1
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Bignon E, Marazzi M, Miclot T, Barone G, Monari A. Specific Recognition of the 5'-Untranslated Region of West Nile Virus Genome by Human Innate Immune System. Viruses 2022; 14:v14061282. [PMID: 35746753 PMCID: PMC9227302 DOI: 10.3390/v14061282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last few years, the sudden outbreak of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 proved the crucial importance of understanding how emerging viruses work and proliferate, in order to avoid the repetition of such a dramatic sanitary situation with unprecedented social and economic costs. West Nile Virus is a mosquito-borne pathogen that can spread to humans and induce severe neurological problems. This RNA virus caused recent remarkable outbreaks, notably in Europe, highlighting the need to investigate the molecular mechanisms of its infection process in order to design and propose efficient antivirals. Here, we resort to all-atom Molecular Dynamics simulations to characterize the structure of the 5′-untranslated region of the West Nile Virus genome and its specific recognition by the human innate immune system via oligoadenylate synthetase. Our simulations allowed us to map the interaction network between the viral RNA and the host protein, which drives its specific recognition and triggers the host immune response. These results may provide fundamental knowledge that can assist further antivirals’ design, including therapeutic RNA strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle Bignon
- Université de Lorraine and CNRS, LPCT UMR 7019, F-54000 Nancy, France;
- Correspondence: (E.B.); (A.M.)
| | - Marco Marazzi
- Grupo de Reactividad y Estructura Molecular (RESMOL), Departamento de Química Analítica, Química Física e Ingeniería Química, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, 28805 Madrid, Spain;
- Instituto de Investigación Química “Andrés M. del Río” (IQAR), Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, 28805 Madrid, Spain
| | - Tom Miclot
- Université de Lorraine and CNRS, LPCT UMR 7019, F-54000 Nancy, France;
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Palermo, viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Giampaolo Barone
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Palermo, viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Antonio Monari
- Université de Lorraine and CNRS, LPCT UMR 7019, F-54000 Nancy, France;
- ITODYS, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, F-75006 Paris, France
- Correspondence: (E.B.); (A.M.)
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2
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Nelson CR, Mrozowich T, Park SM, D’souza S, Henrickson A, Vigar JRJ, Wieden HJ, Owens RJ, Demeler B, Patel TR. Human DDX17 Unwinds Rift Valley Fever Virus Non-Coding RNAs. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 22:E54. [PMID: 33374561 PMCID: PMC7793125 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22010054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a mosquito-transmitted virus from the Bunyaviridae family that causes high rates of mortality and morbidity in humans and ruminant animals. Previous studies indicated that DEAD-box helicase 17 (DDX17) restricts RVFV replication by recognizing two primary non-coding RNAs in the S-segment of the genome: the intergenic region (IGR) and 5' non-coding region (NCR). However, we lack molecular insights into the direct binding of DDX17 with RVFV non-coding RNAs and information on the unwinding of both non-coding RNAs by DDX17. Therefore, we performed an extensive biophysical analysis of the DDX17 helicase domain (DDX17135-555) and RVFV non-coding RNAs, IGR and 5' NCR. The homogeneity studies using analytical ultracentrifugation indicated that DDX17135-555, IGR, and 5' NCR are pure. Next, we performed small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments, which suggested that DDX17 and both RNAs are homogenous as well. SAXS analysis also demonstrated that DDX17 is globular to an extent, whereas the RNAs adopt an extended conformation in solution. Subsequently, microscale thermophoresis (MST) experiments were performed to investigate the direct binding of DDX17 to the non-coding RNAs. The MST experiments demonstrated that DDX17 binds with the IGR and 5' NCR with a dissociation constant of 5.77 ± 0.15 µM and 9.85 ± 0.11 µM, respectively. As DDX17135-555 is an RNA helicase, we next determined if it could unwind IGR and NCR. We developed a helicase assay using MST and fluorescently-labeled oligos, which suggested DDX17135-555 can unwind both RNAs. Overall, our study provides direct evidence of DDX17135-555 interacting with and unwinding RVFV non-coding regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corey R. Nelson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada; (C.R.N.); (T.M.); (S.M.P.); (A.H.); (J.R.J.V.); (H.-J.W.); (B.D.)
