Preliminary crystallographic analysis of a polyadenylate synthase from Megavirus

Megavirus chilensis, a close relative of the Mimivirus giant virus, is also the most complex virus sequenced to date, with a 1.26 Mb double-stranded DNA genome encoding 1120 genes. The two viruses share common regulatory elements such as a peculiar palindrome governing the termination/polyadenylation of viral transcripts. They also share a predicted polyadenylate synthase that presents a higher than average percentage of residue conservation. The Megavirus enzyme Mg561 was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized. A 2.24 Å resolution MAD data set was recorded from a single crystal on the ID29 beamline at the ESRF.

Inhibition of polyadenylation reduces inflammatory gene induction

Cordycepin (3' deoxyadenosine) has long been used in the study of in vitro assembled polyadenylation complexes, because it terminates the poly(A) tail and arrests the cleavage complex. It is derived from caterpillar fungi, which are highly prized in Chinese traditional medicine. Here we show that cordycepin specifically inhibits the induction of inflammatory mRNAs by cytokines in human airway smooth muscle cells without affecting the expression of control mRNAs. Cordycepin treatment results in shorter poly(A) tails, and a reduction in the efficiency of mRNA cleavage and transcription termination is observed, indicating that the effects of cordycepin on 3' processing in cells are similar to those described in in vitro reactions. For the CCL2 and CXCL1 mRNAs, the effects of cordycepin are post-transcriptional, with the mRNA disappearing during or immediately after nuclear export. In contrast, although the recruitment of RNA polymerase II to the IL8 promoter is also unaffected, the levels of nascent transcript are reduced, indicating a defect in transcription elongation. We show that a reporter construct with 3' sequences from a histone gene is unaffected by cordycepin, while CXCL1 sequences confer cordycepin sensitivity to the reporter, demonstrating that polyadenylation is indeed required for the effect of cordycepin on gene expression. In addition, treatment with another polyadenyation inhibitor and knockdown of poly(A) polymerase α also specifically reduced the induction of inflammatory mRNAs. These data demonstrate that there are differences in the 3' processing of inflammatory and housekeeping genes and identify polyadenylation as a novel target for anti-inflammatory drugs.

Maturation of mammalian H/ACA box snoRNAs: PAPD5-dependent adenylation and PARN-dependent trimming

Small nucleolar and small Cajal body RNAs (snoRNAs and scaRNAs) of the H/ACA box and C/D box type are generated by exonucleolytic shortening of longer precursors. Removal of the last few nucleotides at the 3' end is known to be a distinct step. We report that, in human cells, knock-down of the poly(A) specific ribonuclease (PARN), previously implicated only in mRNA metabolism, causes the accumulation of oligoadenylated processing intermediates of H/ACA box but not C/D box RNAs. In agreement with a role of PARN in snoRNA and scaRNA processing, the enzyme is concentrated in nucleoli and Cajal bodies. Oligo(A) tails are attached to a short stub of intron sequence remaining beyond the mature 3' end of the snoRNAs. The noncanonical poly(A) polymerase PAPD5 is responsible for addition of the oligo(A) tails. We suggest that deadenylation is coupled to clean 3' end trimming, which might serve to enhance snoRNA stability.

The RNA helicase Mtr4p modulates polyadenylation in the TRAMP complex

Many steps in nuclear RNA processing, surveillance, and degradation require TRAMP, a complex containing the poly(A) polymerase Trf4p, the Zn-knuckle protein Air2p, and the RNA helicase Mtr4p. TRAMP polyadenylates RNAs designated for decay or trimming by the nuclear exosome. It has been unclear how polyadenylation by TRAMP differs from polyadenylation by conventional poly(A) polymerase, which produces poly(A) tails that stabilize RNAs. Using reconstituted S. cerevisiae TRAMP, we show that TRAMP inherently suppresses poly(A) addition after only 3-4 adenosines. This poly(A) tail length restriction is controlled by Mtr4p. The helicase detects the number of 3'-terminal adenosines and, over several adenylation steps, elicits precisely tuned adjustments of ATP affinities and rate constants for adenylation and TRAMP dissociation. Our data establish Mtr4p as a critical regulator of polyadenylation by TRAMP and reveal that an RNA helicase can control the activity of another enzyme in a highly complex fashion and in response to features in RNA.

