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Krueger J, Preusse M, Oswaldo Gomez N, Frommeyer YN, Doberenz S, Lorenz A, Kordes A, Grobe S, Müsken M, Depledge DP, Svensson SL, Weiss S, Kaever V, Pich A, Sharma CM, Ignatova Z, Häussler S. tRNA epitranscriptome determines pathogenicity of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2312874121. [PMID: 38451943 PMCID: PMC10945773 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2312874121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The success of bacterial pathogens depends on the coordinated expression of virulence determinants. Regulatory circuits that drive pathogenesis are complex, multilayered, and incompletely understood. Here, we reveal that alterations in tRNA modifications define pathogenic phenotypes in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We demonstrate that the enzymatic activity of GidA leads to the introduction of a carboxymethylaminomethyl modification in selected tRNAs. Modifications at the wobble uridine base (cmnm5U34) of the anticodon drives translation of transcripts containing rare codons. Specifically, in P. aeruginosa the presence of GidA-dependent tRNA modifications modulates expression of genes encoding virulence regulators, leading to a cellular proteomic shift toward pathogenic and well-adapted physiological states. Our approach of profiling the consequences of chemical tRNA modifications is general in concept. It provides a paradigm of how environmentally driven tRNA modifications govern gene expression programs and regulate phenotypic outcomes responsible for bacterial adaption to challenging habitats prevailing in the host niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Krueger
- Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, Center of Clinical and Experimental Infection Research (TWINCORE), a joint venture of the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Hannover30625, Germany
- Research Core Unit Proteomics and Institute for Toxicology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover30625, Germany
| | - Matthias Preusse
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, 38124Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Nicolas Oswaldo Gomez
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, 38124Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Yannick Noah Frommeyer
- Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, Center of Clinical and Experimental Infection Research (TWINCORE), a joint venture of the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Hannover30625, Germany
| | - Sebastian Doberenz
- Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, Center of Clinical and Experimental Infection Research (TWINCORE), a joint venture of the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Hannover30625, Germany
| | - Anne Lorenz
- Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, Center of Clinical and Experimental Infection Research (TWINCORE), a joint venture of the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Hannover30625, Germany
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, 38124Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Adrian Kordes
- Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, Center of Clinical and Experimental Infection Research (TWINCORE), a joint venture of the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Hannover30625, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence “Resolving Infection susceptibility” (RESIST), Hannover Medical School, Hannover30625, Germany
| | - Svenja Grobe
- Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, Center of Clinical and Experimental Infection Research (TWINCORE), a joint venture of the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Hannover30625, Germany
- Research Core Unit Metabolomics and Institute of Pharmacology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover 30625, Germany
| | - Mathias Müsken
- Central Facility for Microscopy, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig38124, Germany
| | - Daniel P. Depledge
- Cluster of Excellence “Resolving Infection susceptibility” (RESIST), Hannover Medical School, Hannover30625, Germany
- Institute of Virology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover30625, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, Hannover30625, Germany
| | - Sarah L. Svensson
- Department of Molecular Infection Biology II, Institute of Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg97080, Germany
| | - Siegfried Weiss
- Institute of Immunology, Medical School Hannover, Hannover30625, Germany
| | - Volkhard Kaever
- Research Core Unit Metabolomics and Institute of Pharmacology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover 30625, Germany
| | - Andreas Pich
- Research Core Unit Proteomics and Institute for Toxicology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover30625, Germany
| | - Cynthia M. Sharma
- Department of Molecular Infection Biology II, Institute of Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg97080, Germany
| | - Zoya Ignatova
- Institute for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University Hamburg, 20146, Germany
| | - Susanne Häussler
- Institute for Molecular Bacteriology, Center of Clinical and Experimental Infection Research (TWINCORE), a joint venture of the Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Hannover30625, Germany
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, 38124Braunschweig, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence “Resolving Infection susceptibility” (RESIST), Hannover Medical School, Hannover30625, Germany
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital—Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen2100, Denmark
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2
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Bajaj P, Bhasin M, Varadarajan R. Molecular bases for strong phenotypic effects of single synonymous codon substitutions in the E. coli ccdB toxin gene. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:732. [PMID: 38049728 PMCID: PMC10694988 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09817-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Single synonymous codon mutations typically have only minor or no effects on gene function. Here, we estimate the effects on cell growth of ~ 200 single synonymous codon mutations in an operonic context by mutating almost all positions of ccdB, the 101-residue long cytotoxin of the ccdAB Toxin-Antitoxin (TA) operon to most degenerate codons. Phenotypes were assayed by transforming the mutant library into CcdB sensitive and resistant E. coli strains, isolating plasmid pools, and subjecting them to deep sequencing. Since autoregulation is a hallmark of TA operons, phenotypes obtained for ccdB synonymous mutants after transformation in a RelE toxin reporter strain followed by deep sequencing provided information on the amount of CcdAB complex formed. RESULTS Synonymous mutations in the N-terminal region involved in translation initiation showed the strongest non-neutral phenotypic effects. We observe an interplay of numerous factors, namely, location of the codon, codon usage, t-RNA abundance, formation of anti-Shine Dalgarno sequences, predicted transcript secondary structure, and evolutionary conservation in determining phenotypic effects of ccdB synonymous mutations. Incorporation of an N-terminal, hyperactive synonymous mutation, in the background of the single synonymous codon mutant library sufficiently increased translation initiation, such that mutational effects on either folding or termination of translation became more apparent. Introduction of putative pause sites not only affects the translational rate, but might also alter the folding kinetics of the protein in vivo. CONCLUSION In summary, the study provides novel insights into diverse mechanisms by which synonymous mutations modulate gene function. This information is useful in optimizing heterologous gene expression in E. coli and understanding the molecular bases for alteration in gene expression that arise due to synonymous mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Bajaj
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
- Present address: Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of CA - San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Munmun Bhasin
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Raghavan Varadarajan
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India.
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3
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Alonso AM, Diambra L. Dicodon-based measures for modeling gene expression. Bioinformatics 2023; 39:btad380. [PMID: 37307098 PMCID: PMC10287933 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btad380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Codon usage preference patterns have been associated with modulation of translation efficiency, protein folding, and mRNA decay. However, new studies support that codon pair usage has also a remarkable effect at the gene expression level. Here, we expand the concept of CAI to answer if codon pair usage patterns can be understood in terms of codon usage bias, or if they offer new information regarding coding translation efficiency. RESULTS Through the implementation of a weighting strategy to consider the dicodon contributions, we observe that the dicodon-based measure has greater correlations with gene expression level than CAI. Interestingly, we have noted that dicodons associated with a low value of adaptiveness are related to dicodons which mediate strong translational inhibition in yeast. We have also noticed that some codon-pairs have a smaller dicodon contribution than estimated by the product of the respective codon contributions. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION Scripts, implemented in Python, are freely available for download at https://zenodo.org/record/7738276#.ZBIDBtLMIdU.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andres M Alonso
- Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (INTECH), CONICET-UNSAM, Intendente Marino km 8.2, Chascomús, 7130 Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- CCT-La Plata, CONICET, Calle 8 Nº 1467, La Plata, B1904CMC Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Luis Diambra
- CCT-La Plata, CONICET, Calle 8 Nº 1467, La Plata, B1904CMC Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Centro Regional de Estudios Genómicos, FCE-UNLP, Blvd 120 N∘ 1461, La Plata, 1900 Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Hughes LA, Rudler DL, Siira SJ, McCubbin T, Raven SA, Browne JM, Ermer JA, Rientjes J, Rodger J, Marcellin E, Rackham O, Filipovska A. Copy number variation in tRNA isodecoder genes impairs mammalian development and balanced translation. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2210. [PMID: 37072429 PMCID: PMC10113395 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37843-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The number of tRNA isodecoders has increased dramatically in mammals, but the specific molecular and physiological reasons for this expansion remain elusive. To address this fundamental question we used CRISPR editing to knockout the seven-membered phenylalanine tRNA gene family in mice, both individually and combinatorially. Using ATAC-Seq, RNA-seq, ribo-profiling and proteomics we observed distinct molecular consequences of single tRNA deletions. We show that tRNA-Phe-1-1 is required for neuronal function and its loss is partially compensated by increased expression of other tRNAs but results in mistranslation. In contrast, the other tRNA-Phe isodecoder genes buffer the loss of each of the remaining six tRNA-Phe genes. In the tRNA-Phe gene family, the expression of at least six tRNA-Phe alleles is required for embryonic viability and tRNA-Phe-1-1 is most important for development and survival. Our results reveal that the multi-copy configuration of tRNA genes is required to buffer translation and viability in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laetitia A Hughes
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
- Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Danielle L Rudler
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
- Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Stefan J Siira
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
- Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Tim McCubbin
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, QLD, Australia
| | - Samuel A Raven
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
- Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Jasmin M Browne
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
- Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Judith A Ermer
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
- Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Jeanette Rientjes
- Monash Genome Modification Platform, Monash University, 35 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Jennifer Rodger
- School of Biological Sciences (Physiology), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Sciences, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Esteban Marcellin
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, QLD, Australia
- Queensland Metabolomics and Proteomics (Q-MAP), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, QLD, Australia
| | - Oliver Rackham
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA, Australia.
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia.
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia.
- Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia.
- Telethon Kids Institute, Northern Entrance, Perth Children's Hospital, 15 Hospital Avenue, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
| | - Aleksandra Filipovska
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA, Australia.
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia.
- Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia.
