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Lahiri DK, Maloney B, Wang R, White FA, Sambamurti K, Greig NH, Counts SE. The seeds of its regulation: Natural antisense transcripts as single-gene control switches in neurodegenerative disorders. Ageing Res Rev 2024; 99:102336. [PMID: 38740308 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102336] [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: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Several proteins play critical roles in vulnerability or resistance to neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Regulation of these proteins is critical to maintaining healthy neurohomeostasis. In addition to transcription factors regulating gene transcription and microRNAs regulating mRNA translation, natural antisense transcripts (NATs) regulate mRNA levels, splicing, and translation. NATs' roles are significant in regulating key protein-coding genes associated with neurodegenerative disorders. Elucidating the functions of these NATs could prove useful in treating or preventing diseases. NAT activity is not restricted to mRNA translation; it can also regulate DNA (de)methylation and other gene expression steps. NATs are noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) encoded by DNA sequences overlapping the pertinent protein genes. These NATs have complex structures, including introns and exons, and therefore bind their target genes, precursor mRNAs (pre-mRNAs), and mature RNAs. They can occur at the 5'- or 3'-ends of a mRNA-coding sequence or internally to a parent gene. NATs can downregulate translation, e.g., microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) antisense-1 gene (MAPT-AS1), or upregulate translation, e.g., β-Amyloid site Cleaving Enzyme 1 (BACE1) antisense gene (BACE1-AS). Regulation of NATs can parallel pathogenesis, wherein a "pathogenic" NAT (e.g., BACE1-AS) is upregulated under pathogenic conditions, while a "protective" NAT (e.g., MAPT-AS1) is downregulated under pathogenic conditions. As a relatively underexplored endogenous control mechanism of protein expression, NATs may present novel mechanistic targets to prevent or ameliorate aging-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debomoy K Lahiri
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Stark Neuroscience Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of Medical & Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
| | - Bryan Maloney
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Ruizhi Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Fletcher A White
- Department of Anesthesia, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Kumar Sambamurti
- Department of Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Nigel H Greig
- Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Scott E Counts
- Departments of Translational Neuroscience and Family Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
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Cooper YA, Teyssier N, Dräger NM, Guo Q, Davis JE, Sattler SM, Yang Z, Patel A, Wu S, Kosuri S, Coppola G, Kampmann M, Geschwind DH. Functional regulatory variants implicate distinct transcriptional networks in dementia. Science 2022; 377:eabi8654. [PMID: 35981026 DOI: 10.1126/science.abi8654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Predicting the function of noncoding variation is a major challenge in modern genetics. In this study, we used massively parallel reporter assays to screen 5706 variants identified from genome-wide association studies for both Alzheimer's disease (AD) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), identifying 320 functional regulatory variants (frVars) across 27 loci, including the complex 17q21.31 region. We identified and validated multiple risk loci using CRISPR interference or excision, including complement 4 (C4A) and APOC1 in AD and PLEKHM1 and KANSL1 in PSP. Functional variants disrupt transcription factor binding sites converging on enhancers with cell type-specific activity in PSP and AD, implicating a neuronal SP1-driven regulatory network in PSP pathogenesis. These analyses suggest that noncoding genetic risk is driven by common genetic variants through their aggregate activity on specific transcriptional programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonatan A Cooper
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Noam Teyssier
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Nina M Dräger
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Qiuyu Guo
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jessica E Davis
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Sydney M Sattler
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Zhongan Yang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Abdulsamie Patel
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Sarah Wu
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Sriram Kosuri
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Giovanni Coppola
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Martin Kampmann
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Institute of Precision Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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Fray S, Achouri-Rassas AA, Hadj Fredj S, Messaoud T, Belal S. Association between H2 haplotype of microtubule associated protein tau gene (deletion / insertion) with Alzheimer Disease in Tunisian patients. Neurol Res 2022; 44:814-818. [PMID: 35348036 DOI: 10.1080/01616412.2022.2056338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
It is widely recognized that Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the main cause of dementia in the elderly. AD is typically characterized by the extraneuronal plaque made up essentially of the amyloid β peptide and intraneuronal tangles of hyperphosphorylated microtubule-associated Tau protein. This study investigates the possible interaction between AD and the deletion/insertion polymorphism in intron 9 of the Tau gene haplotype and APOE state in a Tunisian AD cases population (n = 85) and control (n = 91). The H2/H2 genotype was higher in the AD group as compared to the controls (22.4% vs. 7.8%). The frequency of H2 allele is higher in the patients group, and the difference of allele frequency is statistically significant between the two groups (χ2 = 12.220, p < 0.05). H2 allele is correlated with the female gender within the patient group (χ2 = 7.649, p = 0.006) Tau H2 haplotype can be identified as a risk factor of AD in the studied Tunisian population and was associated to female gender. There is no significant correlation between the frequency of Tau gene ins/del polymorphism and cognitive profile distribution in the patient group (p > 0.05).