The poly(rC)-binding protein alphaCP2 is a noncanonical factor in X. laevis cytoplasmic polyadenylation

Post-transcriptional control of mRNA stability and translation is central to multiple developmental pathways. This control can be linked to cytoplasmic polyadenylation in certain settings. In maturing Xenopus oocytes, specific mRNAs are targeted for polyadenylation via recruitment of the Cytoplasmic Polyadenylation Element (CPE) binding protein (CPEB) to CPE(s) within the 3' UTR. Cytoplasmic polyadenylation is also critical to early embryonic events, although corresponding determinants are less defined. Here, we demonstrate that the Xenopus ortholog of the poly(rC) binding protein αCP2 can recruit cytoplasmic poly(A) polymerase activity to mRNAs in Xenopus post-fertilization embryos, and that this recruitment relies on cis sequences recognized by αCP2. We find that the hα-globin 3' UTR, a validated mammalian αCP2 target, constitutes an effective target for cytoplasmic polyadenylation in Xenopus embryos, but not during Xenopus oocyte maturation. We further demonstrate that the cytoplasmic polyadenylation activity is dependent on the action of the C-rich αCP-binding site in conjunction with the adjacent AAUAAA. Consistent with its ability to target mRNA for poly(A) addition, we find that XαCP2 associates with core components of the Xenopus cytoplasmic polyadenylation complex, including the cytoplasmic poly(A) polymerase XGLD2. Furthermore, we observe that the C-rich αCP-binding site can robustly enhance the activity of a weak canonical oocyte maturation CPE in early embryos, possibly via a direct interaction between XαCP2 and CPEB1. These studies establish XαCP2 as a novel cytoplasmic polyadenylation trans factor, indicate that C-rich sequences can function as noncanonical cytoplasmic polyadenylation elements, and expand our understanding of the complexities underlying cytoplasmic polyadenylation in specific developmental settings.

Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction of a disulfide cross-linked complex between bovine poly(A) polymerase and a chemically modified 15-mer oligo(A) RNA

Poly(A) polymerase (PAP) synthesizes the polyadenine tail at the 3'-end of messenger RNA. A disulfide cross-linking strategy was implemented to obtain a complex between bovine PAP (bPAP) and a 15-mer oligo(A). All seven endogenous cysteines were mutated to eliminate nonspecific cross-linked complexes. A cysteine residue was introduced at several different positions and A152C was found to achieve maximum specific cross-linking efficiency. The resulting bPAP construct was active and, when mixed with a chemically modified RNA, yielded crystals of a bPAP-RNA complex. The crystals, which belonged to space group P2 and harbored two protein-RNA complexes per asymmetric unit, diffracted X-rays to 2.25 Å resolution.

Proteomic and functional analysis of the noncanonical poly(A) polymerase Cid14

The fission yeast Cid14 protein belongs to a family of noncanonical poly(A) polymerases which have been implicated in a broad range of biological functions. Here we describe an extensive Cid14 protein-protein interaction network and its biochemical dissection. Cid14 most stably interacts with the zinc-knuckle protein Air1 to form the Cid14-Air1 complex (CAC). Providing a link to ribosomal RNA processing, Cid14 sediments with 60S ribosomal subunits and copurifies with 60S assembly factors. In contrast, no physical link to chromatin has been identified, although gene expression profiling revealed that efficient silencing of a few heterochromatic genes depends on Cid14 and/or Air1.

RNA-specific ribonucleotidyl transferases

RNA-specific nucleotidyl transferases (rNTrs) are a diverse family of template-independent polymerases that add ribonucleotides to the 3'-ends of RNA molecules. All rNTrs share a related active-site architecture first described for DNA polymerase beta and a catalytic mechanism conserved among DNA and RNA polymerases. The best known examples are the nuclear poly(A) polymerases involved in the 3'-end processing of eukaryotic messenger RNA precursors and the ubiquitous CCA-adding enzymes that complete the 3'-ends of tRNA molecules. In recent years, a growing number of new enzymes have been added to the list that now includes the "noncanonical" poly(A) polymerases involved in RNA quality control or in the readenylation of dormant messenger RNAs in the cytoplasm. Other members of the group are terminal uridylyl transferases adding single or multiple UMP residues in RNA-editing reactions or upon the maturation of small RNAs and poly(U) polymerases, the substrates of which are still not known. 2'-5'Oligo(A) synthetases differ from the other rNTrs by synthesizing oligonucleotides with 2'-5'-phosphodiester bonds de novo.