- Telethon Kids Institute, Northern Entrance, Perth Children's Hospital, 15 Hospital Avenue, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
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5
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Höllerer S, Jeschek M. Ultradeep characterisation of translational sequence determinants refutes rare-codon hypothesis and unveils quadruplet base pairing of initiator tRNA and transcript. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:2377-2396. [PMID: 36727459 PMCID: PMC10018350 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Translation is a key determinant of gene expression and an important biotechnological engineering target. In bacteria, 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) and coding sequence (CDS) are well-known mRNA parts controlling translation and thus cellular protein levels. However, the complex interaction of 5'-UTR and CDS has so far only been studied for few sequences leading to non-generalisable and partly contradictory conclusions. Herein, we systematically assess the dynamic translation from over 1.2 million 5'-UTR-CDS pairs in Escherichia coli to investigate their collective effect using a new method for ultradeep sequence-function mapping. This allows us to disentangle and precisely quantify effects of various sequence determinants of translation. We find that 5'-UTR and CDS individually account for 53% and 20% of variance in translation, respectively, and show conclusively that, contrary to a common hypothesis, tRNA abundance does not explain expression changes between CDSs with different synonymous codons. Moreover, the obtained large-scale data provide clear experimental evidence for a base-pairing interaction between initiator tRNA and mRNA beyond the anticodon-codon interaction, an effect that is often masked for individual sequences and therefore inaccessible to low-throughput approaches. Our study highlights the indispensability of ultradeep sequence-function mapping to accurately determine the contribution of parts and phenomena involved in gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Höllerer
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology – ETH Zurich, Basel CH-4058, Switzerland
| | - Markus Jeschek
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +49 941 943 3161; Fax: +49 941 943 2403;
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6
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Fages-Lartaud M, Mueller Y, Elie F, Courtade G, Hohmann-Marriott MF. Standard Intein Gene Expression Ramps (SIGER) for Protein-Independent Expression Control. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:1058-1071. [PMID: 36920366 PMCID: PMC10127266 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Coordination of multigene expression is one of the key challenges of metabolic engineering for the development of cell factories. Constraints on translation initiation and early ribosome kinetics of mRNA are imposed by features of the 5'UTR in combination with the start of the gene, referred to as the "gene ramp", such as rare codons and mRNA secondary structures. These features strongly influence the translation yield and protein quality by regulating the ribosome distribution on mRNA strands. The utilization of genetic expression sequences, such as promoters and 5'UTRs in combination with different target genes, leads to a wide variety of gene ramp compositions with irregular translation rates, leading to unpredictable levels of protein yield and quality. Here, we present the Standard Intein Gene Expression Ramp (SIGER) system for controlling protein expression. The SIGER system makes use of inteins to decouple the translation initiation features from the gene of a target protein. We generated sequence-specific gene expression sequences for two inteins (DnaB and DnaX) that display defined levels of protein expression. Additionally, we used inteins that possess the ability to release the C-terminal fusion protein in vivo to avoid the impairment of protein functionality by the fused intein. Overall, our results show that SIGER systems are unique tools to mitigate the undesirable effects of gene ramp variation and to control the relative ratios of enzymes involved in molecular pathways. As a proof of concept of the potential of the system, we also used a SIGER system to express two difficult-to-produce proteins, GumM and CBM73.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Fages-Lartaud
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
| | - Yasmin Mueller
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
| | - Florence Elie
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
| | - Gaston Courtade
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway
| | - Martin Frank Hohmann-Marriott
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim N-7491, Norway.,United Scientists CORE (Limited), Dunedin 9016, Aotearoa, New Zealand
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7
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Fages‐Lartaud M, Hundvin K, Hohmann‐Marriott MF. Mechanisms governing codon usage bias and the implications for protein expression in the chloroplast of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 112:919-945. [PMID: 36071273 PMCID: PMC9828097 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Chloroplasts possess a considerably reduced genome that is decoded via an almost minimal set of tRNAs. These features make an excellent platform for gaining insights into fundamental mechanisms that govern protein expression. Here, we present a comprehensive and revised perspective of the mechanisms that drive codon selection in the chloroplast of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and the functional consequences for protein expression. In order to extract this information, we applied several codon usage descriptors to genes with different expression levels. We show that highly expressed genes strongly favor translationally optimal codons, while genes with lower functional importance are rather affected by directional mutational bias. We demonstrate that codon optimality can be deduced from codon-anticodon pairing affinity and, for a small number of amino acids (leucine, arginine, serine, and isoleucine), tRNA concentrations. Finally, we review, analyze, and expand on the impact of codon usage on protein yield, secondary structures of mRNA, translation initiation and termination, and amino acid composition of proteins, as well as cotranslational protein folding. The comprehensive analysis of codon choice provides crucial insights into heterologous gene expression in the chloroplast of C. reinhardtii, which may also be applicable to other chloroplast-containing organisms and bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Fages‐Lartaud
- Department of BiotechnologyNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimN‐7491Norway
| | - Kristoffer Hundvin
- Department of BiotechnologyNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimN‐7491Norway
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8
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Zhang D, Li SHJ, King CG, Wingreen NS, Gitai Z, Li Z. Global and gene-specific translational regulation in Escherichia coli across different conditions. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1010641. [PMID: 36264977 PMCID: PMC9624429 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
How well mRNA transcript levels represent protein abundances has been a controversial issue. Particularly across different environments, correlations between mRNA and protein exhibit remarkable variability from gene to gene. Translational regulation is likely to be one of the key factors contributing to mismatches between mRNA level and protein abundance in bacteria. Here, we quantified genome-wide transcriptome and relative translation efficiency (RTE) under 12 different conditions in Escherichia coli. By quantifying the mRNA-RTE correlation both across genes and across conditions, we uncovered a diversity of gene-specific translational regulations, cooperating with transcriptional regulations, in response to carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphate (P) limitations. Intriguingly, we found that many genes regulating translation are themselves subject to translational regulation, suggesting possible feedbacks. Furthermore, a random forest model suggests that codon usage partially predicts a gene's cross-condition variability in translation efficiency; such cross-condition variability tends to be an inherent quality of a gene, independent of the specific nutrient limitations. These findings broaden the understanding of translational regulation under different environments and provide novel strategies for the control of translation in synthetic biology. In addition, our data offers a resource for future multi-omics studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Zhang
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Sophia Hsin-Jung Li
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christopher G. King
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Ned S. Wingreen
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- * E-mail: (NSW); (ZG); (ZL)
| | - Zemer Gitai
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- * E-mail: (NSW); (ZG); (ZL)
| | - Zhiyuan Li
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- * E-mail: (NSW); (ZG); (ZL)
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Multimodal cotranslational interactions direct assembly of the human multi-tRNA synthetase complex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2205669119. [PMID: 36037331 PMCID: PMC9457175 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2205669119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Amino acid ligation to cognate transfer RNAs (tRNAs) is catalyzed by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs)-essential interpreters of the genetic code during translation. Mammalian cells harbor 20 cytoplasmic aaRSs, out of which 9 (in 8 proteins), with 3 non-aaRS proteins, AIMPs 1 to 3, form the ∼1.25-MDa multi-tRNA synthetase complex (MSC). The function of MSC remains uncertain, as does its mechanism of assembly. Constituents of multiprotein complexes encounter obstacles during assembly, including inappropriate interactions, topological constraints, premature degradation of unassembled subunits, and suboptimal stoichiometry. To facilitate orderly and efficient complex formation, some complexes are assembled cotranslationally by a mechanism in which a fully formed, mature protein binds a nascent partner as it emerges from the translating ribosome. Here, we show out of the 121 possible interaction events between the 11 MSC constituents, 15 are cotranslational. AIMPs are involved in the majority of these cotranslational interactions, suggesting they are not only critical for MSC structure but also for assembly. Unexpectedly, several cotranslational events involve more than the usual dyad of interacting proteins. We show two modes of cotranslational interaction, namely a "multisite" mechanism in which two or more mature proteins bind the same nascent peptide at distinct sites and a second "piggy-back" mechanism in which a mature protein carries a second fully formed protein and binds to a single site on an emerging peptide. Multimodal mechanisms of cotranslational interaction offer a diversity of pathways for ordered, piecewise assembly of small subcomplexes into larger heteromultimeric complexes such as the mammalian MSC.
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Proteostasis Deregulation in Neurodegeneration and Its Link with Stress Granules: Focus on the Scaffold and Ribosomal Protein RACK1. Cells 2022; 11:cells11162590. [PMID: 36010666 PMCID: PMC9406587 DOI: 10.3390/cells11162590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of protein misfolding, deposition, and clearance has been the dominant topic in the last decades of investigation in the field of neurodegeneration. The impairment of protein synthesis, along with RNA metabolism and RNA granules, however, are significantly emerging as novel potential targets for the comprehension of the molecular events leading to neuronal deficits. Indeed, defects in ribosome activity, ribosome stalling, and PQC—all ribosome-related processes required for proteostasis regulation—can contribute to triggering stress conditions and promoting the formation of stress granules (SGs) that could evolve in the formation of pathological granules, usually occurring during neurodegenerating effects. In this review, the interplay between proteostasis, mRNA metabolism, and SGs has been explored in a neurodegenerative context with a focus on Alzheimer’s disease (AD), although some defects in these same mechanisms can also be found in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which are discussed here. Finally, we highlight the role of the receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1) in these pathologies and note that, besides its well characterized function as a scaffold protein, it has an important role in translation and can associate to stress granules (SGs) determining cell fate in response to diverse stress stimuli.
