51
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Gamper H, McCormick C, Makhamreh A, Wanunu M, Rouhanifard SH, Hou YM. Enzymatic synthesis of RNA standards for mapping and quantifying RNA modifications in sequencing analysis. Methods Enzymol 2023; 692:127-153. [PMID: 37925177 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2023.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
Synthesis of RNA standards that contain an internal site-specific modification is important for mapping and quantification of the modified nucleotide in sequencing analysis. While RNA containing a site-specific modification can be readily synthesized by solid-state coupling for less than 100-mer nucleotides, longer RNA must be synthesized by enzymatic ligation in the presence of a DNA splint. However, long RNAs have structural heterogeneity, and those generated by in vitro transcription have 3'-end sequence heterogeneity, which together substantially reduce the yield of ligation. Here we describe a method of 3-part splint ligation that joins an in vitro transcribed left-arm RNA, an in vitro transcribed right-arm RNA, and a chemically synthesized modification-containing middle RNA, with an efficiency higher than previously reported. We report that the improved efficiency is largely attributed to the inclusion of a pair of DNA disruptors proximal to the ligation sites, and to a lesser extent to the homogeneous processing of the 3'-end of the left-arm RNA. The yields of the ligated long RNA are sufficiently high to afford purification to homogeneity for practical RNA research. We also verify the sequence accuracy at each ligation junction by nanopore sequencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Howard Gamper
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Caroline McCormick
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Amr Makhamreh
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Meni Wanunu
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Sara H Rouhanifard
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Ya-Ming Hou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
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52
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Jones JD, Franco MK, Smith TJ, Snyder LR, Anders AG, Ruotolo BT, Kennedy RT, Koutmou KS. Methylated guanosine and uridine modifications in S. cerevisiae mRNAs modulate translation elongation. RSC Chem Biol 2023; 4:363-378. [PMID: 37181630 PMCID: PMC10170649 DOI: 10.1039/d2cb00229a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemical modifications to protein encoding messenger RNAs (mRNAs) influence their localization, translation, and stability within cells. Over 15 different types of mRNA modifications have been observed by sequencing and liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) approaches. While LC-MS/MS is arguably the most essential tool available for studying analogous protein post-translational modifications, the high-throughput discovery and quantitative characterization of mRNA modifications by LC-MS/MS has been hampered by the difficulty of obtaining sufficient quantities of pure mRNA and limited sensitivities for modified nucleosides. We have overcome these challenges by improving the mRNA purification and LC-MS/MS pipelines. The methodologies we developed result in no detectable non-coding RNA modifications signals in our purified mRNA samples, quantify 50 ribonucleosides in a single analysis, and provide the lowest limit of detection reported for ribonucleoside modification LC-MS/MS analyses. These advancements enabled the detection and quantification of 13 S. cerevisiae mRNA ribonucleoside modifications and reveal the presence of four new S. cerevisiae mRNA modifications at low to moderate levels (1-methyguanosine, N2-methylguanosine, N2,N2-dimethylguanosine, and 5-methyluridine). We identified four enzymes that incorporate these modifications into S. cerevisiae mRNAs (Trm10, Trm11, Trm1, and Trm2, respectively), though our results suggest that guanosine and uridine nucleobases are also non-enzymatically methylated at low levels. Regardless of whether they are incorporated in a programmed manner or as the result of RNA damage, we reasoned that the ribosome will encounter the modifications that we detect in cells. To evaluate this possibility, we used a reconstituted translation system to investigate the consequences of modifications on translation elongation. Our findings demonstrate that the introduction of 1-methyguanosine, N2-methylguanosine and 5-methyluridine into mRNA codons impedes amino acid addition in a position dependent manner. This work expands the repertoire of nucleoside modifications that the ribosome must decode in S. cerevisiae. Additionally, it highlights the challenge of predicting the effect of discrete modified mRNA sites on translation de novo because individual modifications influence translation differently depending on mRNA sequence context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua D Jones
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, 930 N University Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA +1-734-764-5650
| | - Monika K Franco
- Program in Chemical Biology, University of Michigan, 930 N University Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
| | - Tyler J Smith
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, 930 N University Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA +1-734-764-5650
| | - Laura R Snyder
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, 930 N University Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA +1-734-764-5650
| | - Anna G Anders
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, 930 N University Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA +1-734-764-5650
| | - Brandon T Ruotolo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, 930 N University Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA +1-734-764-5650
| | - Robert T Kennedy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, 930 N University Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA +1-734-764-5650
- Program in Chemical Biology, University of Michigan, 930 N University Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
| | - Kristin S Koutmou
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, 930 N University Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA +1-734-764-5650
- Program in Chemical Biology, University of Michigan, 930 N University Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
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53
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Cheng Y, Song H, Ming GL, Weng YL. Epigenetic and epitranscriptomic regulation of axon regeneration. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:1440-1450. [PMID: 36922674 PMCID: PMC10650481 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02028-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Effective axonal regeneration in the adult mammalian nervous system requires coordination of elevated intrinsic growth capacity and decreased responses to the inhibitory environment. Intrinsic regenerative capacity largely depends on the gene regulatory network and protein translation machinery. A failure to activate these pathways upon injury is underlying a lack of robust axon regeneration in the mature mammalian central nervous system. Epigenetics and epitranscriptomics are key regulatory mechanisms that shape gene expression and protein translation. Here, we provide an overview of different types of modifications on DNA, histones, and RNA, underpinning the regenerative competence of axons in the mature mammalian peripheral and central nervous systems. We highlight other non-neuronal cells and their epigenetic changes in determining the microenvironment for tissue repair and axon regeneration. We also address advancements of single-cell technology in charting transcriptomic and epigenetic landscapes that may further facilitate the mechanistic understanding of differential regenerative capacity in neuronal subtypes. Finally, as epigenetic and epitranscriptomic processes are commonly affected by brain injuries and psychiatric disorders, understanding their alterations upon brain injury would provide unprecedented mechanistic insights into etiology of injury-associated-psychiatric disorders and facilitate the development of therapeutic interventions to restore brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yating Cheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Hongjun Song
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- The Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Guo-Li Ming
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Yi-Lan Weng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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Song W, Podicheti R, Rusch DB, Tracey WD. Transcriptome-wide analysis of pseudouridylation in Drosophila melanogaster. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2023; 13:jkac333. [PMID: 36534986 PMCID: PMC9997552 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Pseudouridine (Psi) is one of the most frequent post-transcriptional modification of RNA. Enzymatic Psi modification occurs on rRNA, snRNA, snoRNA, tRNA, and non-coding RNA and has recently been discovered on mRNA. Transcriptome-wide detection of Psi (Psi-seq) has yet to be performed for the widely studied model organism Drosophila melanogaster. Here, we optimized Psi-seq analysis for this species and have identified thousands of Psi modifications throughout the female fly head transcriptome. We find that Psi is widespread on both cellular and mitochondrial rRNAs. In addition, more than a thousand Psi sites were found on mRNAs. When pseudouridylated, mRNAs frequently had many Psi sites. Many mRNA Psi sites are present in genes encoding for ribosomal proteins, and many are found in mitochondrial encoded RNAs, further implicating the importance of pseudouridylation for ribosome and mitochondrial function. The 7SLRNA of the signal recognition particle is the non-coding RNA most enriched for Psi. The 3 mRNAs most enriched for Psi encode highly expressed yolk proteins (Yp1, Yp2, and Yp3). By comparing the pseudouridine profiles in the RluA-2 mutant and the w1118 control genotype, we identified Psi sites that were missing in the mutant RNA as potential RluA-2 targets. Finally, differential gene expression analysis of the mutant transcriptome indicates a major impact of loss of RluA-2 on the ribosome and translational machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan Song
- Gill Center for Biomolecular Research, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Ram Podicheti
- Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Douglas B Rusch
- Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - William Daniel Tracey
- Gill Center for Biomolecular Research, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
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55
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Drzeniek NM, Kahwaji N, Schlickeiser S, Reinke P, Geißler S, Volk HD, Gossen M. Immuno-engineered mRNA combined with cell adhesive niche for synergistic modulation of the MSC secretome. Biomaterials 2023; 294:121971. [PMID: 36634491 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2022.121971] [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: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
In vitro transcribed (IVT-)mRNA has entered center stage for vaccine development due to its immune co-stimulating properties. Given the widely demonstrated safety of IVT-mRNA-based vaccines, we aimed to adopt IVT-mRNA encoding VEGF for secretory phenotype modulation of therapeutic cells. However, we observed that the immunogenicity of IVT-mRNA impairs the endogenous secretion of pro-angiogenic mediators from transfected mesenchymal stromal cells, instead inducing anti-angiogenic chemokines. This inflammatory secretome modulation limits the application potential of unmodified IVT-mRNA for cell therapy manufacturing, pro-angiogenic therapy and regenerative medicine. To uncouple immunogenicity from the protein expression functionality, we immuno-engineered IVT-mRNA with different chemically modified ribonucleotides. 5-Methoxy-uridine-modification of IVT-mRNA rescued the endogenous secretome pattern of transfected cells and prolonged secretion of IVT-mRNA-encoded VEGF. We found that high secretion of IVT-mRNA-encoded protein further depends on optimized cell adhesion. Cell encapsulation in a collagen-hyaluronic acid hydrogel increased secretion of IVT-mRNA-encoded VEGF and augmented the endogenous secretion of supporting pro-angiogenic mediators, such as HGF. Integrating minimally immunogenic mRNA technology with predesigned matrix-derived cues allows for the synergistic combination of multiple dimensions of cell manipulation and opens routes for biomaterial-based delivery of mRNA-engineered cell products. Such multimodal systems could present a more biologically relevant way to therapeutically address complex multifactorial processes such as tissue ischemia, angiogenesis, and regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norman Michael Drzeniek
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Medical Immunology, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany; Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Föhrer Straße 15, 13353, Berlin, Germany; Berlin-Brandenburg School for Regenerative Therapies (BSRT; Graduate School 203 of the German Excellence Initiative), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nourhan Kahwaji
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Medical Immunology, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany; Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Föhrer Straße 15, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stephan Schlickeiser
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Medical Immunology, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany; Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Föhrer Straße 15, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Petra Reinke
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Föhrer Straße 15, 13353, Berlin, Germany; Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sven Geißler
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Föhrer Straße 15, 13353, Berlin, Germany; Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany; Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Julius Wolff Institute (JWI), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hans-Dieter Volk