| | - Tyler Mrozowich
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada; (C.R.N.); (T.M.); (S.M.P.); (A.H.); (J.R.J.V.); (H.-J.W.); (B.D.)
| | - Sean M. Park
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada; (C.R.N.); (T.M.); (S.M.P.); (A.H.); (J.R.J.V.); (H.-J.W.); (B.D.)
| | - Simmone D’souza
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada;
| | - Amy Henrickson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada; (C.R.N.); (T.M.); (S.M.P.); (A.H.); (J.R.J.V.); (H.-J.W.); (B.D.)
| | - Justin R. J. Vigar
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada; (C.R.N.); (T.M.); (S.M.P.); (A.H.); (J.R.J.V.); (H.-J.W.); (B.D.)
| | - Hans-Joachim Wieden
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada; (C.R.N.); (T.M.); (S.M.P.); (A.H.); (J.R.J.V.); (H.-J.W.); (B.D.)
| | - Raymond J. Owens
- Research Complex at Harwell, R92 Rutherford Appleton Laboratories, Harwell, Oxford OX1 0QX, UK;
| | - Borries Demeler
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada; (C.R.N.); (T.M.); (S.M.P.); (A.H.); (J.R.J.V.); (H.-J.W.); (B.D.)
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
- NorthWest Biophysics Consortium, University of Lethbridge, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Trushar R. Patel
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada; (C.R.N.); (T.M.); (S.M.P.); (A.H.); (J.R.J.V.); (H.-J.W.); (B.D.)
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada;
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology and Discovery Lab, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1, Canada
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3
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Zeng M, Duan Y, Zhang W, Wang M, Jia R, Zhu D, Liu M, Zhao X, Yang Q, Wu Y, Zhang S, Liu Y, Zhang L, Yu Y, Chen S, Cheng A. Universal RNA Secondary Structure Insight Into Mosquito-Borne Flavivirus (MBFV) cis-Acting RNA Biology. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:473. [PMID: 32292394 PMCID: PMC7118588 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Mosquito-borne flaviviruses (MBFVs) spread between vertebrate (mammals and birds) and invertebrate (mosquitoes) hosts. The cis-acting RNAs of MBFV share common evolutionary origins and contain frequent alterations, which control the balance of linear and circular genome conformations and allow effective replication. Importantly, multiple cis-acting RNAs interact with trans-acting regulatory RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) and affect the MBFV lifecycle process, including viral replicase binding, viral RNA translation-cyclisation-synthesis and nucleocapsid assembly. Considering that extensive structural probing analyses have been performed on MBFV cis-acting RNAs, herein the homologous RNA structures are online folded and consensus structures are constructed by sort. The specific traits and underlying biology of MBFV cis-acting RNA are illuminated accordingly in a review of RNA structure. These findings deepen our understanding of MBFV cis-acting RNA biology and serve as a resource for designing therapeutics in targeting protein-viral RNA interaction or viral RNA secondary structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Zeng
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yanping Duan
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Mingshu Wang
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.,Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
| | - Renyong Jia
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.,Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
| | - Dekang Zhu
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.,Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
| | - Mafeng Liu
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.,Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
| | - Xinxin Zhao
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.,Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
| | - Qiao Yang
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.,Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
| | - Ying Wu
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.,Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
| | - Shaqiu Zhang
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.,Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
| | - Yunya Liu
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ling Zhang
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yangling Yu
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Shun Chen
