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Liu X, Xie H, Liu W, Zuo J, Li S, Tian Y, Zhao J, Bai M, Li J, Bao L, Han J, Zhang ZC. Dynamic regulation of alternative polyadenylation by PQBP1 during neurogenesis. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114525. [PMID: 39037895 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114525] [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: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is a critical post-transcriptional process that generates mRNA isoforms with distinct 3' untranslated regions (3' UTRs), thereby regulating mRNA localization, stability, and translational efficiency. Cell-type-specific APA extensively shapes the diversity of the cellular transcriptome, particularly during cell fate transition. Despite its recognized significance, the precise regulatory mechanisms governing cell-type-specific APA remain unclear. In this study, we uncover PQBP1 as an emerging APA regulator that actively maintains cell-specific APA profiles in neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and delicately manages the equilibrium between NPC proliferation and differentiation. Multi-omics analysis shows that PQBP1 directly interacts with the upstream UGUA elements, impeding the recruitment of the CFIm complex and influencing polyadenylation site selection within genes associated with the cell cycle. Our findings elucidate the molecular mechanism by which PQBP1 orchestrates dynamic APA changes during neurogenesis, providing valuable insights into the precise regulation of cell-type-specific APA and the underlying pathogenic mechanisms in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian Liu
- School of Life Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Basic Medicine Research and Innovation Center of Ministry of Education, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Hao Xie
- School of Life Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Basic Medicine Research and Innovation Center of Ministry of Education, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Wenhua Liu
- School of Life Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Basic Medicine Research and Innovation Center of Ministry of Education, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Jian Zuo
- School of Life Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Basic Medicine Research and Innovation Center of Ministry of Education, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Song Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Basic Medicine Research and Innovation Center of Ministry of Education, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Yao Tian
- School of Life Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Basic Medicine Research and Innovation Center of Ministry of Education, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | | | - Meizhu Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Jinsong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Lan Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Junhai Han
- School of Life Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Basic Medicine Research and Innovation Center of Ministry of Education, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China; Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, China.
| | - Zi Chao Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Basic Medicine Research and Innovation Center of Ministry of Education, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China.
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2
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Shine M, Gordon J, Schärfen L, Zigackova D, Herzel L, Neugebauer KM. Co-transcriptional gene regulation in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2024; 25:534-554. [PMID: 38509203 PMCID: PMC11199108 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-024-00706-2] [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] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Many steps of RNA processing occur during transcription by RNA polymerases. Co-transcriptional activities are deemed commonplace in prokaryotes, in which the lack of membrane barriers allows mixing of all gene expression steps, from transcription to translation. In the past decade, an extraordinary level of coordination between transcription and RNA processing has emerged in eukaryotes. In this Review, we discuss recent developments in our understanding of co-transcriptional gene regulation in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes, comparing methodologies and mechanisms, and highlight striking parallels in how RNA polymerases interact with the machineries that act on nascent RNA. The development of RNA sequencing and imaging techniques that detect transient transcription and RNA processing intermediates has facilitated discoveries of transcription coordination with splicing, 3'-end cleavage and dynamic RNA folding and revealed physical contacts between processing machineries and RNA polymerases. Such studies indicate that intron retention in a given nascent transcript can prevent 3'-end cleavage and cause transcriptional readthrough, which is a hallmark of eukaryotic cellular stress responses. We also discuss how coordination between nascent RNA biogenesis and transcription drives fundamental aspects of gene expression in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan Shine
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jackson Gordon
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Leonard Schärfen
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Dagmar Zigackova
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lydia Herzel
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Karla M Neugebauer
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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3
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Alfonso-Gonzalez C, Hilgers V. (Alternative) transcription start sites as regulators of RNA processing. Trends Cell Biol 2024:S0962-8924(24)00033-3. [PMID: 38531762 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2024.02.010] [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: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Alternative transcription start site usage (ATSS) is a widespread regulatory strategy that enables genes to choose between multiple genomic loci for initiating transcription. This mechanism is tightly controlled during development and is often altered in disease states. In this review, we examine the growing evidence highlighting a role for transcription start sites (TSSs) in the regulation of mRNA isoform selection during and after transcription. We discuss how the choice of transcription initiation sites influences RNA processing and the importance of this crosstalk for cell identity and organism function. We also speculate on possible mechanisms underlying the integration of transcriptional and post-transcriptional processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Alfonso-Gonzalez
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Biology, Albert Ludwigs University, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Molecular and Cellular Biology (IMPRS- MCB), 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Valérie Hilgers
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany.
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4
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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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5
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Wang X, Leung FS, Bush JO, Conti M. Alternative cleavage and polyadenylation of the Ccnb1 mRNA defines accumulation of cyclin protein during the meiotic cell cycle. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:1258-1271. [PMID: 38048302 PMCID: PMC10853788 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad1151] [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: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Progression through the mitotic and meiotic cell cycle is driven by fluctuations in the levels of cyclins, the regulatory subunits controlling the localization and activity of CDK1 kinases. Cyclin levels are regulated through a precise balance of synthesis and degradation. Here we demonstrate that the synthesis of Cyclin B1 during the oocyte meiotic cell cycle is defined by the selective translation of mRNA variants generated through alternative cleavage and polyadenylation (APA). Using gene editing in mice, we introduced mutations into the proximal and distal polyadenylation elements of the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of the Ccnb1 mRNA. Through in vivo loss-of-function experiments, we demonstrate that the translation of mRNA with a short 3' UTR specifies Cyclin B1 protein levels that set the timing of meiotic re-entry. In contrast, translation directed by a long 3' UTR is necessary to direct Cyclin B1 protein accumulation during the MI/MII transition. These findings establish that the progression through the cell cycle is dependent on the selective translation of multiple mRNA variants generated by APA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaotian Wang
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- USA Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Fang-Shiuan Leung
- USA Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Program in Craniofacial Biology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Jeffrey O Bush
- USA Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Program in Craniofacial Biology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Marco Conti
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- USA Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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6
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Zhang J, Wang T, Shi R, Zhao Y, Zhang Y, Zhang C, Xing Q, Zhou T, Shan Y, Yao H, Zhang X, Pan G. YTHDF1 facilitates PRC1-mediated H2AK119ub in human ES cells. J Cell Physiol 2024; 239:152-165. [PMID: 37991435 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.31152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Polycomb repressive complexes (PRCs) play critical roles in cell fate decisions during normal development as well as disease progression through mediating histone modifications such as H3K27me3 and H2AK119ub. How exactly PRCs recruited to chromatin remains to be fully illuminated. Here, we report that YTHDF1, the N6-methyladenine (m6 A) RNA reader that was previously known to be mainly cytoplasmic, associates with RNF2, a PRC1 protein that mediates H2AK119ub in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). A portion of YTHDF1 localizes in the nuclei and associates with RNF2/H2AK119ub on a subset of gene loci related to neural development functions. Knock-down YTHDF1 attenuates H2AK119ub modification on these genes and promotes neural differentiation in hESCs. Our findings provide a noncanonical mechanism that YTHDF1 participates in PRC1 functions in hESCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyuan Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong SAR, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Cell Lineage and Development, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Basic Science Research, Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tianyu Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong SAR, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Cell Lineage and Development, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ruona Shi
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yuan Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Cell Lineage and Development, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanqi Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong SAR, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Cell Lineage and Development, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cong Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong SAR, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Cell Lineage and Development, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qi Xing
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong SAR, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Cell Lineage and Development, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tiancheng Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong SAR, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Cell Lineage and Development, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yongli Shan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong SAR, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Cell Lineage and Development, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hongjie Yao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong SAR, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Cell Lineage and Development, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Basic Science Research, Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaofei Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong SAR, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Cell Lineage and Development, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guangjin Pan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong SAR, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Cell Lineage and Development, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
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7
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Lee S, Aubee JI, Lai EC. Regulation of alternative splicing and polyadenylation in neurons. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202302000. [PMID: 37793776 PMCID: PMC10551640 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202302000] [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: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell-type-specific gene expression is a fundamental feature of multicellular organisms and is achieved by combinations of regulatory strategies. Although cell-restricted transcription is perhaps the most widely studied mechanism, co-transcriptional and post-transcriptional processes are also central to the spatiotemporal control of gene functions. One general category of expression control involves the generation of multiple transcript isoforms from an individual gene, whose balance and cell specificity are frequently tightly regulated via diverse strategies. The nervous system makes particularly extensive use of cell-specific isoforms, specializing the neural function of genes that are expressed more broadly. Here, we review regulatory strategies and RNA-binding proteins that direct neural-specific isoform processing. These include various classes of alternative splicing and alternative polyadenylation events, both of which broadly diversify the neural transcriptome. Importantly, global alterations of splicing and alternative polyadenylation are characteristic of many neural pathologies, and recent genetic studies demonstrate how misregulation of individual neural isoforms can directly cause mutant phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungjae Lee
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joseph I Aubee
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eric C Lai
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, USA
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8
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Ji G, Tang Q, Zhu S, Zhu J, Ye P, Xia S, Wu X. stAPAminer: Mining Spatial Patterns of Alternative Polyadenylation for Spatially Resolved Transcriptomic Studies. GENOMICS, PROTEOMICS & BIOINFORMATICS 2023; 21:601-618. [PMID: 36669641 PMCID: PMC10787175 DOI: 10.1016/j.gpb.2023.01.003] [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: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Alternative polyadenylation (APA) contributes to transcriptome complexity and gene expression regulation and has been implicated in various cellular processes and diseases. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has enabled the profiling of APA at the single-cell level; however, the spatial information of cells is not preserved in scRNA-seq. Alternatively, spatial transcriptomics (ST) technologies provide opportunities to decipher the spatial context of the transcriptomic landscape. Pioneering studies have revealed potential spatially variable genes and/or splice isoforms; however, the pattern of APA usage in spatial contexts remains unappreciated. In this study, we developed a toolkit called stAPAminer for mining spatial patterns of APA from spatially barcoded ST data. APA sites were identified and quantified from the ST data. In particular, an imputation model based on the k-nearest neighbors algorithm was designed to recover APA signals, and then APA genes with spatial patterns of APA usage variation were identified. By analyzing well-established ST data of the mouse olfactory bulb (MOB), we presented a detailed view of spatial APA usage across morphological layers of the MOB. We compiled a comprehensive list of genes with spatial APA dynamics and obtained several major spatial expression patterns that represent spatial APA dynamics in different morphological layers. By extending this analysis to two additional replicates of the MOB ST data, we observed that the spatial APA patterns of several genes were reproducible among replicates. stAPAminer employs the power of ST to explore the transcriptional atlas of spatial APA patterns with spatial resolution. This toolkit is available at https://github.com/BMILAB/stAPAminer and https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/biocode/tools/BT007320.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoli Ji
- Pasteurien College, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China; Department of Automation, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Qi Tang
- Pasteurien College, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China; Department of Automation, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Sheng Zhu
- Department of Automation, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Junyi Zhu
- Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
| | - Pengchao Ye
- Department of Automation, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Shuting Xia
- Pasteurien College, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China; Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
| | - Xiaohui Wu
- Pasteurien College, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China.
