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Nandavaram A, Nandakumar A, Kashif GM, Sagar AL, Shailaja G, Ramesh A, Siddavattam D. Unusual Relationship between Iron Deprivation and Organophosphate Hydrolase Expression. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0190322. [PMID: 37074175 PMCID: PMC10231211 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01903-22] [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: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Organophosphate hydrolases (OPH), hitherto known to hydrolyze the third ester bond of organophosphate (OP) insecticides and nerve agents, have recently been shown to interact with outer membrane transport components, namely, TonB and ExbB/ExbD. In an OPH negative background, Sphingopyxis wildii cells failed to transport ferric enterobactin and showed retarded growth under iron-limiting conditions. We now show the OPH-encoding organophosphate degradation (opd) gene from Sphingobium fuliginis ATCC 27551 to be part of the iron regulon. A fur-box motif found to be overlapping with the transcription start site (TSS) of the opd gene coordinates with an iron responsive element (IRE) RNA motif identified in the 5' coding region of the opd mRNA to tightly regulate opd gene expression. The fur-box motif serves as a target for the Fur repressor in the presence of iron. A decrease in iron concentration leads to the derepression of opd. IRE RNA inhibits the translation of opd mRNA and serves as a target for apo-aconitase (IRP). The IRP recruited by the IRE RNA abrogates IRE-mediated translational inhibition. Our findings establish a novel, multilayered, iron-responsive regulation that is crucial for OPH function in the transport of siderophore-mediated iron uptake. IMPORTANCE Sphingobium fuliginis, a soil-dwelling microbe isolated from agricultural soils, was shown to degrade a variety of insecticides and pesticides. These synthetic chemicals function as potent neurotoxins, and they belong to a class of chemicals termed organophosphates. S. fuliginis codes for OPH, an enzyme that has been shown to be involved in the metabolism of several organophosphates and their derivatives. Interestingly, OPH has also been shown to facilitate siderophore-mediated iron uptake in S. fuliginis and in another Sphingomonad, namely, Sphingopyxis wildii, implying that this organophosphate-metabolizing protein has a role in iron homeostasis, as well. Our research dissects the underlying molecular mechanisms linking iron to the expression of OPH, prompting a reconsideration of the role of OPH in Sphingomonads and a reevaluation of the evolutionary origins of the OPH proteins from soil bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aparna Nandavaram
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
| | - Anirudh Nandakumar
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, GKVK Campus, Bengaluru, India
- The University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences & Technology (TDU), Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - G. M. Kashif
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
| | | | - G. Shailaja
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
| | - Arati Ramesh
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, GKVK Campus, Bengaluru, India
| | - Dayananda Siddavattam
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Sciences, GITAM University, Visakhapatnam, India
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Mégier C, Peoc’h K, Puy V, Cordier AG. Iron Metabolism in Normal and Pathological Pregnancies and Fetal Consequences. Metabolites 2022; 12:metabo12020129. [PMID: 35208204 PMCID: PMC8876952 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12020129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Iron is required for energy production, DNA synthesis, and cell proliferation, mainly as a component of the prosthetic group in hemoproteins and as part of iron-sulfur clusters. Iron is also a critical component of hemoglobin and plays an important role in oxygen delivery. Imbalances in iron metabolism negatively affect these vital functions. As the crucial barrier between the fetus and the mother, the placenta plays a pivotal role in iron metabolism during pregnancy. Iron deficiency affects 1.2 billion individuals worldwide. Pregnant women are at high risk of developing or worsening iron deficiency. On the contrary, in frequent hemoglobin diseases, such as sickle-cell disease and thalassemia, iron overload is observed. Both iron deficiency and iron overload can affect neonatal development. This review aims to provide an update on our current knowledge on iron and heme metabolism in normal and pathological pregnancies. The main molecular actors in human placental iron metabolism are described, focusing on the impact of iron deficiency and hemoglobin diseases on the placenta, together with normal metabolism. Then, we discuss data concerning iron metabolism in frequent pathological pregnancies to complete the picture, focusing on the most frequent diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Mégier
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Service de Gynécologie-Obstétrique, Hôpital Bicêtre, Université Paris Saclay, 94270 Le Kremlin-Bicetre, France;
| | - Katell Peoc’h
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Laboratoire de Biochimie Clinique, HUPNVS, Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy and Université de Paris, UFR de Médecine Xavier Bichat, INSERM U1149, F-75018 Paris, France;
| | - Vincent Puy
- Unité de biologie de la Reproduction CECOS, Hôpital Antoine Béclère, Université Paris Saclay, 92140 Clamart, France;
- Laboratoire de Développement des Gonades, UMRE008 Stabilité Génétique Cellules Souches et Radiations, Université de Paris, Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Anne-Gaël Cordier
- INSERM, 3PHM, UMR-S1139, F-75006 Paris, France
- PremUp Foundation, F-75014 Paris, France
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Service de Gynécologie Obstétrique, Hôpital Antoine Béclère, Université Paris-Saclay, 92140 Clamart, France
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-145374441; Fax: +33-45374366
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Conservation in the Iron Responsive Element Family. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12091365. [PMID: 34573347 PMCID: PMC8466369 DOI: 10.3390/genes12091365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Iron responsive elements (IREs) are mRNA stem-loop targets for translational control by the two iron regulatory proteins IRP1 and IRP2. They are found in the untranslated regions (UTRs) of genes that code for proteins involved in iron metabolism. There are ten “classic” IRE types that define the conserved secondary and tertiary structure elements necessary for proper IRP binding, and there are 83 published “IRE-like” sequences, most of which depart from the established IRE model. Here are structurally-guided discussions regarding the essential features of an IRE and what is important for IRE family membership.
