1
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Yao R, Xie C, Xia X. Recent progress in mRNA cancer vaccines. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2024; 20:2307187. [PMID: 38282471 PMCID: PMC10826636 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2024.2307187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
The research and development of messenger RNA (mRNA) cancer vaccines have gradually overcome numerous challenges through the application of personalized cancer antigens, structural optimization of mRNA, and the development of alternative RNA-based vectors and efficient targeted delivery vectors. Clinical trials are currently underway for various cancer vaccines that encode tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), tumor-specific antigens (TSAs), or immunomodulators. In this paper, we summarize the optimization of mRNA and the emergence of RNA-based expression vectors in cancer vaccines. We begin by reviewing the advancement and utilization of state-of-the-art targeted lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), followed by presenting the primary classifications and clinical applications of mRNA cancer vaccines. Collectively, mRNA vaccines are emerging as a central focus in cancer immunotherapy, offering the potential to address multiple challenges in cancer treatment, either as standalone therapies or in combination with current cancer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruhui Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chunyuan Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaojun Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
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2
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Soleimani A, Alizadeh H. Unlocking the potential of Extensin Signal peptide and Elastin-like polypeptide tag fused to Shigella dysenteriae's IpaDSTxB to improve protein expression and purification in Nicotiana tabacum and Medicagosativa. Protein Expr Purif 2024; 222:106521. [PMID: 38852714 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2024.106521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Plants are often seen as a potent tool in the recombinant protein production industry. However, unlike bacterial expression, it is not a popular method due to the low yield and difficulty of protein extraction and purification. Therefore, developing a new high efficient and easy to purify platform is crucial. One of the best approaches to make extraction easier is to utilize the Extensin Signal peptide (EXT) to translocate the recombinant protein to the outside of the cell, along with incorporating an Elastin-like polypeptide tag (ELP) to enhance purification and accumulation rates. In this research, we transiently expressed Shigella dysenteriae's IpaDSTxB fused to both NtEXT and ELP in both Nicotiana tabacum and Medicago sativa. Our results demonstrated that N. tabacum, with an average yield of 6.39 ng/μg TSP, outperforms M. sativa, which had an average yield of 3.58 ng/μg TSP. On the other hand, analyzing NtEXT signal peptide indicated that merging EXT to the constructs facilitates translocation of IpaDSTxB to the apoplast by 78.4% and 65.9% in N. tabacum and M. sativa, respectively. Conversely, the mean level for constructs without EXT was below 25% for both plants. Furthermore, investigation into the orientation of ELP showed that merging it to the C-terminal of IpaDSTxB leads to a higher accumulation rate in both N. tabacum and M. sativa by 1.39 and 1.28 times, respectively. It also facilitates purification rate by over 70% in comparison to 20% of the 6His tag. The results show a highly efficient and easy to purify platform for the expression of heterologous proteins in plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- AmirMohammad Soleimani
- Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
| | - Houshang Alizadeh
- Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
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3
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Sejour R, Leatherwood J, Yurovsky A, Futcher B. Enrichment of rare codons at 5' ends of genes is a spandrel caused by evolutionary sequence turnover and does not improve translation. eLife 2024; 12:RP89656. [PMID: 39008347 PMCID: PMC11249729 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89656] [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] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Previously, Tuller et al. found that the first 30-50 codons of the genes of yeast and other eukaryotes are slightly enriched for rare codons. They argued that this slowed translation, and was adaptive because it queued ribosomes to prevent collisions. Today, the translational speeds of different codons are known, and indeed rare codons are translated slowly. We re-examined this 5' slow translation 'ramp.' We confirm that 5' regions are slightly enriched for rare codons; in addition, they are depleted for downstream Start codons (which are fast), with both effects contributing to slow 5' translation. However, we also find that the 5' (and 3') ends of yeast genes are poorly conserved in evolution, suggesting that they are unstable and turnover relatively rapidly. When a new 5' end forms de novo, it is likely to include codons that would otherwise be rare. Because evolution has had a relatively short time to select against these codons, 5' ends are typically slightly enriched for rare, slow codons. Opposite to the expectation of Tuller et al., we show by direct experiment that genes with slowly translated codons at the 5' end are expressed relatively poorly, and that substituting faster synonymous codons improves expression. Direct experiment shows that slow codons do not prevent downstream ribosome collisions. Further informatic studies suggest that for natural genes, slow 5' ends are correlated with poor gene expression, opposite to the expectation of Tuller et al. Thus, we conclude that slow 5' translation is a 'spandrel'--a non-adaptive consequence of something else, in this case, the turnover of 5' ends in evolution, and it does not improve translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Sejour
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Janet Leatherwood
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Alisa Yurovsky
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
| | - Bruce Futcher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookUnited States
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4
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Weber R, Chang CT. Human DDX6 regulates translation and decay of inefficiently translated mRNAs. eLife 2024; 13:RP92426. [PMID: 38989862 PMCID: PMC11239181 DOI: 10.7554/elife.92426] [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] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent findings indicate that the translation elongation rate influences mRNA stability. One of the factors that has been implicated in this link between mRNA decay and translation speed is the yeast DEAD-box helicase Dhh1p. Here, we demonstrated that the human ortholog of Dhh1p, DDX6, triggers the deadenylation-dependent decay of inefficiently translated mRNAs in human cells. DDX6 interacts with the ribosome through the Phe-Asp-Phe (FDF) motif in its RecA2 domain. Furthermore, RecA2-mediated interactions and ATPase activity are both required for DDX6 to destabilize inefficiently translated mRNAs. Using ribosome profiling and RNA sequencing, we identified two classes of endogenous mRNAs that are regulated in a DDX6-dependent manner. The identified targets are either translationally regulated or regulated at the steady-state-level and either exhibit signatures of poor overall translation or of locally reduced ribosome translocation rates. Transferring the identified sequence stretches into a reporter mRNA caused translation- and DDX6-dependent degradation of the reporter mRNA. In summary, these results identify DDX6 as a crucial regulator of mRNA translation and decay triggered by slow ribosome movement and provide insights into the mechanism by which DDX6 destabilizes inefficiently translated mRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramona Weber
- Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Developmental BiologyTübingenGermany
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine (IREM), University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Chung-Te Chang
- Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Developmental BiologyTübingenGermany
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung UniversityTaipei CityTaiwan
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5
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Chen KY, Park H, Subramaniam AR. Massively parallel identification of sequence motifs triggering ribosome-associated mRNA quality control. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:7171-7187. [PMID: 38647082 PMCID: PMC11229359 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae285] [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: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Decay of mRNAs can be triggered by ribosome slowdown at stretches of rare codons or positively charged amino acids. However, the full diversity of sequences that trigger co-translational mRNA decay is poorly understood. To comprehensively identify sequence motifs that trigger mRNA decay, we use a massively parallel reporter assay to measure the effect of all possible combinations of codon pairs on mRNA levels in S. cerevisiae. In addition to known mRNA-destabilizing sequences, we identify several dipeptide repeats whose translation reduces mRNA levels. These include combinations of positively charged and bulky residues, as well as proline-glycine and proline-aspartate dipeptide repeats. Genetic deletion of the ribosome collision sensor Hel2 rescues the mRNA effects of these motifs, suggesting that they trigger ribosome slowdown and activate the ribosome-associated quality control (RQC) pathway. Deep mutational scanning of an mRNA-destabilizing dipeptide repeat reveals a complex interplay between the charge, bulkiness, and location of amino acid residues in conferring mRNA instability. Finally, we show that the mRNA effects of codon pairs are predictive of the effects of endogenous sequences. Our work highlights the complexity of sequence motifs driving co-translational mRNA decay in eukaryotes, and presents a high throughput approach to dissect their requirements at the codon level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharine Y Chen
- Basic Sciences Division and Computational Biology Section of the Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Heungwon Park
- Basic Sciences Division and Computational Biology Section of the Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Arvind Rasi Subramaniam
- Basic Sciences Division and Computational Biology Section of the Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
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6
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Courvan EMC, Parker RR. Hypoxia and inflammation induce synergistic transcriptome turnover in macrophages. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114452. [PMID: 38968068 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Macrophages are effector immune cells that experience substantial changes to oxygenation when transiting through tissues, especially when entering tumors or infected wounds. How hypoxia alters gene expression and macrophage effector function at the post-transcriptional level remains poorly understood. Here, we use TimeLapse-seq to measure how inflammatory activation modifies the hypoxic response in primary macrophages. Nucleoside recoding sequencing allows the derivation of steady-state transcript levels, degradation rates, and transcriptional synthesis rates from the same dataset. We find that hypoxia produces distinct responses from resting and inflammatory macrophages. Hypoxia induces destabilization of mRNA transcripts, though inflammatory macrophages substantially increase mRNA degradation compared to resting macrophages. Increased RNA turnover results in the upregulation of ribosomal protein genes and downregulation of extracellular matrix components in inflammatory macrophages. Pathways regulated by mRNA decay in vitro are differentially regulated in tumor-associated macrophages implying that mixed stimuli could induce post-transcriptional regulation of macrophage function in solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward M C Courvan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA.
| | - Roy R Parker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA; BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA.