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Hassell D, Denney A, Singer E, Benson A, Roth A, Ceglowski J, Steingesser M, McMurray M. Chaperone Requirements for De Novo Folding of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Septins. Mol Biol Cell 2022; 33:ar111. [PMID: 35947497 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e22-07-0262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Polymers of septin protein complexes play cytoskeletal roles in eukaryotic cells. The specific subunit composition within complexes controls functions and higher-order structural properties. All septins have globular GTPase domains. The other eukaryotic cytoskeletal NTPases strictly require assistance from molecular chaperones of the cytosol, particularly the cage-like chaperonins, to fold into oligomerization-competent conformations. We previously identified cytosolic chaperones that bind septins and influence the oligomerization ability of septins carrying mutations linked to human disease, but it was unknown to what extent wild-type septins require chaperone assistance for their native folding. Here we use a combination of in vivo and in vitro approaches to demonstrate chaperone requirements for de novo folding and complex assembly by budding yeast septins. Individually purified septins adopted non-native conformations and formed non-native homodimers. In chaperonin- or Hsp70-deficient cells, septins folded slower and were unable to assemble post-translationally into native complexes. One septin, Cdc12, was so dependent on co-translational chaperonin assistance that translation failed without it. Our findings point to distinct translation elongation rates for different septins as a possible mechanism to direct a stepwise, co-translational assembly pathway in which general cytosolic chaperones act as key intermediaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Hassell
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Ashley Denney
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Emily Singer
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Aleyna Benson
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Andrew Roth
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Julia Ceglowski
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Marc Steingesser
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Michael McMurray
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
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12
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Kim DJ, Kim J, Lee DH, Lee J, Woo HM. DeepTESR: A Deep Learning Framework to Predict the Degree of Translational Elongation Short Ramp for Gene Expression Control. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:1719-1726. [PMID: 35502843 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Controlling translational elongation is essential for efficient protein synthesis. Ribosome profiling has revealed that the speed of ribosome movement is correlated with translational efficiency in the translational elongation ramp. In this work, we present a new deep learning model, called DeepTESR, to predict the degree of translational elongation short ramp (TESR) from mRNA sequence. The proposed deep learning model exhibited superior performance in predicting the TESR scores for 226 981 TESR sequences, resulting in the mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.285 and a coefficient of determination R2 of 0.627, superior to the conventional machine learning models (e.g., MAE of 0.335 and R2 of 0.571 for LightGBM). We experimentally validated that heterologous fluorescence expression of proteins with randomly selected TESR was moderately correlated with the predictions. Furthermore, a genome-wide analysis of TESR prediction in the 4305 coding sequences of Escherichia coli showed conserved TESRs over the clusters of orthologous groups. In this sense, DeepTESR can be used to predict the degree of TESR for gene expression control and to decipher the mechanism of translational control with ribosome profiling. DeepTESR is available at https://github.com/fmblab/DeepTESR.
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13
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MPEPE, a predictive approach to improve protein expression in E. coli based on deep learning. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:1142-1153. [PMID: 35317239 PMCID: PMC8913310 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.02.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
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14
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Neumann T, Tuller T. Modeling the ribosomal small subunit dynamic in Saccharomyces cerevisiae based on TCP-seq data. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:1297-1316. [PMID: 35100399 PMCID: PMC8860609 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Translation Complex Profile Sequencing (TCP-seq), a protocol that was developed and implemented on Saccharomyces cerevisiae, provides the footprints of the small subunit (SSU) of the ribosome (with additional factors) across the entire transcriptome of the analyzed organism. In this study, based on the TCP-seq data, we developed for the first-time a predictive model of the SSU density and analyzed the effect of transcript features on the dynamics of the SSU scan in the 5′UTR. Among others, our model is based on novel tools for detecting complex statistical relations tailored to TCP-seq. We quantitatively estimated the effect of several important features, including the context of the upstream AUG, the upstream ORF length and the mRNA folding strength. Specifically, we suggest that around 50% of the variance related to the read counts (RC) distribution near a start codon can be attributed to the AUG context score. We provide the first large scale direct quantitative evidence that shows that indeed AUG context affects the small sub-unit movement. In addition, we suggest that strong folding may cause the detachment of the SSU from the mRNA. We also identified a number of novel sequence motifs that can affect the SSU scan; some of these motifs affect transcription factors and RNA binding proteins. The results presented in this study provide a better understanding of the biophysical aspects related to the SSU scan along the 5′UTR and of translation initiation in S. cerevisiae, a fundamental step toward a comprehensive modeling of initiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Neumann
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Tamir Tuller
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
- The Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
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15
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Tietze L, Lale R. Importance of the 5' regulatory region to bacterial synthetic biology applications. Microb Biotechnol 2021; 14:2291-2315. [PMID: 34171170 PMCID: PMC8601185 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The field of synthetic biology is evolving at a fast pace. It is advancing beyond single-gene alterations in single hosts to the logical design of complex circuits and the development of integrated synthetic genomes. Recent breakthroughs in deep learning, which is increasingly used in de novo assembly of DNA components with predictable effects, are also aiding the discipline. Despite advances in computing, the field is still reliant on the availability of pre-characterized DNA parts, whether natural or synthetic, to regulate gene expression in bacteria and make valuable compounds. In this review, we discuss the different bacterial synthetic biology methodologies employed in the creation of 5' regulatory regions - promoters, untranslated regions and 5'-end of coding sequences. We summarize methodologies and discuss their significance for each of the functional DNA components, and highlight the key advances made in bacterial engineering by concentrating on their flaws and strengths. We end the review by outlining the issues that the discipline may face in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Tietze
- PhotoSynLabDepartment of BiotechnologyFaculty of Natural SciencesNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimN‐7491Norway
| | - Rahmi Lale
- PhotoSynLabDepartment of BiotechnologyFaculty of Natural SciencesNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimN‐7491Norway
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16
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Perlmutter JI, Meyers JE, Bordenstein SR. A single synonymous nucleotide change impacts the male-killing phenotype of prophage WO gene wmk. eLife 2021; 10:67686. [PMID: 34677126 PMCID: PMC8555981 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia are the most widespread bacterial endosymbionts in animals. Within arthropods, these maternally transmitted bacteria can selfishly hijack host reproductive processes to increase the relative fitness of their transmitting females. One such form of reproductive parasitism called male killing, or the selective killing of infected males, is recapitulated to degrees by transgenic expression of the prophage WO-mediated killing (wmk) gene. Here, we characterize the genotype-phenotype landscape of wmk-induced male killing in D. melanogaster using transgenic expression. While phylogenetically distant wmk homologs induce no sex-ratio bias, closely-related homologs exhibit complex phenotypes spanning no death, male death, or death of all hosts. We demonstrate that alternative start codons, synonymous codons, and notably a single synonymous nucleotide in wmk can ablate killing. These findings reveal previously unrecognized features of transgenic wmk-induced killing and establish new hypotheses for the impacts of post-transcriptional processes in male killing variation. We conclude that synonymous sequence changes are not necessarily silent in nested endosymbiotic interactions with life-or-death consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessamyn I Perlmutter
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States.,Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, United States.,Vanderbilt Microbiome Innovation Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
| | - Jane E Meyers
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States.,Vanderbilt Microbiome Innovation Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
| | - Seth R Bordenstein
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States.,Vanderbilt Microbiome Innovation Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States.,Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States.,Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
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17
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Bahiri Elitzur S, Cohen-Kupiec R, Yacobi D, Fine L, Apt B, Diament A, Tuller T. Prokaryotic rRNA-mRNA interactions are involved in all translation steps and shape bacterial transcripts. RNA Biol 2021; 18:684-698. [PMID: 34586043 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2021.1978767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The well-established Shine-Dalgarno model suggests that translation initiation in bacteria is regulated via base-pairing between ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and mRNA. We used novel computational analyses and modelling of 823 bacterial genomes coupled with experiments to demonstrate that rRNA-mRNA interactions are diverse and regulate all translation steps from pre-initiation to termination. Previous research has reported the significant influence of rRNA-mRNA interactions, mainly in the initiation phase of translation. The results reported in this paper suggest that, in addition to the rRNA-mRNA interactions near the start codon that trigger initiation in bacteria, rRNA-mRNA interactions affect all sub-stages of the translation process (pre-initiation, initiation, elongation, termination). As these interactions dictate translation efficiency, they serve as an evolutionary driving force for shaping transcripts in bacteria while considering trade-offs between the effects of different interactions across different transcript regions on translation efficacy and efficiency. We observed selection for strong interactions in regions where such interactions are likely to enhance initiation, regulate early elongation, and ensure translation termination fidelity. We discovered selection against strong interactions and for intermediate interactions in coding regions and presented evidence that these patterns maximize elongation efficiency while also enhancing initiation. These finding are relevant to all biomedical disciplines due to the centrality of the translation process and the effect of rRNA-mRNA interactions on transcript evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dana Yacobi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Larissa Fine
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Boaz Apt
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Alon Diament
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Tamir Tuller