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Medical Immunology, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany; Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Föhrer Straße 15, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Manfred Gossen
- Institute of Active Polymers, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Kantstraße 55, 14513, Teltow, Germany; Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
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56
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Dai Q, Zhang LS, Sun HL, Pajdzik K, Yang L, Ye C, Ju CW, Liu S, Wang Y, Zheng Z, Zhang L, Harada BT, Dou X, Irkliyenko I, Feng X, Zhang W, Pan T, He C. Quantitative sequencing using BID-seq uncovers abundant pseudouridines in mammalian mRNA at base resolution. Nat Biotechnol 2023; 41:344-354. [PMID: 36302989 PMCID: PMC10017504 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01505-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 86.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Functional characterization of pseudouridine (Ψ) in mammalian mRNA has been hampered by the lack of a quantitative method that maps Ψ in the whole transcriptome. We report bisulfite-induced deletion sequencing (BID-seq), which uses a bisulfite-mediated reaction to convert pseudouridine stoichiometrically into deletion upon reverse transcription without cytosine deamination. BID-seq enables detection of abundant Ψ sites with stoichiometry information in several human cell lines and 12 different mouse tissues using 10-20 ng input RNA. We uncover consensus sequences for Ψ in mammalian mRNA and assign different 'writer' proteins to individual Ψ deposition. Our results reveal a transcript stabilization role of Ψ sites installed by TRUB1 in human cancer cells. We also detect the presence of Ψ within stop codons of mammalian mRNA and confirm the role of Ψ in promoting stop codon readthrough in vivo. BID-seq will enable future investigations of the roles of Ψ in diverse biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Dai
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Li-Sheng Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Hui-Lung Sun
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Kinga Pajdzik
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Lei Yang
- First Maternity and Infant Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chang Ye
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Cheng-Wei Ju
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Shun Liu
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Yuru Wang
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Zhong Zheng
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Linda Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Bryan T Harada
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Xiaoyang Dou
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Iryna Irkliyenko
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Xinran Feng
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Wen Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Tao Pan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Chuan He
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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58
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Adachi H, Pan Y, He X, Chen JL, Klein B, Platenburg G, Morais P, Boutz P, Yu YT. Targeted pseudouridylation: An approach for suppressing nonsense mutations in disease genes. Mol Cell 2023; 83:637-651.e9. [PMID: 36764303 PMCID: PMC9975048 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Nonsense mutations create premature termination codons (PTCs), activating the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway to degrade most PTC-containing mRNAs. The undegraded mRNA is translated, but translation terminates at the PTC, leading to no production of the full-length protein. This work presents targeted PTC pseudouridylation, an approach for nonsense suppression in human cells. Specifically, an artificial box H/ACA guide RNA designed to target the mRNA PTC can suppress both NMD and premature translation termination in various sequence contexts. Targeted pseudouridylation exhibits a level of suppression comparable with that of aminoglycoside antibiotic treatments. When targeted pseudouridylation is combined with antibiotic treatment, a much higher level of suppression is observed. Transfection of a disease model cell line (carrying a chromosomal PTC) with a designer guide RNA gene targeting the PTC also leads to nonsense suppression. Thus, targeted pseudouridylation is an RNA-directed gene-specific approach that suppresses NMD and concurrently promotes PTC readthrough.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hironori Adachi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Yi Pan
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Xueyang He
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Jonathan L Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Bart Klein
- ProQR Therapeutics, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Paul Boutz
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA; Center for Biomedical Informatics and Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.
| | - Yi-Tao Yu
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.
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von der Haar T, Mulroney TE, Hedayioglu F, Kurusamy S, Rust M, Lilley KS, Thaventhiran JE, Willis AE, Smales CM. Translation of in vitro-transcribed RNA therapeutics. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1128067. [PMID: 36845540 PMCID: PMC9943971 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1128067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In vitro transcribed, modified messenger RNAs (IVTmRNAs) have been used to vaccinate billions of individuals against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and are currently being developed for many additional therapeutic applications. IVTmRNAs must be translated into proteins with therapeutic activity by the same cellular machinery that also translates native endogenous transcripts. However, different genesis pathways and routes of entry into target cells as well as the presence of modified nucleotides mean that the way in which IVTmRNAs engage with the translational machinery, and the efficiency with which they are being translated, differs from native mRNAs. This review summarises our current knowledge of commonalities and differences in translation between IVTmRNAs and cellular mRNAs, which is key for the development of future design strategies that can generate IVTmRNAs with improved activity in therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias von der Haar
- School of Biosciences, Division of Natural Sciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas E. Mulroney
- MRC Toxicology Unit, Gleeson Building, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Fabio Hedayioglu
- School of Biosciences, Division of Natural Sciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Sathishkumar Kurusamy
- School of Biosciences, Division of Natural Sciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Rust
- MRC Toxicology Unit, Gleeson Building, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn S. Lilley
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - James E. Thaventhiran
- MRC Toxicology Unit, Gleeson Building, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Anne E. Willis
- MRC Toxicology Unit, Gleeson Building, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - C. Mark Smales
- School of Biosciences, Division of Natural Sciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
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Rozman B, Fisher T, Stern-Ginossar N. Translation-A tug of war during viral infection. Mol Cell 2023; 83:481-495. [PMID: 36334591 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Viral reproduction is contingent on viral protein synthesis that relies on the host ribosomes. As such, viruses have evolved remarkable strategies to hijack the host translational apparatus in order to favor viral protein production and to interfere with cellular innate defenses. Here, we describe the approaches viruses use to exploit the translation machinery, focusing on commonalities across diverse viral families, and discuss the functional relevance of this process. We illustrate the complementary strategies host cells utilize to block viral protein production and consider how cells ensure an efficient antiviral response that relies on translation during this tug of war over the ribosome. Finally, we highlight potential roles mRNA modifications and ribosome quality control play in translational regulation and innate immunity. We address these topics in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and focus on the gaps in our current knowledge of these mechanisms, specifically in viruses with pandemic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Batsheva Rozman
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Tal Fisher
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Noam Stern-Ginossar
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
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61
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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: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [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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62
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Tavakoli S, Nabizadeh M, Makhamreh A, Gamper H, McCormick CA, Rezapour NK, Hou YM, Wanunu M, Rouhanifard SH. Semi-quantitative detection of pseudouridine modifications and type I/II hypermodifications in human mRNAs using direct long-read sequencing. Nat Commun 2023; 14:334. [PMID: 36658122 PMCID: PMC9852470 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35858-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Here, we develop and apply a semi-quantitative method for the high-confidence identification of pseudouridylated sites on mammalian mRNAs via direct long-read nanopore sequencing. A comparative analysis of a modification-free transcriptome reveals that the depth of coverage and specific k-mer sequences are critical parameters for accurate basecalling. By adjusting these parameters for high-confidence U-to-C basecalling errors, we identify many known sites of pseudouridylation and uncover previously unreported uridine-modified sites, many of which fall in k-mers that are known targets of pseudouridine synthases. Identified sites are validated using 1000-mer synthetic RNA controls bearing a single pseudouridine in the center position, demonstrating systematic under-calling using our approach. We identify mRNAs with up to 7 unique modification sites. Our workflow allows direct detection of low-, medium-, and high-occupancy pseudouridine modifications on native RNA molecules from nanopore sequencing data and multiple modifications on the same strand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepideh Tavakoli
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mohammad Nabizadeh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Amr Makhamreh
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Howard Gamper
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Neda K Rezapour
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ya-Ming Hou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Meni Wanunu
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
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63
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Song J, Dong L, Sun H, Luo N, Huang Q, Li K, Shen X, Jiang Z, Lv Z, Peng L, Zhang M, Wang K, Liu K, Hong J, Yi C. CRISPR-free, programmable RNA pseudouridylation to suppress premature termination codons. Mol Cell 2023; 83:139-155.e9. [PMID: 36521489 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Nonsense mutations, accounting for >20% of disease-associated mutations, lead to premature translation termination. Replacing uridine with pseudouridine in stop codons suppresses translation termination, which could be harnessed to mediate readthrough of premature termination codons (PTCs). Here, we present RESTART, a programmable RNA base editor, to revert PTC-induced translation termination in mammalian cells. RESTART utilizes an engineered guide snoRNA (gsnoRNA) and the endogenous H/ACA box snoRNP machinery to achieve precise pseudouridylation. We also identified and optimized gsnoRNA scaffolds to increase the editing efficiency. Unexpectedly, we found that a minor isoform of pseudouridine synthase DKC1, lacking a C-terminal nuclear localization signal, greatly improved the PTC-readthrough efficiency. Although RESTART induced restricted off-target pseudouridylation, they did not change the coding information nor the expression level of off-targets. Finally, RESTART enables robust pseudouridylation in primary cells and achieves functional PTC readthrough in disease-relevant contexts. Collectively, RESTART is a promising RNA-editing tool for research and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinghui Song
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC
| | - Liting Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC
| | - Hanxiao Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC
| | - Nan Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC
| | - Qiang Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC
| | - Kai Li
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC; Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, PRC
| | - Xiaowen Shen
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC
| | - Zhe Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC
| | - Zhicong Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC
| | - Luxin Peng
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, PRC
| | | | - Kun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC
| | - Ke Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, PRC
| | - Jiaxu Hong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eye and Ear, Nose, Throat Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, PRC
| | - Chengqi Yi
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC; Department of Chemical Biology and Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, PRC.