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7
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Legrand A, Dahoui C, De La Myre Mory C, Noy K, Guiguettaz L, Versapuech M, Loyer C, Pillon M, Wcislo M, Guéguen L, Berlioz-Torrent C, Cimarelli A, Mateo M, Fiorini F, Ricci EP, Etienne L. SAMD9L acts as an antiviral factor against HIV-1 and primate lentiviruses by restricting viral and cellular translation. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002696. [PMID: 38959200 PMCID: PMC11221667 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002696] [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: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Sterile alpha motif domain-containing proteins 9 and 9-like (SAMD9/9L) are associated with life-threatening genetic diseases in humans and are restriction factors of poxviruses. Yet, their cellular function and the extent of their antiviral role are poorly known. Here, we found that interferon-stimulated human SAMD9L restricts HIV-1 in the late phases of replication, at the posttranscriptional and prematuration steps, impacting viral translation and, possibly, endosomal trafficking. Surprisingly, the paralog SAMD9 exerted an opposite effect, enhancing HIV-1. More broadly, we showed that SAMD9L restricts primate lentiviruses, but not a gammaretrovirus (MLV), nor 2 RNA viruses (arenavirus MOPV and rhabdovirus VSV). Using structural modeling and mutagenesis of SAMD9L, we identified a conserved Schlafen-like active site necessary for HIV-1 restriction by human and a rodent SAMD9L. By testing a gain-of-function constitutively active variant from patients with SAMD9L-associated autoinflammatory disease, we determined that SAMD9L pathogenic functions also depend on the Schlafen-like active site. Finally, we found that the constitutively active SAMD9L strongly inhibited HIV, MLV, and, to a lesser extent, MOPV. This suggests that the virus-specific effect of SAMD9L may involve its differential activation/sensing and the virus ability to evade from SAMD9L restriction. Overall, our study identifies SAMD9L as an HIV-1 antiviral factor from the cell autonomous immunity and deciphers host determinants underlying the translational repression. This provides novel links and therapeutic avenues against viral infections and genetic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Legrand
- Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (CIRI), Inserm U1111, UCBL1, CNRS UMR 5308, ENS de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Clara Dahoui
- Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (CIRI), Inserm U1111, UCBL1, CNRS UMR 5308, ENS de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Clément De La Myre Mory
- Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (CIRI), Inserm U1111, UCBL1, CNRS UMR 5308, ENS de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Kodie Noy
- Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (CIRI), Inserm U1111, UCBL1, CNRS UMR 5308, ENS de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
- Unité de Biologie des Infections Virales Émergentes, Institut Pasteur, Lyon, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Laura Guiguettaz
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Modélisation de la Cellule (LBMC), Université de Lyon, INSERM U1293, CNRS UMR 5239, ENS de Lyon, UCBL1, Lyon, France
| | - Margaux Versapuech
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Inserm, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Clara Loyer
- Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (CIRI), Inserm U1111, UCBL1, CNRS UMR 5308, ENS de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Margaux Pillon
- Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (CIRI), Inserm U1111, UCBL1, CNRS UMR 5308, ENS de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Mégane Wcislo
- Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (CIRI), Inserm U1111, UCBL1, CNRS UMR 5308, ENS de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Laurent Guéguen
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Biométrie Évolutive (LBBE), CNRS UMR 5558, UCBL1, Villeurbanne, France
| | | | - Andrea Cimarelli
- Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (CIRI), Inserm U1111, UCBL1, CNRS UMR 5308, ENS de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Mathieu Mateo
- Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (CIRI), Inserm U1111, UCBL1, CNRS UMR 5308, ENS de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
- Unité de Biologie des Infections Virales Émergentes, Institut Pasteur, Lyon, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Francesca Fiorini
- Retroviruses and structural biochemistry, Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB), IBCP, CNRS UMR 5086, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Emiliano P. Ricci
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Modélisation de la Cellule (LBMC), Université de Lyon, INSERM U1293, CNRS UMR 5239, ENS de Lyon, UCBL1, Lyon, France
| | - Lucie Etienne
- Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (CIRI), Inserm U1111, UCBL1, CNRS UMR 5308, ENS de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
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8
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Schoch K, Ruegg MSG, Fellows BJ, Cao J, Uhrig S, Einsele-Scholz S, Biskup S, Hawarden SRA, Salpietro V, Capra V, Brown CM, Accogli A, Shashi V, Bicknell LS. A second hotspot for pathogenic exon-skipping variants in CDC45. Eur J Hum Genet 2024; 32:786-794. [PMID: 38467731 PMCID: PMC11219862 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-024-01583-1] [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: 12/16/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Biallelic pathogenic variants in CDC45 are associated with Meier-Gorlin syndrome with craniosynostosis (MGORS type 7), which also includes short stature and absent/hypoplastic patellae. Identified variants act through a hypomorphic loss of function mechanism, to reduce CDC45 activity and impact DNA replication initiation. In addition to missense and premature termination variants, several pathogenic synonymous variants have been identified, most of which cause increased exon skipping of exon 4, which encodes an essential part of the RecJ-orthologue's DHH domain. Here we have identified a second cohort of families segregating CDC45 variants, where patients have craniosynostosis and a reduction in height, alongside common facial dysmorphisms, including thin eyebrows, consistent with MGORS7. Skipping of exon 15 is a consequence of two different variants, including a shared synonymous variant that is enriched in individuals of East Asian ancestry, while other variants in trans are predicted to alter key intramolecular interactions in α/β domain II, or cause retention of an intron within the 3'UTR. Our cohort and functional data confirm exon skipping is a relatively common pathogenic mechanism in CDC45, and highlights the need for alternative splicing events, such as exon skipping, to be especially considered for variants initially predicted to be less likely to cause the phenotype, particularly synonymous variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Schoch
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Mischa S G Ruegg
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Bridget J Fellows
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Joseph Cao
- Division of Pediatric Radiology, Department of Radiology Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Sabine Uhrig
- Institute of Clinical Genetics, Klinikum Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | | | - Saskia Biskup
- Center for Human Genetics Tuebingen and CeGaT GmbH, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Samuel R A Hawarden
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Vincenzo Salpietro
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Valeria Capra
- Genomics and Clinical Genetics, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Chris M Brown
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Andrea Accogli
- Department of Specialized Medicine, Division of Medical Genetics, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Vandana Shashi
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Louise S Bicknell
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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Ietswaart R, Smalec BM, Xu A, Choquet K, McShane E, Jowhar ZM, Guegler CK, Baxter-Koenigs AR, West ER, Fu BXH, Gilbert L, Floor SN, Churchman LS. Genome-wide quantification of RNA flow across subcellular compartments reveals determinants of the mammalian transcript life cycle. Mol Cell 2024:S1097-2765(24)00511-2. [PMID: 38964322 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Dissecting the regulatory mechanisms controlling mammalian transcripts from production to degradation requires quantitative measurements of mRNA flow across the cell. We developed subcellular TimeLapse-seq to measure the rates at which RNAs are released from chromatin, exported from the nucleus, loaded onto polysomes, and degraded within the nucleus and cytoplasm in human and mouse cells. These rates varied substantially, yet transcripts from genes with related functions or targeted by the same transcription factors and RNA-binding proteins flowed across subcellular compartments with similar kinetics. Verifying these associations uncovered a link between DDX3X and nuclear export. For hundreds of RNA metabolism genes, most transcripts with retained introns were degraded by the nuclear exosome, while the remaining molecules were exported with stable cytoplasmic lifespans. Transcripts residing on chromatin for longer had extended poly(A) tails, whereas the reverse was observed for cytoplasmic mRNAs. Finally, machine learning identified molecular features that predicted the diverse life cycles of mRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Ietswaart
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Brendan M Smalec
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Albert Xu
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Karine Choquet
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Erik McShane
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ziad Mohamoud Jowhar
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Chantal K Guegler
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Autum R Baxter-Koenigs
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Emma R West
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Luke Gilbert
- Arc Institute, Palo Alto, CA 94305, USA; Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94518, USA
| | - Stephen N Floor
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
| | - L Stirling Churchman
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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10
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Sharma NK, Dwivedi P, Bhushan R, Maurya PK, Kumar A, Dakal TC. Engineering circular RNA for molecular and metabolic reprogramming. Funct Integr Genomics 2024; 24:117. [PMID: 38918231 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-024-01394-z] [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: 04/28/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
The role of messenger RNA (mRNA) in biological systems is extremely versatile. However, it's extremely short half-life poses a fundamental restriction on its application. Moreover, the translation efficiency of mRNA is also limited. On the contrary, circular RNAs, also known as circRNAs, are a common and stable form of RNA found in eukaryotic cells. These molecules are synthesized via back-splicing. Both synthetic circRNAs and certain endogenous circRNAs have the potential to encode proteins, hence suggesting the potential of circRNA as a gene expression machinery. Herein, we aim to summarize all engineering aspects that allow exogenous circular RNA (circRNA) to prolong the time that proteins are expressed from full-length RNA signals. This review presents a systematic engineering approach that have been devised to efficiently assemble circRNAs and evaluate several aspects that have an impact on protein production derived from. We have also reviewed how optimization of the key components of circRNAs, including the topology of vector, 5' and 3' untranslated sections, entrance site of the internal ribosome, and engineered aptamers could be efficiently impacting the translation machinery for molecular and metabolic reprogramming. Collectively, molecular and metabolic reprogramming present a novel way of regulating distinctive cellular features, for instance growth traits to neoplastic cells, and offer new possibilities for therapeutic inventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narendra Kumar Sharma
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Banasthali Vidyapith (Deemed University), P.O. Banasthali Vidyapith Distt. Tonk, Rajasthan, 304 022, India.
| | - Pragya Dwivedi
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Banasthali Vidyapith (Deemed University), P.O. Banasthali Vidyapith Distt. Tonk, Rajasthan, 304 022, India
| | - Ravi Bhushan
- Department of Zoology, M.S. College, Motihari, Bihar, India
| | - Pawan Kumar Maurya
- Department of Biochemistry, Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, 123031, Haryana, India
| | - Abhishek Kumar
- Institute of Bioinformatics, International Technology Park, Bangalore, 560066, Karnataka, India
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Tikam Chand Dakal
- Genome and Computational Biology Lab, Department of Biotechnology, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, Rajasthan, 313001, India.
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11
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Ward C, Beharry A, Tennakoon R, Rozik P, Wilhelm SDP, Heinemann IU, O’Donoghue P. Mechanisms and Delivery of tRNA Therapeutics. Chem Rev 2024; 124:7976-8008. [PMID: 38801719 PMCID: PMC11212642 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.4c00142] [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: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) therapeutics will provide personalized and mutation specific medicines to treat human genetic diseases for which no cures currently exist. The tRNAs are a family of adaptor molecules that interpret the nucleic acid sequences in our genes into the amino acid sequences of proteins that dictate cell function. Humans encode more than 600 tRNA genes. Interestingly, even healthy individuals contain some mutant tRNAs that make mistakes. Missense suppressor tRNAs insert the wrong amino acid in proteins, and nonsense suppressor tRNAs read through premature stop signals to generate full length proteins. Mutations that underlie many human diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, cancers, and diverse rare genetic disorders, result from missense or nonsense mutations. Thus, specific tRNA variants can be strategically deployed as therapeutic agents to correct genetic defects. We review the mechanisms of tRNA therapeutic activity, the nature of the therapeutic window for nonsense and missense suppression as well as wild-type tRNA supplementation. We discuss the challenges and promises of delivering tRNAs as synthetic RNAs or as gene therapies. Together, tRNA medicines will provide novel treatments for common and rare genetic diseases in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cian Ward
- Department of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Aruun Beharry
- Department of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Rasangi Tennakoon
- Department of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Peter Rozik
- Department of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Sarah D. P. Wilhelm
- Department of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Ilka U. Heinemann
- Department of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Patrick O’Donoghue
- Department of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada
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12
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Stewart RK, Nguyen P, Laederach A, Volkan PC, Sawyer JK, Fox DT. Orb2 enables rare-codon-enriched mRNA expression during Drosophila neuron differentiation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5270. [PMID: 38902233 PMCID: PMC11190236 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48344-8] [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: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Regulation of codon optimality is an increasingly appreciated layer of cell- and tissue-specific protein expression control. Here, we use codon-modified reporters to show that differentiation of Drosophila neural stem cells into neurons enables protein expression from rare-codon-enriched genes. From a candidate screen, we identify the cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding (CPEB) protein Orb2 as a positive regulator of rare-codon-dependent mRNA stability in neurons. Using RNA sequencing, we reveal that Orb2-upregulated mRNAs in the brain with abundant Orb2 binding sites have a rare-codon bias. From these Orb2-regulated mRNAs, we demonstrate that rare-codon enrichment is important for mRNA stability and social behavior function of the metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR). Our findings reveal a molecular mechanism by which neural stem cell differentiation shifts genetic code regulation to enable critical mRNA stability and protein expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebeccah K Stewart
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Patrick Nguyen
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Alain Laederach
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Jessica K Sawyer
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Donald T Fox
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
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13
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Li Y, Yi Y, Gao X, Wang X, Zhao D, Wang R, Zhang LS, Gao B, Zhang Y, Zhang L, Cao Q, Chen K. 2'-O-methylation at internal sites on mRNA promotes mRNA stability. Mol Cell 2024; 84:2320-2336.e6. [PMID: 38906115 PMCID: PMC11196006 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
2'-O-methylation (Nm) is a prominent RNA modification well known in noncoding RNAs and more recently also found at many mRNA internal sites. However, their function and base-resolution stoichiometry remain underexplored. Here, we investigate the transcriptome-wide effect of internal site Nm on mRNA stability. Combining nanopore sequencing with our developed machine learning method, NanoNm, we identify thousands of Nm sites on mRNAs with a single-base resolution. We observe a positive effect of FBL-mediated Nm modification on mRNA stability and expression level. Elevated FBL expression in cancer cells is associated with increased expression levels for 2'-O-methylated mRNAs of cancer pathways, implying the role of FBL in post-transcriptional regulation. Lastly, we find that FBL-mediated 2'-O-methylation connects to widespread 3' UTR shortening, a mechanism that globally increases RNA stability. Collectively, we demonstrate that FBL-mediated Nm modifications at mRNA internal sites regulate gene expression by enhancing mRNA stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanqiang Li
- Basic and Translational Research Division, Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yang Yi
- Department of Urology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Xinlei Gao
- Basic and Translational Research Division, Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xin Wang
- Basic and Translational Research Division, Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dongyu Zhao
- Basic and Translational Research Division, Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rui Wang
- Department of Urology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Li-Sheng Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China; Department of Chemistry and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Boyang Gao
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Yadong Zhang
- Basic and Translational Research Division, Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lili Zhang
- Basic and Translational Research Division, Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Qi Cao
- Department of Urology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Kaifu Chen
- Basic and Translational Research Division, Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Boston, MA, USA; Prostate Cancer Program, Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA.