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.,Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
| | - Anchun Cheng
- Research Center of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.,Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
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4
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Mrozowich T, Henrickson A, Demeler B, Patel TR. Nanoscale Structure Determination of Murray Valley Encephalitis and Powassan Virus Non-Coding RNAs. Viruses 2020; 12:E190. [PMID: 32046304 PMCID: PMC7077200 DOI: 10.3390/v12020190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Viral infections are responsible for numerous deaths worldwide. Flaviviruses, which contain RNA as their genetic material, are one of the most pathogenic families of viruses. There is an increasing amount of evidence suggesting that their 5' and 3' non-coding terminal regions are critical for their survival. Information on their structural features is essential to gain detailed insights into their functions and interactions with host proteins. In this study, the 5' and 3' terminal regions of Murray Valley encephalitis virus and Powassan virus were examined using biophysical and computational modeling methods. First, we used size exclusion chromatography and analytical ultracentrifuge methods to investigate the purity of in-vitro transcribed RNAs. Next, we employed small-angle X-ray scattering techniques to study solution conformation and low-resolution structures of these RNAs, which suggest that the 3' terminal regions are highly extended as compared to the 5' terminal regions for both viruses. Using computational modeling tools, we reconstructed 3-dimensional structures of each RNA fragment and compared them with derived small-angle X-ray scattering low-resolution structures. This approach allowed us to reinforce that the 5' terminal regions adopt more dynamic structures compared to the mainly double-stranded structures of the 3' terminal regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler Mrozowich
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada; (T.M.); (A.H.); (B.D.)
| | - Amy Henrickson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada; (T.M.); (A.H.); (B.D.)
| | - Borries Demeler
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada; (T.M.); (A.H.); (B.D.)
- Department of Chemistry And Biochemistry, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
- NorthWest Biophysics Consortium, University of Lethbridge, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Trushar R Patel
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada; (T.M.); (A.H.); (B.D.)
- NorthWest Biophysics Consortium, University of Lethbridge, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology and Discovery Lab, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1, Canada
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5
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The Cellular Localization of the p42 and p46 Oligoadenylate Synthetase 1 Isoforms and Their Impact on Mitochondrial Respiration. Viruses 2019; 11:v11121122. [PMID: 31817188 PMCID: PMC6950736 DOI: 10.3390/v11121122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of the IFN-induced oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS) proteins and the OAS/RNase L pathway in the innate response against viral pathogens is well-established, however the observed differences in anti-viral activity between the human OAS1 p46 and p42 isoforms are not fully understood. The protein expression of these isoforms is determined by the SNP rs10774671, either being an A or a G allele resulting in expression of either the p42 or the p46 isoform. Using fluorescence microscopy and immunoblot analysis of fractionated cell samples, we show here that the CaaX motif is of key importance to the cellular localization. The OAS1 p42 isoform is mainly located in the cytosol, whereas the p46 isoform with a C-terminal CaaX motif is translocated to membranous organelles, like the mitochondria. We furthermore observed differences between p42 and p46 in their effect on mitochondrial physiology using high resolution respirometry and fluorometry. Overexpression of OAS1 p42 and IFN-β treatment of HeLa cells (AA genotype) resulted in significantly increased respiration, which was not seen with p46 overexpression. The difference in subcellular localization and mitochondrial effect of these two OAS1 isoforms might help to explain the anti-viral mechanisms that differentiate these proteins.