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9
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Alfonso-Gonzalez C, Legnini I, Holec S, Arrigoni L, Ozbulut HC, Mateos F, Koppstein D, Rybak-Wolf A, Bönisch U, Rajewsky N, Hilgers V. Sites of transcription initiation drive mRNA isoform selection. Cell 2023; 186:2438-2455.e22. [PMID: 37178687 PMCID: PMC10228280 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The generation of distinct messenger RNA isoforms through alternative RNA processing modulates the expression and function of genes, often in a cell-type-specific manner. Here, we assess the regulatory relationships between transcription initiation, alternative splicing, and 3' end site selection. Applying long-read sequencing to accurately represent even the longest transcripts from end to end, we quantify mRNA isoforms in Drosophila tissues, including the transcriptionally complex nervous system. We find that in Drosophila heads, as well as in human cerebral organoids, 3' end site choice is globally influenced by the site of transcription initiation (TSS). "Dominant promoters," characterized by specific epigenetic signatures including p300/CBP binding, impose a transcriptional constraint to define splice and polyadenylation variants. In vivo deletion or overexpression of dominant promoters as well as p300/CBP loss disrupted the 3' end expression landscape. Our study demonstrates the crucial impact of TSS choice on the regulation of transcript diversity and tissue identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Alfonso-Gonzalez
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Biology, Albert Ludwig University, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Molecular and Cellular Biology (IMPRS-MCB), 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ivano Legnini
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sarah Holec
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Laura Arrigoni
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Hasan Can Ozbulut
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Biology, Albert Ludwig University, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Fernando Mateos
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - David Koppstein
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Agnieszka Rybak-Wolf
- Organoid Platform, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulrike Bönisch
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Rajewsky
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, 10115 Berlin, Germany; Charité - Universitätsmedizin, Charitépl. 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany; German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Site Berlin, Berlin, Germany; NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Berlin, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK); National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Site Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Valérie Hilgers
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany; Signalling Research Centre CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 18, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
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10
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Hilgers V. Regulation of neuronal RNA signatures by ELAV/Hu proteins. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2023; 14:e1733. [PMID: 35429136 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The RNA-binding proteins encoded by the highly conserved elav/Hu gene family, found in all metazoans, regulate the expression of a wide range of genes, at both the co-transcriptional and posttranscriptional level. Nervous-system-specific ELAV/Hu proteins are prominent for their essential role in neuron differentiation, and mutations have been associated with human neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. Drosophila ELAV, the founding member of the protein family, mediates the synthesis of neuronal RNA signatures by promoting alternative splicing and alternative polyadenylation of hundreds of genes. The recent identification of ELAV's direct RNA targets revealed the protein's central role in shaping the neuronal transcriptome, and highlighted the importance of neuronal transcript signatures for neuron maintenance and organism survival. Animals have evolved multiple cellular mechanisms to ensure robustness of ELAV/Hu function. In Drosophila, elav autoregulates in a 3'UTR-dependent manner to maintain optimal protein levels. A complete absence of ELAV causes the activation and nuclear localization of the normally cytoplasmic paralogue FNE, in a process termed EXon-Activated functional Rescue (EXAR). Other species, including mammals, seem to utilize different strategies, such as protein redundancy, to maintain ELAV protein function and effectively safeguard the identity of the neuronal transcriptome. This article is categorized under: RNA Processing > 3' End Processing RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Development RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein-RNA Interactions: Functional Implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérie Hilgers
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
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11
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Gallicchio L, Olivares GH, Berry CW, Fuller MT. Regulation and function of alternative polyadenylation in development and differentiation. RNA Biol 2023; 20:908-925. [PMID: 37906624 PMCID: PMC10730144 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2023.2275109] [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] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Alternative processing of nascent mRNAs is widespread in eukaryotic organisms and greatly impacts the output of gene expression. Specifically, alternative cleavage and polyadenylation (APA) is a co-transcriptional molecular process that switches the polyadenylation site (PAS) at which a nascent mRNA is cleaved, resulting in mRNA isoforms with different 3'UTR length and content. APA can potentially affect mRNA translation efficiency, localization, stability, and mRNA seeded protein-protein interactions. APA naturally occurs during development and cellular differentiation, with around 70% of human genes displaying APA in particular tissues and cell types. For example, neurons tend to express mRNAs with long 3'UTRs due to preferential processing at PASs more distal than other PASs used in other cell types. In addition, changes in APA mark a variety of pathological states, including many types of cancer, in which mRNAs are preferentially cleaved at more proximal PASs, causing expression of mRNA isoforms with short 3'UTRs. Although APA has been widely reported, both the function of APA in development and the mechanisms that regulate the choice of 3'end cut sites in normal and pathogenic conditions are still poorly understood. In this review, we summarize current understanding of how APA is regulated during development and cellular differentiation and how the resulting change in 3'UTR content affects multiple aspects of gene expression. With APA being a widespread phenomenon, the advent of cutting-edge scientific techniques and the pressing need for in-vivo studies, there has never been a better time to delve into the intricate mechanisms of alternative cleavage and polyadenylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Gallicchio
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, USA
| | - Gonzalo H. Olivares
- Escuela de Kinesiología, Facultad de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Center for Integrative Biology (CIB), Universidad Mayor, Chile and Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Margaret T. Fuller
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, USA
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, USA
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12
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Mitschka S, Mayr C. Context-specific regulation and function of mRNA alternative polyadenylation. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2022; 23:779-796. [PMID: 35798852 PMCID: PMC9261900 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-022-00507-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Alternative cleavage and polyadenylation (APA) is a widespread mechanism to generate mRNA isoforms with alternative 3' untranslated regions (UTRs). The expression of alternative 3' UTR isoforms is highly cell type specific and is further controlled in a gene-specific manner by environmental cues. In this Review, we discuss how the dynamic, fine-grained regulation of APA is accomplished by several mechanisms, including cis-regulatory elements in RNA and DNA and factors that control transcription, pre-mRNA cleavage and post-transcriptional processes. Furthermore, signalling pathways modulate the activity of these factors and integrate APA into gene regulatory programmes. Dysregulation of APA can reprogramme the outcome of signalling pathways and thus can control cellular responses to environmental changes. In addition to the regulation of protein abundance, APA has emerged as a major regulator of mRNA localization and the spatial organization of protein synthesis. This role enables the regulation of protein function through the addition of post-translational modifications or the formation of protein-protein interactions. We further discuss recent transformative advances in single-cell RNA sequencing and CRISPR-Cas technologies, which enable the mapping and functional characterization of alternative 3' UTRs in any biological context. Finally, we discuss new APA-based RNA therapeutics, including compounds that target APA in cancer and therapeutic genome editing of degenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sibylle Mitschka
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christine Mayr
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
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13
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Di Liegro CM, Schiera G, Schirò G, Di Liegro I. RNA-Binding Proteins as Epigenetic Regulators of Brain Functions and Their Involvement in Neurodegeneration. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314622. [PMID: 36498959 PMCID: PMC9739182 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
A central aspect of nervous system development and function is the post-transcriptional regulation of mRNA fate, which implies time- and site-dependent translation, in response to cues originating from cell-to-cell crosstalk. Such events are fundamental for the establishment of brain cell asymmetry, as well as of long-lasting modifications of synapses (long-term potentiation: LTP), responsible for learning, memory, and higher cognitive functions. Post-transcriptional regulation is in turn dependent on RNA-binding proteins that, by recognizing and binding brief RNA sequences, base modifications, or secondary/tertiary structures, are able to control maturation, localization, stability, and translation of the transcripts. Notably, most RBPs contain intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) that are thought to be involved in the formation of membrane-less structures, probably due to liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). Such structures are evidenced as a variety of granules that contain proteins and different classes of RNAs. The other side of the peculiar properties of IDRs is, however, that, under altered cellular conditions, they are also prone to form aggregates, as observed in neurodegeneration. Interestingly, RBPs, as part of both normal and aggregated complexes, are also able to enter extracellular vesicles (EVs), and in doing so, they can also reach cells other than those that produced them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Maria Di Liegro
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche) (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Gabriella Schiera
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche) (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Schirò
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics (Dipartimento di Biomedicina, Neuroscienze e Diagnostica Avanzata) (Bi.N.D.), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Italia Di Liegro
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics (Dipartimento di Biomedicina, Neuroscienze e Diagnostica Avanzata) (Bi.N.D.), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-091-238-97 (ext. 415/446)
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14
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Ye W, Lian Q, Ye C, Wu X. A Survey on Methods for Predicting Polyadenylation Sites from DNA Sequences, Bulk RNA-seq, and Single-cell RNA-seq. GENOMICS, PROTEOMICS & BIOINFORMATICS 2022:S1672-0229(22)00121-8. [PMID: 36167284 PMCID: PMC10372920 DOI: 10.1016/j.gpb.2022.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Alternative polyadenylation (APA) plays important roles in modulating mRNA stability, translation, and subcellular localization, and contributes extensively to shaping eukaryotic transcriptome complexity and proteome diversity. Identification of poly(A) sites (pAs) on a genome-wide scale is a critical step toward understanding the underlying mechanism of APA-mediated gene regulation. A number of established computational tools have been proposed to predict pAs from diverse genomic data. Here we provided an exhaustive overview of computational approaches for predicting pAs from DNA sequences, bulk RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data, and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data. Particularly, we examined several representative tools using bulk RNA-seq and scRNA-seq data from peripheral blood mononuclear cells and put forward operable suggestions on how to assess the reliability of pAs predicted by different tools. We also proposed practical guidelines on choosing appropriate methods applicable to diverse scenarios. Moreover, we discussed in depth the challenges in improving the performance of pA prediction and benchmarking different methods. Additionally, we highlighted outstanding challenges and opportunities using new machine learning and integrative multi-omics techniques, and provided our perspective on how computational methodologies might evolve in the future for non-3' untranslated region, tissue-specific, cross-species, and single-cell pA prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbin Ye
- Pasteurien College, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
| | - Qiwei Lian
- Pasteurien College, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China; Department of Automation, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Congting Ye
- Key Laboratory of the Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, Ministry of Education, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Xiaohui Wu
- Pasteurien College, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China.