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14
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Grandi C, Emmaneel M, Nelissen FHT, Roosenboom LWM, Petrova Y, Elzokla O, Hansen MMK. Decoupled degradation and translation enables noise modulation by poly(A) tails. Cell Syst 2024; 15:526-543.e7. [PMID: 38901403 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2024.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Poly(A) tails are crucial for mRNA translation and degradation, but the exact relationship between tail length and mRNA kinetics remains unclear. Here, we employ a small library of identical mRNAs that differ only in their poly(A)-tail length to examine their behavior in human embryonic kidney cells. We find that tail length strongly correlates with mRNA degradation rates but is decoupled from translation. Interestingly, an optimal tail length of ∼100 nt displays the highest translation rate, which is identical to the average endogenous tail length measured by nanopore sequencing. Furthermore, poly(A)-tail length variability-a feature of endogenous mRNAs-impacts translation efficiency but not mRNA degradation rates. Stochastic modeling combined with single-cell tracking reveals that poly(A) tails provide cells with an independent handle to tune gene expression fluctuations by decoupling mRNA degradation and translation. Together, this work contributes to the basic understanding of gene expression regulation and has potential applications in nucleic acid therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Grandi
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Martin Emmaneel
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Frank H T Nelissen
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Laura W M Roosenboom
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Yoanna Petrova
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Omnia Elzokla
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Maike M K Hansen
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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15
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Jiang X, Zhan L, Tang X. RNA modifications in physiology and pathology: Progressing towards application in clinical settings. Cell Signal 2024; 121:111242. [PMID: 38851412 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2024.111242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
The potential to modify individual nucleotides through chemical means in order to impact the electrostatic charge, hydrophobic properties, and base pairing of RNA molecules is harnessed in the medical application of stable synthetic RNAs like mRNA vaccines and synthetic small RNA molecules. These modifications are used to either increase or decrease the production of therapeutic proteins. Additionally, naturally occurring biochemical alterations of nucleotides play a role in regulating RNA metabolism and function, thereby modulating essential cellular processes. Research elucidating the mechanisms through which RNA modifications govern fundamental cellular functions in multicellular organisms has enhanced our comprehension of how irregular RNA modification profiles can lead to human diseases. Collectively, these fundamental scientific findings have unveiled the molecular and cellular functions of RNA modifications, offering new opportunities for therapeutic intervention and paving the way for a variety of innovative clinical strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Jiang
- College of Pharmacy and Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu College of Nursing, Huaian, Jiangsu 223005, China
| | - Lijuan Zhan
- College of Pharmacy and Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu College of Nursing, Huaian, Jiangsu 223005, China.
| | - Xiaozhu Tang
- School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
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16
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Aubé F, Fontrodona N, Guiguettaz L, Vallin E, Fabbri L, Lapendry A, Vagner S, Ricci EP, Auboeuf D. Metabolism-dependent secondary effect of anti-MAPK cancer therapy on DNA repair. NAR Cancer 2024; 6:zcae019. [PMID: 38690580 PMCID: PMC11059277 DOI: 10.1093/narcan/zcae019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Amino acid bioavailability impacts mRNA translation in a codon-dependent manner. Here, we report that the anti-cancer MAPK inhibitors (MAPKi) decrease the intracellular concentration of aspartate and glutamate in melanoma cells. This coincides with the accumulation of ribosomes on codons corresponding to these amino acids and triggers the translation-dependent degradation of mRNAs encoding aspartate- and glutamate-rich proteins, involved in DNA metabolism such as DNA replication and repair. Consequently, cells that survive MAPKi degrade aspartate and glutamate likely to generate energy, which simultaneously decreases their requirement for amino acids due to the downregulation of aspartate- and glutamate-rich proteins involved in cell proliferation. Concomitantly, the downregulation of aspartate- and glutamate-rich proteins involved in DNA repair increases DNA damage loads. Thus, DNA repair defects, and therefore mutations, are at least in part a secondary effect of the metabolic adaptation of cells exposed to MAPKi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabien Aubé
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Modélisation de la Cellule, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5239, Inserm, U1293, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 46 allée d’Italie F-69364 Lyon, France
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, LBMC, ENS, Lyon, France
| | - Nicolas Fontrodona
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Modélisation de la Cellule, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5239, Inserm, U1293, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 46 allée d’Italie F-69364 Lyon, France
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, LBMC, ENS, Lyon, France
| | - Laura Guiguettaz
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Modélisation de la Cellule, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5239, Inserm, U1293, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 46 allée d’Italie F-69364 Lyon, France
| | - Elodie Vallin
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Modélisation de la Cellule, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5239, Inserm, U1293, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 46 allée d’Italie F-69364 Lyon, France
| | - Lucilla Fabbri
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 3348, INSERM U1278, Orsay, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR 3348, INSERM U1278, Orsay, France
- Equipe labellisée Ligue contre le Cancer, Orsay, France
| | - Audrey Lapendry
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Modélisation de la Cellule, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5239, Inserm, U1293, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 46 allée d’Italie F-69364 Lyon, France
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, LBMC, ENS, Lyon, France
| | - Stephan Vagner
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 3348, INSERM U1278, Orsay, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR 3348, INSERM U1278, Orsay, France
- Equipe labellisée Ligue contre le Cancer, Orsay, France
| | - Emiliano P Ricci
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Modélisation de la Cellule, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5239, Inserm, U1293, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 46 allée d’Italie F-69364 Lyon, France
| | - Didier Auboeuf
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Modélisation de la Cellule, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5239, Inserm, U1293, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 46 allée d’Italie F-69364 Lyon, France
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, LBMC, ENS, Lyon, France
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17
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Bornelöv S. A code within the genetic code. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2024; 25:423. [PMID: 38514886 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-024-00724-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Bornelöv
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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18
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Zhang S, Wang J, Liu Y, Xu Z. Multiple strategies to improve extracellular secretion and activity of feruloyl esterase. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 269:132082. [PMID: 38705319 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Feruloyl esterase has a wide range of applications, but there are still problems with low enzyme yield and activity, and complex purification steps. Our previous research found Lactobacillus amylovorus feruloyl esterase could be secreted extracellular in Escherichia coli. In this study, multiple strategies were implemented to maximize the extracellular production of feruloyl esterase with improved activity in E. coli. Firstly, codon-optimized feruloyl esterase was obtained based on the preference of E. coli, resulting in 41.97 % increase in extracellular secretion. Furthermore, by cascading T7 promoters, replacing the 5' UTR, randomly mutating the N-terminal sequence, and co-expressing secretory cofactors, the extracellular secretion was increased by 36.46 %, 31.25 %, 20.66 % and 25.75 %, respectively. Moreover, the feruloyl esterase were mutated to improve the substrate affinity and activity. The catalytic efficiency of Fae-Q134T and Fae-Q198A increased by 4.62-fold and 5.42-fold. Combining above strategies, extracellular feruloyl esterase activity was increased from 2013.70 U/L to 10,349.04 U/L. These results indicated that the activity and yield of feruloyl esterase secreted by E. coli were significantly increased, which laid a foundation for its industrial application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susu Zhang
- College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358, PR China; Dongying Key Laboratory of Salt Tolerance Mechanism and Application of Halophytes, Dongying Institute, Shandong Normal University, Dongying 257000, PR China
| | - Jiapeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Science, Jinan 250353, PR China; Department of Bioengineering, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Science, Jinan 250353, PR China
| | - Yaohan Liu
- College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358, PR China
| | - Zhenshang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Science, Jinan 250353, PR China; Department of Bioengineering, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Science, Jinan 250353, PR China.
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19
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Firdous Z, Kalra S, Chattopadhyay R, Bari VK. Current insight into the role of mRNA decay pathways in fungal pathogenesis. Microbiol Res 2024; 283:127671. [PMID: 38479232 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2024.127671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Pathogenic fungal species can cause superficial and mucosal infections, to potentially fatal systemic or invasive infections in humans. These infections are more common in immunocompromised or critically ill patients and have a significant morbidity and fatality rate. Fungal pathogens utilize several strategies to adapt the host environment resulting in efficient and comprehensive alterations in their cellular metabolism. Fungal virulence is regulated by several factors and post-transcriptional regulation mechanisms involving mRNA molecules are one of them. Post-transcriptional controls have emerged as critical regulatory mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of fungal species. The untranslated upstream and downstream regions of the mRNA, as well as RNA-binding proteins, regulate morphogenesis and virulence by controlling mRNA degradation and stability. The limited number of available therapeutic drugs, the emergence of multidrug resistance, and high death rates associated with systemic fungal illnesses pose a serious risk to human health. Therefore, new antifungal treatments that specifically target mRNA pathway components can decrease fungal pathogenicity and when combined increase the effectiveness of currently available antifungal drugs. This review summarizes the mRNA degradation pathways and their role in fungal pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zulikha Firdous
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Basic Sciences, Central University of Punjab, VPO-Ghudda, Bathinda 151401, India
| | - Sapna Kalra
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Basic Sciences, Central University of Punjab, VPO-Ghudda, Bathinda 151401, India
| | - Rituja Chattopadhyay
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Basic Sciences, Central University of Punjab, VPO-Ghudda, Bathinda 151401, India
| | - Vinay Kumar Bari
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Basic Sciences, Central University of Punjab, VPO-Ghudda, Bathinda 151401, India.
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20
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Inamo J, Suzuki A, Ueda MT, Yamaguchi K, Nishida H, Suzuki K, Kaneko Y, Takeuchi T, Hatano H, Ishigaki K, Ishihama Y, Yamamoto K, Kochi Y. Long-read sequencing for 29 immune cell subsets reveals disease-linked isoforms. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4285. [PMID: 38806455 PMCID: PMC11133395 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48615-4] [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: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing events are a major causal mechanism for complex traits, but they have been understudied due to the limitation of short-read sequencing. Here, we generate a full-length isoform annotation of human immune cells from an individual by long-read sequencing for 29 cell subsets. This contains a number of unannotated transcripts and isoforms such as a read-through transcript of TOMM40-APOE in the Alzheimer's disease locus. We profile characteristics of isoforms and show that repetitive elements significantly explain the diversity of unannotated isoforms, providing insight into the human genome evolution. In addition, some of the isoforms are expressed in a cell-type specific manner, whose alternative 3'-UTRs usage contributes to their specificity. Further, we identify disease-associated isoforms by isoform switch analysis and by integration of several quantitative trait loci analyses with genome-wide association study data. Our findings will promote the elucidation of the mechanism of complex diseases via alternative splicing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Inamo
- Department of Genomic Function and Diversity, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Akari Suzuki
- Laboratory for Autoimmune Diseases, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Mahoko Takahashi Ueda
- Department of Genomic Function and Diversity, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan
| | - Kensuke Yamaguchi
- Department of Genomic Function and Diversity, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan
- Laboratory for Autoimmune Diseases, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
- Biomedical Engineering Research Innovation Center, Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Nishida
- Department of Molecular Systems Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Katsuya Suzuki
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Yuko Kaneko
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Takeuchi
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
- Saitama Medical University, 38 Morohongo, Moroyama, Iruma, Saitama, 350-0495, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Hatano
- Laboratory for Human Immunogenetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Kazuyoshi Ishigaki
- Laboratory for Human Immunogenetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Yasushi Ishihama
- Department of Molecular Systems Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
- Laboratory of Proteomics for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Ibaraki, Osaka, 567-0085, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Yamamoto
- Laboratory for Autoimmune Diseases, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Yuta Kochi
- Department of Genomic Function and Diversity, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan.
- Laboratory for Autoimmune Diseases, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.