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,The Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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18
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de Oliveira JL, Morales AC, Hurst LD, Urrutia AO, Thompson CRL, Wolf JB. Inferring Adaptive Codon Preference to Understand Sources of Selection Shaping Codon Usage Bias. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:3247-3266. [PMID: 33871580 PMCID: PMC8321536 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Alternative synonymous codons are often used at unequal frequencies. Classically, studies of such codon usage bias (CUB) attempted to separate the impact of neutral from selective forces by assuming that deviations from a predicted neutral equilibrium capture selection. However, GC-biased gene conversion (gBGC) can also cause deviation from a neutral null. Alternatively, selection has been inferred from CUB in highly expressed genes, but the accuracy of this approach has not been extensively tested, and gBGC can interfere with such extrapolations (e.g., if expression and gene conversion rates covary). It is therefore critical to examine deviations from a mutational null in a species with no gBGC. To achieve this goal, we implement such an analysis in the highly AT rich genome of Dictyostelium discoideum, where we find no evidence of gBGC. We infer neutral CUB under mutational equilibrium to quantify "adaptive codon preference," a nontautologous genome wide quantitative measure of the relative selection strength driving CUB. We observe signatures of purifying selection consistent with selection favoring adaptive codon preference. Preferred codons are not GC rich, underscoring the independence from gBGC. Expression-associated "preference" largely matches adaptive codon preference but does not wholly capture the influence of selection shaping patterns across all genes, suggesting selective constraints associated specifically with high expression. We observe patterns consistent with effects on mRNA translation and stability shaping adaptive codon preference. Thus, our approach to quantifying adaptive codon preference provides a framework for inferring the sources of selection that shape CUB across different contexts within the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janaina Lima de Oliveira
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, 40170-115, Brazil.,Milner Centre for Evolution and Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Atahualpa Castillo Morales
- Milner Centre for Evolution and Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Laurence D Hurst
- Milner Centre for Evolution and Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Araxi O Urrutia
- Milner Centre for Evolution and Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.,Instituto de Ecologia, UNAM, Ciudad de Mexico 04510, Mexico
| | - Christopher R L Thompson
- Centre for Life's Origins and Evolution, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Jason B Wolf
- Milner Centre for Evolution and Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
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19
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Algorithms for ribosome traffic engineering and their potential in improving host cells' titer and growth rate. Sci Rep 2020; 10:21202. [PMID: 33273552 PMCID: PMC7713304 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78260-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
mRNA translation is a fundamental cellular process consuming most of the intracellular energy; thus, it is under extensive evolutionary selection for optimization, and its efficiency can affect the host's growth rate. We describe a generic approach for improving the growth rate (fitness) of any organism by introducing synonymous mutations based on comprehensive computational models. The algorithms introduce silent mutations that may improve the allocation of ribosomes in the cells via the decreasing of their traffic jams during translation respectively. As a result, resources availability in the cell changes leading to improved growth-rate. We demonstrate experimentally the implementation of the method on Saccharomyces cerevisiae: we show that by introducing a few mutations in two computationally selected genes the mutant's titer increased. Our approach can be employed for improving the growth rate of any organism providing the existence of data for inferring models, and with the relevant genomic engineering tools; thus, it is expected to be extremely useful in biotechnology, medicine, and agriculture.
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20
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Abstract
Levels of protein translation by ribosomes are governed both by features of the translation machinery as well as sequence properties of the mRNAs themselves. We focus here on a striking three-nucleotide periodicity, characterized by overrepresentation of GCN codons and underrepresentation of G at the second position of codons, that is observed in Open Reading Frames (ORFs) of mRNAs. Our examination of mRNA sequences in Saccharomyces cerevisiae revealed that this periodicity is particularly pronounced in the initial codons-the ramp region-of ORFs of genes with high protein expression. It is also found in mRNA sequences immediately following non-standard AUG start sites, located upstream or downstream of the standard annotated start sites of genes. To explore the possible influences of the ramp GCN periodicity on translation efficiency, we tested edited ramps with accentuated or depressed periodicity in two test genes, SKN7 and HMT1. Greater conformance to (GCN)n was found to significantly depress translation, whereas disrupting conformance had neutral or positive effects on translation. Our recent Molecular Dynamics analysis of a subsystem of translocating ribosomes in yeast revealed an interaction surface that H-bonds to the +1 codon that is about to enter the ribosome decoding center A site. The surface, comprised of 16S/18S rRNA C1054 and A1196 (E. coli numbering) and R146 of ribosomal protein Rps3, preferentially interacts with GCN codons, and we hypothesize that modulation of this mRNA-ribosome interaction may underlie GCN-mediated regulation of protein translation. Integration of our expression studies with large-scale reporter studies of ramp sequence variants suggests a model in which the C1054-A1196-R146 (CAR) interaction surface can act as both an accelerator and braking system for ribosome translation.
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21
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Albumin affibody-outfitted injectable gel enabling extended release of urate oxidase-albumin conjugates for hyperuricemia treatment. J Control Release 2020; 324:532-544. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.05.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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22
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Ren X, Wang S, Huang T. Decipher the connections between proteins and phenotypes. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2020; 1868:140503. [PMID: 32707349 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2020.140503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
As the outward-most representation of life, phenotype is the fundamental basis with which humans understand life and disease. But with the advent of molecular and sequencing technique and research, a growing portion of science research focuses primarily on the molecular level of life. Our understanding in molecular variations and mechanisms can only be fully utilized when they are translated into the phenotypic level. In this study, we constructed similarity network for phenotype ontology, and then applied network analysis methods to discover phenotype/disease clusters. Then, we used machine learning models to predict protein-phenotype associations. Each protein was characterized by the functional profiles of its interaction neighbors on the protein-protein interaction network. Our methods can not only predict protein-phenotype associations, but also reveal the underlying mechanisms from protein to phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Ren
- Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Steven Wang
- Department of Molecular Biology, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Tao Huang
- Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
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23
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Sun J, Ren C, Huang Y, Chao W, Xie F. The effects of synonymous codon usages on genotypic formation of open reading frames in hepatitis E virus. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2020; 85:104450. [PMID: 32629045 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection has emerged as an important public health issue. As a zoonotic RNA virus, new strains are continuously discovered from human or various animal species. However, the capability of cross-species infection varies largely among different strains. Because the classical nucleotide-based genotyping system provides little functional insight, this study aimed to comprehensively investigate codon usage of the HEV coding regions for better understanding the evolutional orientation, virus-host interaction and cross-species transmission. We observed significant differences of the four nucleotide usages in the three open reading frames, indicating that the evolutional tendency of HEV caused by mutation pressure is modified by the evolutional dynamic related to positive selection. Furthermore, significant differences of nucleotide usages were found among HEV isolated from different host species, suggesting an important role of natural selection related to the host. Analysis of effective number of codons revealed distinct degrees of biased codon usage caused by mutation pressure or the host. Finally, we have mapped the similarity levels of the overall codon usage between the virus and the host to assess the potential of cross-species infection. Thus, this study has provided a novel aspect for better understanding the HEV genetic orientation and the zoonotic nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Sun
- Geriatrics Department, The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, No. 82 Cuiying Men, Chengguan District, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province 730000, China
| | - Caiqin Ren
- Geriatrics Department, The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, No. 82 Cuiying Men, Chengguan District, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province 730000, China
| | - Ying Huang
- Maxillofacial Surgery Department, The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, No. 82 Cuiying Men, Chengguan District, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province 730000, China
| | - Wenhan Chao
- Geriatrics Department, The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, No. 82 Cuiying Men, Chengguan District, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province 730000, China
| | - Fuqiang Xie
- Maxillofacial Surgery Department, The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, No. 82 Cuiying Men, Chengguan District, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province 730000, China.
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24
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Luo Z, Hoffmann SA, Jiang S, Cai Y, Dai J. Probing eukaryotic genome functions with synthetic chromosomes. Exp Cell Res 2020; 390:111936. [PMID: 32165165 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2020.111936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The ability to redesign and reconstruct a cell at whole-genome level provides new platforms for biological study. The international synthetic yeast genome project-Sc2.0, designed by interrogating knowledge amassed by the yeast community to date, exemplifies how a classical synthetic biology "design-build-test-learn" engineering cycle can effectively test hypotheses about various genome fundamentals. The genome reshuffling SCRaMbLE system implemented in synthetic yeast strains also provides unprecedented diversified resources for genotype-phenotype study and yeast metabolic engineering. Further development of genome synthesis technology will shed new lights on complex biological processes in higher eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhouqing Luo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Center for Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Stefan A Hoffmann
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, M1 7DN, Manchester, UK
| | - Shuangying Jiang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Center for Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Yizhi Cai
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Center for Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China; Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, M1 7DN, Manchester, UK.