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64
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Petushkov I, Esyunina D, Kulbachinskiy A. Effects of natural RNA modifications on the activity of SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. FEBS J 2023; 290:80-92. [PMID: 35916766 PMCID: PMC9538676 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [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: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) plays a key role in the replication of RNA viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. Processive RNA synthesis by RdRp is crucial for successful genome replication and expression, especially in the case of very long coronaviral genomes. Here, we analysed the activity of SARS-CoV-2 RdRp (the nsp12-nsp7-nsp8 complex) on synthetic primer-templates of various structures, including substrates with mismatched primers or template RNA modifications. It has been shown that RdRp cannot efficiently extend RNA primers containing mismatches and has no intrinsic RNA cleavage activity to remove the primer 3'-end, thus necessitating the action of exoribonuclease for proofreading. Similar to DNA-dependent RNA polymerases, RdRp can perform processive pyrophosphorolysis of the nascent RNA product but this reaction is also blocked in the presence of mismatches. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that several natural post-transcriptional modifications in the RNA template, which do not prevent complementary interactions (N6-methyladenosine, 5-methylcytosine, inosine and pseudouridine), do not change RdRp processivity. At the same time, certain modifications of RNA bases and ribose residues strongly block RNA synthesis, either prior to nucleotide incorporation (3-methyluridine and 1-methylguanosine) or immediately after it (2'-O-methylation). The results demonstrate that the activity of SARS-CoV-2 RdRp can be strongly inhibited by common modifications of the RNA template suggesting a way to design novel antiviral compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Petushkov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”MoscowRussia
| | - Daria Esyunina
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”MoscowRussia
| | - Andrey Kulbachinskiy
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”MoscowRussia
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65
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Wang X, Guo Z, Yan F. RNA Epigenetics in Chronic Lung Diseases. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13122381. [PMID: 36553648 PMCID: PMC9777603 DOI: 10.3390/genes13122381] [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: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic lung diseases are highly prevalent worldwide and cause significant mortality. Lung cancer is the end stage of many chronic lung diseases. RNA epigenetics can dynamically modulate gene expression and decide cell fate. Recently, studies have confirmed that RNA epigenetics plays a crucial role in the developing of chronic lung diseases. Further exploration of the underlying mechanisms of RNA epigenetics in chronic lung diseases, including lung cancer, may lead to a better understanding of the diseases and promote the development of new biomarkers and therapeutic strategies. This article reviews basic information on RNA modifications, including N6 methylation of adenosine (m6A), N1 methylation of adenosine (m1A), N7-methylguanosine (m7G), 5-methylcytosine (m5C), 2'O-methylation (2'-O-Me or Nm), pseudouridine (5-ribosyl uracil or Ψ), and adenosine to inosine RNA editing (A-to-I editing). We then show how they relate to different types of lung disease. This paper hopes to summarize the mechanisms of RNA modification in chronic lung disease and finds a new way to develop early diagnosis and treatment of chronic lung disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaorui Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou 362002, China
| | - Zhihou Guo
- Center for Molecular Diagnosis and Therapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou 362002, China
| | - Furong Yan
- Center for Molecular Diagnosis and Therapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou 362002, China
- Correspondence:
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66
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The role of post-transcriptional modifications during development. Biol Futur 2022:10.1007/s42977-022-00142-3. [PMID: 36481986 DOI: 10.1007/s42977-022-00142-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
AbstractWhile the existence of post-transcriptional modifications of RNA nucleotides has been known for decades, in most RNA species the exact positions of these modifications and their physiological function have been elusive until recently. Technological advances, such as high-throughput next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods and nanopore-based mapping technologies, have made it possible to map the position of these modifications with single nucleotide accuracy, and genetic screens have uncovered the “writer”, “reader” and “eraser” proteins that help to install, interpret and remove such modifications, respectively. These discoveries led to intensive research programmes with the aim of uncovering the roles of these modifications during diverse biological processes. In this review, we assess novel discoveries related to the role of post-transcriptional modifications during animal development, highlighting how these discoveries can affect multiple aspects of development from fertilization to differentiation in many species.
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67
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Montella L, Cuomo M, Del Gaudio N, Buonaiuto M, Costabile D, Visconti R, Di Risi T, Vinciguerra R, Trio F, Ferraro S, Bove G, Facchini G, Altucci L, Chiariotti L, Della Monica R. Epigenetic alterations in glioblastomas: Diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic relevance. Int J Cancer 2022. [PMID: 36479695 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.34381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Glioblastoma, the most common and heterogeneous tumor affecting brain parenchyma, is dismally characterized by a very poor prognosis. Thus, the search of new, more effective treatments is a vital need. Here, we will review the druggable epigenetic features of glioblastomas that are, indeed, currently explored in preclinical studies and in clinical trials for the development of more effective, personalized treatments. In detail, we will review the studies that have led to the identification of epigenetic signatures, IDH mutations, MGMT gene methylation, histone modification alterations, H3K27 mutations and epitranscriptome landscapes of glioblastomas, in each case discussing the corresponding targeted therapies and their potential efficacy. Finally, we will emphasize how recent technological improvements permit to routinely investigate many glioblastoma epigenetic biomarkers in clinical practice, further enforcing the hope that personalized drugs, targeting specific epigenetic features, could be in future a therapeutic option for selected patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliana Montella
- ASL NA2 NORD, Oncology Operative Unit, "Santa Maria delle Grazie" Hospital, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Mariella Cuomo
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate scarl, Naples, Italy.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Nunzio Del Gaudio
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Michela Buonaiuto
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate scarl, Naples, Italy.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Davide Costabile
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate scarl, Naples, Italy.,SEMM-European School of Molecular Medicine, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Roberta Visconti
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate scarl, Naples, Italy.,Institute for the Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology, Italian National Council of Research, Naples, Italy
| | - Teodolinda Di Risi
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate scarl, Naples, Italy.,Department of Public Health, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | | | | | - Sara Ferraro
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate scarl, Naples, Italy
| | - Guglielmo Bove
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Gaetano Facchini
- ASL NA2 NORD, Oncology Operative Unit, "Santa Maria delle Grazie" Hospital, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Lucia Altucci
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy.,BIOGEM, Ariano Irpino, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Chiariotti
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate scarl, Naples, Italy.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Rosa Della Monica
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate scarl, Naples, Italy.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
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68
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L’ARNm et ses modifications chez les eucaryotes*. BULLETIN DE L'ACADÉMIE NATIONALE DE MÉDECINE 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.banm.2022.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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69
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Detection technologies for RNA modifications. Exp Mol Med 2022; 54:1601-1616. [PMID: 36266445 PMCID: PMC9636272 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-022-00821-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
To date, more than 170 chemical modifications have been characterized in RNA, providing a new layer of gene expression regulation termed the 'epitranscriptome'. RNA modification detection methods and tools advance the functional studies of the epitranscriptome. According to the detection throughput and principles, existing RNA modification detection technologies can be categorized into four classes, including quantification methods, locus-specific detection methods, next-generation sequencing-based detection technologies and nanopore direct RNA sequencing-based technologies. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about these RNA modification detection technologies and discuss the challenges for the existing detection tools, providing information for a comprehensive understanding of the epitranscriptome.