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21
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Reddien PW. The purpose and ubiquity of turnover. Cell 2024; 187:2657-2681. [PMID: 38788689 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.04.034] [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: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Turnover-constant component production and destruction-is ubiquitous in biology. Turnover occurs across organisms and scales, including for RNAs, proteins, membranes, macromolecular structures, organelles, cells, hair, feathers, nails, antlers, and teeth. For many systems, turnover might seem wasteful when degraded components are often fully functional. Some components turn over with shockingly high rates and others do not turn over at all, further making this process enigmatic. However, turnover can address fundamental problems by yielding powerful properties, including regeneration, rapid repair onset, clearance of unpredictable damage and errors, maintenance of low constitutive levels of disrepair, prevention of stable hazards, and transitions. I argue that trade-offs between turnover benefits and metabolic costs, combined with constraints on turnover, determine its presence and rates across distinct contexts. I suggest that the limits of turnover help explain aging and that turnover properties and the basis for its levels underlie this fundamental component of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter W Reddien
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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22
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Wilkinson P, Jackson B, Fermor H, Davies R. A new mRNA structure prediction based approach to identifying improved signal peptides for bone morphogenetic protein 2. BMC Biotechnol 2024; 24:34. [PMID: 38783306 PMCID: PMC11112908 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-024-00858-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Signal peptide (SP) engineering has proven able to improve production of many proteins yet is a laborious process that still relies on trial and error. mRNA structure around the translational start site is important in translation initiation and has rarely been considered in this context, with recent improvements in in silico mRNA structure potentially rendering it a useful predictive tool for SP selection. Here we attempt to create a method to systematically screen candidate signal peptide sequences in silico based on both their nucleotide and amino acid sequences. Several recently released computational tools were used to predict signal peptide activity (SignalP), localization target (DeepLoc) and predicted mRNA structure (MXFold2). The method was tested with Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 (BMP2), an osteogenic growth factor used clinically for bone regeneration. It was hoped more effective BMP2 SPs could improve BMP2-based gene therapies and reduce the cost of recombinant BMP2 production. RESULTS Amino acid sequence analysis indicated 2,611 SPs from the TGF-β superfamily were predicted to function when attached to BMP2. mRNA structure prediction indicated structures at the translational start site were likely highly variable. The five sequences with the most accessible translational start sites, a codon optimized BMP2 SP variant and the well-established hIL2 SP sequence were taken forward to in vitro testing. The top five candidates showed non-significant improvements in BMP2 secretion in HEK293T cells. All showed reductions in secretion versus the native sequence in C2C12 cells, with several showing large and significant decreases. None of the tested sequences were able to increase alkaline phosphatase activity above background in C2C12s. The codon optimized control sequence and hIL2 SP showed reasonable activity in HEK293T but very poor activity in C2C12. CONCLUSIONS These results support the use of peptide sequence based in silico tools for basic predictions around signal peptide activity in a synthetic biology context. However, mRNA structure prediction requires improvement before it can produce reliable predictions for this application. The poor activity of the codon optimized BMP2 SP variant in C2C12 emphasizes the importance of codon choice, mRNA structure, and cellular context for SP activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piers Wilkinson
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
| | - Brian Jackson
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Hazel Fermor
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Robert Davies
- Oral Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
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23
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Andjus S, Szachnowski U, Vogt N, Gioftsidi S, Hatin I, Cornu D, Papadopoulos C, Lopes A, Namy O, Wery M, Morillon A. Pervasive translation of Xrn1-sensitive unstable long noncoding RNAs in yeast. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2024; 30:662-679. [PMID: 38443115 PMCID: PMC11098462 DOI: 10.1261/rna.079903.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Despite being predicted to lack coding potential, cytoplasmic long noncoding (lnc)RNAs can associate with ribosomes. However, the landscape and biological relevance of lncRNA translation remain poorly studied. In yeast, cytoplasmic Xrn1-sensitive unstable transcripts (XUTs) are targeted by nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD), suggesting a translation-dependent degradation process. Here, we report that XUTs are pervasively translated, which impacts their decay. We show that XUTs globally accumulate upon translation elongation inhibition, but not when initial ribosome loading is impaired. Ribo-seq confirmed ribosomes binding to XUTs and identified ribosome-associated 5'-proximal small ORFs. Mechanistically, the NMD-sensitivity of XUTs mainly depends on the 3'-untranslated region length. Finally, we show that the peptide resulting from the translation of an NMD-sensitive XUT reporter exists in NMD-competent cells. Our work highlights the role of translation in the posttranscriptional metabolism of XUTs. We propose that XUT-derived peptides could be exposed to natural selection, while NMD restricts XUT levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Andjus
- ncRNA, Epigenetic and Genome Fluidity, Institut Curie, PSL University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR3244, F-75248 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Ugo Szachnowski
- ncRNA, Epigenetic and Genome Fluidity, Institut Curie, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR3244, F-75248 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Nicolas Vogt
- ncRNA, Epigenetic and Genome Fluidity, Institut Curie, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR3244, F-75248 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Stamatia Gioftsidi
- ncRNA, Epigenetic and Genome Fluidity, Institut Curie, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR3244, F-75248 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Isabelle Hatin
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - David Cornu
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Chris Papadopoulos
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Anne Lopes
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Olivier Namy
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Maxime Wery
- ncRNA, Epigenetic and Genome Fluidity, Institut Curie, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR3244, F-75248 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Antonin Morillon
- ncRNA, Epigenetic and Genome Fluidity, Institut Curie, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR3244, F-75248 Paris Cedex 05, France
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24
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Song J, Zhang Y, Zhou C, Zhan J, Cheng X, Huang H, Mao S, Zong Z. The dawn of a new Era: mRNA vaccines in colorectal cancer immunotherapy. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 132:112037. [PMID: 38599100 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.112037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a typical cancer that accounts for 10% of all new cancer cases annually and nearly 10% of all cancer deaths. Despite significant progress in current classical interventions for CRC, these traditional strategies could be invasive and with numerous adverse effects. The poor prognosis of CRC patients highlights the evident and pressing need for more efficient and targeted treatment. Novel strategies regarding mRNA vaccines for anti-tumor therapy have also been well-developed since the successful application for the prevention of COVID-19. mRNA vaccine technology won the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, signaling a new direction in human anti-cancer treatment: mRNA medicine. As a promising new immunotherapy in CRC and other multiple cancer treatments, the mRNA vaccine has higher specificity, better efficacy, and fewer side effects than traditional strategies. The present review outlines the basics of mRNA vaccines and their advantages over other vaccines and informs an available strategy for developing efficient mRNA vaccines for CRC precise treatment. In the future, more exploration of mRNA vaccines for CRC shall be attached, fostering innovation to address existing limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Song
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, No.1 MinDe Road, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China; School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Yujun Zhang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, No.1 MinDe Road, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China; Huankui Academy, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Chulin Zhou
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, No.1 MinDe Road, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China; The Second Clinical Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Jianhao Zhan
- Huankui Academy, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Xifu Cheng
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Haoyu Huang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, No.1 MinDe Road, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Shengxun Mao
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, No.1 MinDe Road, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China.
| | - Zhen Zong
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, No.1 MinDe Road, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China.
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25
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Shan KJ, Wu C, Tang X, Lu R, Hu Y, Tan W, Lu J. Molecular Evolution of Protein Sequences and Codon Usage in Monkeypox Viruses. GENOMICS, PROTEOMICS & BIOINFORMATICS 2024; 22:qzad003. [PMID: 38862422 DOI: 10.1093/gpbjnl/qzad003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
The monkeypox virus (mpox virus, MPXV) epidemic in 2022 has posed a significant public health risk. Yet, the evolutionary principles of MPXV remain largely unknown. Here, we examined the evolutionary patterns of protein sequences and codon usage in MPXV. We first demonstrated the signal of positive selection in OPG027, specifically in the Clade I lineage of MPXV. Subsequently, we discovered accelerated protein sequence evolution over time in the variants responsible for the 2022 outbreak. Furthermore, we showed strong epistasis between amino acid substitutions located in different genes. The codon adaptation index (CAI) analysis revealed that MPXV genes tended to use more non-preferred codons compared to human genes, and the CAI decreased over time and diverged between clades, with Clade I > IIa and IIb-A > IIb-B. While the decrease in fatality rate among the three groups aligned with the CAI pattern, it remains unclear whether this correlation was coincidental or if the deoptimization of codon usage in MPXV led to a reduction in fatality rates. This study sheds new light on the mechanisms that govern the evolution of MPXV in human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke-Jia Shan
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Sinovac Biotech Ltd., Beijing 100085, China
| | - Changcheng Wu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100052, China
| | - Xiaolu Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Roujian Lu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100052, China
| | - Yaling Hu
- Sinovac Biotech Ltd., Beijing 100085, China
| | - Wenjie Tan
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100052, China
| | - Jian Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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26
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Tan X, Xie Y, Jiang C, Li H, Lu Y, Shen W, Chen J. Codon usage bias of human papillomavirus type 33 and 58: A comprehensive analysis. J Basic Microbiol 2024; 64:e2300636. [PMID: 38346260 DOI: 10.1002/jobm.202300636] [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: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Cervical cancer is closely linked to specific strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), notably HPV-33 and HPV-58, which exhibit a significant prevalence among women in China. Nevertheless, the codon usage bias in HPV-33 and HPV-58 is not well comprehended. The objective of this research is to analyze the codon usage patterns HPV-33 and HPV-58, pinpoint the primary factors that influence codon preference. The overall preference for codon usage in two HPV genotypes is not significant. Both HPV genotypes exhibit a preference for codons that end with A/U. The GC3 content for HPV-33 is 25.43% ± 0.35%, and for HPV-58, it is 29.44% ± 0.57%. Out of the 26 favored codons in HPV-33 and HPV-58 (relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) > 1), 25 conclude with A/U. Principal component analysis (PCA) shows a tight clustering of the entire genome sequences of HPV-33 and HPV-58, suggesting a similarity in their RSCU preferences. Moreover, an examination of dinucleotide abundance indicated that translation selection influenced the development of a distinctive dinucleotide usage pattern in HPV-33 and HPV-58. Additionally, a combined analysis involving an effective number of codons plot, parity rule 2, and neutrality analysis demonstrated that, for HPV-33 and HPV-58, the primary determinant influencing codon usage preference is natural selection. HPV-33 and HPV-58 exhibit a restricted set of favored codons in common with humans, potentially mitigating competition for translation resources. Our discoveries could provide valuable perspectives on the evolutionary patterns and codon usage preferences of HPV-33 and HPV-58 viruses, contributing to the development and application of relevant HPV subtype vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochun Tan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Hospital of Jiaxing, Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, China
| | - Yucheng Xie
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Hospital of Jiaxing, Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, China
| | - Chaoyue Jiang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Hospital of Jiaxing, Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, China
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Hospital of Jiaxing, Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, China
| | - Yu Lu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Hospital of Jiaxing, Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, China
| | - Weifeng Shen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Hospital of Jiaxing, Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Hospital of Jiaxing, Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, China
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27
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Zhang S, Lin R, Cui L, Jiang T, Shi J, Lu C, Li P, Zhou M. Alter codon bias of the P. pastoris genome to overcome a bottleneck in codon optimization strategy development and improve protein expression. Microbiol Res 2024; 282:127629. [PMID: 38330819 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2024.127629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Apart from its role in translation, codon bias is also an important mechanism to regulate mRNA levels. The traditional frequency-based codon optimization strategy is rather efficient in organisms such as N. crassa, but much less in yeast P. pastoris which is a popular host for heterologous protein expression. This is because that unlike N. crassa, the preferred codons of P. pastoris are actually AU-rich and hence codon optimization for extremely low GC content comes with issues of pre-mature transcriptional termination or low RNA stability in spite of translational advantages. To overcome this bottleneck, we focused on three reporter genes in P. pastoris first and confirmed the great advantage of GC-prone codon optimization on mRNA levels. Then we altered the codon bias profile of P. pastoris by introducing additional rare tRNA gene copies. Prior to that we constructed IPTG-regulated tRNA species to enable chassis cells to switch between different codon bias status. As demonstrated again with reporter genes, protein yield of luc and 0788 was successfully increased by 4-5 folds in chassis cells. In summary, here we provide an alternative codon optimization strategy for genes with unsatisfactory performance under traditional codon frequency-based optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Ru Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Luyao Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Tianyi Jiang
- China Innovation Center of Roche, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jiacheng Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Chaoyu Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Pengfei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Mian Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
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28
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Hoskins I, Rao S, Tante C, Cenik C. Integrated multiplexed assays of variant effect reveal determinants of catechol-O-methyltransferase gene expression. Mol Syst Biol 2024; 20:481-505. [PMID: 38355921 PMCID: PMC11066095 DOI: 10.1038/s44320-024-00018-9] [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: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Multiplexed assays of variant effect are powerful methods to profile the consequences of rare variants on gene expression and organismal fitness. Yet, few studies have integrated several multiplexed assays to map variant effects on gene expression in coding sequences. Here, we pioneered a multiplexed assay based on polysome profiling to measure variant effects on translation at scale, uncovering single-nucleotide variants that increase or decrease ribosome load. By combining high-throughput ribosome load data with multiplexed mRNA and protein abundance readouts, we mapped the cis-regulatory landscape of thousands of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) variants from RNA to protein and found numerous coding variants that alter COMT expression. Finally, we trained machine learning models to map signatures of variant effects on COMT gene expression and uncovered both directional and divergent impacts across expression layers. Our analyses reveal expression phenotypes for thousands of variants in COMT and highlight variant effects on both single and multiple layers of expression. Our findings prompt future studies that integrate several multiplexed assays for the readout of gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Hoskins
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Shilpa Rao
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Charisma Tante
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Can Cenik
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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29
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Tomaz da Silva P, Zhang Y, Theodorakis E, Martens LD, Yépez VA, Pelechano V, Gagneur J. Cellular energy regulates mRNA degradation in a codon-specific manner. Mol Syst Biol 2024; 20:506-520. [PMID: 38491213 PMCID: PMC11066088 DOI: 10.1038/s44320-024-00026-9] [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: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Codon optimality is a major determinant of mRNA translation and degradation rates. However, whether and through which mechanisms its effects are regulated remains poorly understood. Here we show that codon optimality associates with up to 2-fold change in mRNA stability variations between human tissues, and that its effect is attenuated in tissues with high energy metabolism and amplifies with age. Mathematical modeling and perturbation data through oxygen deprivation and ATP synthesis inhibition reveal that cellular energy variations non-uniformly alter the effect of codon usage. This new mode of codon effect regulation, independent of tRNA regulation, provides a fundamental mechanistic link between cellular energy metabolism and eukaryotic gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Tomaz da Silva
- School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
- Munich Center for Machine Learning, Munich, Germany
| | - Yujie Zhang
- Scilifelab, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Evangelos Theodorakis
- School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Laura D Martens
- School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
- Computational Health Center, Helmholtz Center Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Vicente A Yépez
- School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Vicent Pelechano
- Scilifelab, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Julien Gagneur
- School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany.