| | - Junbiao Dai
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Center for Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China; College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
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25
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Nanomolar Responsiveness of an Anaerobic Degradation Specialist to Alkylphenol Pollutants. J Bacteriol 2020; 202:JB.00595-19. [PMID: 31843798 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00595-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Anaerobic degradation of p-cresol (4-methylphenol) by the denitrifying betaproteobacterium Aromatoleum aromaticum EbN1 is regulated with high substrate specificity, presumed to be mediated by the predicted σ54-dependent two-component system PcrSR. An unmarked, in-frame ΔpcrSR deletion mutant showed reduced expression of the genes cmh (21-fold) and hbd (8-fold) that encode the two enzymes for initial oxidation of p-cresol to p-hydroxybenzoate compared to their expression in the wild type. The expression of cmh and hbd was restored by in trans complementation with pcrSR in the ΔpcrSR background to even higher levels than in the wild type. This is likely due to ∼200-/∼30-fold more transcripts of pcrSR in the complemented mutant. The in vivo responsiveness of A. aromaticum EbN1 to p-cresol was studied in benzoate-limited anaerobic cultures by the addition of p-cresol at various concentrations (from 100 μM down to 0.1 nM). Time-resolved transcript profiling by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) revealed that the lowest p-cresol concentrations just affording cmh and hbd expression (response threshold) ranged between 1 and 10 nM, which is even more sensitive than the respective odor receptors of insects. A similar response threshold was determined for another alkylphenol, p-ethylphenol, which strain EbN1 anaerobically degrades via a different route and senses by the σ54-dependent one-component system EtpR. Based on these data and theoretical considerations, p-cresol or p-ethylphenol added as a single pulse (10 nM) requires less than a fraction of a second to reach equilibrium between intra- and extracellular space (∼20 molecules per cell), with an estimated Kd (dissociation constant) of <100 nM alkylphenol (p-cresol or p-ethylphenol) for its respective sensory protein (PcrS or EtpR).IMPORTANCE Alkylphenols (like p-cresol and p-ethylphenol) represent bulk chemicals for industrial syntheses. Besides massive local damage events, large-scale micropollution is likewise of environmental and health concern. Next to understanding how such pollutants can be degraded by microorganisms, it is also relevant to determine the microorganisms' lower threshold of responsiveness. Aromatoleum aromaticum EbN1 is a specialist in anaerobic degradation of aromatic compounds, employing a complex and substrate-specifically regulated catabolic network. The present study aims at verifying the predicted role of the PcrSR system in sensing p-cresol and at determining the threshold of responsiveness for alkylphenols. The findings have implications for the enigmatic persistence of dissolved organic matter (escape from biodegradation) and for the lower limits of aromatic compounds required for bacterial growth.
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26
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Verma M, Choi J, Cottrell KA, Lavagnino Z, Thomas EN, Pavlovic-Djuranovic S, Szczesny P, Piston DW, Zaher HS, Puglisi JD, Djuranovic S. A short translational ramp determines the efficiency of protein synthesis. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5774. [PMID: 31852903 PMCID: PMC6920384 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13810-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Translation initiation is a major rate-limiting step for protein synthesis. However, recent studies strongly suggest that the efficiency of protein synthesis is additionally regulated by multiple factors that impact the elongation phase. To assess the influence of early elongation on protein synthesis, we employed a library of more than 250,000 reporters combined with in vitro and in vivo protein expression assays. Here we report that the identity of the amino acids encoded by codons 3 to 5 impact protein yield. This effect is independent of tRNA abundance, translation initiation efficiency, or overall mRNA structure. Single-molecule measurements of translation kinetics revealed pausing of the ribosome and aborted protein synthesis on codons 4 and 5 of distinct amino acid and nucleotide compositions. Finally, introduction of preferred sequence motifs only at specific codon positions improves protein synthesis efficiency for recombinant proteins. Collectively, our data underscore the critical role of early elongation events in translational control of gene expression. Several factors contribute to the efficiency of protein expression. Here the authors show that the identity of amino acids encoded by codons at position 3–5 significantly impact translation efficiency and protein expression levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manasvi Verma
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 600 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8228, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Junhong Choi
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305-5126, USA.,Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305-5126, USA.,Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kyle A Cottrell
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 600 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8228, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Zeno Lavagnino
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 600 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8228, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.,Experimental Imaging Center, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Erica N Thomas
- Department of Biology, Washington University, St Louis, MO, 63105, USA
| | - Slavica Pavlovic-Djuranovic
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 600 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8228, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Pawel Szczesny
- Department of Bioinformatics, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - David W Piston
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 600 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8228, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Hani S Zaher
- Department of Biology, Washington University, St Louis, MO, 63105, USA
| | - Joseph D Puglisi
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305-5126, USA
| | - Sergej Djuranovic
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 600 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8228, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
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27
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Nakata M, Sumitomo T, Patenge N, Kreikemeyer B, Kawabata S. Thermosensitive pilus production by FCT type 3 Streptococcus pyogenes controlled by Nra regulator translational efficiency. Mol Microbiol 2019; 113:173-189. [PMID: 31633834 PMCID: PMC7079067 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Streptococcus pyogenes produces a diverse variety of pili in a serotype‐dependent manner and thermosensitive expression of pilus biogenesis genes was previously observed in a serotype M49 strain. However, the precise mechanism and biological significance remain unclear. Herein, the pilus expression analysis revealed the thermosensitive pilus production only in strains possessing the transcriptional regulator Nra. Experimental data obtained for nra deletion and conditional nra‐expressing strains in the background of an M49 strain and the Lactococcus heterologous expression system, indicated that Nra is a positive regulator of pilus genes and also highlighted the importance of the level of intracellular Nra for the thermoregulation of pilus expression. While the nra mRNA level was not significantly influenced by a temperature shift, the Nra protein level was concomitantly increased when the culture temperature was decreased. Intriguingly, a putative stem‐loop structure within the coding region of nra mRNA was a factor related to the post‐transcriptional efficiency of nra mRNA translation. Either deletion of the stem‐loop structure or introduction of silent chromosomal mutations designed to melt the structure attenuated Nra levels, resulting in decreased pilus production. Consequently, the temperature‐dependent translational efficacy of nra mRNA influenced pilus thermoregulation, thereby potentially contributing to the fitness of nra‐positive S. pyogenes in human tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masanobu Nakata
- Department of Oral and Molecular Microbiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, 1-8, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tomoko Sumitomo
- Department of Oral and Molecular Microbiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, 1-8, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Nadja Patenge
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University of Rostock, Rostock, D-18057, Germany
| | - Bernd Kreikemeyer
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University of Rostock, Rostock, D-18057, Germany
| | - Shigetada Kawabata
- Department of Oral and Molecular Microbiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, 1-8, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
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28
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Tian R, Liu Y, Chen J, Li J, Liu L, Du G, Chen J. Synthetic N-terminal coding sequences for fine-tuning gene expression and metabolic engineering in Bacillus subtilis. Metab Eng 2019; 55:131-141. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2019.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Revised: 06/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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29
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Miller JB, Brase LR, Ridge PG. ExtRamp: a novel algorithm for extracting the ramp sequence based on the tRNA adaptation index or relative codon adaptiveness. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:1123-1131. [PMID: 30649455 PMCID: PMC6379678 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky1193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Different species, genes, and locations within genes use different codons to fine-tune gene expression. Within genes, the ramp sequence assists in ribosome spacing and decreases downstream collisions by incorporating slowly-translated codons at the beginning of a gene. Although previously reported as occurring in some species, no previous attempt at extracting the ramp sequence from specific genes has been published. We present ExtRamp, a software package that quickly extracts ramp sequences from any species using the tRNA adaptation index or relative codon adaptiveness. Different filters facilitate the analysis of codon efficiency and enable identification of genes with a ramp sequence. We validate the existence of a ramp sequence in most species by running ExtRamp on 229 742 339 genes across 23 428 species. We evaluate differences in reported ramp sequences when we use different parameters. Using the strictest ramp sequence cut-off, we show that across most taxonomic groups, ramp sequences are approximately 20–40 codons long and occur in about 10% of gene sequences. We also show that in Drosophila melanogaster as gene expression increases, a higher proportion of genes have ramp sequences. We provide a framework for performing this analysis on other species. ExtRamp is freely available at https://github.com/ridgelab/ExtRamp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin B Miller
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Logan R Brase
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Perry G Ridge
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
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30
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Comprehensive profiling of codon usage signatures and codon context variations in the genus Ustilago. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2019; 35:118. [DOI: 10.1007/s11274-019-2693-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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31
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Natural tuning of restriction endonuclease synthesis by cluster of rare arginine codons. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5808. [PMID: 30967604 PMCID: PMC6456624 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42311-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Restriction–modification (R-M) systems are highly widespread among bacteria and archaea, and they appear to play a pivotal role in modulating horizontal gene transfer, as well as in protecting the host organism against viruses and other invasive DNA particles. Type II R-M systems specify two independent enzymes: a restriction endonuclease (REase) and protective DNA methyltransferase (MTase). If the cell is to survive, the counteracting activities as toxin and antitoxin, must be finely balanced in vivo. The molecular basis of this regulatory process remains unclear and current searches for regulatory elements in R-M modules are focused mainly at the transcription step. In this report, we show new aspects of REase control that are linked to translation. We used the EcoVIII R-M system as a model. Both, the REase and MTase genes for this R-M system contain an unusually high number of rare arginine codons (AGA and AGG) when compared to the rest of the E. coli K-12 genome. Clusters of these codons near the N-terminus of the REase greatly affect the translational efficiency. Changing these to higher frequency codons for E. coli (CGC) improves the REase synthesis, making the R-M system more potent to defend its host against bacteriophages. However, this improved efficiency in synthesis reduces host fitness due to increased autorestriction. We hypothesize that expression of the endonuclease gene can be modulated depending on the host genetic context and we propose a novel post-transcriptional mode of R–M system regulation that alleviates the potential lethal action of the restriction enzyme.