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6
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Schwartz SL, Conn GL. RNA regulation of the antiviral protein 2'-5'-oligoadenylate synthetase. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-RNA 2019; 10:e1534. [PMID: 30989826 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Revised: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The innate immune system is a broad collection of critical intra- and extra-cellular processes that limit the infectivity of diverse pathogens. The 2'-5'-oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS) family of enzymes are important sensors of cytosolic double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) that play a critical role in limiting viral infection by activating the latent ribonuclease (RNase L) to halt viral replication and establish an antiviral state. Attesting to the importance of the OAS/RNase L pathway, diverse viruses have developed numerous distinct strategies to evade the effects of OAS activation. How OAS proteins are regulated by viral or cellular RNAs is not fully understood but several recent studies have provided important new insights into the molecular mechanisms of OAS activation by dsRNA. Other studies have revealed unanticipated features of RNA sequence and structure that strongly enhance activation of at least one OAS family member. While these discoveries represent important advances, they also underscore the fact that much remains to be learned about RNA-mediated regulation of the OAS/RNase L pathway. In particular, defining the full complement of RNA molecular signatures that activate OAS is essential to our understanding of how these proteins maximize their protective role against pathogens while still accurately discriminating host molecules to avoid inadvertent activation by cellular RNAs. A more complete knowledge of OAS regulation may also serve as a foundation for the development of novel antiviral therapeutic strategies and lead the way to a deeper understanding of currently unappreciated cellular functions of the OAS/RNase L pathway in the absence of infection. This article is categorized under: RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein-RNA Interactions: Functional Implications Translation > Translation Regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L Schwartz
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine and Graduate Program in Biochemistry, Cell and Developmental Biology (BCDB), Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Graeme L Conn
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine and Graduate Program in Biochemistry, Cell and Developmental Biology (BCDB), Atlanta, Georgia
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7
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Computational modeling of RNA 3D structure based on experimental data. Biosci Rep 2019; 39:BSR20180430. [PMID: 30670629 PMCID: PMC6367127 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20180430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2018] [Revised: 01/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA molecules are master regulators of cells. They are involved in a variety of molecular processes: they transmit genetic information, sense cellular signals and communicate responses, and even catalyze chemical reactions. As in the case of proteins, RNA function is dictated by its structure and by its ability to adopt different conformations, which in turn is encoded in the sequence. Experimental determination of high-resolution RNA structures is both laborious and difficult, and therefore the majority of known RNAs remain structurally uncharacterized. To address this problem, predictive computational methods were developed based on the accumulated knowledge of RNA structures determined so far, the physical basis of the RNA folding, and taking into account evolutionary considerations, such as conservation of functionally important motifs. However, all theoretical methods suffer from various limitations, and they are generally unable to accurately predict structures for RNA sequences longer than 100-nt residues unless aided by additional experimental data. In this article, we review experimental methods that can generate data usable by computational methods, as well as computational approaches for RNA structure prediction that can utilize data from experimental analyses. We outline methods and data types that can be potentially useful for RNA 3D structure modeling but are not commonly used by the existing software, suggesting directions for future development.
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8
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Nithin C, Ghosh P, Bujnicki JM. Bioinformatics Tools and Benchmarks for Computational Docking and 3D Structure Prediction of RNA-Protein Complexes. Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:genes9090432. [PMID: 30149645 PMCID: PMC6162694 DOI: 10.3390/genes9090432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Revised: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA-protein (RNP) interactions play essential roles in many biological processes, such as regulation of co-transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene expression, RNA splicing, transport, storage and stabilization, as well as protein synthesis. An increasing number of RNP structures would aid in a better understanding of these processes. However, due to the technical difficulties associated with experimental determination of macromolecular structures by high-resolution methods, studies on RNP recognition and complex formation present significant challenges. As an alternative, computational prediction of RNP interactions can be carried out. Structural models obtained by theoretical predictive methods are, in general, less reliable compared to models based on experimental measurements but they can be sufficiently accurate to be used as a basis for to formulating functional hypotheses. In this article, we present an overview of computational methods for 3D structure prediction of RNP complexes. We discuss currently available methods for macromolecular docking and for scoring 3D structural models of RNP complexes in particular. Additionally, we also review benchmarks that have been developed to assess the accuracy of these methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandran Nithin
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Protein Engineering, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw, ul. Ks. Trojdena 4, PL-02-109 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Pritha Ghosh
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Protein Engineering, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw, ul. Ks. Trojdena 4, PL-02-109 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Janusz M Bujnicki
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Protein Engineering, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw, ul. Ks. Trojdena 4, PL-02-109 Warsaw, Poland.