- Computational Health Center, Helmholtz Center Munich, Neuherberg, Germany.
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
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30
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Mercier BC, Labaronne E, Cluet D, Guiguettaz L, Fontrodona N, Bicknell A, Corbin A, Wencker M, Aube F, Modolo L, Jouravleva K, Auboeuf D, Moore MJ, Ricci EP. Translation-dependent and -independent mRNA decay occur through mutually exclusive pathways defined by ribosome density during T cell activation. Genome Res 2024; 34:394-409. [PMID: 38508694 PMCID: PMC11067875 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277863.123] [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: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
mRNA translation and decay are tightly interconnected processes both in the context of mRNA quality-control pathways and for the degradation of functional mRNAs. Cotranslational mRNA degradation through codon usage, ribosome collisions, and the recruitment of specific proteins to ribosomes is an important determinant of mRNA turnover. However, the extent to which translation-dependent mRNA decay (TDD) and translation-independent mRNA decay (TID) pathways participate in the degradation of mRNAs has not been studied yet. Here we describe a comprehensive analysis of basal and signal-induced TDD and TID in mouse primary CD4+ T cells. Our results indicate that most cellular transcripts are decayed to some extent in a translation-dependent manner. Our analysis further identifies the length of untranslated regions, the density of ribosomes, and GC3 content as important determinants of TDD magnitude. Consistently, all transcripts that undergo changes in ribosome density within their coding sequence upon T cell activation display a corresponding change in their TDD level. Moreover, we reveal a dynamic modulation in the relationship between GC3 content and TDD upon T cell activation, with a reversal in the impact of GC3- and AU3-rich codons. Altogether, our data show a strong and dynamic interconnection between mRNA translation and decay in mammalian primary cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blandine C Mercier
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Emmanuel Labaronne
- Laboratory of Biology and Modeling of the Cell (LBMC), Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard, CNRS UMR 5239, Inserm U1293, 69007 Lyon, France
- ADLIN Science, 9100 Evry-Courcouronnes, France
| | - David Cluet
- Laboratory of Biology and Modeling of the Cell (LBMC), Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard, CNRS UMR 5239, Inserm U1293, 69007 Lyon, France
| | - Laura Guiguettaz
- Laboratory of Biology and Modeling of the Cell (LBMC), Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard, CNRS UMR 5239, Inserm U1293, 69007 Lyon, France
| | - Nicolas Fontrodona
- Laboratory of Biology and Modeling of the Cell (LBMC), Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard, CNRS UMR 5239, Inserm U1293, 69007 Lyon, France
| | - Alicia Bicknell
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Antoine Corbin
- Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie Université de Lyon, Inserm U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, F-69007 Lyon, France
| | - Mélanie Wencker
- Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie Université de Lyon, Inserm U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, F-69007 Lyon, France
| | - Fabien Aube
- Laboratory of Biology and Modeling of the Cell (LBMC), Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard, CNRS UMR 5239, Inserm U1293, 69007 Lyon, France
| | - Laurent Modolo
- Laboratory of Biology and Modeling of the Cell (LBMC), Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard, CNRS UMR 5239, Inserm U1293, 69007 Lyon, France
| | - Karina Jouravleva
- Laboratory of Biology and Modeling of the Cell (LBMC), Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard, CNRS UMR 5239, Inserm U1293, 69007 Lyon, France
| | - Didier Auboeuf
- Laboratory of Biology and Modeling of the Cell (LBMC), Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard, CNRS UMR 5239, Inserm U1293, 69007 Lyon, France
| | - Melissa J Moore
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA;
| | - Emiliano P Ricci
- Laboratory of Biology and Modeling of the Cell (LBMC), Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard, CNRS UMR 5239, Inserm U1293, 69007 Lyon, France;
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31
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Bicknell AA, Reid DW, Licata MC, Jones AK, Cheng YM, Li M, Hsiao CJ, Pepin CS, Metkar M, Levdansky Y, Fritz BR, Andrianova EA, Jain R, Valkov E, Köhrer C, Moore MJ. Attenuating ribosome load improves protein output from mRNA by limiting translation-dependent mRNA decay. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114098. [PMID: 38625793 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Developing an effective mRNA therapeutic often requires maximizing protein output per delivered mRNA molecule. We previously found that coding sequence (CDS) design can substantially affect protein output, with mRNA variants containing more optimal codons and higher secondary structure yielding the highest protein outputs due to their slow rates of mRNA decay. Here, we demonstrate that CDS-dependent differences in translation initiation and elongation rates lead to differences in translation- and deadenylation-dependent mRNA decay rates, thus explaining the effect of CDS on mRNA half-life. Surprisingly, the most stable and highest-expressing mRNAs in our test set have modest initiation/elongation rates and ribosome loads, leading to minimal translation-dependent mRNA decay. These findings are of potential interest for optimization of protein output from therapeutic mRNAs, which may be achieved by attenuating rather than maximizing ribosome load.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David W Reid
- Moderna, Inc, 325 Binney Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | | | - Yi Min Cheng
- Moderna, Inc, 325 Binney Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Mengying Li
- Moderna, Inc, 325 Binney Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | | | - Mihir Metkar
- Moderna, Inc, 325 Binney Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Yevgen Levdansky
- RNA Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Brian R Fritz
- Moderna, Inc, 325 Binney Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Ruchi Jain
- Moderna, Inc, 325 Binney Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Eugene Valkov
- RNA Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
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32
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Musaev D, Abdelmessih M, Vejnar CE, Yartseva V, Weiss LA, Strayer EC, Takacs CM, Giraldez AJ. UPF1 regulates mRNA stability by sensing poorly translated coding sequences. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114074. [PMID: 38625794 PMCID: PMC11259039 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114074] [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: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Post-transcriptional mRNA regulation shapes gene expression, yet how cis-elements and mRNA translation interface to regulate mRNA stability is poorly understood. We find that the strength of translation initiation, upstream open reading frame (uORF) content, codon optimality, AU-rich elements, microRNA binding sites, and open reading frame (ORF) length function combinatorially to regulate mRNA stability. Machine-learning analysis identifies ORF length as the most important conserved feature regulating mRNA decay. We find that Upf1 binds poorly translated and untranslated ORFs, which are associated with a higher decay rate, including mRNAs with uORFs and those with exposed ORFs after stop codons. Our study emphasizes Upf1's converging role in surveilling mRNAs with exposed ORFs that are poorly translated, such as mRNAs with long ORFs, ORF-like 3' UTRs, and mRNAs containing uORFs. We propose that Upf1 regulation of poorly/untranslated ORFs provides a unifying mechanism of surveillance in regulating mRNA stability and homeostasis in an exon-junction complex (EJC)-independent nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) pathway that we term ORF-mediated decay (OMD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Damir Musaev
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Mario Abdelmessih
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; AstraZeneca, Waltham, MA 02451, USA
| | - Charles E Vejnar
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Valeria Yartseva
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Kenai Therapeutics, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Linnea A Weiss
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Ethan C Strayer
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Carter M Takacs
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; University of New Haven, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
| | - Antonio J Giraldez
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Yale Cancer Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
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33
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Gudkov M, Thibaut L, Giannoulatou E. Quantifying negative selection on synonymous variants. HGG ADVANCES 2024; 5:100262. [PMID: 38192100 PMCID: PMC10835449 DOI: 10.1016/j.xhgg.2024.100262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Widespread adoption of DNA sequencing has resulted in large numbers of genetic variants, whose contribution to disease is not easily determined. Although many types of variation are known to disrupt cellular processes in predictable ways, for some categories of variants, the effects may not be directly detectable. A particular example is synonymous variants, that is, those single-nucleotide variants that create a codon substitution, such that the produced amino acid sequence is unaffected. Contrary to the original theory suggesting that synonymous variants are benign, there is a growing volume of research showing that, despite their "silent" mechanism of action, some synonymous variation may be deleterious. Here, we studied the extent of the negative selective pressure acting on different classes of synonymous variants by analyzing the relative enrichment of synonymous singleton variants in the human exomes provided by gnomAD. Using a modification of the mutability-adjusted proportion of singletons (MAPS) metric as a measure of purifying selection, we found that some classes of synonymous variants are subject to stronger negative selection than others. For instance, variants that reduce codon optimality undergo stronger selection than optimality-increasing variants. Besides, selection affects synonymous variants implicated in splice-site-loss or splice-site-gain events. To understand what drives this negative selection, we tested a number of predictors in the aim to explain the variability in the selection scores. Our findings provide insights into the effects of synonymous variants at the population level, highlighting the specifics of the role that these variants play in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Gudkov
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Loïc Thibaut
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; School of Mathematics and Statistics, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Eleni Giannoulatou
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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34
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Sparber P, Sharova M, Davydenko K, Pyankov D, Filatova A, Skoblov M. Deciphering the impact of coding and non-coding SCN1A gene variants on RNA splicing. Brain 2024; 147:1278-1293. [PMID: 37956038 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad383] [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: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Variants that disrupt normal pre-mRNA splicing are increasingly being recognized as a major cause of monogenic disorders. The SCN1A gene, a key epilepsy gene that is linked to various epilepsy phenotypes, is no exception. Approximately 10% of all reported variants in the SCN1A gene are designated as splicing variants, with many located outside of the canonical donor and acceptor splice sites, and most have not been functionally investigated. However, given its restricted expression pattern, functional analysis of splicing variants in the SCN1A gene could not be routinely performed. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of all reported SCN1A variants and their potential to impact SCN1A splicing and conclude that splicing variants are substantially misannotated and under-represented. We created a splicing reporter system consisting of 18 splicing vectors covering all 26 protein-coding exons with different genomic contexts and several promoters of varying strengths in order to reproduce the wild-type splicing pattern of the SCN1A gene, revealing cis-regulatory elements essential for proper recognition of SCN1A exons. Functional analysis of 95 SCN1A variants was carried out, including all 68 intronic variants reported in the literature, located outside of the splice sites canonical dinucleotides; 21 exonic variants of different classes (synonymous, missense, nonsense and in-frame deletion) and six variants observed in patients with epilepsy. Interestingly, almost 20% of tested intronic variants had no influence on SCN1A splicing, despite being reported as causative in the literature. Moreover, we confirmed that the majority of predicted exonic variants affect splicing unravelling their true molecular mechanism. We used functional data to perform genotype-phenotype correlation, revealing distinct distribution patterns for missense and splice-affecting 'missense' variants and observed no difference in the phenotype severity of variants leading to in-frame and out-of-frame isoforms, indicating that the Nav1.1 protein is highly intolerant to structural variations. Our work demonstrates the importance of functional analysis in proper variant annotation and provides a tool for high-throughput delineation of splice-affecting variants in SCN1A in a whole-gene manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Sparber
- Research Centre for Medical Genetics, Laboratory of Functional Genomics, Moscow 115478, Russia
| | - Margarita Sharova
- Research Centre for Medical Genetics, Laboratory of Functional Genomics, Moscow 115478, Russia
| | - Ksenia Davydenko
- Research Centre for Medical Genetics, Laboratory of Functional Genomics, Moscow 115478, Russia
| | - Denis Pyankov
- Genomed Ltd., Research Department, Moscow 107014, Russia
| | - Alexandra Filatova
- Research Centre for Medical Genetics, Laboratory of Functional Genomics, Moscow 115478, Russia
| | - Mikhail Skoblov
- Research Centre for Medical Genetics, Laboratory of Functional Genomics, Moscow 115478, Russia
