Tumor. Cells 2022; 11:cells11182852. [PMID: 36139427 PMCID: PMC9496884 DOI: 10.3390/cells11182852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are widely present in many organisms and regulate the expression of genes in various biological processes such as cell differentiation, metabolism, and development. Numerous studies have shown that miRNAs are abnormally expressed in tumor tissues and are closely associated with tumorigenesis. MiRNA-based cancer gene therapy has consistently shown promising anti-tumor effects and is recognized as a new field in cancer treatment. So far, some clinical trials involving the treatment of malignancies have been carried out; however, studies of miRNA-based cancer gene therapy are still proceeding slowly. Therefore, furthering our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of miRNA can bring substantial benefits to the development of miRNA-based gene therapy or other combination therapies and the clinical outcome of patients with cancer. Recent studies have revealed that the aberrant expression of miRNA in tumors is associated with promoter sequence mutation, epigenetic alteration, aberrant RNA modification, etc., showing the complexity of aberrant expression mechanisms of miRNA in tumors. In this paper, we systematically summarized the regulation mechanisms of miRNA expression in tumors, with the aim of providing assistance in the subsequent elucidation of the role of miRNA in tumorigenesis and the development of new strategies for tumor prevention and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shipeng Chen
- Special Key Laboratory of Gene Detection and Therapy & Base for Talents in Biotherapy of Guizhou Province, Zunyi 563000, China
- Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Ya Wang
- Special Key Laboratory of Gene Detection and Therapy & Base for Talents in Biotherapy of Guizhou Province, Zunyi 563000, China
- Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Dongmei Li
- Special Key Laboratory of Gene Detection and Therapy & Base for Talents in Biotherapy of Guizhou Province, Zunyi 563000, China
- Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Hui Wang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Xu Zhao
- Special Key Laboratory of Gene Detection and Therapy & Base for Talents in Biotherapy of Guizhou Province, Zunyi 563000, China
- Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Special Key Laboratory of Gene Detection and Therapy & Base for Talents in Biotherapy of Guizhou Province, Zunyi 563000, China
- Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Longqing Chen
- Special Key Laboratory of Gene Detection and Therapy & Base for Talents in Biotherapy of Guizhou Province, Zunyi 563000, China
- Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Mengmeng Guo
- Special Key Laboratory of Gene Detection and Therapy & Base for Talents in Biotherapy of Guizhou Province, Zunyi 563000, China
- Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Juanjuan Zhao
- Special Key Laboratory of Gene Detection and Therapy & Base for Talents in Biotherapy of Guizhou Province, Zunyi 563000, China
- Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Chao Chen
- Special Key Laboratory of Gene Detection and Therapy & Base for Talents in Biotherapy of Guizhou Province, Zunyi 563000, China
- Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Ya Zhou
- Special Key Laboratory of Gene Detection and Therapy & Base for Talents in Biotherapy of Guizhou Province, Zunyi 563000, China
- Department of Medical Physics, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
- Correspondence: (Y.Z.); (G.L.); (L.X.)
| | - Guiyou Liang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550031, China
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
- Correspondence: (Y.Z.); (G.L.); (L.X.)
| | - Lin Xu
- Special Key Laboratory of Gene Detection and Therapy & Base for Talents in Biotherapy of Guizhou Province, Zunyi 563000, China
- Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, China
- Correspondence: (Y.Z.); (G.L.); (L.X.)
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Yang A, Bofill-De Ros X, Stanton R, Shao TJ, Villanueva P, Gu S. TENT2, TUT4, and TUT7 selectively regulate miRNA sequence and abundance. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5260. [PMID: 36071058 PMCID: PMC9452540 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32969-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
TENTs generate miRNA isoforms by 3' tailing. However, little is known about how tailing regulates miRNA function. Here, we generate isogenic HEK293T cell lines in which TENT2, TUT4 and TUT7 are knocked out individually or in combination. Together with rescue experiments, we characterize TENT-specific effects by deep sequencing, Northern blot and in vitro assays. We find that 3' tailing is not random but highly specific. In addition to its known adenylation, TENT2 contributes to guanylation and uridylation on mature miRNAs. TUT4 uridylates most miRNAs whereas TUT7 is dispensable. Removing adenylation has a marginal impact on miRNA levels. By contrast, abolishing uridylation leads to dysregulation of a set of miRNAs. Besides let-7, miR-181b and miR-222 are negatively regulated by TUT4/7 via distinct mechanisms while the miR-888 cluster is upregulated specifically by TUT7. Our results uncover the selective actions of TENTs in generating 3' isomiRs and pave the way to investigate their functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Acong Yang
- RNA Mediated Gene Regulation Section; RNA Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Xavier Bofill-De Ros
- RNA Mediated Gene Regulation Section; RNA Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Ryan Stanton
- RNA Mediated Gene Regulation Section; RNA Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Tie-Juan Shao
- RNA Mediated Gene Regulation Section; RNA Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
- School of Basic Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, China
| | - Patricia Villanueva
- RNA Mediated Gene Regulation Section; RNA Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Shuo Gu
- RNA Mediated Gene Regulation Section; RNA Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA.
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