Autoregulation of GLD-2 cytoplasmic poly(A) polymerase

Cytoplasmic polyadenylation regulates mRNA stability and translation and is required for early development and synaptic plasticity. The GLD-2 poly(A) polymerase catalyzes cytoplasmic polyadenylation in the germline of metazoa. Among vertebrates, the enzyme is encoded by two isoforms of mRNA that differ only in the length of their 3'-UTRs. Here we focus on regulation of vertebrate GLD-2 mRNA. We show that the 3'-UTR of GLD-2 mRNA elicits its own polyadenylation and translational activation during frog oocyte maturation. We identify the sequence elements responsible for repression and activation, and demonstrate that CPEB and PUF proteins likely mediate repression in the resting oocyte. Regulated polyadenylation of GLD-2 mRNA is conserved, as are the key regulatory elements. Poly(A) tails of GLD-2 mRNA increase in length in the brain in response to neuronal stimulation, suggesting that a comparable system exists in that tissue. We propose a positive feedback circuit in which translation of GLD-2 mRNA is stimulated by its polyadenylation, thereby reinforcing the switch to polyadenylate and activate batteries of mRNAs.

An optimized isolation and labeling platform for accurate microRNA expression profiling

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression in both plants and animals. miRNA genes have been implicated in a variety of important biological processes, including development, differentiation, apoptosis, fat metabolism, viral infection, and cancer. Similar to protein-coding messenger RNAs, miRNA expression varies between tissues and developmental states. To acquire a better understanding of global miRNA expression in tissues and cells, we have developed isolation, labeling, and array procedures to measure the relative abundance of all of the known human mature miRNAs. The method relies on rapid isolation of RNA species smaller than ~40 nucleotides (nt), direct and homogenous enzymatic labeling of the mature miRNAs with amine modified ribonucleotides, and hybridization to antisense DNA oligonucleotide probes. A thorough performance study showed that this miRNA microarray system can detect subfemtomole amounts of individual miRNAs from <1 mug of total RNA, with 98% correlation between independent replicates. The system has been applied to compare the global miRNA expression profiles in 26 different normal human tissues. This comprehensive analysis identified miRNAs that are preferentially expressed in one or a few related tissues and revealed that human adult tissues have unique miRNA profiles. This implicates miRNAs as important components of tissue development and differentiation. Taken together, these results emphasize the immense potential of microarrays for sensitive and high-throughput analysis of miRNA expression in normal and disease states.

Vertebrate GLD2 poly(A) polymerases in the germline and the brain

Cytoplasmic polyadenylation is important in the control of mRNA stability and translation, and for early animal development and synaptic plasticity. Here, we focus on vertebrate poly(A) polymerases that are members of the recently described GLD2 family. We identify and characterize two closely related GLD2 proteins in Xenopus oocytes, and show that they possess PAP activity in vivo and in vitro and that they bind known polyadenylation factors and mRNAs known to receive poly(A) during development. We propose that at least two distinct polyadenylation complexes exist in Xenopus oocytes, one of which contains GLD2; the other, maskin and Pumilio. GLD2 protein interacts with the polyadenylation factor, CPEB, in a conserved manner. mRNAs that encode GLD2 in mammals are expressed in many tissues. In the brain, mouse, and human GLD2 mRNAs are abundant in anatomical regions necessary for long-term cognitive and emotional learning. In the hippocampus, mouse GLD2 mRNA colocalizes with CPEB1 and Pumilio1 mRNAs, both of which are likely involved in synaptic plasticity. We suggest that mammalian GLD2 poly(A) polymerases are important in synaptic translation, and in polyadenylation throughout the soma.

In vivo aggregation properties of the nuclear poly(A)-binding protein PABPN1

A broad range of degenerative diseases is associated with intracellular inclusions formed by toxic, aggregation-prone mutant proteins. Intranuclear inclusions constitute a pathological hallmark of oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD), a dominantly inherited disease caused by (GCG) repeat expansions in the gene that encodes for nuclear poly(A) binding protein (PABPN1). The mutation results in an extended polyalanine stretch that has been proposed to induce protein aggregation and formation of intranuclear inclusions. Here we show that normal PABPN1 is inherently aggregation-prone when exogenously expressed in either HeLa or myogenic C2 cells. Similar deposits of insoluble PABPN1 are formed by variant forms of the protein containing either a polyalanine expansion or a complete deletion of the polyalanine tract, indicating that the mutation responsible for OPMD is not essential for formation of PABPN1 inclusions. In contrast, interfering with any of the protein domains required for stimulation of poly(A) polymerase prevents the formation of inclusions. Most surprisingly, photobleaching experiments reveal that both normal and expanded PABPN1 molecules are not irreversibly sequestered into aggregates, but rather move rapidly in and out of the inclusions. These findings have important implications for the interpretation of OPMD model systems based on exogenous expression of PABPN1.