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Wang J, Zhu H, Gan J, Liang G, Li L, Zhao Y. Engineered mRNA Delivery Systems for Biomedical Applications. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2308029. [PMID: 37805865 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202308029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
Messenger RNA (mRNA)-based therapeutic strategies have shown remarkable promise in preventing and treating a staggering range of diseases. Optimizing the structure and delivery system of engineered mRNA has greatly improved its stability, immunogenicity, and protein expression levels, which has led to a wider range of uses for mRNA therapeutics. Herein, a thorough analysis of the optimization strategies used in the structure of mRNA is first provided and delivery systems are described in great detail. Furthermore, the latest advancements in biomedical engineering for mRNA technology, including its applications in combatting infectious diseases, treating cancer, providing protein replacement therapy, conducting gene editing, and more, are summarized. Lastly, a perspective on forthcoming challenges and prospects concerning the advancement of mRNA therapeutics is offered. Despite these challenges, mRNA-based therapeutics remain promising, with the potential to revolutionize disease treatment and contribute to significant advancements in the biomedical field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Wang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Haofang Zhu
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Jingjing Gan
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Gaofeng Liang
- Institute of Organoids on Chips Translational Research, Henan Academy of Sciences, Zhengzhou, 450009, China
| | - Ling Li
- Department of Endocrinology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Yuanjin Zhao
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
- Institute of Organoids on Chips Translational Research, Henan Academy of Sciences, Zhengzhou, 450009, China
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36
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Zhou F, Huang L, Li S, Yang W, Chen F, Cai Z, Liu X, Xu W, Lehto V, Lächelt U, Huang R, Shi Y, Lammers T, Tao W, Xu ZP, Wagner E, Xu Z, Yu H. From structural design to delivery: mRNA therapeutics for cancer immunotherapy. EXPLORATION (BEIJING, CHINA) 2024; 4:20210146. [PMID: 38855617 PMCID: PMC11022630 DOI: 10.1002/exp.20210146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
mRNA therapeutics have emerged as powerful tools for cancer immunotherapy in accordance with their superiority in expressing all sequence-known proteins in vivo. In particular, with a small dosage of delivered mRNA, antigen-presenting cells (APCs) can synthesize mutant neo-antigens and multi-antigens and present epitopes to T lymphocytes to elicit antitumor effects. In addition, expressing receptors like chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), T-cell receptor (TCR), CD134, and immune-modulating factors including cytokines, interferons, and antibodies in specific cells can enhance immunological response against tumors. With the maturation of in vitro transcription (IVT) technology, large-scale and pure mRNA encoding specific proteins can be synthesized quickly. However, the clinical translation of mRNA-based anticancer strategies is restricted by delivering mRNA into target organs or cells and the inadequate endosomal escape efficiency of mRNA. Recently, there have been some advances in mRNA-based cancer immunotherapy, which can be roughly classified as modifications of the mRNA structure and the development of delivery systems, especially the lipid nanoparticle platforms. In this review, the latest strategies for overcoming the limitations of mRNA-based cancer immunotherapies and the recent advances in delivering mRNA into specific organs and cells are summarized. Challenges and opportunities for clinical applications of mRNA-based cancer immunotherapy are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Center of Pharmaceutics, Shanghai Institute of Materia MedicaChinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Lujia Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Center of Pharmaceutics, Shanghai Institute of Materia MedicaChinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Shiqin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Center of Pharmaceutics, Shanghai Institute of Materia MedicaChinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
| | - Wenfang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Center of Pharmaceutics, Shanghai Institute of Materia MedicaChinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
| | - Fangmin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Center of Pharmaceutics, Shanghai Institute of Materia MedicaChinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Zhixiong Cai
- The United Innovation of Mengchao Hepatobiliary Technology Key Laboratory of Fujian ProvinceMengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical UniversityFuzhouChina
| | - Xiaolong Liu
- The United Innovation of Mengchao Hepatobiliary Technology Key Laboratory of Fujian ProvinceMengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical UniversityFuzhouChina
| | - Wujun Xu
- Department of Applied PhysicsUniversity of Eastern FinlandKuopioFinland
| | - Vesa‐Pekka Lehto
- Department of Applied PhysicsUniversity of Eastern FinlandKuopioFinland
| | - Ulrich Lächelt
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Rongqin Huang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Smart Drug DeliveryMinistry of Education, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Yang Shi
- Department of Nanomedicine and Theranostics, Institute for Experimental Molecular ImagingRWTH Aachen University ClinicAachenGermany
| | - Twan Lammers
- Department of Nanomedicine and Theranostics, Institute for Experimental Molecular ImagingRWTH Aachen University ClinicAachenGermany
| | - Wei Tao
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anaesthesiology, Brigham and Women's HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Zhi Ping Xu
- Institute of Biomedical Health Technology and Engineering and Institute of Systems and Physical BiologyShenzhen Bay LaboratoryShenzhenChina
| | - Ernst Wagner
- Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Center for NanoscienceLudwig‐Maximilians‐UniversitätMunichGermany
| | - Zhiai Xu
- School of Chemistry and Molecular EngineeringEast China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Haijun Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Center of Pharmaceutics, Shanghai Institute of Materia MedicaChinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
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Čáp M, Palková Z. Non-Coding RNAs: Regulators of Stress, Ageing, and Developmental Decisions in Yeast? Cells 2024; 13:599. [PMID: 38607038 PMCID: PMC11012152 DOI: 10.3390/cells13070599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Cells must change their properties in order to adapt to a constantly changing environment. Most of the cellular sensing and regulatory mechanisms described so far are based on proteins that serve as sensors, signal transducers, and effectors of signalling pathways, resulting in altered cell physiology. In recent years, however, remarkable examples of the critical role of non-coding RNAs in some of these regulatory pathways have been described in various organisms. In this review, we focus on all classes of non-coding RNAs that play regulatory roles during stress response, starvation, and ageing in different yeast species as well as in structured yeast populations. Such regulation can occur, for example, by modulating the amount and functional state of tRNAs, rRNAs, or snRNAs that are directly involved in the processes of translation and splicing. In addition, long non-coding RNAs and microRNA-like molecules are bona fide regulators of the expression of their target genes. Non-coding RNAs thus represent an additional level of cellular regulation that is gradually being uncovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Čáp
- Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Zdena Palková
- Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic
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Paremskaia AI, Kogan AA, Murashkina A, Naumova DA, Satish A, Abramov IS, Feoktistova SG, Mityaeva ON, Deviatkin AA, Volchkov PY. Codon-optimization in gene therapy: promises, prospects and challenges. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1371596. [PMID: 38605988 PMCID: PMC11007035 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1371596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Codon optimization has evolved to enhance protein expression efficiency by exploiting the genetic code's redundancy, allowing for multiple codon options for a single amino acid. Initially observed in E. coli, optimal codon usage correlates with high gene expression, which has propelled applications expanding from basic research to biopharmaceuticals and vaccine development. The method is especially valuable for adjusting immune responses in gene therapies and has the potenial to create tissue-specific therapies. However, challenges persist, such as the risk of unintended effects on protein function and the complexity of evaluating optimization effectiveness. Despite these issues, codon optimization is crucial in advancing gene therapeutics. This study provides a comprehensive review of the current metrics for codon-optimization, and its practical usage in research and clinical applications, in the context of gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasiia Iu Paremskaia
- Federal Research Center for Innovator and Emerging Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Moscow, Russia
| | - Anna A. Kogan
- Federal Research Center for Innovator and Emerging Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Moscow, Russia
| | - Anastasiia Murashkina
- Federal Research Center for Innovator and Emerging Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Moscow, Russia
| | - Daria A. Naumova
- Federal Research Center for Innovator and Emerging Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Moscow, Russia
| | - Anakha Satish
- Federal Research Center for Innovator and Emerging Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ivan S. Abramov
- Federal Research Center for Innovator and Emerging Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Moscow, Russia
- The MCSC named after A. S. Loginov, Moscow, Russia
| | - Sofya G. Feoktistova
- Federal Research Center for Innovator and Emerging Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga N. Mityaeva
- Federal Research Center for Innovator and Emerging Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Moscow, Russia
| | - Andrei A. Deviatkin
- Federal Research Center for Innovator and Emerging Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Moscow, Russia
| | - Pavel Yu Volchkov
- Federal Research Center for Innovator and Emerging Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Moscow, Russia
- The MCSC named after A. S. Loginov, Moscow, Russia
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39
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Valenzuela C, Saucedo S, Llano M. Schlafen14 Impairs HIV-1 Expression in a Codon Usage-Dependent Manner. Viruses 2024; 16:502. [PMID: 38675845 PMCID: PMC11054720 DOI: 10.3390/v16040502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Schlafen (SLFN) is a family of proteins upregulated by type I interferons with a regulatory role in translation. Intriguingly, SLFN14 associates with the ribosome and can degrade rRNA, tRNA, and mRNA in vitro, but a role in translation is still unknown. Ribosomes are important regulatory hubs during translation elongation of mRNAs rich in rare codons. Therefore, we evaluated the potential role of SLFN14 in the expression of mRNAs enriched in rare codons, using HIV-1 genes as a model. We found that, in a variety of cell types, including primary immune cells, SLFN14 regulates the expression of HIV-1 and non-viral genes based on their codon adaptation index, a measurement of the synonymous codon usage bias; consequently, SLFN14 inhibits the replication of HIV-1. The potent inhibitory effect of SLFN14 on the expression of the rare codon-rich transcript HIV-1 Gag was minimized by codon optimization. Mechanistically, we found that the endoribonuclease activity of SLFN14 is required, and that ribosomal RNA degradation is involved. Therefore, we propose that SLFN14 impairs the expression of HIV-1 transcripts rich in rare codons, in a catalytic-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Valenzuela
- Biological Sciences Department, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA;
| | - Sergio Saucedo
- Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso, TX 79905, USA;
| | - Manuel Llano
- Biological Sciences Department, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA;
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40
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Katopodi T, Petanidis S, Grigoriadou E, Anestakis D, Charalampidis C, Chatziprodromidou I, Floros G, Eskitzis P, Zarogoulidis P, Koulouris C, Sevva C, Papadopoulos K, Roulia P, Mantalovas S, Dagher M, Karakousis AV, Varsamis N, Vlassopoulos K, Theodorou V, Mystakidou CM, Katsios NI, Farmakis K, Kosmidis C. Immune Specific and Tumor-Dependent mRNA Vaccines for Cancer Immunotherapy: Reprogramming Clinical Translation into Tumor Editing Therapy. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:455. [PMID: 38675116 PMCID: PMC11053579 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16040455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Extensive research into mRNA vaccines for cancer therapy in preclinical and clinical trials has prepared the ground for the quick development of immune-specific mRNA vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therapeutic cancer vaccines based on mRNA are well tolerated, and are an attractive choice for future cancer immunotherapy. Ideal personalized tumor-dependent mRNA vaccines could stimulate both humoral and cellular immunity by overcoming cancer-induced immune suppression and tumor relapse. The stability, structure, and distribution strategies of mRNA-based vaccines have been improved by technological innovations, and patients with diverse tumor types are now being enrolled in numerous clinical trials investigating mRNA vaccine therapy. Despite the fact that therapeutic mRNA-based cancer vaccines have not yet received clinical approval, early clinical trials with mRNA vaccines as monotherapy and in conjunction with checkpoint inhibitors have shown promising results. In this review, we analyze the most recent clinical developments in mRNA-based cancer vaccines and discuss the optimal platforms for the creation of mRNA vaccines. We also discuss the development of the cancer vaccines' clinical research, paying particular attention to their clinical use and therapeutic efficacy, which could facilitate the design of mRNA-based vaccines in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodora Katopodi
- Laboratory of Medical Biology and Genetics, Department of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (T.K.); (E.G.)
