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Konstantinidou P, Loubalova Z, Ahrend F, Friman A, Almeida MV, Poulet A, Horvat F, Wang Y, Losert W, Lorenzi H, Svoboda P, Miska EA, van Wolfswinkel JC, Haase AD. A comparative roadmap of PIWI-interacting RNAs across seven species reveals insights into de novo piRNA-precursor formation in mammals. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114777. [PMID: 39302833 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2024] [Revised: 08/09/2024] [Accepted: 09/04/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024] Open
Abstract
PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) play a crucial role in safeguarding genome integrity by silencing mobile genetic elements. From flies to humans, piRNAs originate from long single-stranded precursors encoded by genomic piRNA clusters. How piRNA clusters form to adapt to genomic invaders and evolve to maintain protection remain key outstanding questions. Here, we generate a roadmap of piRNA clusters across seven species that highlights both similarities and variations. In mammals, we identify transcriptional readthrough as a mechanism to generate piRNAs from transposon insertions (piCs) downstream of genes (DoG). Together with the well-known stress-dependent DoG transcripts, our findings suggest a molecular mechanism for the formation of piRNA clusters in response to retroviral invasion. Finally, we identify a class of dynamic piRNA clusters in humans, underscoring unique features of human germ cell biology. Our results advance the understanding of conserved principles and species-specific variations in piRNA biology and provide tools for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parthena Konstantinidou
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Zuzana Loubalova
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Franziska Ahrend
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, US Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Aleksandr Friman
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Biophysics Graduate Program, Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Miguel Vasconcelos Almeida
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK; Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Axel Poulet
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Center for RNA Science and Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Filip Horvat
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic; Bioinformatics Group, Division of Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Yuejun Wang
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, US Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, TN, USA; TriLab Bioinformatics Group, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Wolfgang Losert
- Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Hernan Lorenzi
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; TriLab Bioinformatics Group, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Petr Svoboda
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Eric A Miska
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK; Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Josien C van Wolfswinkel
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Center for RNA Science and Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Astrid D Haase
- National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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2
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Gvozdenov Z, Peng AYT, Biswas A, Barcutean Z, Gestaut D, Frydman J, Struhl K, Freeman BC. TRiC/CCT Chaperonin Governs RNA Polymerase II Activity in the Nucleus to Support RNA Homeostasis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.09.26.615188. [PMID: 39386699 PMCID: PMC11463447 DOI: 10.1101/2024.09.26.615188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/12/2024]
Abstract
The chaperonin TRiC/CCT is a large hetero-oligomeric ringed-structure that is essential in eukaryotes. While present in the nucleus, TRiC/CCT is typically considered to function in the cytosol where it mediates nascent polypeptide folding and the assembly/disassembly of protein complexes. Here, we investigated the nuclear role of TRiC/CCT. Inactivation of TRiC/CCT resulted in a significant increase in the production of nascent RNA leading to the accumulation of noncoding transcripts. The influence on transcription was not due to cytoplasmic TRiC/CCT-activities or other nuclear proteins as the effect was observed when TRiC/CCT was evicted from the nucleus and restricted to the cytoplasm. Rather, our data support a direct role of TRiC/CCT in regulating RNA polymerase II activity, as the chaperonin modulated nascent RNA production both in vivo and in vitro. Overall, our studies reveal a new avenue by which TRiC/CCT contributes to cell homeostasis by regulating the activity of nuclear RNA polymerase II.