Tissue-specific modification of gld-2 mRNA in C. elegans: likely C-to-U editing

Seventeen years after the discovery of tissue-specific apoB mRNA editing, only three nucleus-encoded mRNAs have been shown to undergo C-to-U editing. All three mRNAs occur in mammals. apoB mRNA editing is tissue-specific and occurs normally, whereas NF1 and NAT1 mRNA editing is found largely in tumors. Here we report the first example of C-to-U RNA editing in Caenorhabditis elegans. The gld-2 gene encodes an atypical poly(A) polymerase that governs the mitosis/meiosis decision in the germ line as well as progression through meiosis and early embryogenesis. At least two of its alternatively spliced transcripts are germline-specific. We find that most and perhaps all germline-specific transcripts generated by the gld-2 gene undergo C-to-U editing, but that somatic transcripts show no detectable editing. The gld-2 C-to-U editing event changes the codon from CCG to CUG, which is predicted to cause a proline to leucine substitution in the protein sequence. Our findings suggest the presence of a sequence- and tissue-specific cytidine deaminase acting on RNA, or CDAR. This CDAR modifies a specific base in gld-2 mRNA, and acts only in the germline.

Sequence motifs that distinguish ATP(CTP):tRNA nucleotidyl transferases from eubacterial poly(A) polymerases

ATP(CTP):tRNA nucleotidyl transferases, tRNA maturing enzymes found in all organisms, and eubacterial poly(A) polymerases, enzymes involved in mRNA degradation, are so similar that until now their biochemical functions could not be distinguished by their amino acid sequence. BLAST searches and analysis with the program "Sequence Space" for the prediction of functional residues revealed sequence motifs which define these two protein families. One of the poly(A) polymerase defining motifs specifies a structure that we propose to function in binding the 3' terminus of the RNA substrate. Similar motifs are found in other homopolyribonucleotidyl transferases. Phylogenetic classification of nucleotidyl tranferases from sequenced genomes reveals that eubacterial poly(A) polymerases have evolved relatively recently and are found only in a small group of bacteria and surprisingly also in plants, where they may function in organelles.

Mutations in the middle domain of yeast poly(A) polymerase affect interactions with RNA but not ATP

The eukaryotic poly(A) polymerase (PAP) is responsible for the posttranscriptional extension of mRNA 3' ends by the addition of a poly(A) tract. The recently published three-dimensional structures of yeast and bovine PAPs have made a more directed biochemical analysis of this enzyme possible. Based on these structures, the middle domain of PAP was predicted to interact with ATP. However, in this study, we show that mutations of conserved residues in this domain of yeast PAP, Pap1, do not affect interaction with ATP, but instead disrupt the interaction with RNA and affect the enzyme's ability to process substrate lacking 2' hydroxyls at the 3' end. These results are most consistent with a model in which the middle domain of PAP interacts directly with the recently extended RNA and pyrophosphate byproduct.

The carboxyl terminus of vertebrate poly(A) polymerase interacts with U2AF 65 to couple 3'-end processing and splicing

Although it has been established that the processing factors involved in pre-mRNA splicing and 3'-end formation can influence each other positively, the molecular basis of this coupling interaction was not known. Stimulation of pre-mRNA splicing by an adjacent cis-linked cleavage and polyadenylation site in HeLa cell nuclear extract is shown to occur at an early step in splicing, the binding of U2AF 65 to the pyrimidine tract of the intron 3' splice site. The carboxyl terminus of poly(A) polymerase (PAP) previously has been implicated indirectly in the coupling process. We demonstrate that a fusion protein containing the 20 carboxy-terminal amino acids of PAP, when tethered downstream of an intron, increases splicing efficiency and, like the entire 3'-end formation machinery, stimulates U2AF 65 binding to the intron. The carboxy-terminal domain of PAP makes a direct and specific interaction with residues 17-47 of U2AF 65, implicating this interaction in the coupling of splicing and 3'-end formation.