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32
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Simms CL, Kim KQ, Yan LL, Qiu J, Zaher HS. Interactions between the mRNA and Rps3/uS3 at the entry tunnel of the ribosomal small subunit are important for no-go decay. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007818. [PMID: 30475795 PMCID: PMC6283612 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Revised: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
No-go Decay (NGD) is a process that has evolved to deal with stalled ribosomes resulting from structural blocks or aberrant mRNAs. The process is distinguished by an endonucleolytic cleavage prior to degradation of the transcript. While many of the details of the pathway have been described, the identity of the endonuclease remains unknown. Here we identify residues of the small subunit ribosomal protein Rps3 that are important for NGD by affecting the cleavage reaction. Mutation of residues within the ribosomal entry tunnel that contact the incoming mRNA leads to significantly reduced accumulation of cleavage products, independent of the type of stall sequence, and renders cells sensitive to damaging agents thought to trigger NGD. These phenotypes are distinct from those seen in combination with other NGD factors, suggesting a separate role for Rps3 in NGD. Conversely, ribosomal proteins ubiquitination is not affected by rps3 mutations, indicating that upstream ribosome quality control (RQC) events are not dependent on these residues. Together, these results suggest that Rps3 is important for quality control on the ribosome and strongly supports the notion that the ribosome itself plays a central role in the endonucleolytic cleavage reaction during NGD. In all organisms, optimum cellular fitness depends on the ability of cells to recognize and degrade aberrant molecules. Messenger RNA is subject to alterations and, as a result, often presents roadblocks for the translating ribosomes. It is not surprising, then, that organisms evolved pathways to resolve these valuable stuck ribosomes. In eukaryotes, this process is called no-go decay (NGD) because it is coupled with decay of mRNAs that are associated with ribosomes that do not ‘go’. This decay process initiates with cleavage of the mRNA near the stall site, but some important details about this reaction are lacking. Here, we show that the ribosome itself is very central to the cleavage reaction. In particular, we identified a pair of residues of a ribosomal protein to be important for cleavage efficiency. These observations are consistent with prior structural studies showing that the residues make intimate contacts with the incoming mRNA in the entry tunnel. Altogether our data provide important clues about this quality-control pathway and suggest that the endonuclease not only recognizes stalled ribosomes but may have coevolved with the translation machinery to take advantage of certain residues of the ribosome to fulfill its function.
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MESH Headings
- Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/genetics
- Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/metabolism
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Amino Acid Substitution
- Cell Cycle Proteins/genetics
- Cell Cycle Proteins/metabolism
- Endoribonucleases/genetics
- Endoribonucleases/metabolism
- GTP-Binding Proteins/genetics
- GTP-Binding Proteins/metabolism
- Genes, Fungal
- Models, Molecular
- Mutagenesis, Site-Directed
- Mutation
- Peptide Chain Elongation, Translational
- Protein Conformation
- RNA Stability
- RNA, Fungal/genetics
- RNA, Fungal/metabolism
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism
- Ribosomal Proteins/chemistry
- Ribosomal Proteins/genetics
- Ribosomal Proteins/metabolism
- Ribosome Subunits, Small/genetics
- Ribosome Subunits, Small/metabolism
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genetics
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolism
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins/chemistry
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins/genetics
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins/metabolism
- Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
- Ubiquitination
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie L. Simms
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Kyusik Q. Kim
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Liewei L. Yan
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Jessica Qiu
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Hani S. Zaher
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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33
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Du MZ, Wei W, Qin L, Liu S, Zhang AY, Zhang Y, Zhou H, Guo FB. Co-adaption of tRNA gene copy number and amino acid usage influences translation rates in three life domains. DNA Res 2018; 24:623-633. [PMID: 28992099 PMCID: PMC5726483 DOI: 10.1093/dnares/dsx030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 06/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Although more and more entangled participants of translation process were realized, how they cooperate and co-determine the final translation efficiency still lacks details. Here, we reasoned that the basic translation components, tRNAs and amino acids should be consistent to maximize the efficiency and minimize the cost. We firstly revealed that 310 out of 410 investigated genomes of three domains had significant co-adaptions between the tRNA gene copy numbers and amino acid compositions, indicating that maximum efficiency constitutes ubiquitous selection pressure on protein translation. Furthermore, fast-growing and larger bacteria are found to have significantly better co-adaption and confirmed the effect of this pressure. Within organism, highly expressed proteins and those connected to acute responses have higher co-adaption intensity. Thus, the better co-adaption probably speeds up the growing of cells through accelerating the translation of special proteins. Experimentally, manipulating the tRNA gene copy number to optimize co-adaption between enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and tRNA gene set of Escherichia coli indeed lifted the translation rate (speed). Finally, as a newly confirmed translation rate regulating mechanism, the co-adaption reflecting translation rate not only deepens our understanding on translation process but also provides an easy and practicable method to improve protein translation rates and productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wen Wei
- School of Life Science and Technology
| | - Lei Qin
- School of Life Science and Technology
| | - Shuo Liu
- School of Life Science and Technology
| | - An-Ying Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology.,Centre for Informational Biology
| | - Yong Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology.,Centre for Informational Biology
| | - Hong Zhou
- School of Life Science and Technology.,Centre for Informational Biology
| | - Feng-Biao Guo
- School of Life Science and Technology.,Centre for Informational Biology.,Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation of the Ministry of Education, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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34
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The fitness landscape of the codon space across environments. Heredity (Edinb) 2018; 121:422-437. [PMID: 30127529 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-018-0125-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Revised: 06/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Fitness landscapes map the relationship between genotypes and fitness. However, most fitness landscape studies ignore the genetic architecture imposed by the codon table and thereby neglect the potential role of synonymous mutations. To quantify the fitness effects of synonymous mutations and their potential impact on adaptation on a fitness landscape, we use a new software based on Bayesian Monte Carlo Markov Chain methods and re-estimate selection coefficients of all possible codon mutations across 9 amino acid positions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hsp90 across 6 environments. We quantify the distribution of fitness effects of synonymous mutations and show that it is dominated by many mutations of small or no effect and few mutations of larger effect. We then compare the shape of the codon fitness landscape across amino acid positions and environments, and quantify how the consideration of synonymous fitness effects changes the evolutionary dynamics on these fitness landscapes. Together these results highlight a possible role of synonymous mutations in adaptation and indicate the potential mis-inference when they are neglected in fitness landscape studies.
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35
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Timing during translation matters: synonymous mutations in human pathologies influence protein folding and function. Biochem Soc Trans 2018; 46:937-944. [PMID: 30065107 DOI: 10.1042/bst20170422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Revised: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Ribosomes translate mRNAs with non-uniform speed. Translation velocity patterns are a conserved feature of mRNA and have evolved to fine-tune protein folding, expression and function. Synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms (sSNPs) that alter programmed translational speed affect expression and function of the encoded protein. Synergistic advances in next-generation sequencing have led to the identification of sSNPs associated with disease penetrance. Here, we draw on studies with disease-related proteins to enhance our understanding of mechanistic contributions of sSNPs to functional alterations of the encoded protein. We emphasize the importance of identification of sSNPs along with disease-causing mutations to understand genotype-phenotype relationships.