- Bioinformatics Laboratory, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, ul. Umultowska 89, PL-61-614 Poznan, Poland.
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9
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Structural studies of RNA-protein complexes: A hybrid approach involving hydrodynamics, scattering, and computational methods. Methods 2016; 118-119:146-162. [PMID: 27939506 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2016.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2016] [Revised: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The diverse functional cellular roles played by ribonucleic acids (RNA) have emphasized the need to develop rapid and accurate methodologies to elucidate the relationship between the structure and function of RNA. Structural biology tools such as X-ray crystallography and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance are highly useful methods to obtain atomic-level resolution models of macromolecules. However, both methods have sample, time, and technical limitations that prevent their application to a number of macromolecules of interest. An emerging alternative to high-resolution structural techniques is to employ a hybrid approach that combines low-resolution shape information about macromolecules and their complexes from experimental hydrodynamic (e.g. analytical ultracentrifugation) and solution scattering measurements (e.g., solution X-ray or neutron scattering), with computational modeling to obtain atomic-level models. While promising, scattering methods rely on aggregation-free, monodispersed preparations and therefore the careful development of a quality control pipeline is fundamental to an unbiased and reliable structural determination. This review article describes hydrodynamic techniques that are highly valuable for homogeneity studies, scattering techniques useful to study the low-resolution shape, and strategies for computational modeling to obtain high-resolution 3D structural models of RNAs, proteins, and RNA-protein complexes.
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10
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Dynamic light scattering: a practical guide and applications in biomedical sciences. Biophys Rev 2016; 8:409-427. [PMID: 28510011 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-016-0218-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 806] [Impact Index Per Article: 100.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2016] [Accepted: 09/08/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Dynamic light scattering (DLS), also known as photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS), is a very powerful tool for studying the diffusion behaviour of macromolecules in solution. The diffusion coefficient, and hence the hydrodynamic radii calculated from it, depends on the size and shape of macromolecules. In this review, we provide evidence of the usefulness of DLS to study the homogeneity of proteins, nucleic acids, and complexes of protein-protein or protein-nucleic acid preparations, as well as to study protein-small molecule interactions. Further, we provide examples of DLS's application both as a complementary method to analytical ultracentrifugation studies and as a screening tool to validate solution scattering models using determined hydrodynamic radii.
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11
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Phillips SL, Garcia-Blanco MA, Bradrick SS. Antisense-mediated affinity purification of dengue virus ribonucleoprotein complexes from infected cells. Methods 2015; 91:13-19. [PMID: 26276314 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2015.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2015] [Revised: 08/10/2015] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The identification of RNA-binding proteins that physically associate with viral RNA molecules during infection can provide insight into the molecular mechanisms of RNA virus replication. Until recently, such RNA-protein interactions have been identified predominantly with the use of in vitro assays that may not accurately reflect associations that occur in the context of a living cell. Here we describe a method for the specific affinity purification of dengue virus RNA and associated proteins using in vivo cross-linking followed by antisense-mediated affinity purification. RNA-binding proteins that specifically co-purify with viral RNA using this method can be identified en masse by mass spectrometry. This strategy can potentially be adapted to the purification of any viral RNA species of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacia L Phillips
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd., Galveston, TX 77555-1055, United States; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Center for RNA Biology and Department of Medicine, Duke University, 213 Research Drive, Durham, NC 27710, United States
| | - Mariano A Garcia-Blanco
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd., Galveston, TX 77555-1055, United States; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Center for RNA Biology and Department of Medicine, Duke University, 213 Research Drive, Durham, NC 27710, United States
| | - Shelton S Bradrick
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd., Galveston, TX 77555-1055, United States; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Center for RNA Biology and Department of Medicine, Duke University, 213 Research Drive, Durham, NC 27710, United States.
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