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15
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Kwon B, Fansler MM, Patel ND, Lee J, Ma W, Mayr C. Enhancers regulate 3' end processing activity to control expression of alternative 3'UTR isoforms. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2709. [PMID: 35581194 PMCID: PMC9114392 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30525-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Multi-UTR genes are widely transcribed and express their alternative 3'UTR isoforms in a cell type-specific manner. As transcriptional enhancers regulate mRNA expression, we investigated if they also regulate 3'UTR isoform expression. Endogenous enhancer deletion of the multi-UTR gene PTEN did not impair transcript production but prevented 3'UTR isoform switching which was recapitulated by silencing of an enhancer-bound transcription factor. In reporter assays, enhancers increase transcript production when paired with single-UTR gene promoters. However, when combined with multi-UTR gene promoters, they change 3'UTR isoform expression by increasing 3' end processing activity of polyadenylation sites. Processing activity of polyadenylation sites is affected by transcription factors, including NF-κB and MYC, transcription elongation factors, chromatin remodelers, and histone acetyltransferases. As endogenous cell type-specific enhancers are associated with genes that increase their short 3'UTRs in a cell type-specific manner, our data suggest that transcriptional enhancers integrate cellular signals to regulate cell type-and condition-specific 3'UTR isoform expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Buki Kwon
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Mervin M Fansler
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Tri-Institutional Training Program in Computational Biology and Medicine, Weill Cornell Graduate College, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Neil D Patel
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Jihye Lee
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Weirui Ma
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Christine Mayr
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
- Tri-Institutional Training Program in Computational Biology and Medicine, Weill Cornell Graduate College, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
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16
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Wei L, Lai EC. Regulation of the Alternative Neural Transcriptome by ELAV/Hu RNA Binding Proteins. Front Genet 2022; 13:848626. [PMID: 35281806 PMCID: PMC8904962 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.848626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The process of alternative polyadenylation (APA) generates multiple 3' UTR isoforms for a given locus, which can alter regulatory capacity and on occasion change coding potential. APA was initially characterized for a few genes, but in the past decade, has been found to be the rule for metazoan genes. While numerous differences in APA profiles have been catalogued across genetic conditions, perturbations, and diseases, our knowledge of APA mechanisms and biology is far from complete. In this review, we highlight recent findings regarding the role of the conserved ELAV/Hu family of RNA binding proteins (RBPs) in generating the broad landscape of lengthened 3' UTRs that is characteristic of neurons. We relate this to their established roles in alternative splicing, and summarize ongoing directions that will further elucidate the molecular strategies for neural APA, the in vivo functions of ELAV/Hu RBPs, and the phenotypic consequences of these regulatory paradigms in neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Wei
- Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Eric C. Lai
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, United States
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17
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Arora A, Goering R, Lo HYG, Lo J, Moffatt C, Taliaferro JM. The Role of Alternative Polyadenylation in the Regulation of Subcellular RNA Localization. Front Genet 2022; 12:818668. [PMID: 35096024 PMCID: PMC8795681 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.818668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is a widespread and conserved regulatory mechanism that generates diverse 3' ends on mRNA. APA patterns are often tissue specific and play an important role in cellular processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation, and response to stress. Many APA sites are found in 3' UTRs, generating mRNA isoforms with different 3' UTR contents. These alternate 3' UTR isoforms can change how the transcript is regulated, affecting its stability and translation. Since the subcellular localization of a transcript is often regulated by 3' UTR sequences, this implies that APA can also change transcript location. However, this connection between APA and RNA localization has only recently been explored. In this review, we discuss the role of APA in mRNA localization across distinct subcellular compartments. We also discuss current challenges and future advancements that will aid our understanding of how APA affects RNA localization and molecular mechanisms that drive these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankita Arora
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Raeann Goering
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Hei Yong G. Lo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Joelle Lo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Charlie Moffatt
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - J. Matthew Taliaferro
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
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18
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Chen X, Mayr C. A working model for condensate RNA-binding proteins as matchmakers for protein complex assembly. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2022; 28:76-87. [PMID: 34706978 PMCID: PMC8675283 DOI: 10.1261/rna.078995.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Most cellular processes are carried out by protein complexes, but it is still largely unknown how the subunits of lowly expressed complexes find each other in the crowded cellular environment. Here, we will describe a working model where RNA-binding proteins in cytoplasmic condensates act as matchmakers between their bound proteins (called protein targets) and newly translated proteins of their RNA targets to promote their assembly into complexes. Different RNA-binding proteins act as scaffolds for various cytoplasmic condensates with several of them supporting translation. mRNAs and proteins are recruited into the cytoplasmic condensates through binding to specific domains in the RNA-binding proteins. Scaffold RNA-binding proteins have a high valency. In our model, they use homotypic interactions to assemble condensates and they use heterotypic interactions to recruit protein targets into the condensates. We propose that unoccupied binding sites in the scaffold RNA-binding proteins transiently retain recruited and newly translated proteins in the condensates, thus promoting their assembly into complexes. Taken together, we propose that lowly expressed subunits of protein complexes combine information in their mRNAs and proteins to colocalize in the cytoplasm. The efficiency of protein complex assembly is increased by transient entrapment accomplished by multivalent RNA-binding proteins within cytoplasmic condensates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuzhen Chen
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Christine Mayr
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, USA
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19
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Landínez-Macías M, Urwyler O. The Fine Art of Writing a Message: RNA Metabolism in the Shaping and Remodeling of the Nervous System. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:755686. [PMID: 34916907 PMCID: PMC8670310 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.755686] [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: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuronal morphogenesis, integration into circuits, and remodeling of synaptic connections occur in temporally and spatially defined steps. Accordingly, the expression of proteins and specific protein isoforms that contribute to these processes must be controlled quantitatively in time and space. A wide variety of post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms, which act on pre-mRNA and mRNA molecules contribute to this control. They are thereby critically involved in physiological and pathophysiological nervous system development, function, and maintenance. Here, we review recent findings on how mRNA metabolism contributes to neuronal development, from neural stem cell maintenance to synapse specification, with a particular focus on axon growth, guidance, branching, and synapse formation. We emphasize the role of RNA-binding proteins, and highlight their emerging roles in the poorly understood molecular processes of RNA editing, alternative polyadenylation, and temporal control of splicing, while also discussing alternative splicing, RNA localization, and local translation. We illustrate with the example of the evolutionary conserved Musashi protein family how individual RNA-binding proteins are, on the one hand, acting in different processes of RNA metabolism, and, on the other hand, impacting multiple steps in neuronal development and circuit formation. Finally, we provide links to diseases that have been associated with the malfunction of RNA-binding proteins and disrupted post-transcriptional regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Landínez-Macías
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Molecular Life Sciences Program, Life Science Zurich Graduate School, University of Zurich and Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Urwyler
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Molecular Life Sciences Program, Life Science Zurich Graduate School, University of Zurich and Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Neuroscience Center Zurich (ZNZ), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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20