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36
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Mignon C, Mariano N, Stadthagen G, Lugari A, Lagoutte P, Donnat S, Chenavas S, Perot C, Sodoyer R, Werle B. Codon harmonization - going beyond the speed limit for protein expression. FEBS Lett 2018; 592:1554-1564. [PMID: 29624661 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2017] [Revised: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Codon usage distribution has been soundly used by nature to fine tune protein biogenesis. Alteration of the mRNA structure or sequential scheduling of codons can profoundly affect translation, thus altering protein yield, functionality, solubility, and proper folding. Building on these observations, here, we present an evaluation of different recently designed algorithms of sequence adaptation based on Codon Adaptation Index (CAI) profiling. The first algorithm globally harmonizes synonymous codons in the original sequence in full respect to the heterologous expression host codon usage. The second recodes the sequence in accordance with the native sequence CAI profile. Our data, generated on three model proteins, highlights the importance to consider gene recoding as a parameter itself for recombinant protein expression improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Mignon
- Protein and Expression System Engineering Unit, BIOASTER, Lyon, France
| | - Natacha Mariano
- Protein and Expression System Engineering Unit, BIOASTER, Lyon, France
| | | | - Adrien Lugari
- Protein and Expression System Engineering Unit, BIOASTER, Lyon, France
| | | | - Stéphanie Donnat
- Protein and Expression System Engineering Unit, BIOASTER, Lyon, France
| | | | | | | | - Bettina Werle
- Protein and Expression System Engineering Unit, BIOASTER, Lyon, France
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37
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Shaham G, Tuller T. Genome scale analysis of Escherichia coli with a comprehensive prokaryotic sequence-based biophysical model of translation initiation and elongation. DNA Res 2018; 25:195-205. [PMID: 29161365 PMCID: PMC6012489 DOI: 10.1093/dnares/dsx049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Translation initiation in prokaryotes is affected by the mRNA folding and interaction of the ribosome binding site with the ribosomal RNA. The elongation rate is affected, among other factors, by the local biophysical properties of the coding regions, the decoding rates of different codons, and the interactions among ribosomes. Currently, there is no comprehensive biophysical model of translation that enables the prediction of mRNA translation dynamics based only on the transcript sequence and while considering all of these fundamental aspects of translation. In this study, we provide, for the first time, a computational simulative biophysical model of both translation initiation and elongation with all aspects mentioned above. We demonstrate our model performance and advantages focusing on Escherichia coli genes. We further show that the model enables prediction of translation rate, protein levels, and ribosome densities. In addition, our model enables quantifying the effect of silent mutations on translation rate in different parts of the transcript, the relative effect of mutations on translation initiation and elongation, and the effect of mutations on ribosome traffic jams. Thus, unlike previous models, the proposed one provides comprehensive information, facilitating future research in disciplines such as molecular evolution, synthetic biology, and functional genomics. A toolkit to estimate translation dynamics of transcripts is available at: https://www.cs.tau.ac.il/∼tamirtul/transim.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilad Shaham
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Engineering Faculty, Tel Aviv University, Israel
| | - Tamir Tuller
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Engineering Faculty, Tel Aviv University, Israel
- The Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
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38
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Huang W, Liu W, Jin J, Xiao Q, Lu R, Chen W, Xiong S, Zhang G. Steady-state structural fluctuation is a predictor of the necessity of pausing-mediated co-translational folding for small proteins. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2017; 498:186-192. [PMID: 29274783 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2017.12.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Translational pausing coordinates protein synthesis and co-translational folding. It is a common factor that facilitates the correct folding of large, multi-domain proteins. For small proteins, pausing sites rarely occurs in the gene body, and the 3'-end pausing sites are only essential for the folding of a fraction of proteins. The determinant of the necessity of the pausings remains obscure. In this study, we demonstrated that the steady-state structural fluctuation is a predictor of the necessity of pausing-mediated co-translational folding for small proteins. Validated by experiments with 5 model proteins, we found that the rigid protein structures do not, while the flexible structures do need 3'-end pausings to fold correctly. Therefore, rational optimization of translational pausing can improve soluble expression of small proteins with flexible structures, but not the rigid ones. The rigidity of the structure can be quantitatively estimated in silico using molecular dynamic simulation. Nevertheless, we also found that the translational pausing optimization increases the fitness of the expression host, and thus benefits the recombinant protein production, independent from the soluble expression. These results shed light on the structural basis of the translational pausing and provided a practical tool for industrial protein fermentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxi Huang
- Institute of Biomedicine & National Engineering Research Center of Genetic Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Wanting Liu
- Key Laboratory of Functional Protein Research of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Jingjie Jin
- Key Laboratory of Functional Protein Research of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Qilan Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Functional Protein Research of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Ruibin Lu
- Institute of Biomedicine & National Engineering Research Center of Genetic Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Institute of Biomedicine & National Engineering Research Center of Genetic Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Sheng Xiong
- Institute of Biomedicine & National Engineering Research Center of Genetic Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
| | - Gong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Functional Protein Research of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
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39
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Magistrelli G, Poitevin Y, Schlosser F, Pontini G, Malinge P, Josserand S, Corbier M, Fischer N. Optimizing assembly and production of native bispecific antibodies by codon de-optimization. MAbs 2017; 9:231-239. [PMID: 28001485 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2016.1267088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
When production of bispecific antibodies requires the co-expression and assembly of three or four polypeptide chains, low expression of one chain can significantly limit assembly and yield. κλ bodies, fully human bispecific antibodies with native IgG structure, are composed of a common heavy chain and two different light chains, one kappa and one lambda. No engineering is applied to force pairing of the chains, thus both monospecific and bispecific antibodies are secreted in the supernatant. In this context, stoichiometric expression of the two light chains allows for maximal assembly of the bispecific antibody. In this study, we selected a κλ body with suboptimal characteristics due to low kappa chain expression. Codon optimization to increase expression of the kappa chain did not improve bispecific yield. Surprisingly, progressive introduction of non-optimal codons into the sequence of the lambda chain resulted in lowering its expression for an optimal tuning of the relative distribution of monospecific and bispecific antibodies. This codon de-optimization led to doubling of the κλ body yield. These results indicate that assembly of different proteins into a recombinant complex is an interconnected process and that reducing the expression of one polypeptide can actually increase the overall yield.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yves Poitevin
- a Novimmune SA , Plan-les-Ouates , Geneva , Switzerland
| | | | | | | | | | - Marie Corbier
- a Novimmune SA , Plan-les-Ouates , Geneva , Switzerland
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40
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Abstract
The two major steps of gene expression are transcription and translation. While hundreds of studies regarding the effect of sequence features on the translation elongation process have been published, very few connect sequence features to the transcription elongation rate. We suggest, for the first time, that short transcript sub-sequences have a typical effect on RNA polymerase (RNAP) speed: we show that nucleotide 5-mers tend to have typical RNAP speed (or transcription rate), which is consistent along different parts of genes and among different groups of genes with high correlation. We also demonstrate that relative RNAP speed correlates with mRNA levels of endogenous and heterologous genes. Furthermore, we show that the estimated transcription and translation elongation rates correlate in endogenous genes. Finally, we demonstrate that our results are consistent for different high resolution experimental measurements of RNAP densities. These results suggest for the first time that transcription elongation is partly encoded in the transcript, affected by the codon-usage, and optimized by evolution with a significant effect on gene expression and organismal fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eyal Cohen
- a Balavatnick School of Computer Science , Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel
| | - Zohar Zafrir
- b Department of Biomedical Engineering , Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel
| | - Tamir Tuller
- b Department of Biomedical Engineering , Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel.,c Sagol School of Neuroscience , Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel
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41
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Qi L, Yue L, Feng D, Qi F, Li J, Dong X. Genome-wide mRNA processing in methanogenic archaea reveals post-transcriptional regulation of ribosomal protein synthesis. Nucleic Acids Res 2017; 45:7285-7298. [PMID: 28520982 PMCID: PMC5499594 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Unlike stable RNAs that require processing for maturation, prokaryotic cellular mRNAs generally follow an 'all-or-none' pattern. Herein, we used a 5΄ monophosphate transcript sequencing (5΄P-seq) that specifically captured the 5΄-end of processed transcripts and mapped the genome-wide RNA processing sites (PSSs) in a methanogenic archaeon. Following statistical analysis and stringent filtration, we identified 1429 PSSs, among which 23.5% and 5.4% were located in 5΄ untranslated region (uPSS) and intergenic region (iPSS), respectively. A predominant uridine downstream PSSs served as a processing signature. Remarkably, 5΄P-seq detected overrepresented uPSS and iPSS in the polycistronic operons encoding ribosomal proteins, and the majority upstream and proximal ribosome binding sites, suggesting a regulatory role of processing on translation initiation. The processed transcripts showed increased stability and translation efficiency. Particularly, processing within the tricistronic transcript of rplA-rplJ-rplL enhanced the translation of rplL, which can provide a driving force for the 1:4 stoichiometry of L10 to L12 in the ribosome. Growth-associated mRNA processing intensities were also correlated with the cellular ribosomal protein levels, thereby suggesting that mRNA processing is involved in tuning growth-dependent ribosome synthesis. In conclusion, our findings suggest that mRNA processing-mediated post-transcriptional regulation is a potential mechanism of ribosomal protein synthesis and stoichiometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, PR China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, PR China
| | - Lei Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, PR China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, PR China
| | - Deqin Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, PR China
| | - Fengxia Qi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Jie Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, PR China
| | - Xiuzhu Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, PR China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, PR China
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42
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Dauden MI, Jaciuk M, Müller CW, Glatt S. Structural asymmetry in the eukaryotic Elongator complex. FEBS Lett 2017; 592:502-515. [DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.12865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Revised: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maria I. Dauden
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit European Molecular Biology Laboratory Heidelberg Germany
| | - Marcin Jaciuk
- Max Planck Research Group at the Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology Jagiellonian University Krakow Poland
| | - Christoph W. Müller
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit European Molecular Biology Laboratory Heidelberg Germany
| | - Sebastian Glatt
- Max Planck Research Group at the Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology Jagiellonian University Krakow Poland
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43
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Abstract
A general means of viral attenuation involves the extensive recoding of synonymous codons in the viral genome. The mechanistic underpinnings of this approach remain unclear, however. Using quantitative proteomics and RNA sequencing, we explore the molecular basis of attenuation in a strain of bacteriophage T7 whose major capsid gene was engineered to carry 182 suboptimal codons. We do not detect transcriptional effects from recoding. Proteomic observations reveal that translation is halved for the recoded major capsid gene, and a more modest reduction applies to several coexpressed downstream genes. We observe no changes in protein abundances of other coexpressed genes that are encoded upstream. Viral burst size, like capsid protein abundance, is also decreased by half. Together, these observations suggest that, in this virus, reduced translation of an essential polycistronic transcript and diminished virion assembly form the molecular basis of attenuation.