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70
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Petrov DP, Kaiser S, Kaiser S, Jung K. Opportunities and Challenges to Profile mRNA Modifications in Escherichia coli. Chembiochem 2022; 23:e202200270. [PMID: 35822398 PMCID: PMC9542048 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
mRNA methylation is an important regulator of many physiological processes in eukaryotes but has not been studied in depth in prokaryotes. Working with bacterial mRNA is challenging because it lacks a poly(A)-tail. However, methods for detecting RNA modifications, both sequencing and mass spectrometry, rely on efficient preparation of mRNA. Here, we compared size-dependent separation by electrophoresis and rRNA depletion for enrichment of Escherichia coli mRNA. The purification success was monitored by qRT-PCR and RNA sequencing. Neither method allowed complete removal of rRNA. Nevertheless, we were able to quantitatively analyze several modified nucleosides in the different RNA types. We found evidence for stress dependent RNA modification reprofiling in rRNA, but also several modified nucleosides in the mRNA enriched fractions showed significant changes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Steffen Kaiser
- Department of ChemistryLudwig-Maximilians-University MunichMunichGermany
- Department of PharmacyGoethe-University FrankfurtFrankfurtGermany
| | - Stefanie Kaiser
- Department of ChemistryLudwig-Maximilians-University MunichMunichGermany
- Department of PharmacyGoethe-University FrankfurtFrankfurtGermany
| | - Kirsten Jung
- Department of Biology I, MicrobiologyLudwig-Maximilians-University MunichMartinsriedGermany
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71
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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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72
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Kim KQ, Burgute BD, Tzeng SC, Jing C, Jungers C, Zhang J, Yan LL, Vierstra RD, Djuranovic S, Evans BS, Zaher HS. N1-methylpseudouridine found within COVID-19 mRNA vaccines produces faithful protein products. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111300. [PMID: 35988540 PMCID: PMC9376333 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthetic mRNA technology is a promising avenue for treating and preventing disease. Key to the technology is the incorporation of modified nucleotides such as N1-methylpseudouridine (m1Ψ) to decrease immunogenicity of the RNA. However, relatively few studies have addressed the effects of modified nucleotides on the decoding process. Here, we investigate the effect of m1Ψ and the related modification pseudouridine (Ψ) on translation. In a reconstituted system, we find that m1Ψ does not significantly alter decoding accuracy. More importantly, we do not detect an increase in miscoded peptides when mRNA containing m1Ψ is translated in cell culture, compared with unmodified mRNA. We also find that m1Ψ does not stabilize mismatched RNA-duplex formation and only marginally promotes errors during reverse transcription. Overall, our results suggest that m1Ψ does not significantly impact translational fidelity, a welcome sign for future RNA therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyusik Q Kim
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Bhagyashri D Burgute
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | | | - Crystal Jing
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Courtney Jungers
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Junya Zhang
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Liewei L Yan
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Richard D Vierstra
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Sergej Djuranovic
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Bradley S Evans
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, MO 63132, USA
| | - Hani S Zaher
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.
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73
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Wright SE, Rodriguez CM, Monroe J, Xing J, Krans A, Flores BN, Barsur V, Ivanova MI, Koutmou KS, Barmada SJ, Todd PK. CGG repeats trigger translational frameshifts that generate aggregation-prone chimeric proteins. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:8674-8689. [PMID: 35904811 PMCID: PMC9410890 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
CGG repeat expansions in the FMR1 5’UTR cause the neurodegenerative disease Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS). These repeats form stable RNA secondary structures that support aberrant translation in the absence of an AUG start codon (RAN translation), producing aggregate-prone peptides that accumulate within intranuclear neuronal inclusions and contribute to neurotoxicity. Here, we show that the most abundant RAN translation product, FMRpolyG, is markedly less toxic when generated from a construct with a non-repetitive alternating codon sequence in place of the CGG repeat. While exploring the mechanism of this differential toxicity, we observed a +1 translational frameshift within the CGG repeat from the arginine to glycine reading frame. Frameshifts occurred within the first few translated repeats and were triggered predominantly by RNA sequence and structural features. Short chimeric R/G peptides form aggregates distinct from those formed by either pure arginine or glycine, and these chimeras induce toxicity in cultured rodent neurons. Together, this work suggests that CGG repeats support translational frameshifting and that chimeric RAN translated peptides may contribute to CGG repeat-associated toxicity in FXTAS and related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon E Wright
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Caitlin M Rodriguez
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.,Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 84305, USA
| | - Jeremy Monroe
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jiazheng Xing
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Amy Krans
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.,VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA
| | - Brittany N Flores
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.,Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Venkatesha Barsur
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Magdalena I Ivanova
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.,Biophysics Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Kristin S Koutmou
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Sami J Barmada
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Peter K Todd
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.,VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA
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74
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Chen TH, Potapov V, Dai N, Ong JL, Roy B. N 1-methyl-pseudouridine is incorporated with higher fidelity than pseudouridine in synthetic RNAs. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13017. [PMID: 35906281 PMCID: PMC9335462 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17249-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In vitro transcribed synthetic messenger RNAs (mRNAs) represent a novel therapeutic modality. To overcome the inherent immunogenicity, as well as to increase the therapeutic efficacy of the molecules, uridine analogs-such as pseudouridine (Ψ) and N1-methyl-pseudouridine (m1Ψ), are incorporated in the synthetic mRNA. To decipher the fidelity with which these modifications are incorporated during the in vitro transcription (IVT) process, we compared the incorporation fidelity of uridine analogs with different RNA polymerases. We demonstrate that m1Ψ is incorporated with higher fidelity than Ψ. The fidelity of nucleotide incorporation differs between RNA polymerases; however, the spectrum of mutations observed between the RNAPs is similar. We also show that the array of nucleotide misincorporation is not dependent on the template DNA sequence context and that the distribution of these misincorporated nucleotides is not localized to any specific region along the length of the RNA. Based on our findings, we introduce a novel method to improve uridine analog incorporation fidelity during IVT. Our proof-of-concept experiments for higher-fidelity incorporation of uridine analogs during IVT provide guidelines when choosing RNAPs for the generation of modified uridine-containing mRNAs in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tien-Hao Chen
- RNA and Genome Editing, New England Biolabs Inc., Beverly, MA, 01915, USA
| | - Vladimir Potapov
- RNA and Genome Editing, New England Biolabs Inc., Beverly, MA, 01915, USA
| | - Nan Dai
- RNA and Genome Editing, New England Biolabs Inc., Beverly, MA, 01915, USA
| | - Jennifer L Ong
- RNA and Genome Editing, New England Biolabs Inc., Beverly, MA, 01915, USA
| | - Bijoyita Roy
- RNA and Genome Editing, New England Biolabs Inc., Beverly, MA, 01915, USA.