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CD63 is Regulated by Iron via the IRE-IRP System and is Important for Ferritin Secretion by Extracellular Vesicles. Blood 2021; 138:1490-1503. [PMID: 34265052 PMCID: PMC8667049 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2021010995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
CD63 is involved in EV secretion from cells and is shown herein to be regulated by iron via the IRE-IRP system. Iron-loading increased secretion of CD63+ EVs containing iron-loaded ferritin.
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) transfer functional molecules between cells. CD63 is a widely recognized EV marker that contributes to EV secretion from cells. However, the regulation of its expression remains largely unknown. Ferritin is a cellular iron storage protein that can also be secreted by the exosome pathway, and serum ferritin levels classically reflect body iron stores. Iron metabolism–associated proteins such as ferritin are intricately regulated by cellular iron levels via the iron responsive element-iron regulatory protein (IRE-IRP) system. Herein, we present a novel mechanism demonstrating that the expression of the EV-associated protein CD63 is under the regulation of the IRE-IRP system. We discovered a canonical IRE in the 5′ untranslated region of CD63 messenger RNA that is responsible for regulating its expression in response to increased iron. Cellular iron loading caused a marked increase in CD63 expression and the secretion of CD63+ EVs from cells, which were shown to contain ferritin-H and ferritin-L. Our results demonstrate that under iron loading, intracellular ferritin is transferred via nuclear receptor coactivator 4 (NCOA4) to CD63+ EVs that are then secreted. Such iron-regulated secretion of the major iron storage protein ferritin via CD63+ EVs, is significant for understanding the local cell-to-cell exchange of ferritin and iron.
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Khan MA, Malik A, Domashevskiy AV, San A, Khan JM. Interaction of ferritin iron responsive element (IRE) mRNA with translation initiation factor eIF4F. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2020; 243:118776. [PMID: 32829157 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2020.118776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 07/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The interaction of ferritin iron responsive element (IRE) mRNA with eIF4F was examined by fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopy. Fluorescence quenching data indicated that eIF4F contains one high affinity binding site for ferritin IRE RNA. The Scatchard analysis revealed strong binding affinity (Ka = 11.1 × 107 M-1) and binding capacity (n = 1.0) between IRE RNA and eIF4F. The binding affinity of IRE RNA for eIF4F decreased (~4-fold) as temperature increased (from 5 °C to 30 °C). The van't Hoff analysis revealed that IRE RNA binding to eIF4F is enthalpy-driven (ΔH = -47.1 ± 3.4 kJ/mol) and entropy-opposed (ΔS = -30.1 ± 1.5 J/mol/K). The addition of iron increased the enthalpic, while decreasing the entropic contribution towards the eIF4F•IRE RNA complex, resulting in favorable free energy (ΔG = -49.8 ± 2.8 kJ/mol). Thermodynamic values and ionic strength data suggest that the presence of iron increases hydrogen bonding and decreases hydrophobic interactions, leading to formation of a more stable complex. The interaction of IRE RNA with eIF4F at higher concentrations produced significant changes in the secondary structure of the protein, as revealed from the far-UV CD results, clearly illustrating the structural alterations resulted from formation of the eIF4F•IRE RNA complex. A Lineweaver-Burk plot showed an uncompetitive binding behavior between IRE RNA and m7G cap for the eIF4F, indicating that there are different binding sites on the eIF4F for the IRE RNA and the cap analog; molecular docking analysis further supports this notion. Our findings suggest that the eIF4F•IRE RNA complex formation is accompanied by an elevated hydrogen bonding and weakened hydrophobic interactions, leading to an overall conformational change, favored in terms of its free energy. The conformational change in the eIF4F structure, caused by the IRE RNA binding, provides a more stable platform for effective IRE translation in iron homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateen A Khan
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Science & General Studies, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Ajamaluddin Malik
- Department of Biochemistry, Protein Research Laboratory, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Artem V Domashevskiy
- Department of Sciences, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10019, USA
| | - Avdar San
- Department of Chemistry, Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, NY, New York, USA
| | - Javed M Khan
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Maio N, Ghosh MC, Costain G, Carnevale A, Si Y, Yoon G, Rouault TA. Reply: IREB2-associated neurodegeneration. Brain 2020; 142:e41. [PMID: 31243430 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awz185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nunziata Maio
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Manik C Ghosh
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Gregory Costain
- Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Amanda Carnevale
- Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yue Si
- GeneDx, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - Grace Yoon
- Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Division of Neurology, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tracey A Rouault