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3
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Abe K, Maunze B, Lopez PA, Xu J, Muhammad N, Yang GY, Katz D, Liu Y, Lauberth SM. Downstream-of-gene (DoG) transcripts contribute to an imbalance in the cancer cell transcriptome. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadh9613. [PMID: 38959318 PMCID: PMC11221514 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh9613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Downstream-of-gene (DoG) transcripts are an emerging class of noncoding RNAs. However, it remains largely unknown how DoG RNA production is regulated and whether alterations in DoG RNA signatures exist in major cancers. Here, through transcriptomic analyses of matched tumors and nonneoplastic tissues and cancer cell lines, we reveal a comprehensive catalog of DoG RNA signatures. Through separate lines of evidence, we support the biological importance of DoG RNAs in carcinogenesis. First, we show tissue-specific and stage-specific differential expression of DoG RNAs in tumors versus paired normal tissues with their respective host genes involved in tumor-promoting versus tumor-suppressor pathways. Second, we identify that differential DoG RNA expression is associated with poor patient survival. Third, we identify that DoG RNA induction is a consequence of treating colon cancer cells with the topoisomerase I (TOP1) poison camptothecin and following TOP1 depletion. Our results underlie the significance of DoG RNAs and TOP1-dependent regulation of DoG RNAs in diversifying and modulating the cancer transcriptome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kouki Abe
- Simpson Querrey Institute for Epigenetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Brian Maunze
- Simpson Querrey Institute for Epigenetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Pedro-Avila Lopez
- Simpson Querrey Institute for Epigenetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Jessica Xu
- Simpson Querrey Institute for Epigenetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Nefertiti Muhammad
- Simpson Querrey Institute for Epigenetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Guang-Yu Yang
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - David Katz
- Simpson Querrey Institute for Epigenetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Yaping Liu
- Simpson Querrey Institute for Epigenetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Shannon M. Lauberth
- Simpson Querrey Institute for Epigenetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
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4
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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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5
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Du X, Qin W, Yang C, Dai L, San M, Xia Y, Zhou S, Wang M, Wu S, Zhang S, Zhou H, Li F, He F, Tang J, Chen JY, Zhou Y, Xiao R. RBM22 regulates RNA polymerase II 5' pausing, elongation rate, and termination by coordinating 7SK-P-TEFb complex and SPT5. Genome Biol 2024; 25:102. [PMID: 38641822 PMCID: PMC11027413 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03242-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Splicing factors are vital for the regulation of RNA splicing, but some have also been implicated in regulating transcription. The underlying molecular mechanisms of their involvement in transcriptional processes remain poorly understood. RESULTS Here, we describe a direct role of splicing factor RBM22 in coordinating multiple steps of RNA Polymerase II (RNAPII) transcription in human cells. The RBM22 protein widely occupies the RNAPII-transcribed gene locus in the nucleus. Loss of RBM22 promotes RNAPII pause release, reduces elongation velocity, and provokes transcriptional readthrough genome-wide, coupled with production of transcripts containing sequences from downstream of the gene. RBM22 preferentially binds to the hyperphosphorylated, transcriptionally engaged RNAPII and coordinates its dynamics by regulating the homeostasis of the 7SK-P-TEFb complex and the association between RNAPII and SPT5 at the chromatin level. CONCLUSIONS Our results uncover the multifaceted role of RBM22 in orchestrating the transcriptional program of RNAPII and provide evidence implicating a splicing factor in both RNAPII elongation kinetics and termination control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian Du
- Department of Hematology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wenying Qin
- Department of Hematology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Chunyu Yang
- Department of Hematology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Lin Dai
- Department of Hematology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Mingkui San
- Department of Hematology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yingdan Xia
- Department of Hematology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Siyu Zhou
- Department of Hematology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Mengyang Wang
- Department of Hematology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shuang Wu
- Department of Hematology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shaorui Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Huiting Zhou
- Department of Hematology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Fangshu Li
- Department of Hematology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Fang He
- Department of Hematology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jingfeng Tang
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jia-Yu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yu Zhou
- TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Rui Xiao
- Department of Hematology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
- TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
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6
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Rios F, Uriostegui-Arcos M, Zurita M. Transcriptional Stress Induces the Generation of DoGs in Cancer Cells. Noncoding RNA 2024; 10:5. [PMID: 38250805 PMCID: PMC10801504 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna10010005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
A characteristic of the cellular response to stress is the production of RNAs generated from a readthrough transcription of genes, called downstream-of-gene-(DoG)-containing transcripts. Additionally, transcription inhibitor drugs are candidates for fighting cancer. In this work, we report the results of a bioinformatic analysis showing that one of the responses to transcription inhibition is the generation of DoGs in cancer cells. Although some genes that form DoGs were shared between the two cancer lines, there did not appear to be a functional correlation between them. However, our findings show that DoGs are generated as part of the cellular response to transcription inhibition like other types of cellular stress, suggesting that they may be part of the defense against transcriptional stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mario Zurita
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca Morelos 62250, Mexico (M.U.-A.)