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44
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Faure G, Ogurtsov AY, Shabalina SA, Koonin EV. Adaptation of mRNA structure to control protein folding. RNA Biol 2017; 14:1649-1654. [PMID: 28722509 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2017.1349047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Comparison of mRNA and protein structures shows that highly structured mRNAs typically encode compact protein domains suggesting that mRNA structure controls protein folding. This function is apparently performed by distinct structural elements in the mRNA, which implies 'fine tuning' of mRNA structure under selection for optimal protein folding. We find that, during evolution, changes in the mRNA folding energy follow amino acid replacements, reinforcing the notion of an intimate connection between the structures of a mRNA and the protein it encodes, and the double encoding of protein sequence and folding in the mRNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilhem Faure
- a National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine , National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , MD , USA
| | - Aleksey Y Ogurtsov
- a National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine , National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , MD , USA
| | - Svetlana A Shabalina
- a National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine , National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , MD , USA
| | - Eugene V Koonin
- a National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine , National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , MD , USA
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45
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Liu H, Rahman SU, Mao Y, Xu X, Tao S. Codon usage bias in 5' terminal coding sequences reveals distinct enrichment of gene functions. Genomics 2017; 109:506-513. [PMID: 28778539 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2017.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Revised: 06/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Codon bias at the 5' terminal of coding sequence (CDS) is known to be distinct from the rest of the CDS. A number of events occur in this short region to regulate early translation elongation and co-translational translocation. In the genes encoding secretory proteins, there is a special signal sequence which has a higher occurrence of rare codons. In this study, we analyzed codon bias of secretory genes in several eukaryotes. The results showed that secretory genes in the species except mammals had a higher occurrence of rare codons in the 5' terminal of CDS, and the bias was greater than the same region of non-secretory genes. GO analysis revealed that secretory genes containing rare codon clusters in different regions were responsible for various roles in gene functions. Moreover, codon bias in the region encoding the hydrophobic region of protein is similar in secretory and non-secretory genes, indicating that codon bias in secretory genes was partly influenced by amino acid bias. Rare codon clusters are found more frequently in specific regions, and continuous rare codons are not favoured probably because they will increase the probability of ribosome collision and drop-off. Based on ribosome profiling data, there is no significant difference in the average translation efficiencies between rare and optimal codons. Higher ribosomal density in the 5' terminal may result from ribosome pausing which could be involved in different translation events. These findings collectively provided rich information on codon bias in secretory genes, which may shed light on the co-effect of codon bias, mRNA structure and tRNA abundance in translational regulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiling Liu
- College of Life Sciences and State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Siddiq Ur Rahman
- College of Life Sciences and State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yuanhui Mao
- College of Life Sciences and State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiaodong Xu
- College of Life Sciences and State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Shiheng Tao
- College of Life Sciences and State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
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46
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Schlesinger O, Chemla Y, Heltberg M, Ozer E, Marshall R, Noireaux V, Jensen MH, Alfonta L. Tuning of Recombinant Protein Expression in Escherichia coli by Manipulating Transcription, Translation Initiation Rates, and Incorporation of Noncanonical Amino Acids. ACS Synth Biol 2017; 6:1076-1085. [PMID: 28230975 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.7b00019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Protein synthesis in cells has been thoroughly investigated and characterized over the past 60 years. However, some fundamental issues remain unresolved, including the reasons for genetic code redundancy and codon bias. In this study, we changed the kinetics of the Eschrichia coli transcription and translation processes by mutating the promoter and ribosome binding domains and by using genetic code expansion. The results expose a counterintuitive phenomenon, whereby an increase in the initiation rates of transcription and translation lead to a decrease in protein expression. This effect can be rescued by introducing slow translating codons into the beginning of the gene, by shortening gene length or by reducing initiation rates. On the basis of the results, we developed a biophysical model, which suggests that the density of co-transcriptional-translation plays a role in bacterial protein synthesis. These findings indicate how cells use codon bias to tune translation speed and protein synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orr Schlesinger
- Department
of Life Sciences and Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and
Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, PO Box 653, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel
| | - Yonatan Chemla
- Department
of Life Sciences and Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and
Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, PO Box 653, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel
| | - Mathias Heltberg
- Niels
Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 17, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Eden Ozer
- Department
of Life Sciences and Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and
Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, PO Box 653, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel
| | - Ryan Marshall
- School
of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Vincent Noireaux
- School
of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Mogens Høgh Jensen
- Niels
Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 17, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lital Alfonta
- Department
of Life Sciences and Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and
Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, PO Box 653, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel
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47
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Ojima-Kato T, Nagai S, Nakano H. N-terminal SKIK peptide tag markedly improves expression of difficult-to-express proteins in Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. J Biosci Bioeng 2017; 123:540-546. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2016.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2016] [Revised: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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48
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Webster GR, Teh AYH, Ma JKC. Synthetic gene design-The rationale for codon optimization and implications for molecular pharming in plants. Biotechnol Bioeng 2016; 114:492-502. [PMID: 27618314 DOI: 10.1002/bit.26183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2015] [Revised: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 09/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Degeneracy in the genetic code allows multiple codon sequences to encode the same protein. Codon usage bias in genes is the term given to the preferred use of particular synonymous codons. Synonymous codon substitutions had been regarded as "silent" as the primary structure of the protein was not affected; however, it is now accepted that synonymous substitutions can have a significant effect on heterologous protein expression. Codon optimization, the process of altering codons within the gene sequence to improve recombinant protein expression, has become widely practised. Multiple inter-linked factors affecting protein expression need to be taken into consideration when optimizing a gene sequence. Over the years, various computer programmes have been developed to aid in the gene sequence optimization process. However, as the rulebook for altering codon usage to affect protein expression is still not completely understood, it is difficult to predict which strategy, if any, will design the "optimal" gene sequence. In this review, codon usage bias and factors affecting codon selection will be discussed and the evidence for codon optimization impact will be reviewed for recombinant protein expression using plants as a case study. These developments will be relevant to all recombinant expression systems; however, molecular pharming in plants is an area which has consistently encountered difficulties with low levels of recombinant protein expression, and should benefit from an evidence based rational approach to synthetic gene design. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 492-502. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina R Webster
- Molecular Immunology Unit, Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George's University of London, SW17 0RE, London, UK
| | - Audrey Y-H Teh
- Molecular Immunology Unit, Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George's University of London, SW17 0RE, London, UK
| | - Julian K-C Ma
- Molecular Immunology Unit, Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George's University of London, SW17 0RE, London, UK
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49
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Dauden MI, Kosinski J, Kolaj-Robin O, Desfosses A, Ori A, Faux C, Hoffmann NA, Onuma OF, Breunig KD, Beck M, Sachse C, Séraphin B, Glatt S, Müller CW. Architecture of the yeast Elongator complex. EMBO Rep 2016; 18:264-279. [PMID: 27974378 PMCID: PMC5286394 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201643353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The highly conserved eukaryotic Elongator complex performs specific chemical modifications on wobble base uridines of tRNAs, which are essential for proteome stability and homeostasis. The complex is formed by six individual subunits (Elp1-6) that are all equally important for its tRNA modification activity. However, its overall architecture and the detailed reaction mechanism remain elusive. Here, we report the structures of the fully assembled yeast Elongator and the Elp123 sub-complex solved by an integrative structure determination approach showing that two copies of the Elp1, Elp2, and Elp3 subunits form a two-lobed scaffold, which binds Elp456 asymmetrically. Our topological models are consistent with previous studies on individual subunits and further validated by complementary biochemical analyses. Our study provides a structural framework on how the tRNA modification activity is carried out by Elongator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria I Dauden
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Structural and Computational Biology Unit, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jan Kosinski
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Structural and Computational Biology Unit, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Olga Kolaj-Robin
- Université de Strasbourg, IGBMC, Illkirch, France.,CNRS, IGBMC UMR 7104, Illkirch, France.,Inserm, IGBMC U964, Illkirch, France
| | - Ambroise Desfosses
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Structural and Computational Biology Unit, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alessandro Ori
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Structural and Computational Biology Unit, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Celine Faux
- Université de Strasbourg, IGBMC, Illkirch, France.,CNRS, IGBMC UMR 7104, Illkirch, France.,Inserm, IGBMC U964, Illkirch, France
| | - Niklas A Hoffmann
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Structural and Computational Biology Unit, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Osita F Onuma
- Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Karin D Breunig
- Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Martin Beck
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Structural and Computational Biology Unit, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Carsten Sachse
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Structural and Computational Biology Unit, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Bertrand Séraphin
- Université de Strasbourg, IGBMC, Illkirch, France.,CNRS, IGBMC UMR 7104, Illkirch, France.,Inserm, IGBMC U964, Illkirch, France
| | - Sebastian Glatt
- Max Planck Research Group at the Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Christoph W Müller
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Structural and Computational Biology Unit, Heidelberg, Germany
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50
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Goodarzi H, Nguyen HCB, Zhang S, Dill BD, Molina H, Tavazoie SF. Modulated Expression of Specific tRNAs Drives Gene Expression and Cancer Progression. Cell 2016; 165:1416-1427. [PMID: 27259150 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.05.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 295] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2016] [Revised: 04/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are primarily viewed as static contributors to gene expression. By developing a high-throughput tRNA profiling method, we find that specific tRNAs are upregulated in human breast cancer cells as they gain metastatic activity. Through loss-of-function, gain-of-function, and clinical-association studies, we implicate tRNAGluUUC and tRNAArgCCG as promoters of breast cancer metastasis. Upregulation of these tRNAs enhances stability and ribosome occupancy of transcripts enriched for their cognate codons. Specifically, tRNAGluUUC promotes metastatic progression by directly enhancing EXOSC2 expression and enhancing GRIPAP1-constituting an "inducible" pathway driven by a tRNA. The cellular proteomic shift toward a pro-metastatic state mirrors global tRNA shifts, allowing for cell-state and cell-type transgene expression optimization through codon content quantification. TRNA modulation represents a mechanism by which cells achieve altered expression of specific transcripts and proteins. TRNAs are thus dynamic regulators of gene expression and the tRNA codon landscape can causally and specifically impact disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hani Goodarzi
- Laboratory of Systems Cancer Biology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Hoang C B Nguyen
- Laboratory of Systems Cancer Biology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Steven Zhang
- Laboratory of Systems Cancer Biology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Brian D Dill
- Proteome Resource Center, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Henrik Molina
- Proteome Resource Center, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Sohail F Tavazoie
- Laboratory of Systems Cancer Biology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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