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75
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Ramakrishnan M, Rajan KS, Mullasseri S, Palakkal S, Kalpana K, Sharma A, Zhou M, Vinod KK, Ramasamy S, Wei Q. The plant epitranscriptome: revisiting pseudouridine and 2'-O-methyl RNA modifications. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2022; 20:1241-1256. [PMID: 35445501 PMCID: PMC9241379 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
There is growing evidence that post-transcriptional RNA modifications are highly dynamic and can be used to improve crop production. Although more than 172 unique types of RNA modifications have been identified throughout the kingdom of life, we are yet to leverage upon the understanding to optimize RNA modifications in crops to improve productivity. The contributions of internal mRNA modifications such as N6-methyladenosine (m6 A) and 5-methylcytosine (m5 C) methylations to embryonic development, root development, leaf morphogenesis, flowering, fruit ripening and stress response are sufficiently known, but the roles of the two most abundant RNA modifications, pseudouridine (Ψ) and 2'-O-methylation (Nm), in the cell remain unclear due to insufficient advances in high-throughput technologies in plant development. Therefore, in this review, we discuss the latest methods and insights gained in mapping internal Ψ and Nm and their unique properties in plants and other organisms. In addition, we discuss the limitations that remain in high-throughput technologies for qualitative and quantitative mapping of these RNA modifications and highlight future challenges in regulating the plant epitranscriptome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muthusamy Ramakrishnan
- Co‐Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern ChinaNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingJiangsuChina
- Bamboo Research InstituteNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingJiangsuChina
| | - K. Shanmugha Rajan
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology InstituteBar‐Ilan University52900Ramat‐GanIsrael
- Department of Chemical and Structural BiologyWeizmann Institute7610001RehovotIsrael
| | - Sileesh Mullasseri
- School of Ocean Science and TechnologyKerala University of Fisheries and Ocean StudiesCochinIndia
| | - Sarin Palakkal
- The Institute for Drug ResearchSchool of PharmacyThe Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalemIsrael
| | - Krishnan Kalpana
- Department of Plant PathologyAgricultural College and Research InstituteTamilnadu Agricultural University625 104MaduraiTamil NaduIndia
| | - Anket Sharma
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical SilvicultureZhejiang A&F UniversityHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Mingbing Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical SilvicultureZhejiang A&F UniversityHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Zhejiang Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Bamboo Resources and High‐Efficiency UtilizationZhejiang A&F UniversityHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | | | - Subbiah Ramasamy
- Cardiac Metabolic Disease LaboratoryDepartment of BiochemistrySchool of Biological SciencesMadurai Kamaraj UniversityMaduraiTamil NaduIndia
| | - Qiang Wei
- Co‐Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern ChinaNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingJiangsuChina
- Bamboo Research InstituteNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingJiangsuChina
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76
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Jiapaer Z, Su D, Hua L, Lehmann HI, Gokulnath P, Vulugundam G, Song S, Zhang L, Gong Y, Li G. Regulation and roles of RNA modifications in aging-related diseases. Aging Cell 2022; 21:e13657. [PMID: 35718942 PMCID: PMC9282851 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
With the aging of the global population, accumulating interest is focused on manipulating the fundamental aging-related signaling pathways to delay the physiological aging process and eventually slow or prevent the appearance or severity of multiple aging-related diseases. Recently, emerging evidence has shown that RNA modifications, which were historically considered infrastructural features of cellular RNAs, are dynamically regulated across most of the RNA species in cells and thereby critically involved in major biological processes, including cellular senescence and aging. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about RNA modifications and provide a catalog of RNA modifications on different RNA species, including mRNAs, miRNAs, lncRNA, tRNAs, and rRNAs. Most importantly, we focus on the regulation and roles of these RNA modifications in aging-related diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, cataracts, osteoporosis, and fertility decline. This would be an important step toward a better understanding of fundamental aging mechanisms and thereby facilitating the development of novel diagnostics and therapeutics for aging-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeyidan Jiapaer
- College of Life Science & Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China.,Xinjiang Key laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, Urumqi, China
| | - Dingwen Su
- Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lingyang Hua
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Helge Immo Lehmann
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Priyanka Gokulnath
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gururaja Vulugundam
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cellular Biology, National Research Council of Italy, Naples, Italy
| | - Shannan Song
- College of Life Science & Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China.,Xinjiang Key laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, Urumqi, China
| | - Lingying Zhang
- College of Life Science & Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China.,Xinjiang Key laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, Urumqi, China
| | - Ye Gong
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guoping Li
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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77
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mRNA and tRNA modification states influence ribosome speed and frame maintenance during poly(lysine) peptide synthesis. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102039. [PMID: 35595100 PMCID: PMC9207662 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribosome speed is dictated by multiple factors including substrate availability, cellular conditions, and product (peptide) formation. Translation slows during the synthesis of cationic peptide sequences, potentially influencing the expression of thousands of proteins. Available evidence suggests that ionic interactions between positively charged nascent peptides and the negatively charged ribosome exit tunnel impede translation. However, this hypothesis was difficult to test directly because of inability to decouple the contributions of amino acid charge from mRNA sequence and tRNA identity/abundance in cells. Furthermore, it is unclear if other components of the translation system central to ribosome function (e.g., RNA modification) influence the speed and accuracy of positively charged peptide synthesis. In this study, we used a fully reconstituted Escherichia coli translation system to evaluate the effects of peptide charge, mRNA sequence, and RNA modification status on the translation of lysine-rich peptides. Comparison of translation reactions on poly(lysine)-encoding mRNAs conducted with either Lys-tRNALys or Val-tRNALys reveals that that amino acid charge, while important, only partially accounts for slowed translation on these transcripts. We further find that in addition to peptide charge, mRNA sequence and both tRNA and mRNA modification status influence the rates of amino acid addition and the ribosome’s ability to maintain frame (instead of entering the −2, −1, and +1 frames) during poly(lysine) peptide synthesis. Our observations lead us to expand the model for explaining how the ribosome slows during poly(lysine) peptide synthesis and suggest that posttranscriptional RNA modifications can provide cells a mechanism to precisely control ribosome movements along an mRNA.
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78
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Barozzi C, Zacchini F, Asghar S, Montanaro L. Ribosomal RNA Pseudouridylation: Will Newly Available Methods Finally Define the Contribution of This Modification to Human Ribosome Plasticity? Front Genet 2022; 13:920987. [PMID: 35719370 PMCID: PMC9198423 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.920987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
In human rRNA, at least 104 specific uridine residues are modified to pseudouridine. Many of these pseudouridylation sites are located within functionally important ribosomal domains and can influence ribosomal functional features. Until recently, available methods failed to reliably quantify the level of modification at each specific rRNA site. Therefore, information obtained so far only partially explained the degree of regulation of pseudouridylation in different physiological and pathological conditions. In this focused review, we provide a summary of the methods that are now available for the study of rRNA pseudouridylation, discussing the perspectives that newly developed approaches are offering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Barozzi
- Dipartimento di Medicina Specialistica, Diagnostica e Sperimentale (DIMES), Alma Mater Studiorum—Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Centro di Ricerca Biomedica Applicata, CRBA, Universita di Bologna, Policlinico di Sant’Orsola, Bologna, Italy
| | - Federico Zacchini
- Dipartimento di Medicina Specialistica, Diagnostica e Sperimentale (DIMES), Alma Mater Studiorum—Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Centro di Ricerca Biomedica Applicata, CRBA, Universita di Bologna, Policlinico di Sant’Orsola, Bologna, Italy
| | - Sidra Asghar
- Dipartimento di Medicina Specialistica, Diagnostica e Sperimentale (DIMES), Alma Mater Studiorum—Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Centro di Ricerca Biomedica Applicata, CRBA, Universita di Bologna, Policlinico di Sant’Orsola, Bologna, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Montanaro
- Dipartimento di Medicina Specialistica, Diagnostica e Sperimentale (DIMES), Alma Mater Studiorum—Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Centro di Ricerca Biomedica Applicata, CRBA, Universita di Bologna, Policlinico di Sant’Orsola, Bologna, Italy
- Departmental Program in Laboratory Medicine, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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79
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Nir R, Hoernes TP, Muramatsu H, Faserl K, Karikó K, Erlacher MD, Sas-Chen A, Schwartz S. A systematic dissection of determinants and consequences of snoRNA-guided pseudouridylation of human mRNA. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:4900-4916. [PMID: 35536311 PMCID: PMC9122591 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA can be extensively modified post-transcriptionally with >170 covalent modifications, expanding its functional and structural repertoire. Pseudouridine (Ψ), the most abundant modified nucleoside in rRNA and tRNA, has recently been found within mRNA molecules. It remains unclear whether pseudouridylation of mRNA can be snoRNA-guided, bearing important implications for understanding the physiological target spectrum of snoRNAs and for their potential therapeutic exploitation in genetic diseases. Here, using a massively parallel reporter based strategy we simultaneously interrogate Ψ levels across hundreds of synthetic constructs with predesigned complementarity against endogenous snoRNAs. Our results demonstrate that snoRNA-mediated pseudouridylation can occur on mRNA targets. However, this is typically achieved at relatively low efficiencies, and is constrained by mRNA localization, snoRNA expression levels and the length of the snoRNA:mRNA complementarity stretches. We exploited these insights for the design of snoRNAs targeting pseudouridylation at premature termination codons, which was previously shown to suppress translational termination. However, in this and follow-up experiments in human cells we observe no evidence for significant levels of readthrough of pseudouridylated stop codons. Our study enhances our understanding of the scope, 'design rules', constraints and consequences of snoRNA-mediated pseudouridylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronit Nir
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Thomas Philipp Hoernes
- Institute of Genomics and RNomics, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Hiromi Muramatsu
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Klaus Faserl