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Jiang S, Xie Y, He Z, Zhang Y, Zhao Y, Chen L, Zheng Y, Miao Y, Zuo Z, Ren J. m6ASNP: a tool for annotating genetic variants by m6A function. Gigascience 2018; 7:4958982. [PMID: 29617790 PMCID: PMC6007280 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giy035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Revised: 02/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Large-scale genome sequencing projects have identified many genetic variants for diverse diseases. A major goal of these projects is to characterize these genetic variants to provide insight into their function and roles in diseases. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is one of the most abundant RNA modifications in eukaryotes. Recent studies have revealed that aberrant m6A modifications are involved in many diseases. Findings In this study, we present a user-friendly web server called "m6ASNP" that is dedicated to the identification of genetic variants that target m6A modification sites. A random forest model was implemented in m6ASNP to predict whether the methylation status of an m6A site is altered by the variants that surround the site. In m6ASNP, genetic variants in a standard variant call format (VCF) are accepted as the input data, and the output includes an interactive table that contains the genetic variants annotated by m6A function. In addition, statistical diagrams and a genome browser are provided to visualize the characteristics and to annotate the genetic variants. Conclusions We believe that m6ASNP is a very convenient tool that can be used to boost further functional studies investigating genetic variants. The web server "m6ASNP" is implemented in JAVA and PHP and is freely available at [60].
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Jiang
- Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China
| | - Yubin Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China
| | - Zhihao He
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China
| | - Ya Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China
| | - Yuli Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China
| | - Li Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China
| | - Yueyuan Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China
| | - Yanyan Miao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China
| | - Zhixiang Zuo
- Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Jian Ren
- Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of High Performance Computing, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China
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Abstract
Virulence gene expression serves two main functions, growth in/on the host, and the acquisition of nutrients. Therefore, it is obvious that nutrient availability is important to control expression of virulence genes. In any cell, enzymes are the components that are best informed about the availability of their respective substrates and products. It is thus not surprising that bacteria have evolved a variety of strategies to employ this information in the control of gene expression. Enzymes that have a second (so-called moonlighting) function in the regulation of gene expression are collectively referred to as trigger enzymes. Trigger enzymes may have a second activity as a direct regulatory protein that can bind specific DNA or RNA targets under particular conditions or they may affect the activity of transcription factors by covalent modification or direct protein-protein interaction. In this chapter, we provide an overview on these mechanisms and discuss the relevance of trigger enzymes for virulence gene expression in bacterial pathogens.
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Figueroa-Angulo EE, Calla-Choque JS, Mancilla-Olea MI, Arroyo R. RNA-Binding Proteins in Trichomonas vaginalis: Atypical Multifunctional Proteins. Biomolecules 2015; 5:3354-95. [PMID: 26703754 PMCID: PMC4693282 DOI: 10.3390/biom5043354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2015] [Revised: 11/07/2015] [Accepted: 11/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Iron homeostasis is highly regulated in vertebrates through a regulatory system mediated by RNA-protein interactions between the iron regulatory proteins (IRPs) that interact with an iron responsive element (IRE) located in certain mRNAs, dubbed the IRE-IRP regulatory system. Trichomonas vaginalis, the causal agent of trichomoniasis, presents high iron dependency to regulate its growth, metabolism, and virulence properties. Although T. vaginalis lacks IRPs or proteins with aconitase activity, possesses gene expression mechanisms of iron regulation at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. However, only one gene with iron regulation at the transcriptional level has been described. Recently, our research group described an iron posttranscriptional regulatory mechanism in the T. vaginalis tvcp4 and tvcp12 cysteine proteinase mRNAs. The tvcp4 and tvcp12 mRNAs have a stem-loop structure in the 5'-coding region or in the 3'-UTR, respectively that interacts with T. vaginalis multifunctional proteins HSP70, α-Actinin, and Actin under iron starvation condition, causing translation inhibition or mRNA stabilization similar to the previously characterized IRE-IRP system in eukaryotes. Herein, we summarize recent progress and shed some light on atypical RNA-binding proteins that may participate in the iron posttranscriptional regulation in T. vaginalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa E Figueroa-Angulo
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV-IPN), Av. IPN # 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, CP 07360 México, D.F., Mexico.