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Rafiee MR, Zagalak JA, Sidorov S, Steinhauser S, Davey K, Ule J, Luscombe NM. Chromatin-contact atlas reveals disorder-mediated protein interactions and moonlighting chromatin-associated RBPs. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:13092-13107. [PMID: 34871434 PMCID: PMC8682780 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab1180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) play diverse roles in regulating co-transcriptional RNA-processing and chromatin functions, but our knowledge of the repertoire of chromatin-associated RBPs (caRBPs) and their interactions with chromatin remains limited. Here, we developed SPACE (Silica Particle Assisted Chromatin Enrichment) to isolate global and regional chromatin components with high specificity and sensitivity, and SPACEmap to identify the chromatin-contact regions in proteins. Applied to mouse embryonic stem cells, SPACE identified 1459 chromatin-associated proteins, ∼48% of which are annotated as RBPs, indicating their dual roles in chromatin and RNA-binding. Additionally, SPACEmap stringently verified chromatin-binding of 403 RBPs and identified their chromatin-contact regions. Notably, SPACEmap showed that about 40% of the caRBPs bind chromatin by intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs). Studying SPACE and total proteome dynamics from mES cells grown in 2iL and serum medium indicates significant correlation (R = 0.62). One of the most dynamic caRBPs is Dazl, which we find co-localized with PRC2 at transcription start sites of genes that are distinct from Dazl mRNA binding. Dazl and other PRC2-colocalised caRBPs are rich in intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs), which could contribute to the formation and regulation of phase-separated PRC condensates. Together, our approach provides an unprecedented insight into IDR-mediated interactions and caRBPs with moonlighting functions in native chromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julian A Zagalak
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK.,Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | | | | | - Karen Davey
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Jernej Ule
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK.,Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK.,National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Nicholas M Luscombe
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK.,Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK.,UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.,Okinawa Institute of Science & Technology Graduate University, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
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21
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Repression of the Hox gene abd-A by ELAV-mediated Transcriptional Interference. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009843. [PMID: 34780465 PMCID: PMC8629391 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Intergenic transcription is a common feature of eukaryotic genomes and performs important and diverse cellular functions. Here, we investigate the iab-8 ncRNA from the Drosophila Bithorax Complex and show that this RNA is able to repress the transcription of genes located at its 3’ end by a sequence-independent, transcriptional interference mechanism. Although this RNA is expressed in the early epidermis and CNS, we find that its repressive activity is limited to the CNS, where, in wild-type embryos, it acts on the Hox gene, abd-A, located immediately downstream of it. The CNS specificity is achieved through a 3’ extension of the transcript, mediated by the neuronal-specific, RNA-binding protein, ELAV. Loss of ELAV activity eliminates the 3’ extension and results in the ectopic activation of abd-A. Thus, a tissue-specific change in the length of a ncRNA is used to generate a precise pattern of gene expression in a higher eukaryote. Although all of the cells making up complex organisms contain the same genetic material, they are nevertheless able to create the diverse tissues of the body. They do this by changing the genes they express. Thus, understanding how genes are controlled in a tissue-specific fashion is one of the primary interests of molecular genetics. Within the bithorax homeotic complex of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, we, and others, previously showed that a >92 kb-long non-coding RNA, called the iab-8 ncRNA, downregulates many important developmental genes, including its genomic downstream neighbor, the homeotic gene abd-A. This downregulation is important as its loss is linked to female sterility. Interestingly, we find that the iab-8 ncRNA regulates abd-A through a mechanism called transcriptional interference, where one gene downregulates a target gene by transcribing over it. In the case of iab-8, this process is limited to the posterior central nervous system, where the iab-8 ncRNA is specifically extended into the abd-A gene by the action of the neuronal-specific RNA binding protein, ELAV. Overall, our work highlights a largely unexplored mechanism by which tissue-specific gene regulation is achieved.
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22
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Castro Alvarez JJ, Revel M, Cléard F, Pauli D, Karch F, Maeda RK. Repression of the Hox gene abd-A by ELAV-mediated Transcriptional Interference.. [DOI: 10.1101/2021.09.29.462302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACTIntergenic transcription is a common feature of eukaryotic genomes and performs important and diverse cellular functions. Here, we investigate the iab-8 ncRNA from the Drosophila Bithorax Complex and show that this RNA is able to repress the transcription of genes located at its 3’ end by a sequence-independent, transcriptional interference mechanism. Although this RNA is expressed in the early epidermis and CNS, we find that its repressive activity is limited to the CNS, where in wild-type embryos, it acts on the Hox gene, abd-A located immediately downstream of it. The CNS specificity is achieved through a 3’ extension of the transcript, mediated by the neuronal-specific, RNA-binding protein, ELAV. Loss of ELAV activity eliminates the 3’ extension and results in the ectopic activation of abd-A. Thus, a tissue-specific change in the length of a ncRNA is used to generate a precise pattern of gene expression in a higher eukaryote.
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Agarwal V, Lopez-Darwin S, Kelley DR, Shendure J. The landscape of alternative polyadenylation in single cells of the developing mouse embryo. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5101. [PMID: 34429411 PMCID: PMC8385098 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25388-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
3′ untranslated regions (3′ UTRs) post-transcriptionally regulate mRNA stability, localization, and translation rate. While 3′-UTR isoforms have been globally quantified in limited cell types using bulk measurements, their differential usage among cell types during mammalian development remains poorly characterized. In this study, we examine a dataset comprising ~2 million nuclei spanning E9.5–E13.5 of mouse embryonic development to quantify transcriptome-wide changes in alternative polyadenylation (APA). We observe a global lengthening of 3′ UTRs across embryonic stages in all cell types, although we detect shorter 3′ UTRs in hematopoietic lineages and longer 3′ UTRs in neuronal cell types within each stage. An analysis of RNA-binding protein (RBP) dynamics identifies ELAV-like family members, which are concomitantly induced in neuronal lineages and developmental stages experiencing 3′-UTR lengthening, as putative regulators of APA. By measuring 3′-UTR isoforms in an expansive single cell dataset, our work provides a transcriptome-wide and organism-wide map of the dynamic landscape of alternative polyadenylation during mammalian organogenesis. Alternative polyadenylation regulates localization, half-life and translation of mRNA isoforms. Here the authors investigate alternative polyadenylation using single cell RNA sequencing data from mouse embryos and identify 3’-UTR isoforms that are regulated across cell types and developmental time.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jay Shendure
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA, USA. .,Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. .,Allen Discovery Center for Cell Lineage Tracing, Seattle, WA, USA.
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24
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Human retroviral antisense mRNAs are retained in the nuclei of infected cells for viral persistence. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2014783118. [PMID: 33875584 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2014783118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Human retroviruses, including human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and HIV type 1 (HIV-1), encode an antisense gene in the negative strand of the provirus. Besides coding for proteins, the messenger RNAs (mRNAs) of retroviral antisense genes have also been found to regulate transcription directly. Thus, it has been proposed that retroviruses likely localize their antisense mRNAs to the nucleus in order to regulate nuclear events; however, this opposes the coding function of retroviral antisense mRNAs that requires a cytoplasmic localization for protein translation. Here, we provide direct evidence that retroviral antisense mRNAs are localized predominantly in the nuclei of infected cells. The retroviral 3' LTR induces inefficient polyadenylation and nuclear retention of antisense mRNA. We further reveal that retroviral antisense RNAs retained in the nucleus associate with chromatin and have transcriptional regulatory function. While HTLV-1 antisense mRNA is recruited to the promoter of C-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CCR4) and enhances transcription from it to support the proliferation of HTLV-1-infected cells, HIV-1 antisense mRNA is recruited to the viral LTR and inhibits sense mRNA expression to maintain the latency of HIV-1 infection. In summary, retroviral antisense mRNAs are retained in nucleus, act like long noncoding RNAs instead of mRNAs, and contribute to viral persistence.