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7
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Aoi Y, Shilatifard A. Transcriptional elongation control in developmental gene expression, aging, and disease. Mol Cell 2023; 83:3972-3999. [PMID: 37922911 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
The elongation stage of transcription by RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II) is central to the regulation of gene expression in response to developmental and environmental cues in metazoan. Dysregulated transcriptional elongation has been associated with developmental defects as well as disease and aging processes. Decades of genetic and biochemical studies have painstakingly identified and characterized an ensemble of factors that regulate RNA Pol II elongation. This review summarizes recent findings taking advantage of genetic engineering techniques that probe functions of elongation factors in vivo. We propose a revised model of elongation control in this accelerating field by reconciling contradictory results from the earlier biochemical evidence and the recent in vivo studies. We discuss how elongation factors regulate promoter-proximal RNA Pol II pause release, transcriptional elongation rate and processivity, RNA Pol II stability and RNA processing, and how perturbation of these processes is associated with developmental disorders, neurodegenerative disease, cancer, and aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Aoi
- Simpson Querrey Institute for Epigenetics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Ali Shilatifard
- Simpson Querrey Institute for Epigenetics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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8
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Cameron DP, Grosser J, Ladigan S, Kuzin V, Iliopoulou E, Wiegard A, Benredjem H, Jackson K, Liffers ST, Lueong S, Cheung PF, Vangala D, Pohl M, Viebahn R, Teschendorf C, Wolters H, Usta S, Geng K, Kutter C, Arsenian-Henriksson M, Siveke JT, Tannapfel A, Schmiegel W, Hahn SA, Baranello L. Coinhibition of topoisomerase 1 and BRD4-mediated pause release selectively kills pancreatic cancer via readthrough transcription. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg5109. [PMID: 37831776 PMCID: PMC10575591 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg5109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic carcinoma lacks effective therapeutic strategies resulting in poor prognosis. Transcriptional dysregulation due to alterations in KRAS and MYC affects initiation, development, and survival of this tumor type. Using patient-derived xenografts of KRAS- and MYC-driven pancreatic carcinoma, we show that coinhibition of topoisomerase 1 (TOP1) and bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) synergistically induces tumor regression by targeting promoter pause release. Comparing the nascent transcriptome with the recruitment of elongation and termination factors, we found that coinhibition of TOP1 and BRD4 disrupts recruitment of transcription termination factors. Thus, RNA polymerases transcribe downstream of genes for hundreds of kilobases leading to readthrough transcription. This occurs during replication, perturbing replisome progression and inducing DNA damage. The synergistic effect of TOP1 + BRD4 inhibition is specific to cancer cells leaving normal cells unaffected, highlighting the tumor's vulnerability to transcriptional defects. This preclinical study provides a mechanistic understanding of the benefit of combining TOP1 and BRD4 inhibitors to treat pancreatic carcinomas addicted to oncogenic drivers of transcription and replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald P. Cameron
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jan Grosser
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Swetlana Ladigan
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Molecular GI Oncology, Bochum, Germany
- Ruhr University Bochum, Knappschaftskrankenhaus, Department of Internal Medicine, Bochum, Germany
| | - Vladislav Kuzin
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Evanthia Iliopoulou
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anika Wiegard
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hajar Benredjem
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kathryn Jackson
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sven T. Liffers
- Division of Solid Tumor Translational Oncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK, partner site Essen) and German Cancer Research Center, DKFZ, Heidelberg, Germany
- Bridge Institute of Experimental Tumor Therapy, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Smiths Lueong
- Division of Solid Tumor Translational Oncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK, partner site Essen) and German Cancer Research Center, DKFZ, Heidelberg, Germany
- Bridge Institute of Experimental Tumor Therapy, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Phyllis F. Cheung
- Division of Solid Tumor Translational Oncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK, partner site Essen) and German Cancer Research Center, DKFZ, Heidelberg, Germany