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Katalin Karikó
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,BioNTech RNA Pharmaceuticals, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Aldema Sas-Chen
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.,The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Schraga Schwartz
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
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80
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Draycott AS, Schaening-Burgos C, Rojas-Duran MF, Wilson L, Schärfen L, Neugebauer KM, Nachtergaele S, Gilbert WV. Transcriptome-wide mapping reveals a diverse dihydrouridine landscape including mRNA. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001622. [PMID: 35609439 PMCID: PMC9129914 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Dihydrouridine is a modified nucleotide universally present in tRNAs, but the complete dihydrouridine landscape is unknown in any organism. We introduce dihydrouridine sequencing (D-seq) for transcriptome-wide mapping of D with single-nucleotide resolution and use it to uncover novel classes of dihydrouridine-containing RNA in yeast which include mRNA and small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA). The novel D sites are concentrated in conserved stem-loop regions consistent with a role for D in folding many functional RNA structures. We demonstrate dihydrouridine synthase (DUS)-dependent changes in splicing of a D-containing pre-mRNA in cells and show that D-modified mRNAs can be efficiently translated by eukaryotic ribosomes in vitro. This work establishes D as a new functional component of the mRNA epitranscriptome and paves the way for identifying the RNA targets of multiple DUS enzymes that are dysregulated in human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin S. Draycott
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Cassandra Schaening-Burgos
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Biology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Maria F. Rojas-Duran
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Loren Wilson
- Yale University, Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Leonard Schärfen
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Karla M. Neugebauer
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Sigrid Nachtergaele
- Yale University, Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Wendy V. Gilbert
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
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81
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Kim SH, Kim M, Park D, Byun S, Rhee S. Substrate-binding loop interactions with pseudouridine trigger conformational changes that promote catalytic efficiency of pseudouridine kinase PUKI. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101869. [PMID: 35346685 PMCID: PMC9061257 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudouridine, one major RNA modification, is catabolized into uracil and ribose-5′-phosphate by two sequential enzymatic reactions. In the first step, pseudouridine kinase (PUKI) phosphorylates pseudouridine to pseudouridine 5′-monophosphate. High-fidelity catalysis of pseudouridine by PUKI prevents possible disturbance of in vivo pyrimidine homeostasis. However, the molecular basis of how PUKI selectively phosphorylates pseudouridine over uridine with >100-fold greater efficiency despite minor differences in their Km values has not been elucidated. To investigate this selectivity, in this study we determined the structures of PUKI from Escherichia coli strain B (EcPUKI) in various ligation states. The structure of EcPUKI was determined to be similar to PUKI from Arabidopsis thaliana, including an α/β core domain and β-stranded small domain, with dimerization occurring via the β-stranded small domain. In a binary complex, we show that Ser30 in the substrate-binding loop of the small domain mediates interactions with the hallmark N1 atom of pseudouridine nucleobase, causing conformational changes in its quaternary structure. Kinetic and fluorescence spectroscopic analyses also showed that the Ser30-mediated interaction is a prerequisite for conformational changes and subsequent catalysis by EcPUKI. Furthermore, S30A mutation or EcPUKI complexed with other nucleosides homologous to pseudouridine but lacking the pseudouridine-specific N1 atom did not induce such conformational changes, demonstrating the catalytic significance of the proposed Ser30-mediated interaction. These analyses provide structural and functional evidence for a pseudouridine-dependent conformational change of EcPUKI and its functional linkage to catalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang-Hoon Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Minjeong Kim
- Department of Molecular Science & Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, Korea
| | - Daechan Park
- Department of Molecular Science & Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, Korea; Department of Biological Sciences, Ajou University, Suwon, Korea
| | - Sujeong Byun
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sangkee Rhee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea; Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
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82
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Cerneckis J, Cui Q, He C, Yi C, Shi Y. Decoding pseudouridine: an emerging target for therapeutic development. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2022; 43:522-535. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2022.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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83
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Le T, Sun C, Chang J, Zhang G, Yin X. mRNA Vaccine Development for Emerging Animal and Zoonotic Diseases. Viruses 2022; 14:401. [PMID: 35215994 PMCID: PMC8877136 DOI: 10.3390/v14020401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, mRNA vaccines hold great promise because of their low risk of insertional mutagenesis, high potency, accelerated development cycles, and potential for low-cost manufacture. In past years, several mRNA vaccines have entered clinical trials and have shown promise for offering solutions to combat emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases such as rabies, Zika, and influenza. Recently, the successful application of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 has further validated the platform and opened the floodgates to mRNA vaccine's potential in infectious disease prevention, especially in the veterinary field. In this review, we describe our current understanding of the mRNA vaccines and the technologies used for mRNA vaccine development. We also provide an overview of mRNA vaccines developed for animal infectious diseases and discuss directions and challenges for the future applications of this promising vaccine platform in the veterinary field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Le
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin 150069, China; (T.L.); (C.S.)
| | - Chao Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin 150069, China; (T.L.); (C.S.)
| | - Jitao Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin 150069, China; (T.L.); (C.S.)
| | - Guijie Zhang
- Departments of Animal Science, School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China
| | - Xin Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin 150069, China; (T.L.); (C.S.)
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84
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Kiss DJ, Oláh J, Tóth G, Varga M, Stirling A, Menyhárd DK, Ferenczy GG. The Structure-Derived Mechanism of Box H/ACA Pseudouridine Synthase Offers a Plausible Paradigm for Programmable RNA Editing. ACS Catal 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.1c04870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dóra Judit Kiss
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Julianna Oláh
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Műegyetem rakpart 3, H-1111 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gergely Tóth
- Institute of Chemistry, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. stny. 1/a, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Máté Varga
- Department of Genetics, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. stny. 1/c, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - András Stirling
- Theoretical Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dóra K. Menyhárd
- MTA-ELTE Protein Modelling Research Group, Institute of Chemistry, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. stny. 1/a, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - György G. Ferenczy
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Biophysics and Radiation Biology, Semmelweis University, Tűzoltó u. 37-47, H-1094 Budapest, Hungary
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85
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Abstract
Modifications are present on many classes of RNA, including tRNA, rRNA, and mRNA. These modifications modulate diverse biological processes such as genetic recoding and mRNA export and folding. In addition, modifications can be introduced to RNA molecules using chemical probing strategies that reveal RNA structure and dynamics. Many methods exist to detect RNA modifications by short-read sequencing; however, limitations on read length inherent to short-read-based methods dissociate modifications from their native context, preventing single-molecule modification analysis. Here, we demonstrate direct RNA nanopore sequencing to detect endogenous and exogenous RNA modifications on long RNAs at the single-molecule level. We detect endogenous 2'-O-methyl and base modifications across E. coli and S. cerevisiae ribosomal RNAs as shifts in current signal and dwell times distally through interactions with the helicase motor protein. We further use the 2'-hydroxyl reactive SHAPE reagent acetylimidazole to probe RNA structure at the single-molecule level with readout by direct nanopore sequencing. Stephenson et al. employ direct RNA nanopore sequencing to detect endogenous and exogenous modifications on single RNA molecules. The authors demonstrate detection of endogenous 2'-O-methylation (Nm) on native ribosomal RNAs, confirming known modification patterns. They describe the development of nanoSHAPE, a method that involves exogenously labeling RNA with a small-adduct-generating chemical probe that can reveal RNA structure using long-read sequencing.
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86
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Chemical modifications to mRNA nucleobases impact translation elongation and termination. Biophys Chem 2022; 285:106780. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2022.106780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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87
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Chokkalla AK, Mehta SL, Vemuganti R. Epitranscriptomic Modifications Modulate Normal and Pathological Functions in CNS. Transl Stroke Res 2022; 13:1-11. [PMID: 34224107 PMCID: PMC8727632 DOI: 10.1007/s12975-021-00927-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
RNA is more than just a combination of four genetically encoded nucleobases as it carries extra information in the form of epitranscriptomic modifications. Diverse chemical groups attach covalently to RNA to enhance the plasticity of cellular transcriptome. The reversible and dynamic nature of epitranscriptomic modifications allows RNAs to achieve rapid and context-specific gene regulation. Dedicated cellular machinery comprising of writers, erasers, and readers drives the epitranscriptomic signaling. Epitranscriptomic modifications control crucial steps of mRNA metabolism such as splicing, export, localization, stability, degradation, and translation. The majority of the epitranscriptomic modifications are highly abundant in the brain and contribute to activity-dependent gene expression. Thus, they regulate the vital physiological processes of the brain, such as synaptic plasticity, neurogenesis, and stress response. Furthermore, epitranscriptomic alterations influence the progression of several neurologic disorders. This review discussed the molecular mechanisms of epitranscriptomic regulation in neurodevelopmental and neuropathological conditions with the goal to identify novel therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anil K Chokkalla
- Cellular and Molecular Pathology Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 600 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53792, USA
| | - Suresh L Mehta
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 600 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53792, USA
| | - Raghu Vemuganti
- Cellular and Molecular Pathology Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 600 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53792, USA.