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25
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Pereira-Castro I, Moreira A. On the function and relevance of alternative 3'-UTRs in gene expression regulation. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-RNA 2021; 12:e1653. [PMID: 33843145 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Messanger RNA (mRNA) isoforms with alternative 3'-untranslated regions (3'-UTRs) are produced by alternative polyadenylation (APA), which occurs during transcription in most eukaryotic genes. APA fine-tunes gene expression in a cell-type- and cellular state-dependent manner. Selection of an APA site entails the binding of core cleavage and polyadenylation factors to a particular polyadenylation site localized in the pre-mRNA and is controlled by multiple regulatory determinants, including transcription, pre-mRNA cis-regulatory sequences, and protein factors. Alternative 3'-UTRs serve as platforms for specific RNA binding proteins and microRNAs, which regulate gene expression in a coordinated manner by controlling mRNA fate and function in the cell. Genome-wide studies illustrated the full extent of APA prevalence and revealed that specific 3'-UTR profiles are associated with particular cellular states and diseases. Generally, short 3'-UTRs are associated with proliferative and cancer cells, and long 3'-UTRs are mostly found in polarized and differentiated cells. Fundamental new insights on the physiological consequences of this widespread event and the molecular mechanisms involved have been revealed through single-cell studies. Publicly available comprehensive databases that cover all APA mRNA isoforms identified in many cellular states and diseases reveal specific APA signatures. Therapies tackling APA mRNA isoforms or APA regulators may be regarded as innovative and attractive tools for diagnostics or treatment of several pathologies. We highlight the function of APA and alternative 3'-UTRs in gene expression regulation, the control of these mechanisms, their physiological consequences, and their potential use as new biomarkers and therapeutic tools. This article is categorized under: RNA Processing > 3' End Processing RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein-RNA Interactions: Functional Implications RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Pereira-Castro
- Gene Regulation, i3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,IBMC, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Alexandra Moreira
- Gene Regulation, i3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,IBMC, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,ICBAS, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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26
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Floc'hlay S, Wong ES, Zhao B, Viales RR, Thomas-Chollier M, Thieffry D, Garfield DA, Furlong EEM. Cis-acting variation is common across regulatory layers but is often buffered during embryonic development. Genome Res 2021; 31:211-224. [PMID: 33310749 PMCID: PMC7849415 DOI: 10.1101/gr.266338.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Precise patterns of gene expression are driven by interactions between transcription factors, regulatory DNA sequences, and chromatin. How DNA mutations affecting any one of these regulatory "layers" are buffered or propagated to gene expression remains unclear. To address this, we quantified allele-specific changes in chromatin accessibility, histone modifications, and gene expression in F1 embryos generated from eight Drosophila crosses at three embryonic stages, yielding a comprehensive data set of 240 samples spanning multiple regulatory layers. Genetic variation (allelic imbalance) impacts gene expression more frequently than chromatin features, with metabolic and environmental response genes being most often affected. Allelic imbalance in cis-regulatory elements (enhancers) is common and highly heritable, yet its functional impact does not generally propagate to gene expression. When it does, genetic variation impacts RNA levels through two alternative mechanisms involving either H3K4me3 or chromatin accessibility and H3K27ac. Changes in RNA are more predictive of variation in H3K4me3 than vice versa, suggesting a role for H3K4me3 downstream from transcription. The impact of a substantial proportion of genetic variation is consistent across embryonic stages, with 50% of allelic imbalanced features at one stage being also imbalanced at subsequent developmental stages. Crucially, buffering, as well as the magnitude and evolutionary impact of genetic variants, is influenced by regulatory complexity (i.e., number of enhancers regulating a gene), with transcription factors being most robust to cis-acting, but most influenced by trans-acting, variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swann Floc'hlay
- Institut de Biologie de l'ENS (IBENS), École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Emily S Wong
- Molecular, Structural and Computational Biology Division, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, New South Wales 2010, Australia
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Bingqing Zhao
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rebecca R Viales
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Morgane Thomas-Chollier
- Institut de Biologie de l'ENS (IBENS), École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, 75005 Paris, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 75005 Paris, France
| | - Denis Thieffry
- Institut de Biologie de l'ENS (IBENS), École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, 75005 Paris, France
| | - David A Garfield
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Eileen E M Furlong
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
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27
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Zhang Y, Liu L, Qiu Q, Zhou Q, Ding J, Lu Y, Liu P. Alternative polyadenylation: methods, mechanism, function, and role in cancer. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2021; 40:51. [PMID: 33526057 PMCID: PMC7852185 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-021-01852-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Occurring in over 60% of human genes, alternative polyadenylation (APA) results in numerous transcripts with differing 3'ends, thus greatly expanding the diversity of mRNAs and of proteins derived from a single gene. As a key molecular mechanism, APA is involved in various gene regulation steps including mRNA maturation, mRNA stability, cellular RNA decay, and protein diversification. APA is frequently dysregulated in cancers leading to changes in oncogenes and tumor suppressor gene expressions. Recent studies have revealed various APA regulatory mechanisms that promote the development and progression of a number of human diseases, including cancer. Here, we provide an overview of four types of APA and their impacts on gene regulation. We focus particularly on the interaction of APA with microRNAs, RNA binding proteins and other related factors, the core pre-mRNA 3'end processing complex, and 3'UTR length change. We also describe next-generation sequencing methods and computational tools for use in poly(A) signal detection and APA repositories and databases. Finally, we summarize the current understanding of APA in cancer and provide our vision for future APA related research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lian Liu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qiongzi Qiu
- Center for Uterine Cancer Diagnosis & Therapy Research of Zhejiang Province, Women's Reproductive Health Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Women's Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qing Zhou
- Center for Uterine Cancer Diagnosis & Therapy Research of Zhejiang Province, Women's Reproductive Health Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Women's Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jinwang Ding
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Key Laboratory of Head & Neck Cancer Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310022, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Yan Lu
- Center for Uterine Cancer Diagnosis & Therapy Research of Zhejiang Province, Women's Reproductive Health Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Women's Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, Zhejiang, China.
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Pengyuan Liu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, Zhejiang, China.
- Department of Physiology, Center of Systems Molecular Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA.
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, Zhejiang, China.
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28
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Population-scale genetic control of alternative polyadenylation and its association with human diseases. QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.15302/j-qb-021-0252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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29
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Al-Husini N, Medler S, Ansari A. Crosstalk of promoter and terminator during RNA polymerase II transcription cycle. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2020; 1863:194657. [PMID: 33246184 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2020.194657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The transcription cycle of RNAPII is comprised of three consecutive steps; initiation, elongation and termination. It has been assumed that the initiation and termination steps occur in spatial isolation, essentially as independent events. A growing body of evidence, however, has challenged this dogma. First, factors involved in initiation and termination exhibit both a genetic and a physical interaction during transcription. Second, the initiation and termination factors have been found to occupy both ends of a transcribing gene. Third, physical interaction of initiation and termination factors occupying distal ends of a gene sometime results in the entire terminator region of a genes looping back and contact its cognate promoter, thereby forming a looped gene architecture during transcription. A logical interpretation of these findings is that the initiation and termination steps of transcription do not occur in isolation. There is extensive communication of factors occupying promoter and terminator ends of a gene during transcription cycle. This review entails a discussion of the promoter-terminator crosstalk and its implication in the context of transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadra Al-Husini
- Department of Biological Science, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States of America
| | - Scott Medler
- Department of Biological Science, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States of America
| | - Athar Ansari
- Department of Biological Science, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States of America.
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Toxin-like neuropeptides in the sea anemone Nematostella unravel recruitment from the nervous system to venom. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:27481-27492. [PMID: 33060291 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2011120117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The sea anemone Nematostella vectensis (Anthozoa, Cnidaria) is a powerful model for characterizing the evolution of genes functioning in venom and nervous systems. Although venom has evolved independently numerous times in animals, the evolutionary origin of many toxins remains unknown. In this work, we pinpoint an ancestral gene giving rise to a new toxin and functionally characterize both genes in the same species. Thus, we report a case of protein recruitment from the cnidarian nervous to venom system. The ShK-like1 peptide has a ShKT cysteine motif, is lethal for fish larvae and packaged into nematocysts, the cnidarian venom-producing stinging capsules. Thus, ShK-like1 is a toxic venom component. Its paralog, ShK-like2, is a neuropeptide localized to neurons and is involved in development. Both peptides exhibit similarities in their functional activities: They provoke contraction in Nematostella polyps and are toxic to fish. Because ShK-like2 but not ShK-like1 is conserved throughout sea anemone phylogeny, we conclude that the two paralogs originated due to a Nematostella-specific duplication of a ShK-like2 ancestor, a neuropeptide-encoding gene, followed by diversification and partial functional specialization. ShK-like2 is represented by two gene isoforms controlled by alternative promoters conferring regulatory flexibility throughout development. Additionally, we characterized the expression patterns of four other peptides with structural similarities to studied venom components and revealed their unexpected neuronal localization. Thus, we employed genomics, transcriptomics, and functional approaches to reveal one venom component, five neuropeptides with two different cysteine motifs, and an evolutionary pathway from nervous to venom system in Cnidaria.