| | - Jaeson S Calla-Choque
- Laboratorio de Inmunopatología en Neurocisticercosis, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Av. Honorio Delgado 430, Urb. Ingeniería, S.M.P., Lima 15102, Peru.
| | - Maria Inocente Mancilla-Olea
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV-IPN), Av. IPN # 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, CP 07360 México, D.F., Mexico.
| | - Rossana Arroyo
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV-IPN), Av. IPN # 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, CP 07360 México, D.F., Mexico.
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Abstract
Cellular iron homeostasis is regulated by post-transcriptional feedback mechanisms, which control the expression of proteins involved in iron uptake, release and storage. Two cytoplasmic proteins with mRNA-binding properties, iron regulatory proteins 1 and 2 (IRP1 and IRP2) play a central role in this regulation. Foremost, IRPs regulate ferritin H and ferritin L translation and thus iron storage, as well as transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) mRNA stability, thereby adjusting receptor expression and iron uptake via receptor-mediated endocytosis of iron-loaded transferrin. In addition splice variants of iron transporters for import and export at the plasma-membrane, divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) and ferroportin are regulated by IRPs. These mechanisms have probably evolved to maintain the cytoplasmic labile iron pool (LIP) at an appropriate level. In certain tissues, the regulation exerted by IRPs influences iron homeostasis and utilization of the entire organism. In intestine, the control of ferritin expression limits intestinal iron absorption and, thus, whole body iron levels. In bone marrow, erythroid heme biosynthesis is coordinated with iron availability through IRP-mediated translational control of erythroid 5-aminolevulinate synthase mRNA. Moreover, the translational control of HIF2α mRNA in kidney by IRP1 coordinates erythropoietin synthesis with iron and oxygen supply. Besides IRPs, body iron absorption is negatively regulated by hepcidin. This peptide hormone, synthesized and secreted by the liver in response to high serum iron, downregulates ferroportin at the protein level and thereby limits iron absorption from the diet. Hepcidin will not be discussed in further detail here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas C Kühn
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), ISREC - Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, EPFL_SV_ISREC, Room SV2516, Station 19, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Theil EC. IRE mRNA riboregulators use metabolic iron (Fe(2+)) to control mRNA activity and iron chemistry in animals. Metallomics 2014; 7:15-24. [PMID: 25209685 DOI: 10.1039/c4mt00136b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
A family of noncoding RNAs bind Fe(2+) to increase protein synthesis. The structures occur in messenger RNAs encoding animal proteins for iron metabolism. Each mRNA regulatory sequence, ∼30 ribonucleotides long, is called an IRE (Iron Responsive Element), and folds into a bent, A-RNA helix with a terminal loop. Riboregulatory RNAs, like t-RNAs, r-RNAs micro-RNAs, etc. contrast with DNA, since single-stranded RNA can fold into a variety of complex, three-dimensional structures. IRE-RNAs bind two types of proteins: (1) IRPs which are protein repressors, sequence-related to mitochondrial aconitases. (2) eIF-4F, which bind ribosomes and enhances general protein biosynthesis. The competition between IRP and eIF-4F binding to IRE-RNA is controlled by Fe(2+)-induced changes in the IRE-RNA conformation. Mn(2+), which also binds to IRE-RNA in solution, is a convenient experimental proxy for air-sensitive Fe(2+) studies of in vitro protein biosynthesis and protein binding. However, only Fe(2+) has physiological effects on protein biosynthesis directed by IRE-mRNAs. The structures of the IRE-RNA riboregulators is known indirectly from effects of base substitutions on function, from solution NMR of the free RNA, and of X-ray crystallography of the IRE-RNA-IRP repressor complex. However, the inability to date, to crystallize the free IRE-RNA, and the dissociation of the IRE-RNA-IRP complex when metal binds, have hampered direct identification and characterization of the RNA-metal binding sites. The high conservation of the primary sequence in IRE-mRNA control elements has facilitated their identification and analysis of metal-assisted riboregulator function. Expansion of RNA search analyses beyond primary will likely reveal other, metal-dependent families of mRNA riboregulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth C Theil
- The Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, CA 94609, USA.
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