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veteran Administration Hospital, Madison, WI, USA.
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88
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Purchal MK, Eyler DE, Tardu M, Franco MK, Korn MM, Khan T, McNassor R, Giles R, Lev K, Sharma H, Monroe J, Mallik L, Koutmos M, Koutmou KS. Pseudouridine synthase 7 is an opportunistic enzyme that binds and modifies substrates with diverse sequences and structures. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2109708119. [PMID: 35058356 PMCID: PMC8794802 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2109708119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudouridine (Ψ) is a ubiquitous RNA modification incorporated by pseudouridine synthase (Pus) enzymes into hundreds of noncoding and protein-coding RNA substrates. Here, we determined the contributions of substrate structure and protein sequence to binding and catalysis by pseudouridine synthase 7 (Pus7), one of the principal messenger RNA (mRNA) modifying enzymes. Pus7 is distinct among the eukaryotic Pus proteins because it modifies a wider variety of substrates and shares limited homology with other Pus family members. We solved the crystal structure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Pus7, detailing the architecture of the eukaryotic-specific insertions thought to be responsible for the expanded substrate scope of Pus7. Additionally, we identified an insertion domain in the protein that fine-tunes Pus7 activity both in vitro and in cells. These data demonstrate that Pus7 preferentially binds substrates possessing the previously identified UGUAR (R = purine) consensus sequence and that RNA secondary structure is not a strong requirement for Pus7-binding. In contrast, the rate constants and extent of Ψ incorporation are more influenced by RNA structure, with Pus7 modifying UGUAR sequences in less-structured contexts more efficiently both in vitro and in cells. Although less-structured substrates were preferred, Pus7 fully modified every transfer RNA, mRNA, and nonnatural RNA containing the consensus recognition sequence that we tested. Our findings suggest that Pus7 is a promiscuous enzyme and lead us to propose that factors beyond inherent enzyme properties (e.g., enzyme localization, RNA structure, and competition with other RNA-binding proteins) largely dictate Pus7 substrate selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith K Purchal
- Program in Chemical Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Daniel E Eyler
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Mehmet Tardu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Monika K Franco
- Program in Chemical Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Megan M Korn
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Taslima Khan
- Program in Chemical Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Ryan McNassor
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Rachel Giles
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Katherine Lev
- Program in Chemical Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Hari Sharma
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Jeremy Monroe
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Leena Mallik
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
- Department of Biophysics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Markos Koutmos
- Program in Chemical Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109;
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
- Department of Biophysics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Kristin S Koutmou
- Program in Chemical Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109;
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
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89
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Svitkin YV, Gingras AC, Sonenberg N. Membrane-dependent relief of translation elongation arrest on pseudouridine- and N1-methyl-pseudouridine-modified mRNAs. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 50:7202-7215. [PMID: 34933339 PMCID: PMC9303281 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab1241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Expression of therapeutically important proteins has benefited dramatically from the advent of chemically modified mRNAs that feature decreased lability and immunogenicity. This had a momentous effect on the rapid development of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. Incorporation of the naturally occurring pseudouridine (Ψ) or N1-methyl-pseudouridine (N1mΨ) into in vitro transcribed mRNAs prevents the activation of unwanted immune responses by blocking eIF2α phosphorylation, which inhibits translation. Here, we report that Ψs in luciferase (Luc) mRNA exacerbate translation pausing in nuclease-untreated rabbit reticulocyte lysate (uRRL) and promote the formation of high-order-ribosome structures. The major deceleration of elongation occurs at the Ψ-rich nucleotides 1294-1326 of Ψ-Luc mRNA and results in premature termination of translation. The impairment of translation is mainly due to the shortage of membranous components. Supplementing uRRL with canine microsomal membranes (CMMs) relaxes the impediments to ribosome movement, resolves collided ribosomes, and greatly enhances full-size luciferase production. CMMs also strongly stimulated an extremely inefficient translation of N1mΨ-Luc mRNA in uRRL. Evidence is presented that translational pausing can promote membrane recruitment of polysomes with nascent polypeptides that lack a signal sequence. Our results highlight an underappreciated role of membrane binding to polysomes in the prevention of ribosome collision and premature release of nascent polypeptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri V Svitkin
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 1A3, Canada.,Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, Montréal, Québec H3A 1A3, Canada
| | - Anne-Claude Gingras
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1×5, Canada
| | - Nahum Sonenberg
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 1A3, Canada.,Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, Montréal, Québec H3A 1A3, Canada
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90
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Baptista B, Carapito R, Laroui N, Pichon C, Sousa F. mRNA, a Revolution in Biomedicine. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:2090. [PMID: 34959371 PMCID: PMC8707022 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13122090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The perspective of using messenger RNA (mRNA) as a therapeutic molecule first faced some uncertainties due to concerns about its instability and the feasibility of large-scale production. Today, given technological advances and deeper biomolecular knowledge, these issues have started to be addressed and some strategies are being exploited to overcome the limitations. Thus, the potential of mRNA has become increasingly recognized for the development of new innovative therapeutics, envisioning its application in immunotherapy, regenerative medicine, vaccination, and gene editing. Nonetheless, to fully potentiate mRNA therapeutic application, its efficient production, stabilization and delivery into the target cells are required. In recent years, intensive research has been carried out in this field in order to bring new and effective solutions towards the stabilization and delivery of mRNA. Presently, the therapeutic potential of mRNA is undoubtedly recognized, which was greatly reinforced by the results achieved in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are still some issues that need to be improved, which are critically discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Baptista
- CICS-UBI—Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Av. Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal; (B.B.); (R.C.)
| | - Rita Carapito
- CICS-UBI—Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Av. Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal; (B.B.); (R.C.)
| | - Nabila Laroui
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire (CBM), UPR 4301 CNRS, University of Orléans, 45071 Orléans, France;
| | - Chantal Pichon
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire (CBM), UPR 4301 CNRS, University of Orléans, 45071 Orléans, France;
| | - Fani Sousa
- CICS-UBI—Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Av. Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal; (B.B.); (R.C.)