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31
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Wei L, Lee S, Majumdar S, Zhang B, Sanfilippo P, Joseph B, Miura P, Soller M, Lai EC. Overlapping Activities of ELAV/Hu Family RNA Binding Proteins Specify the Extended Neuronal 3' UTR Landscape in Drosophila. Mol Cell 2020; 80:140-155.e6. [PMID: 33007254 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2020.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The tissue-specific deployment of highly extended neural 3' UTR isoforms, generated by alternative polyadenylation (APA), is a broad and conserved feature of metazoan genomes. However, the factors and mechanisms that control neural APA isoforms are not well understood. Here, we show that three ELAV/Hu RNA binding proteins (Elav, Rbp9, and Fne) have similar capacities to induce a lengthened 3' UTR landscape in an ectopic setting. These factors promote accumulation of chromatin-associated, 3' UTR-extended, nascent transcripts, through inhibition of proximal polyadenylation site (PAS) usage. Notably, Elav represses an unannotated splice isoform of fne, switching the normally cytoplasmic Fne toward the nucleus in elav mutants. We use genomic profiling to reveal strong and broad loss of neural APA in elav/fne double mutant CNS, the first genetic background to largely abrogate this distinct APA signature. Overall, we demonstrate how regulatory interplay and functionally overlapping activities of neural ELAV/Hu RBPs drives the neural APA landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Wei
- Department of Developmental Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Seungjae Lee
- Department of Developmental Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Sonali Majumdar
- Department of Developmental Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Binglong Zhang
- Department of Developmental Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Piero Sanfilippo
- Department of Developmental Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA; Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Brian Joseph
- Department of Developmental Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA; Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Pedro Miura
- Department of Developmental Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA; Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Matthias Soller
- School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
| | - Eric C Lai
- Department of Developmental Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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32
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Carrasco J, Rauer M, Hummel B, Grzejda D, Alfonso-Gonzalez C, Lee Y, Wang Q, Puchalska M, Mittler G, Hilgers V. ELAV and FNE Determine Neuronal Transcript Signatures through EXon-Activated Rescue. Mol Cell 2020; 80:156-163.e6. [PMID: 33007255 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2020.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The production of alternative RNA variants contributes to the tissue-specific regulation of gene expression. In the animal nervous system, a systematic shift toward distal sites of transcription termination produces transcript signatures that are crucial for neuron development and function. Here, we report that, in Drosophila, the highly conserved protein ELAV globally regulates all sites of neuronal 3' end processing and directly binds to proximal polyadenylation sites of target mRNAs in vivo. We uncover an endogenous strategy of functional gene rescue that safeguards neuronal RNA signatures in an ELAV loss-of-function context. When not directly repressed by ELAV, the transcript encoding the ELAV paralog FNE acquires a mini-exon, generating a new protein able to translocate to the nucleus and rescue ELAV-mediated alternative polyadenylation and alternative splicing. We propose that exon-activated functional rescue is a more widespread mechanism that ensures robustness of processes regulated by a hierarchy, rather than redundancy, of effectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judit Carrasco
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Biology, Albert Ludwig University, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Molecular and Cellular Biology (IMPRS-MCB), 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Michael Rauer
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Barbara Hummel
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Dominika Grzejda
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Biology, Albert Ludwig University, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Molecular and Cellular Biology (IMPRS-MCB), 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Carlos Alfonso-Gonzalez
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Biology, Albert Ludwig University, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Immunology, Epigenetics and Metabolism (IMPRS-IEM), 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Yeon Lee
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Qingqing Wang
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Monika Puchalska
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Gerhard Mittler
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Valérie Hilgers
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany.
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33
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Slobodin B, Dikstein R. So close, no matter how far: multiple paths connecting transcription to mRNA translation in eukaryotes. EMBO Rep 2020; 21:e50799. [PMID: 32803873 PMCID: PMC7507372 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202050799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcription of DNA into mRNA and translation of mRNA into proteins are two major processes underlying gene expression. Due to the distinct molecular mechanisms, timings, and locales of action, these processes are mainly considered to be independent. During the last two decades, however, multiple factors and elements were shown to coordinate transcription and translation, suggesting an intricate level of synchronization. This review discusses the molecular mechanisms that impact both processes in eukaryotic cells of different origins. The emerging global picture suggests evolutionarily conserved regulation and coordination between transcription and mRNA translation, indicating the importance of this phenomenon for the fine-tuning of gene expression and the adjustment to constantly changing conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris Slobodin
- Department of Biomolecular SciencesThe Weizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Rivka Dikstein
- Department of Biomolecular SciencesThe Weizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
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34
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Zhang Z, So K, Peterson R, Bauer M, Ng H, Zhang Y, Kim JH, Kidd T, Miura P. Elav-Mediated Exon Skipping and Alternative Polyadenylation of the Dscam1 Gene Are Required for Axon Outgrowth. Cell Rep 2020; 27:3808-3817.e7. [PMID: 31242415 PMCID: PMC7092717 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.05.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2018] [Revised: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Many metazoan genes express alternative long 3′ UTR isoforms in the nervous system, but their functions remain largely unclear. In Drosophila melanogaster, the Dscam1 gene generates short and long (Dscam1-L) 3′ UTR isoforms because of alternative polyadenylation (APA). Here, we found that the RNA-binding protein Embryonic Lethal Abnormal Visual System (Elav) impacts Dscam1 biogenesis at two levels, including regulation of long 3′ UTR biogenesis and skipping of an upstream exon (exon 19). MinION long-read sequencing confirmed the connectivity of this alternative splicing event to the long 3′ UTR. Knockdown or CRISPR deletion of Dscam1-L impaired axon outgrowth in Drosophila. The Dscam1 long 3′ UTR was found to be required for correct Elav-mediated skipping of exon 19. Elav thus co-regulates APA and alternative splicing to generate specific Dscam1 transcripts that are essential for neural development. This coupling of APA to alternative splicing might represent a new class of regulated RNA processing. Like most metazoan genes, Dscam1 expresses alternative short and long 3′ UTR mRNAs. Zhang et al. find that loss of Dscam1 long 3′ UTR transcripts impairs axon outgrowth in Drosophila. Long-read sequencing reveals that these long 3′ UTR mRNAs preferentially skip an upstream exon, altering Dscam1 amino acid sequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiping Zhang
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Kevin So
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Ryan Peterson
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Matthew Bauer
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Henry Ng
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Yong Zhang
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Jung Hwan Kim
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Thomas Kidd
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Pedro Miura
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA.
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35
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Mittleman BE, Pott S, Warland S, Zeng T, Mu Z, Kaur M, Gilad Y, Li Y. Alternative polyadenylation mediates genetic regulation of gene expression. eLife 2020; 9:57492. [PMID: 32584258 PMCID: PMC7338057 DOI: 10.7554/elife.57492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known about co-transcriptional or post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms linking noncoding variation to variation in organismal traits. To begin addressing this gap, we used 3’ Seq to study the impact of genetic variation on alternative polyadenylation (APA) in the nuclear and total mRNA fractions of 52 HapMap Yoruba human lymphoblastoid cell lines. We mapped 602 APA quantitative trait loci (apaQTLs) at 10% FDR, of which 152 were nuclear specific. Effect sizes at intronic apaQTLs are negatively correlated with eQTL effect sizes. These observations suggest genetic variants can decrease mRNA expression levels by increasing usage of intronic PAS. We also identified 24 apaQTLs associated with protein levels, but not mRNA expression. Finally, we found that 19% of apaQTLs can be associated with disease. Thus, our work demonstrates that APA links genetic variation to variation in gene expression, protein expression, and disease risk, and reveals uncharted modes of genetic regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briana E Mittleman
- Genetics, Genomics, and Systems Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Sebastian Pott
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Shane Warland
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Tony Zeng
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Zepeng Mu
- Genetics, Genomics, and Systems Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Mayher Kaur
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Yoav Gilad
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States.,Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Yang Li
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States.,Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
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36
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Chen S, Zhu J, Li P, Xia Z, Tu M, Lin Z, Xu B, Fu X. 3'UTRs Regulate Mouse Ntrk2 mRNA Distribution in Cortical Neurons. J Mol Neurosci 2020; 70:1858-1870. [PMID: 32430868 PMCID: PMC7561570 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-020-01579-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
There are two major isoforms of NTRK2 (neurotrophic receptor tyrosine kinase 2, or TrkB), full-length isoform with tyrosine kinase (TK) domain intact (+) and spliced isoform without tyrosine kinase domain (TK(−)). Within each isoform, there exist subtypes with minor modifications of the protein sequences. In human, the NTRK2 mRNA transcripts encoding TK(+) have same 3′UTRs, while the transcripts encoding subtypes of NTRK2 TK(−) have two completely different 3′UTRs. In mouse, the mRNA transcripts encoding same NTRK2 protein sequence for either TK(+) or TK(−) have long or short 3′UTRs, respectively. The physiological functions of these different 3′UTRs are still unknown. Pilocarpine stimulation increased Ntrk2 mRNA levels in soma, while the increase in synaptosome was smaller. FISH results further showed that mouse Ntrk2 transcripts with different 3′UTRs were distributed differently in cultured cortical neurons. The transcripts with long 3′UTR were distributed more in apical dendrites compared with transcripts with short 3′UTR. Our results provide evidence of non-coding 3′UTR function in regulating mRNA distribution in neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shangqin Chen
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jinjin Zhu
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Peijun Li
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhaonan Xia
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Mengjing Tu
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhenlang Lin
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Baoji Xu
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
| | - Xiaoqin Fu
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China.
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37
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Emerging Roles for 3' UTRs in Neurons. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21103413. [PMID: 32408514 PMCID: PMC7279237 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21103413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The 3′ untranslated regions (3′ UTRs) of mRNAs serve as hubs for post-transcriptional control as the targets of microRNAs (miRNAs) and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). Sequences in 3′ UTRs confer alterations in mRNA stability, direct mRNA localization to subcellular regions, and impart translational control. Thousands of mRNAs are localized to subcellular compartments in neurons—including axons, dendrites, and synapses—where they are thought to undergo local translation. Despite an established role for 3′ UTR sequences in imparting mRNA localization in neurons, the specific RNA sequences and structural features at play remain poorly understood. The nervous system selectively expresses longer 3′ UTR isoforms via alternative polyadenylation (APA). The regulation of APA in neurons and the neuronal functions of longer 3′ UTR mRNA isoforms are starting to be uncovered. Surprising roles for 3′ UTRs are emerging beyond the regulation of protein synthesis and include roles as RBP delivery scaffolds and regulators of alternative splicing. Evidence is also emerging that 3′ UTRs can be cleaved, leading to stable, isolated 3′ UTR fragments which are of unknown function. Mutations in 3′ UTRs are implicated in several neurological disorders—more studies are needed to uncover how these mutations impact gene regulation and what is their relationship to disease severity.