| | - Savvas Petanidis
- Laboratory of Medical Biology and Genetics, Department of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (T.K.); (E.G.)
- Department of Pulmonology, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow 119992, Russia
| | - Eirini Grigoriadou
- Laboratory of Medical Biology and Genetics, Department of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (T.K.); (E.G.)
| | - Doxakis Anestakis
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Cyprus, Nicosia 1678, Cyprus; (D.A.); (C.C.)
| | | | | | - George Floros
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Thessaly, 38334 Volos, Greece;
| | - Panagiotis Eskitzis
- Department of Obstetrics, University of Western Macedonia, 50100 Kozani, Greece;
| | - Paul Zarogoulidis
- Third Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 55236 Thessaloniki, Greece; (P.Z.); (C.K.); (C.S.); (K.P.); (S.M.); (M.D.); (A.V.K.); (C.K.)
| | - Charilaos Koulouris
- Third Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 55236 Thessaloniki, Greece; (P.Z.); (C.K.); (C.S.); (K.P.); (S.M.); (M.D.); (A.V.K.); (C.K.)
| | - Christina Sevva
- Third Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 55236 Thessaloniki, Greece; (P.Z.); (C.K.); (C.S.); (K.P.); (S.M.); (M.D.); (A.V.K.); (C.K.)
| | - Konstantinos Papadopoulos
- Third Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 55236 Thessaloniki, Greece; (P.Z.); (C.K.); (C.S.); (K.P.); (S.M.); (M.D.); (A.V.K.); (C.K.)
| | - Panagiota Roulia
- Third Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 55236 Thessaloniki, Greece; (P.Z.); (C.K.); (C.S.); (K.P.); (S.M.); (M.D.); (A.V.K.); (C.K.)
| | - Stylianos Mantalovas
- Third Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 55236 Thessaloniki, Greece; (P.Z.); (C.K.); (C.S.); (K.P.); (S.M.); (M.D.); (A.V.K.); (C.K.)
| | - Marios Dagher
- Third Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 55236 Thessaloniki, Greece; (P.Z.); (C.K.); (C.S.); (K.P.); (S.M.); (M.D.); (A.V.K.); (C.K.)
| | - Alexandros Vasileios Karakousis
- Third Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 55236 Thessaloniki, Greece; (P.Z.); (C.K.); (C.S.); (K.P.); (S.M.); (M.D.); (A.V.K.); (C.K.)
| | | | - Konstantinos Vlassopoulos
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (K.V.); (V.T.); (C.M.M.)
| | - Vasiliki Theodorou
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (K.V.); (V.T.); (C.M.M.)
| | - Chrysi Maria Mystakidou
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (K.V.); (V.T.); (C.M.M.)
| | - Nikolaos Iason Katsios
- Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece;
| | - Konstantinos Farmakis
- Pediatric Surgery Clinic, General Hospital of Thessaloniki “G. Gennimatas”, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54635 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Christoforos Kosmidis
- Third Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 55236 Thessaloniki, Greece; (P.Z.); (C.K.); (C.S.); (K.P.); (S.M.); (M.D.); (A.V.K.); (C.K.)
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41
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Inada T, Beckmann R. Mechanisms of Translation-coupled Quality Control. J Mol Biol 2024; 436:168496. [PMID: 38365086 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2024.168496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Stalling of ribosomes engaged in protein synthesis can lead to significant defects in the function of newly synthesized proteins and thereby impair protein homeostasis. Consequently, partially synthesized polypeptides resulting from translation stalling are recognized and eliminated by several quality control mechanisms. First, if translation elongation reactions are halted prematurely, a quality control mechanism called ribosome-associated quality control (RQC) initiates the ubiquitination of the nascent polypeptide chain and subsequent proteasomal degradation. Additionally, when ribosomes with defective codon recognition or peptide-bond formation stall during translation, a quality control mechanism known as non-functional ribosomal RNA decay (NRD) leads to the degradation of malfunctioning ribosomes. In both of these quality control mechanisms, E3 ubiquitin ligases selectively recognize ribosomes in distinct translation-stalling states and ubiquitinate specific ribosomal proteins. Significant efforts have been devoted to characterize E3 ubiquitin ligase sensing of ribosome 'collision' or 'stalling' and subsequent ribosome is rescued. This article provides an overview of our current understanding of the molecular mechanisms and physiological functions of ribosome dynamics control and quality control of abnormal translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshifumi Inada
- Division of RNA and Gene Regulation, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-Ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan.
| | - Roland Beckmann
- Gene Center and Department of Biochemistry, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 25, University of Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany.
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42
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Singh H, Shyamveer, Mahajan SD, Aalinkeel R, Kaliyappan K, Schwartz SA, Bhattacharya M, Parvez MK, Al-Dosari MS. Identification of novel genetic variations in ABCB6 and GRN genes associated with HIV-associated lipodystrophy. Clin Chim Acta 2024; 556:117830. [PMID: 38354999 DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2024.117830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Protease inhibitors (PIs) are associated with an incidence of lipodystrophy among people living with HIV(PLHIV). Lipodystrophiesare characterised by the loss of adipose tissue. Evidence suggests that a patient's lipodystrophy phenotype is influenced by genetic mutation, age, gender, and environmental and genetic factors, such as single-nucleotide variants (SNVs). Pathogenic variants are considered to cause a more significant loss of adipose tissue compared to non-pathogenic. Lipid metabolising enzymes and transporter genes have a role in regulating lipoprotein metabolism and have been associated with lipodystrophy in HIV-infected patients (LDHIV). The long-term effect of the lipodystrophy syndrome is related to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Hence, we determined the SNVs of lipid metabolising enzymes and transporter genes in a total of 48 patient samples, of which 24 were with and 24 were without HIV-associated lipodystrophy (HIVLD) using next-generation sequencing. A panel of lipid metabolism, transport and elimination genes were sequenced. Three novel heterozygous non-synonymous variants at exon 8 (c.C1400A:p.S467Y, c.G1385A:p.G462E, and c.T1339C:p.S447P) in the ABCB6 gene were identified in patients with lipodystrophy. One homozygous non-synonymous SNV (exon5:c.T358C:p.S120P) in the GRN gene was identified in patients with lipodystrophy. One novelstop-gain SNV (exon5:c.C373T:p.Q125X) was found in the GRN gene among patients without lipodystrophy. Patients without lipodystrophy had one homozygous non-synonymous SNV (exon9:c.G1462T:p.G488C) in the ABCB6 gene. Our findings suggest that novel heterozygous non-synonymous variants in the ABCB6 gene may contribute to defective protein production, potentially intensifying the severity of lipodystrophy. Additionally, identifying a stop-gain SNV in the GRN gene among patients without lipodystrophy implies a potential role in the development of HIVLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- HariOm Singh
- Department of Molecular Biology, National AIDS Research Institute, Pune 411026, India.
| | - Shyamveer
- Department of Molecular Biology, National AIDS Research Institute, Pune 411026, India.
| | - Supriya D Mahajan
- Department of Medicine, Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo's Clinical Translational Research Center, 875 Ellicott Street, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.
| | - Ravikumar Aalinkeel
- Department of Medicine, Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo's Clinical Translational Research Center, 875 Ellicott Street, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.
| | - Kathiravan Kaliyappan
- Department of Medicine, Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo's Clinical Translational Research Center, 875 Ellicott Street, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.
| | - Stanley A Schwartz
- Department of Medicine, Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo's Clinical Translational Research Center, 875 Ellicott Street, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.
| | - Meenakshi Bhattacharya
- Department of Medicine, ART PLUS CENTRE, Government Medical College & Hospital, University Road, Aurangabad 431004, India.
| | - Mohammad Khalid Parvez
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed S Al-Dosari
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
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43
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Ghashghaei M, Liu Y, Ettles J, Bombaci G, Ramkumar N, Liu Z, Escano L, Miko SS, Kim Y, Waldron JA, Do K, MacPherson K, Yuen KA, Taibi T, Yue M, Arsalan A, Jin Z, Edin G, Karsan A, Morin GB, Kuchenbauer F, Perna F, Bushell M, Vu LP. Translation efficiency driven by CNOT3 subunit of the CCR4-NOT complex promotes leukemogenesis. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2340. [PMID: 38491013 PMCID: PMC10943099 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46665-2] [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: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein synthesis is frequently deregulated during tumorigenesis. However, the precise contexts of selective translational control and the regulators of such mechanisms in cancer is poorly understood. Here, we uncovered CNOT3, a subunit of the CCR4-NOT complex, as an essential modulator of translation in myeloid leukemia. Elevated CNOT3 expression correlates with unfavorable outcomes in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). CNOT3 depletion induces differentiation and apoptosis and delayed leukemogenesis. Transcriptomic and proteomic profiling uncovers c-MYC as a critical downstream target which is translationally regulated by CNOT3. Global analysis of mRNA features demonstrates that CNOT3 selectively influences expression of target genes in a codon usage dependent manner. Furthermore, CNOT3 associates with the protein network largely consisting of ribosomal proteins and translation elongation factors in leukemia cells. Overall, our work elicits the direct requirement for translation efficiency in tumorigenesis and propose targeting the post-transcriptional circuitry via CNOT3 as a therapeutic vulnerability in AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Ghashghaei
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre Vancouver, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Yilin Liu
- Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre Vancouver, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - James Ettles
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
- School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Giuseppe Bombaci
- Department of Medicine, Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Niveditha Ramkumar
- Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre Vancouver, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Zongmin Liu
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre Vancouver, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Leo Escano
- Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre Vancouver, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Sandra Spencer Miko
- Genome Sciences Centre, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Yerin Kim
- Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre Vancouver, Vancouver, Canada
- Bioinformatics program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Joseph A Waldron
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
- School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Kim Do
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kyle MacPherson
- Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre Vancouver, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Katie A Yuen
- Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre Vancouver, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Thilelli Taibi
- Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre Vancouver, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Marty Yue
- Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre Vancouver, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Aaremish Arsalan
- Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre Vancouver, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Zhen Jin
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre Vancouver, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Glenn Edin
- Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre Vancouver, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Aly Karsan
- Genome Sciences Centre, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Gregg B Morin
- Genome Sciences Centre, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Florian Kuchenbauer
- Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre Vancouver, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Fabiana Perna
- Department of Medicine, Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Department of Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy, Moffit Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Martin Bushell
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
- School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Ly P Vu
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
- Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre Vancouver, Vancouver, Canada.