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91
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Morais P, Adachi H, Yu YT. The Critical Contribution of Pseudouridine to mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:789427. [PMID: 34805188 PMCID: PMC8600071 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.789427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The current COVID-19 pandemic is a massive source of global disruption, having led so far to two hundred and fifty million COVID-19 cases and almost five million deaths worldwide. It was recognized in the beginning that only an effective vaccine could lead to a way out of the pandemic, and therefore the race for the COVID-19 vaccine started immediately, boosted by the availability of the viral sequence data. Two novel vaccine platforms, based on mRNA technology, were developed in 2020 by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Therapeutics (comirnaty® and spikevax®, respectively), and were the first ones presenting efficacies higher than 90%. Both consisted of N1-methyl-pseudouridine-modified mRNA encoding the SARS-COVID-19 Spike protein and were delivered with a lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulation. Because the delivery problem of ribonucleic acids had been known for decades, the success of LNPs was quickly hailed by many as the unsung hero of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. However, the clinical trial efficacy results of the Curevac mRNA vaccine (CVnCoV) suggested that the delivery system was not the only key to the success. CVnCoV consisted of an unmodified mRNA (encoding the same spike protein as Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech's mRNA vaccines) and was formulated with the same LNP as Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine (Acuitas ALC-0315). However, its efficacy was only 48%. This striking difference in efficacy could be attributed to the presence of a critical RNA modification (N1-methyl-pseudouridine) in the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna's mRNA vaccines (but not in CVnCoV). Here we highlight the features of N1-methyl-pseudouridine and its contributions to mRNA vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hironori Adachi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Yi-Tao Yu
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States
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92
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Fleming AM, Mathewson NJ, Howpay Manage SA, Burrows CJ. Nanopore Dwell Time Analysis Permits Sequencing and Conformational Assignment of Pseudouridine in SARS-CoV-2. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2021; 7:1707-1717. [PMID: 34729414 PMCID: PMC8554835 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.1c00788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Direct RNA sequencing for the epitranscriptomic modification pseudouridine (Ψ), an isomer of uridine (U), was conducted with a protein nanopore sensor using a helicase brake to slowly feed the RNA into the sensor. Synthetic RNAs with 100% Ψ or U in 20 different known human sequence contexts identified differences during sequencing in the base-calling, ionic current, and dwell time in the nanopore sensor; however, the signals were found to have a dependency on the context that would result in biases when sequencing unknown samples. A solution to the challenge was the identification that the passage of Ψ through the helicase brake produced a long-range dwell time impact with less context bias that was used for modification identification. The data analysis approach was employed to analyze publicly available direct RNA sequencing data for SARS-CoV-2 RNA taken from cell culture to locate five conserved Ψ sites in the genome. Two sites were found to be substrates for pseudouridine synthase 1 and 7 in an in vitro assay, providing validation of the analysis. Utilization of the helicase as an additional sensor in direct RNA nanopore sequencing provides greater confidence in calling RNA modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron M. Fleming
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 S. 1400 East, Salt Lake
City, Utah 84112-0850, United States
| | - Nicole J. Mathewson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 S. 1400 East, Salt Lake
City, Utah 84112-0850, United States
| | - Shereen A. Howpay Manage
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 S. 1400 East, Salt Lake
City, Utah 84112-0850, United States
| | - Cynthia J. Burrows
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 S. 1400 East, Salt Lake
City, Utah 84112-0850, United States
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93
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Owens MC, Zhang C, Liu KF. Recent technical advances in the study of nucleic acid modifications. Mol Cell 2021; 81:4116-4136. [PMID: 34480848 PMCID: PMC9109655 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.07.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Enzyme-mediated chemical modifications of nucleic acids are indispensable regulators of gene expression. Our understanding of the biochemistry and biological significance of these modifications has largely been driven by an ever-evolving landscape of technologies that enable accurate detection, mapping, and manipulation of these marks. Here we provide a summary of recent technical advances in the study of nucleic acid modifications with a focus on techniques that allow accurate detection and mapping of these modifications. For each modification discussed (N6-methyladenosine, 5-methylcytidine, inosine, pseudouridine, and N4-acetylcytidine), we begin by introducing the "gold standard" technique for its mapping and detection, followed by a discussion of techniques developed to address any shortcomings of the gold standard. By highlighting the commonalities and differences of these techniques, we hope to provide a perspective on the current state of the field and to lay out a guideline for development of future technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Owens
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Celia Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kathy Fange Liu
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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94
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Lipid Nanoparticles for Organ-Specific mRNA Therapeutic Delivery. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13101675. [PMID: 34683969 PMCID: PMC8538155 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13101675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary This article belongs to the Special Issue mRNA Therapeutics: A Themed Issue in Honor of Professor Katalin Karikó. Abstract Advances in the using in vitro transcribed (IVT) modRNA in the past two decades, especially the tremendous recent success of mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, have brought increased attention to IVT mRNA technology. Despite its well-known use in infectious disease vaccines, IVT modRNA technology is being investigated mainly in cancer immunotherapy and protein replacement therapy, with ongoing clinical trials in both areas. One of the main barriers to progressing mRNA therapeutics to the clinic is determining how to deliver mRNA to target cells and protect it from degradation. Over the years, many different vehicles have been developed to tackle this issue. Desirable vehicles must be safe, stable and preferably organ specific for successful mRNA delivery to clinically relevant cells and tissues. In this review we discuss various mRNA delivery platforms, with particular focus on attempts to create organ-specific vehicles for therapeutic mRNA delivery.
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95
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Monajemi H, M. Zain S. How stop codon pseudouridylation induces nonsense suppression. COMPUT THEOR CHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.comptc.2021.113414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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96
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RNA Modifications and Epigenetics in Modulation of Lung Cancer and Pulmonary Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221910592. [PMID: 34638933 PMCID: PMC8508636 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, and its tumorigenesis involves the accumulation of genetic and epigenetic events in the respiratory epithelium. Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, RNA modification, and histone modifications, have been widely reported to play an important role in lung cancer development and in other pulmonary diseases. Whereas the functionality of DNA and chromatin modifications referred to as epigenetics is widely characterized, various modifications of RNA nucleotides have recently come into prominence as functionally important. N6-methyladosine (m6A) is the most prevalent internal modification in mRNAs, and its machinery of writers, erasers, and readers is well-characterized. However, several other nucleotide modifications of mRNAs and various noncoding RNAs have also been shown to play an important role in the regulation of biological processes and pathology. Such epitranscriptomic modifications play an important role in regulating various aspects of RNA metabolism, including transcription, translation, splicing, and stability. The dysregulation of epitranscriptomic machinery has been implicated in the pathological processes associated with carcinogenesis including uncontrolled cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. In recent years, with the advancement of RNA sequencing technology, high-resolution maps of different modifications in various tissues, organs, or disease models are being constantly reported at a dramatic speed. This facilitates further understanding of the relationship between disease development and epitranscriptomics, shedding light on new therapeutic possibilities. In this review, we summarize the basic information on RNA modifications, including m6A, m1A, m5C, m7G, pseudouridine, and A-to-I editing. We then demonstrate their relation to different kinds of lung diseases, especially lung cancer. By comparing the different roles RNA modifications play in the development processes of different diseases, this review may provide some new insights and offer a better understanding of RNA epigenetics and its involvement in pulmonary diseases.
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97
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Single-molecule RNA sequencing for simultaneous detection of m6A and 5mC. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19304. [PMID: 34588546 PMCID: PMC8481274 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98805-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Epitranscriptomics is the study of RNA base modifications involving functionally relevant changes to the transcriptome. In recent years, epitranscriptomics has been an active area of research. However, a major issue has been the development of sequencing methods to map transcriptome-wide RNA base modifications. We have proposed a single-molecule quantum sequencer for mapping RNA base modifications in microRNAs (miRNAs), such as N6-methyladenosine (m6A) or 5-methylcytidine (5mC), which are related to cancer cell propagation and suppression. Here, we investigated 5mC and m6A in hsa-miR-200c-5p extracted from colorectal cancer cells and determined their methylation sites and rates; the data were comparable to those determined by mass spectrometry. Furthermore, we evaluated the methylation ratio of cytidine and adenosine at each site in the sequences and its relationship. These results suggest that the methylation ratio of cytidine and adenosine is facilitated by the presence of vicinal methylation. Our work provides a robust new tool for sequencing various types of RNA base modifications in their RNA context.
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98
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Lin TY, Mehta R, Glatt S. Pseudouridines in RNAs: switching atoms means shifting paradigms. FEBS Lett 2021; 595:2310-2322. [PMID: 34468991 PMCID: PMC9290505 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The structure, stability, and function of various coding and noncoding RNAs are influenced by chemical modifications. Pseudouridine (Ψ) is one of the most abundant post‐transcriptional RNA base modifications and has been detected at individual positions in tRNAs, rRNAs, mRNAs, and snRNAs, which are referred to as Ψ‐sites. By allowing formation of additional bonds with neighboring atoms, Ψ strengthens RNA–RNA and RNA–protein interactions. Although many aspects of the underlying modification reactions remain unclear, the advent of new transcriptome‐wide methods to quantitatively detect Ψ‐sites has recently changed our perception of the functional roles and importance of Ψ. For instance, it is now clear that the occurrence of Ψs appears to be directly linked to the lifetime and the translation efficiency of a given mRNA molecule. Furthermore, the administration of Ψ‐containing RNAs reduces innate immune responses, which appears strikingly advantageous for the development of generations of mRNA‐based vaccines. In this review, we aim to comprehensively summarize recent discoveries that highlight the impact of Ψ on various types of RNAs and outline possible novel biomedical applications of Ψ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting-Yu Lin
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology (MCB), Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Rahul Mehta
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology (MCB), Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Sebastian Glatt
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology (MCB), Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
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99
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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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100
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Monroe JG, Smith TJ, Koutmou KS. Investigating the consequences of mRNA modifications on protein synthesis using in vitro translation assays. Methods Enzymol 2021; 658:379-406. [PMID: 34517955 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2021.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The ribosome translates the information stored in the genetic code into functional proteins. In this process messenger RNAs (mRNAs) serve as templates for the ribosome, ensuring that amino acids are linked together in the correct order. Chemical modifications to mRNA nucleosides have the potential to influence the rate and accuracy of protein synthesis. Here, we present an in vitro Escherichia coli translation system utilizing highly purified components to directly investigate the impact of mRNA modifications on the speed and accuracy of the ribosome. This system can be used to gain insights into how individual chemical modifications influence translation on the molecular level. While the fully reconstituted system described in this chapter requires a lengthy time investment to prepare experimental materials, it is highly verstaile and enables the systematic assessment of how single variables influence protein synthesis by the ribosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy G Monroe
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Tyler J Smith
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Kristin S Koutmou
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
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