- Bridge Institute of Experimental Tumor Therapy, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Deepak Vangala
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Molecular GI Oncology, Bochum, Germany
- Ruhr University Bochum, Knappschaftskrankenhaus, Department of Internal Medicine, Bochum, Germany
| | - Michael Pohl
- Ruhr University Bochum, Knappschaftskrankenhaus, Department of Internal Medicine, Bochum, Germany
| | - Richard Viebahn
- Ruhr University Bochum, Knappschaftskrankenhaus, Department of Surgery, Bochum, Germany
| | | | - Heiner Wolters
- Department of Visceral and General Surgery, St. Josef-Hospital, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Selami Usta
- Department of Visceral and General Surgery, St. Josef-Hospital, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Keyi Geng
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Claudia Kutter
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Jens T. Siveke
- Division of Solid Tumor Translational Oncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK, partner site Essen) and German Cancer Research Center, DKFZ, Heidelberg, Germany
- Bridge Institute of Experimental Tumor Therapy, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Wolff Schmiegel
- Ruhr University Bochum, Knappschaftskrankenhaus, Department of Internal Medicine, Bochum, Germany
| | - Stephan A. Hahn
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Molecular GI Oncology, Bochum, Germany
| | - Laura Baranello
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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9
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Cui Y, Wang L, Ding Q, Shin J, Cassel J, Liu Q, Salvino JM, Tian B. Elevated pre-mRNA 3' end processing activity in cancer cells renders vulnerability to inhibition of cleavage and polyadenylation. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4480. [PMID: 37528120 PMCID: PMC10394034 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39793-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Cleavage and polyadenylation (CPA) is responsible for 3' end processing of eukaryotic poly(A)+ RNAs and preludes transcriptional termination. JTE-607, which targets CPSF-73, is the first known CPA inhibitor (CPAi) in mammalian cells. Here we show that JTE-607 perturbs gene expression through both transcriptional readthrough and alternative polyadenylation (APA). Sensitive genes are associated with features similar to those previously identified for PCF11 knockdown, underscoring a unified transcriptomic signature of CPAi. The degree of inhibition of an APA site by JTE-607 correlates with its usage level and, consistently, cells with elevated CPA activities, such as those with induced overexpression of FIP1, display greater transcriptomic disturbances when treated with JTE-607. Moreover, JTE-607 causes S phase crisis and is hence synergistic with inhibitors of DNA damage repair pathways. Together, our data reveal CPA activity and proliferation rate as determinants of CPAi-mediated cell death, raising the possibility of using CPAi as an adjunct therapy to suppress certain cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yange Cui
- Gene Expression and Regulation Program, and Center for Systems and Computational Biology, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Luyang Wang
- Gene Expression and Regulation Program, and Center for Systems and Computational Biology, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Qingbao Ding
- Gene Expression and Regulation Program, and Center for Systems and Computational Biology, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Jihae Shin
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Joel Cassel
- Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Qin Liu
- Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Joseph M Salvino
- Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Bin Tian
- Gene Expression and Regulation Program, and Center for Systems and Computational Biology, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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10
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Karri K, Waxman DJ. Dysregulation of murine long noncoding single-cell transcriptome in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and liver fibrosis. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2023; 29:977-1006. [PMID: 37015806 PMCID: PMC10275269 DOI: 10.1261/rna.079580.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