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38
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Samuels TJ, Arava Y, Järvelin AI, Robertson F, Lee JY, Yang L, Yang CP, Lee T, Ish-Horowicz D, Davis I. Neuronal upregulation of Prospero protein is driven by alternative mRNA polyadenylation and Syncrip-mediated mRNA stabilisation. Biol Open 2020; 9:bio049684. [PMID: 32205310 PMCID: PMC7225087 DOI: 10.1242/bio.049684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
During Drosophila and vertebrate brain development, the conserved transcription factor Prospero/Prox1 is an important regulator of the transition between proliferation and differentiation. Prospero level is low in neural stem cells and their immediate progeny, but is upregulated in larval neurons and it is unknown how this process is controlled. Here, we use single molecule fluorescent in situ hybridisation to show that larval neurons selectively transcribe a long prospero mRNA isoform containing a 15 kb 3' untranslated region, which is bound in the brain by the conserved RNA-binding protein Syncrip/hnRNPQ. Syncrip binding increases the stability of the long prospero mRNA isoform, which allows an upregulation of Prospero protein production. Adult flies selectively lacking the long prospero isoform show abnormal behaviour that could result from impaired locomotor or neurological activity. Our findings highlight a regulatory strategy involving alternative polyadenylation followed by differential post-transcriptional regulation.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamsin J Samuels
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Yoav Arava
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
- Department of Biology Technion, Haifa, 32000, Israel
| | - Aino I Järvelin
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | | | - Jeffrey Y Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Lu Yang
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Ching-Po Yang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA, 20147 USA
| | - Tzumin Lee
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA, 20147 USA
| | - David Ish-Horowicz
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College, London, WC1E 6BT UK
| | - Ilan Davis
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
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39
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Neurochemical Organization of the Drosophila Brain Visualized by Endogenously Tagged Neurotransmitter Receptors. Cell Rep 2020; 30:284-297.e5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2019] [Revised: 10/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
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40
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Wang X, You X, Langer JD, Hou J, Rupprecht F, Vlatkovic I, Quedenau C, Tushev G, Epstein I, Schaefke B, Sun W, Fang L, Li G, Hu Y, Schuman EM, Chen W. Full-length transcriptome reconstruction reveals a large diversity of RNA and protein isoforms in rat hippocampus. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5009. [PMID: 31676752 PMCID: PMC6825209 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13037-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene annotation is a critical resource in genomics research. Many computational approaches have been developed to assemble transcriptomes based on high-throughput short-read sequencing, however, only with limited accuracy. Here, we combine next-generation and third-generation sequencing to reconstruct a full-length transcriptome in the rat hippocampus, which is further validated using independent 5´ and 3´-end profiling approaches. In total, we detect 28,268 full-length transcripts (FLTs), covering 6,380 RefSeq genes and 849 unannotated loci. Based on these FLTs, we discover co-occurring alternative RNA processing events. Integrating with polysome profiling and ribosome footprinting data, we predict isoform-specific translational status and reconstruct an open reading frame (ORF)-eome. Notably, a high proportion of the predicted ORFs are validated by mass spectrometry-based proteomics. Moreover, we identify isoforms with subcellular localization pattern in neurons. Collectively, our data advance our knowledge of RNA and protein isoform diversity in the rat brain and provide a rich resource for functional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Wang
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany.
- German Cancer Research Center, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Xintian You
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Julian D Langer
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jingyi Hou
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Fiona Rupprecht
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Irena Vlatkovic
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Claudia Quedenau
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Georgi Tushev
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Irina Epstein
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Bernhard Schaefke
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, 518055, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Medi-X Institute, SUSTech Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Southern University of Science and Technology, 518055, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Wei Sun
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, 518055, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Liang Fang
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, 518055, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Medi-X Institute, SUSTech Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Southern University of Science and Technology, 518055, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Guipeng Li
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, 518055, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Medi-X Institute, SUSTech Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Southern University of Science and Technology, 518055, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Yuhui Hu
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, 518055, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Erin M Schuman
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, 518055, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
- Medi-X Institute, SUSTech Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Southern University of Science and Technology, 518055, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
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41
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Yuan F, Hankey W, Wagner EJ, Li W, Wang Q. Alternative polyadenylation of mRNA and its role in cancer. Genes Dis 2019; 8:61-72. [PMID: 33569514 PMCID: PMC7859462 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2019.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is a molecular process that generates diversity at the 3′ end of RNA polymerase II transcripts from over 60% of human genes. APA is derived from the existence of multiple polyadenylation signals (PAS) within the same transcript, and results in the differential inclusion of sequence information at the 3′ end. While APA can occur between two PASs allowing for generation of transcripts with distinct coding potential from a single gene, most APA occurs within the untranslated region (3′UTR) and changes the length and content of these non-coding sequences. APA within the 3′UTR can have tremendous impact on its regulatory potential of the mRNA through a variety of mechanisms, and indeed this layer of gene expression regulation has profound impact on processes vital to cell growth and development. Recent studies have particularly highlighted the importance of APA dysregulation in cancer onset and progression. Here, we review the current knowledge of APA and its impacts on mRNA stability, translation, localization and protein localization. We also discuss the implications of APA dysregulation in cancer research and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuwen Yuan
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - William Hankey
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Eric J Wagner
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Qianben Wang
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.,Duke Cancer Institute Center for Prostate and Urologic Cancers, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
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42
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Abstract
3' untranslated regions (3' UTRs) of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) are best known to regulate mRNA-based processes, such as mRNA localization, mRNA stability, and translation. In addition, 3' UTRs can establish 3' UTR-mediated protein-protein interactions (PPIs), and thus can transmit genetic information encoded in 3' UTRs to proteins. This function has been shown to regulate diverse protein features, including protein complex formation or posttranslational modifications, but is also expected to alter protein conformations. Therefore, 3' UTR-mediated information transfer can regulate protein features that are not encoded in the amino acid sequence. This review summarizes both 3' UTR functions-the regulation of mRNA and protein-based processes-and highlights how each 3' UTR function was discovered with a focus on experimental approaches used and the concepts that were learned. This review also discusses novel approaches to study 3' UTR functions in the future by taking advantage of recent advances in technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Mayr
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065
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43
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Desterro J, Bak-Gordon P, Carmo-Fonseca M. Targeting mRNA processing as an anticancer strategy. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2019; 19:112-129. [PMID: 31554928 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-019-0042-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Discoveries in the past decade have highlighted the potential of mRNA as a therapeutic target for cancer. Specifically, RNA sequencing revealed that, in addition to gene mutations, alterations in mRNA can contribute to the initiation and progression of cancer. Indeed, precursor mRNA processing, which includes the removal of introns by splicing and the formation of 3' ends by cleavage and polyadenylation, is frequently altered in tumours. These alterations result in numerous cancer-specific mRNAs that generate altered levels of normal proteins or proteins with new functions, leading to the activation of oncogenes or the inactivation of tumour-suppressor genes. Abnormally spliced and polyadenylated mRNAs are also associated with resistance to cancer treatment and, unexpectedly, certain cancers are highly sensitive to the pharmacological inhibition of splicing. This Review summarizes recent progress in our understanding of how splicing and polyadenylation are altered in cancer and highlights how this knowledge has been translated for drug discovery, resulting in the production of small molecules and oligonucleotides that modulate the spliceosome and are in clinical trials for the treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Desterro
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.,Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa, Serviço de Hematologia, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Pedro Bak-Gordon
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Maria Carmo-Fonseca
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
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44
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Legnini I, Alles J, Karaiskos N, Ayoub S, Rajewsky N. FLAM-seq: full-length mRNA sequencing reveals principles of poly(A) tail length control. Nat Methods 2019; 16:879-886. [PMID: 31384046 DOI: 10.1101/547034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Although messenger RNAs are key molecules for understanding life, until now, no method has existed to determine the full-length sequence of endogenous mRNAs including their poly(A) tails. Moreover, although non-A nucleotides can be incorporated in poly(A) tails, there also exists no method to accurately sequence them. Here, we present full-length poly(A) and mRNA sequencing (FLAM-seq), a rapid and simple method for high-quality sequencing of entire mRNAs. We report a complementary DNA library preparation method coupled to single-molecule sequencing to perform FLAM-seq. Using human cell lines, brain organoids and Caenorhabditis elegans we show that FLAM-seq delivers high-quality full-length mRNA sequences for thousands of different genes per sample. We find that 3' untranslated region length is correlated with poly(A) tail length, that alternative polyadenylation sites and alternative promoters for the same gene are linked to different tail lengths, and that tails contain a substantial number of cytosines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivano Legnini
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jonathan Alles
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nikos Karaiskos
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Salah Ayoub
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Rajewsky
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
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45