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Affiliation(s)
- Saloua Fray
- Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia.,Department of Neurology, Charles Nicolle Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia.,Children Hospital, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Afef Achouri Achouri-Rassas
- Department of Neurology, Charles Nicolle Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia.,Neurosciences Project, Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Sondes Hadj Fredj
- Children Hospital, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Taieb Messaoud
- Children Hospital, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Samir Belal
- Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia.,Department of Neurology, National Institute Mongi Ben Hmida of Neurology, Tunis, Tunisia.,Molecular Neurobiology and Neuropathology Research laboratory, Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia
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Jangampalli Adi P, Reddy PH. Phosphorylated tau targeted small-molecule PROTACs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and tauopathies. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2021; 1867:166162. [PMID: 33940164 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2021.166162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Tau is a microtubule-stabilizing protein that plays an important role in the formation of axonal microtubules in neurons. Phosphorylated tau (p-Tau) has received great attention in the field of Alzheimer's disease (AD) as a potential therapeutic target due to its involvement with synaptic damage and neuronal dysfunction. Mounting evidence suggests that amyloid beta (Aβ)-targeted clinical trials continuously failed; therefore, it is important to consider alternative therapeutic strategies such as p-tau-PROTACs targeted small molecules for AD and other tauopathies. The present article describes the characteristics of tau biology, structure, and function in both healthy and pathological states in AD. It also explains data from studies that have identified the involvement of p-tau in neuronal damage and synaptic and cognitive functions in AD. Current article also covers several aspects, including small molecule inhibitors, and the development of p-tau-PROTACs targeted drug molecules to treat patients with AD and other tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - P Hemachandra Reddy
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Department of Neurology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Department of Public Health, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA.
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Cai Z, Zheng F, Ding Y, Zhan Y, Gong R, Li J, Aschner M, Zhang Q, Wu S, Li H. Nrf2-regulated miR-380-3p Blocks the Translation of Sp3 Protein and Its Mediation of Paraquat-Induced Toxicity in Mouse Neuroblastoma N2a Cells. Toxicol Sci 2019; 171:515-529. [PMID: 31368498 PMCID: PMC6760285 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfz162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Laboratorial and epidemiological research has established a relationship between paraquat (PQ) exposure and a risk for Parkinson's disease. Previously, we have investigated the effects of nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) and microRNAs in PQ-induced neurotoxicity, addressing the function of miR-380-3p, a microRNA dysregulated by PQ, as well as Nrf2 deficiency. Nrf2 is known to mediate the expression of a variety of genes, including noncoding genes. By chromatin immunoprecipitation, we identified the relationship between Nrf2 and miR-380-3p in transcriptional regulation. qRT-PCR, Western blots, and dual-luciferase reporter gene assay showed that miR-380-3p blocked the translation of the transcription factor specificity protein-3 (Sp3) in the absence of degradation of Sp3 mRNA. Results based on cell counting analysis, annexin v-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide double-staining assay, and propidium iodide staining showed that overexpression of miR-380-3p inhibited cell proliferation, increased the apoptotic rate, induced cell cycle arrest, and intensified the toxicity of PQ in mouse neuroblastoma (N2a [Neuro2a]) cells. Knockdown of Sp3 inhibited cell proliferation and eclipsed the alterations induced by miR-380-3p in cell proliferation. Two mediators of apoptosis and cell cycle identified in previous studies as Sp3-regulated, namely cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1 (p21) and calmodulin (CaM), were dysregulated by PQ, but not Sp3 deficiency. In conclusion, Nrf2-regulated miR-380-3p inhibited cell proliferation and enhanced the PQ-induced toxicity in N2a cells potentially by blocking the translation Sp3 mRNA. We conclude that CaM and p21 were involved in PQ-induced toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhipeng Cai
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer
- The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
- Center for Drug Non-Clinical Evaluation
- Research of Guangdong Institute of Applied Bio-resources, Guangzhou 510000, China
| | - Fuli Zheng
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer
- The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Yan Ding
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer
- The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Yanting Zhan
- Department of Management, Fujian Health College, Fuzhou 350101, China
| | - Ruijie Gong
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer
| | - Jing Li
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461
| | - Qunwei Zhang
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 40202
| | - Siying Wu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer
- The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Huangyuan Li
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer
- The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