LncRNAs comprise a heterogeneous class of RNA-encoding genes typified by low expression, nuclear enrichment, high tissue-specificity, and functional diversity, but the vast majority remain uncharacterized. Here, we assembled the mouse liver noncoding transcriptome from >2000 bulk RNA-seq samples and discovered 48,261 liver-expressed lncRNAs, a majority novel. Using these lncRNAs as a single-cell transcriptomic reference set, we elucidated lncRNA dysregulation in mouse models of high fat diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis. Trajectory inference analysis revealed lncRNA zonation patterns across the liver lobule in each major liver cell population. Perturbations in lncRNA expression and zonation were common in several disease-associated liver cell types, including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis-associated macrophages, a hallmark of fatty liver disease progression, and collagen-producing myofibroblasts, a central feature of liver fibrosis. Single-cell-based gene regulatory network analysis using bigSCale2 linked individual lncRNAs to specific biological pathways, and network-essential regulatory lncRNAs with disease-associated functions were identified by their high network centrality metrics. For a subset of these lncRNAs, promoter sequences of the network-defined lncRNA target genes were significantly enriched for lncRNA triplex formation, providing independent mechanistic support for the lncRNA-target gene linkages predicted by the gene regulatory networks. These findings elucidate liver lncRNA cell-type specificities, spatial zonation patterns, associated regulatory networks, and temporal patterns of dysregulation during hepatic disease progression. A subset of the liver disease-associated regulatory lncRNAs identified have human orthologs and are promising candidates for biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kritika Karri
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
- Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - David J Waxman
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
- Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
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Abstract
Formation of the 3' end of a eukaryotic mRNA is a key step in the production of a mature transcript. This process is mediated by a number of protein factors that cleave the pre-mRNA, add a poly(A) tail, and regulate transcription by protein dephosphorylation. Cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor (CPSF) in humans, or cleavage and polyadenylation factor (CPF) in yeast, coordinates these enzymatic activities with each other, with RNA recognition, and with transcription. The site of pre-mRNA cleavage can strongly influence the translation, stability, and localization of the mRNA. Hence, cleavage site selection is highly regulated. The length of the poly(A) tail is also controlled to ensure that every transcript has a similar tail when it is exported from the nucleus. In this review, we summarize new mechanistic insights into mRNA 3'-end processing obtained through structural studies and biochemical reconstitution and outline outstanding questions in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vytautė Boreikaitė
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom;
| | - Lori A Passmore
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom;
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Li Y, Huang J, Bao L, Zhu J, Duan W, Zheng H, Wang H, Jiang Y, Liu W, Zhang M, Yu Y, Yi C, Ji X. RNA Pol II preferentially regulates ribosomal protein expression by trapping disassociated subunits. Mol Cell 2023; 83:1280-1297.e11. [PMID: 36924766 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.02.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II) has been recognized as a passively regulated multi-subunit holoenzyme. However, the extent to which RNA Pol II subunits might be important beyond the RNA Pol II complex remains unclear. Here, fractions containing disassociated RPB3 (dRPB3) were identified by size exclusion chromatography in various cells. Through a unique strategy, i.e., "specific degradation of disassociated subunits (SDDS)," we demonstrated that dRPB3 functions as a regulatory component of RNA Pol II to enable the preferential control of 3' end processing of ribosomal protein genes directly through its N-terminal domain. Machine learning analysis of large-scale genomic features revealed that the little elongation complex (LEC) helps to specialize the functions of dRPB3. Mechanistically, dRPB3 facilitates CBC-PCF11 axis activity to increase the efficiency of 3' end processing. Furthermore, RPB3 is dynamically regulated during development and diseases. These findings suggest that RNA Pol II gains specific regulatory functions by trapping disassociated subunits in mammalian cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanjun Li
- Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jie Huang
- Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Lijun Bao
- Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Junyi Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Wenjia Duan
- Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Haonan Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yongpeng Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Weiwei Liu
- Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Meiling Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Department of Chemical Biology and Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yang Yu
- Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Chengqi Yi
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Department of Chemical Biology and Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xiong Ji
- Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
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