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44
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Kim YA, Mousavi K, Yazdi A, Zwierzyna M, Cardinali M, Fox D, Peel T, Coller J, Aggarwal K, Maruggi G. Computational design of mRNA vaccines. Vaccine 2024; 42:1831-1840. [PMID: 37479613 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
mRNA technology has emerged as a successful vaccine platform that offered a swift response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Accumulating evidence shows that vaccine efficacy, thermostability, and other important properties, are largely impacted by intrinsic properties of the mRNA molecule, such as RNA sequence and structure, both of which can be optimized. Designing mRNA sequence for vaccines presents a combinatorial problem due to an extremely large selection space. For instance, due to the degeneracy of the genetic code, there are over 10632 possible mRNA sequences that could encode the spike protein, the COVID-19 vaccines' target. Moreover, designing different elements of the mRNA sequence simultaneously against multiple objectives such as translational efficiency, reduced reactogenicity, and improved stability requires an efficient and sophisticated optimization strategy. Recently, there has been a growing interest in utilizing computational tools to redesign mRNA sequences to improve vaccine characteristics and expedite discovery timelines. In this review, we explore important biophysical features of mRNA to be considered for vaccine design and discuss how computational approaches can be applied to rapidly design mRNA sequences with desirable characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jeff Coller
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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45
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Khandia R, Pandey MK, Garg R, Khan AA, Baklanov I, Alanazi AM, Nepali P, Gurjar P, Choudhary OP. Molecular insights into codon usage analysis of mitochondrial fission and fusion gene: relevance to neurodegenerative diseases. Ann Med Surg (Lond) 2024; 86:1416-1425. [PMID: 38463054 PMCID: PMC10923317 DOI: 10.1097/ms9.0000000000001725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial dysfunction is the leading cause of neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Mitochondria is a highly dynamic organelle continuously undergoing the process of fission and fusion for even distribution of components and maintaining proper shape, number, and bioenergetic functionality. A set of genes governs the process of fission and fusion. OPA1, Mfn1, and Mfn2 govern fusion, while Drp1, Fis1, MIEF1, and MIEF2 genes control fission. Determination of specific molecular patterns of transcripts of these genes revealed the impact of compositional constraints on selecting optimal codons. AGA and CCA codons were over-represented, and CCC, GTC, TTC, GGG, ACG were under-represented in the fusion gene set. In contrast, CTG was over-represented, and GCG, CCG, and TCG were under-represented in the fission gene set. Hydropathicity analysis revealed non-polar protein products of both fission and fusion gene set transcripts. AGA codon repeats are an integral part of translational regulation machinery and present a distinct pattern of over-representation and under-representation in different transcripts within the gene sets, suggestive of selective translational force precisely controlling the occurrence of the codon. Out of six synonymous codons, five synonymous codons encoding for leucine were used differently in both gene sets. Hence, forces regulating the occurrence of AGA and five synonymous leucine-encoding codons suggest translational selection. A correlation of mutational bias with gene expression and codon bias and GRAVY and AROMA signifies the selection pressure in both gene sets, while the correlation of compositional bias with gene expression, codon bias, protein properties, and minimum free energy signifies the presence of compositional constraints. More than 25% of codons of both gene sets showed a significant difference in codon usage. The overall analysis shed light on molecular features of gene sets involved in fission and fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Megha Katare Pandey
- Translational Medicine Center, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal
| | | | - Azmat Ali Khan
- Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Igor Baklanov
- Department of Philosophy, North Caucasus Federal University, Stavropol, Russia
| | - Amer M. Alanazi
- Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Prakash Nepali
- Government Medical Officer, Bhimad Primary Health Care Center, Government of Nepal, Tanahun, Nepal
| | - Pankaj Gurjar
- Centre for Global Health Research, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
- Department of Science and Engineering, Novel Global Community Educational Foundation, Hebersham, NSW, Australia
| | - Om Prakash Choudhary
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, College of Veterinary Science, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Rampura Phul, Bathinda, Punjab, India
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46
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Gu X, Qi Y, El-Kebir M. DERNA Enables Pareto Optimal RNA Design. J Comput Biol 2024; 31:179-196. [PMID: 38416637 DOI: 10.1089/cmb.2023.0283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The design of an RNA sequence v that encodes an input target protein sequence w is a crucial aspect of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine development. There are an exponential number of possible RNA sequences for a single target protein due to codon degeneracy. These potential RNA sequences can assume various secondary structure conformations, each with distinct minimum free energy (MFE), impacting thermodynamic stability and mRNA half-life. Furthermore, the presence of species-specific codon usage bias, quantified by the codon adaptation index (CAI), plays a vital role in translation efficiency. While earlier studies focused on optimizing either MFE or CAI, recent research has underscored the advantages of simultaneously optimizing both objectives. However, optimizing one objective comes at the expense of the other. In this work, we present the Pareto Optimal RNA Design problem, aiming to identify the set of Pareto optimal solutions for which no alternative solutions exist that exhibit better MFE and CAI values. Our algorithm DEsign RNA (DERNA) uses the weighted sum method to enumerate the Pareto front by optimizing convex combinations of both objectives. We use dynamic programming to solve each convex combination in O ( | w | 3 ) time and O ( | w | 2 ) space. Compared with a CDSfold, previous approach that only optimizes MFE, we show on a benchmark data set that DERNA obtains solutions with identical MFE but superior CAI. Moreover, we show that DERNA matches the performance in terms of solution quality of LinearDesign, a recent approach that similarly seeks to balance MFE and CAI. We conclude by demonstrating our method's potential for mRNA vaccine design for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Gu
- Department of Computer Science and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Yuanyuan Qi
- Department of Computer Science and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Mohammed El-Kebir
- Department of Computer Science and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
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47
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Mofayezi A, Jadaliha M, Zangeneh FZ, Khoddami V. Poly(A) tale: From A to A; RNA polyadenylation in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2024; 15:e1837. [PMID: 38485452 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Most eukaryotic mRNAs and different non-coding RNAs undergo a form of 3' end processing known as polyadenylation. Polyadenylation machinery is present in almost all organisms except few species. In bacteria, the machinery has evolved from PNPase, which adds heteropolymeric tails, to a poly(A)-specific polymerase. Differently, a complex machinery for accurate polyadenylation and several non-canonical poly(A) polymerases are developed in eukaryotes. The role of poly(A) tail has also evolved from serving as a degradative signal to a stabilizing modification that also regulates translation. In this review, we discuss poly(A) tail emergence in prokaryotes and its development into a stable, yet dynamic feature at the 3' end of mRNAs in eukaryotes. We also describe how appearance of novel poly(A) polymerases gives cells flexibility to shape poly(A) tail. We explain how poly(A) tail dynamics help regulate cognate RNA metabolism in a context-dependent manner, such as during oocyte maturation. Finally, we describe specific mRNAs in metazoans that bear stem-loops instead of poly(A) tails. We conclude with how recent discoveries about poly(A) tail can be applied to mRNA technology. This article is categorized under: RNA Evolution and Genomics > RNA and Ribonucleoprotein Evolution RNA Processing > 3' End Processing RNA Turnover and Surveillance > Regulation of RNA Stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmadreza Mofayezi
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
- ReNAP Therapeutics, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdieh Jadaliha
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Vahid Khoddami
- ReNAP Therapeutics, Tehran, Iran
- Pediatric Cell and Gene Therapy Research Center, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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48
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Liu Y, Yan Q, Zeng Z, Fan C, Xiong W. Advances and prospects of mRNA vaccines in cancer immunotherapy. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2024; 1879:189068. [PMID: 38171406 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2023.189068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Cancer vaccines, designed to activate the body's own immune system to fight against tumors, are a current trend in cancer treatment and receiving increasing attention. Cancer vaccines mainly include oncolytic virus vaccine, cell vaccine, peptide vaccine and nucleic acid vaccine. Over the course of decades of research, oncolytic virus vaccine T-VEC, cellular vaccine sipuleucel-T, various peptide vaccines, and DNA vaccine against HPV positive cervical cancer have brought encouraging results for cancer therapy, but are losing momentum in development due to their respective shortcomings. In contrast, the advantages of mRNA vaccines such as high safety, ease of production, and unmatched efficacy are on full display. In addition, advances in technology such as pseudouridine modification have cracked down the bottleneck for developing mRNA vaccines including instability, innate immunogenicity, and low efficiency of in vivo delivery. Several cancer mRNA vaccines have achieved promising results in clinical trials, and their usage in conjunction with other immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has further boosted the efficiency of anti-tumor immune response. We expect a rapid development of mRNA vaccines for cancer immunotherapy in the near future. This review provides a brief overview of the current status of mRNA vaccines, highlights the action mechanism of cancer mRNA vaccines, their recent advances in clinical trials, and prospects for their clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixuan Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Qijia Yan
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Zhaoyang Zeng
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Chunmei Fan
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China; Department of Histology and Embryology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan Province, China.
| | - Wei Xiong
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
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49
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Love AM, Nair NU. Specific codons control cellular resources and fitness. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk3485. [PMID: 38381824 PMCID: PMC10881034 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk3485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
As cellular engineering progresses from simply overexpressing proteins to imparting complex phenotypes through multigene expression, judicious appropriation of cellular resources is essential. Since codon use is degenerate and biased, codons may control cellular resources at a translational level. We investigate how partitioning transfer RNA (tRNA) resources by incorporating dissimilar codon usage can drastically alter interdependence of expression level and burden on the host. By isolating the effect of individual codons' use during translation elongation while eliminating confounding factors, we show that codon choice can trans-regulate fitness of the host and expression of other heterologous or native genes. We correlate specific codon usage patterns with host fitness and derive a coding scheme for multigene expression called the Codon Health Index (CHI, χ). This empirically derived coding scheme (χ) enables the design of multigene expression systems that avoid catastrophic cellular burden and is robust across several proteins and conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron M. Love
- Manus Bio, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Nikhil U. Nair
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
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50
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Mao Y, Qian SB. Making sense of mRNA translational "noise". Semin Cell Dev Biol 2024; 154:114-122. [PMID: 36925447 PMCID: PMC10500040 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2023.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
Abstract
The importance of translation fidelity has been apparent since the discovery of genetic code. It is commonly believed that translation deviating from the main coding region is to be avoided at all times inside cells. However, ribosome profiling and mass spectrometry have revealed pervasive noncanonical translation. Both the scope and origin of translational "noise" are just beginning to be appreciated. Although largely overlooked, those translational "noises" are associated with a wide range of cellular functions, such as producing unannotated protein products. Furthermore, the dynamic nature of translational "noise" is responsive to stress conditions, highlighting the beneficial effect of translational "noise" in stress adaptation. Mechanistic investigation of translational "noise" will provide better insight into the mechanisms of translational regulation. Ultimately, they are not "noise" at all but represent a signature of cellular activities under pathophysiological conditions. Deciphering translational "noise" holds the therapeutic and diagnostic potential in a wide spectrum of human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanhui Mao
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Shu-Bing Qian
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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