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Mariella E, Marotta F, Grassi E, Gilotto S, Provero P. The Length of the Expressed 3' UTR Is an Intermediate Molecular Phenotype Linking Genetic Variants to Complex Diseases. Front Genet 2019; 10:714. [PMID: 31475030 PMCID: PMC6707137 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last decades, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have uncovered tens of thousands of associations between common genetic variants and complex diseases. However, these statistical associations can rarely be interpreted functionally and mechanistically. As the majority of the disease-associated variants are located far from coding sequences, even the relevant gene is often unclear. A way to gain insight into the relevant mechanisms is to study the genetic determinants of intermediate molecular phenotypes, such as gene expression and transcript structure. We propose a computational strategy to discover genetic variants affecting the relative expression of alternative 3′ untranslated region (UTR) isoforms, generated through alternative polyadenylation, a widespread posttranscriptional regulatory mechanism known to have relevant functional consequences. When applied to a large dataset in which whole genome and RNA sequencing data are available for 373 European individuals, 2,530 genes with alternative polyadenylation quantitative trait loci (apaQTL) were identified. We analyze and discuss possible mechanisms of action of these variants, and we show that they are significantly enriched in GWAS hits, in particular those concerning immune-related and neurological disorders. Our results point to an important role for genetically determined alternative polyadenylation in affecting predisposition to complex diseases, and suggest new ways to extract functional information from GWAS data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Mariella
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Federico Marotta
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Elena Grassi
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Stefano Gilotto
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Paolo Provero
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.,Center for Tranlational Genomics and Bioinformatics, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
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46
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Legnini I, Alles J, Karaiskos N, Ayoub S, Rajewsky N. FLAM-seq: full-length mRNA sequencing reveals principles of poly(A) tail length control. Nat Methods 2019; 16:879-886. [PMID: 31384046 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-019-0503-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Although messenger RNAs are key molecules for understanding life, until now, no method has existed to determine the full-length sequence of endogenous mRNAs including their poly(A) tails. Moreover, although non-A nucleotides can be incorporated in poly(A) tails, there also exists no method to accurately sequence them. Here, we present full-length poly(A) and mRNA sequencing (FLAM-seq), a rapid and simple method for high-quality sequencing of entire mRNAs. We report a complementary DNA library preparation method coupled to single-molecule sequencing to perform FLAM-seq. Using human cell lines, brain organoids and Caenorhabditis elegans we show that FLAM-seq delivers high-quality full-length mRNA sequences for thousands of different genes per sample. We find that 3' untranslated region length is correlated with poly(A) tail length, that alternative polyadenylation sites and alternative promoters for the same gene are linked to different tail lengths, and that tails contain a substantial number of cytosines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivano Legnini
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jonathan Alles
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nikos Karaiskos
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Salah Ayoub
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Rajewsky
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
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47
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Chen M, Ji G, Fu H, Lin Q, Ye C, Ye W, Su Y, Wu X. A survey on identification and quantification of alternative polyadenylation sites from RNA-seq data. Brief Bioinform 2019; 21:1261-1276. [PMID: 31267126 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbz068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2019] [Revised: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative polyadenylation (APA) has been implicated to play an important role in post-transcriptional regulation by regulating mRNA abundance, stability, localization and translation, which contributes considerably to transcriptome diversity and gene expression regulation. RNA-seq has become a routine approach for transcriptome profiling, generating unprecedented data that could be used to identify and quantify APA site usage. A number of computational approaches for identifying APA sites and/or dynamic APA events from RNA-seq data have emerged in the literature, which provide valuable yet preliminary results that should be refined to yield credible guidelines for the scientific community. In this review, we provided a comprehensive overview of the status of currently available computational approaches. We also conducted objective benchmarking analysis using RNA-seq data sets from different species (human, mouse and Arabidopsis) and simulated data sets to present a systematic evaluation of 11 representative methods. Our benchmarking study showed that the overall performance of all tools investigated is moderate, reflecting that there is still lot of scope to improve the prediction of APA site or dynamic APA events from RNA-seq data. Particularly, prediction results from individual tools differ considerably, and only a limited number of predicted APA sites or genes are common among different tools. Accordingly, we attempted to give some advice on how to assess the reliability of the obtained results. We also proposed practical recommendations on the appropriate method applicable to diverse scenarios and discussed implications and future directions relevant to profiling APA from RNA-seq data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moliang Chen
- Department of Automation, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.,Xiamen Research Institute of National Center of Healthcare Big Data, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Guoli Ji
- Department of Automation, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.,Xiamen Research Institute of National Center of Healthcare Big Data, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Hongjuan Fu
- Department of Automation, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.,Xiamen Research Institute of National Center of Healthcare Big Data, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Qianmin Lin
- Xiang' an hospital of Xiamen university, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Congting Ye
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Wenbin Ye
- Department of Automation, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.,Xiamen Research Institute of National Center of Healthcare Big Data, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Yaru Su
- College of Mathematics and Computer Science, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350116, China
| | - Xiaohui Wu
- Department of Automation, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.,Xiamen Research Institute of National Center of Healthcare Big Data, Xiamen 361005, China
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Xiao R, Chen JY, Liang Z, Luo D, Chen G, Lu ZJ, Chen Y, Zhou B, Li H, Du X, Yang Y, San M, Wei X, Liu W, Lécuyer E, Graveley BR, Yeo GW, Burge CB, Zhang MQ, Zhou Y, Fu XD. Pervasive Chromatin-RNA Binding Protein Interactions Enable RNA-Based Regulation of Transcription. Cell 2019; 178:107-121.e18. [PMID: 31251911 PMCID: PMC6760001 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 202] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Revised: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that transcriptional control and chromatin activities at large involve regulatory RNAs, which likely enlist specific RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). Although multiple RBPs have been implicated in transcription control, it has remained unclear how extensively RBPs directly act on chromatin. We embarked on a large-scale RBP ChIP-seq analysis, revealing widespread RBP presence in active chromatin regions in the human genome. Like transcription factors (TFs), RBPs also show strong preference for hotspots in the genome, particularly gene promoters, where their association is frequently linked to transcriptional output. Unsupervised clustering reveals extensive co-association between TFs and RBPs, as exemplified by YY1, a known RNA-dependent TF, and RBM25, an RBP involved in splicing regulation. Remarkably, RBM25 depletion attenuates all YY1-dependent activities, including chromatin binding, DNA looping, and transcription. We propose that various RBPs may enhance network interaction through harnessing regulatory RNAs to control transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Xiao
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Medical Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China.
| | - Jia-Yu Chen
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Zhengyu Liang
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Daji Luo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Geng Chen
- College of Life Sciences and Institute for Advanced Studies, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Zhi John Lu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yang Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Bing Zhou
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Hairi Li
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Xian Du
- College of Life Sciences and Institute for Advanced Studies, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Yang Yang
- College of Life Sciences and Institute for Advanced Studies, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Mingkui San
- Medical Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Xintao Wei
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Institute for Systems Genomics, UConn Health Science Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Wen Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Eric Lécuyer
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, Département de Biochimie and Médecine Moléculaire, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Brenton R Graveley
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Institute for Systems Genomics, UConn Health Science Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Gene W Yeo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Christopher B Burge
- Program in Computational and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Michael Q Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Systems Biology, University of Texas, Dallas, TX 75080, USA
| | - Yu Zhou
- College of Life Sciences and Institute for Advanced Studies, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Xiang-Dong Fu
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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Ye C, Long Y, Ji G, Li QQ, Wu X. APAtrap: identification and quantification of alternative polyadenylation sites from RNA-seq data. Bioinformatics 2019; 34:1841-1849. [PMID: 29360928 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/bty029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Motivation Alternative polyadenylation (APA) has been increasingly recognized as a crucial mechanism that contributes to transcriptome diversity and gene expression regulation. As RNA-seq has become a routine protocol for transcriptome analysis, it is of great interest to leverage such unprecedented collection of RNA-seq data by new computational methods to extract and quantify APA dynamics in these transcriptomes. However, research progress in this area has been relatively limited. Conventional methods rely on either transcript assembly to determine transcript 3' ends or annotated poly(A) sites. Moreover, they can neither identify more than two poly(A) sites in a gene nor detect dynamic APA site usage considering more than two poly(A) sites. Results We developed an approach called APAtrap based on the mean squared error model to identify and quantify APA sites from RNA-seq data. APAtrap is capable of identifying novel 3' UTRs and 3' UTR extensions, which contributes to locating potential poly(A) sites in previously overlooked regions and improving genome annotations. APAtrap also aims to tally all potential poly(A) sites and detect genes with differential APA site usages between conditions. Extensive comparisons of APAtrap with two other latest methods, ChangePoint and DaPars, using various RNA-seq datasets from simulation studies, human and Arabidopsis demonstrate the efficacy and flexibility of APAtrap for any organisms with an annotated genome. Availability and implementation Freely available for download at https://apatrap.sourceforge.io. Contact liqq@xmu.edu.cn or xhuister@xmu.edu.cn. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congting Ye
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Yuqi Long
- Department of Automation, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Guoli Ji
- Department of Automation, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Qingshun Quinn Li
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China.,Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA
| | - Xiaohui Wu
- Department of Automation, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
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50
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Sadek J, Omer A, Hall D, Ashour K, Gallouzi IE. Alternative polyadenylation and the stress response. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-RNA 2019; 10:e1540. [DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Revised: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jason Sadek
- Department of Biochemistry McGill University, Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Centre Montreal Quebec Canada
| | - Amr Omer
- Department of Biochemistry McGill University, Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Centre Montreal Quebec Canada
| | - Derek Hall
- Department of Biochemistry McGill University, Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Centre Montreal Quebec Canada
| | - Kholoud Ashour
- Department of Biochemistry McGill University, Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Centre Montreal Quebec Canada
| | - Imed Eddine Gallouzi
- Department of Biochemistry McGill University, Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Centre Montreal Quebec Canada
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