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Caillet-Boudin ML, Buée L, Sergeant N, Lefebvre B. Regulation of human MAPT gene expression. Mol Neurodegener 2015; 10:28. [PMID: 26170022 PMCID: PMC4499907 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-015-0025-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2015] [Accepted: 06/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The number of known pathologies involving deregulated Tau expression/metabolism is increasing. Indeed, in addition to tauopathies, which comprise approximately 30 diseases characterized by neuronal aggregation of hyperphosphorylated Tau in brain neurons, this protein has also been associated with various other pathologies such as cancer, inclusion body myositis, and microdeletion/microduplication syndromes, suggesting its possible function in peripheral tissues. In addition to Tau aggregation, Tau deregulation can occur at the expression and/or splicing levels, as has been clearly demonstrated in some of these pathologies. Here, we aim to review current knowledge regarding the regulation of human MAPT gene expression at the DNA and RNA levels to provide a better understanding of its possible deregulation. Several aspects, including repeated motifs, CpG island/methylation, and haplotypes at the DNA level, as well as the key regions involved in mRNA expression and stability and the splicing patterns of different mRNA isoforms at the RNA level, will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luc Buée
- Univ. Lille, UMR-S 1172, Inserm, CHU, 59000, Lille, France
| | | | - Bruno Lefebvre
- Univ. Lille, UMR-S 1172, Inserm, CHU, 59000, Lille, France
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Lahiri DK, Maloney B, Rogers JT, Ge YW. PuF, an antimetastatic and developmental signaling protein, interacts with the Alzheimer's amyloid-β precursor protein via a tissue-specific proximal regulatory element (PRE). BMC Genomics 2013; 14:68. [PMID: 23368879 PMCID: PMC3582491 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-14-68] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2012] [Accepted: 11/10/2012] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) is intimately tied to amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide. Extraneuronal brain plaques consisting primarily of Aβ aggregates are a hallmark of AD. Intraneuronal Aβ subunits are strongly implicated in disease progression. Protein sequence mutations of the Aβ precursor protein (APP) account for a small proportion of AD cases, suggesting that regulation of the associated gene (APP) may play a more important role in AD etiology. The APP promoter possesses a novel 30 nucleotide sequence, or "proximal regulatory element" (PRE), at -76/-47, from the +1 transcription start site that confers cell type specificity. This PRE contains sequences that make it vulnerable to epigenetic modification and may present a viable target for drug studies. We examined PRE-nuclear protein interaction by gel electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and PRE mutant EMSA. This was followed by functional studies of PRE mutant/reporter gene fusion clones. RESULTS EMSA probed with the PRE showed DNA-protein interaction in multiple nuclear extracts and in human brain tissue nuclear extract in a tissue-type specific manner. We identified transcription factors that are likely to bind the PRE, using competition gel shift and gel supershift: Activator protein 2 (AP2), nm23 nucleoside diphosphate kinase/metastatic inhibitory protein (PuF), and specificity protein 1 (SP1). These sites crossed a known single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). EMSA with PRE mutants and promoter/reporter clone transfection analysis further implicated PuF in cells and extracts. Functional assays of mutant/reporter clone transfections were evaluated by ELISA of reporter protein levels. EMSA and ELISA results correlated by meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS We propose that PuF may regulate the APP gene promoter and that AD risk may be increased by interference with PuF regulation at the PRE. PuF is targeted by calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II inhibitor 1, which also interacts with the integrins. These proteins are connected to vital cellular and neurological functions. In addition, the transcription factor PuF is a known inhibitor of metastasis and regulates cell growth during development. Given that APP is a known cell adhesion protein and ferroxidase, this suggests biochemical links among cell signaling, the cell cycle, iron metabolism in cancer, and AD in the context of overall aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debomoy K Lahiri
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, 791 Union Drive, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Bryan Maloney
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, 791 Union Drive, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Jack T Rogers
- Neurochemistry lab, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charleston, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Yuan-Wen Ge
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, 791 Union Drive, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
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Veo BL, Krushel LA. Secondary RNA structure and nucleotide specificity contribute to internal initiation mediated by the human tau 5' leader. RNA Biol 2012; 9:1344-60. [PMID: 22995835 DOI: 10.4161/rna.22181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechanisms by which eukaryotic internal ribosomal entry sites (IRESs) initiate translation have not been well described. Viral IRESs utilize a combination of secondary/tertiary structure concomitant with sequence specific elements to initiate translation. Eukaryotic IRESs are proposed to utilize the same components, although it appears that short sequence specific elements are more common. In this report we perform an extensive analysis of the IRES in the human tau mRNA. We demonstrate that the tau IRES exhibits characteristics similar to viral IRESs. It contains two main structural domains that exhibit secondary interactions, which are essential for internal initiation. Moreover, the tau IRES is extremely sensitive to small nucleotide substitutions. Our data also indicates that the 40S ribosome is recruited to the middle of the IRES, but whether it scans to the initiation codon in a linear fashion is questioned. Overall, these results identify structural and sequence elements critical for tau IRES activity and consequently, provide a novel target to regulate tau protein expression in disease states including Alzheimer disease and other tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany L Veo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
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