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Gervason S, Sen S, Fontecave M, Golinelli-Pimpaneau B. [4Fe-4S]-dependent enzymes in non-redox tRNA thiolation. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2024; 1871:119807. [PMID: 39106920 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2024.119807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024]
Abstract
Post-transcriptional modification of nucleosides in transfer RNAs (tRNAs) is an important process for accurate and efficient translation of the genetic information during protein synthesis in all domains of life. In particular, specific enzymes catalyze the biosynthesis of sulfur-containing nucleosides, such as the derivatives of 2-thiouridine (s2U), 4-thiouridine (s4U), 2-thiocytidine (s2C), and 2-methylthioadenosine (ms2A), within tRNAs. Whereas the mechanism that has prevailed for decades involved persulfide chemistry, more and more tRNA thiolation enzymes have now been shown to contain a [4Fe-4S] cluster. This review summarizes the information over the last ten years concerning the biochemical, spectroscopic and structural characterization of [4Fe-4S]-dependent non-redox tRNA thiolation enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Gervason
- Laboratoire de Chimie des Processus Biologiques, UMR 8229 CNRS, Collège de France, Sorbonne Université, 11 Place Marcelin Berthelot, 75231, Paris cedex 05, France
| | - Sambuddha Sen
- Laboratoire de Chimie des Processus Biologiques, UMR 8229 CNRS, Collège de France, Sorbonne Université, 11 Place Marcelin Berthelot, 75231, Paris cedex 05, France
| | - Marc Fontecave
- Laboratoire de Chimie des Processus Biologiques, UMR 8229 CNRS, Collège de France, Sorbonne Université, 11 Place Marcelin Berthelot, 75231, Paris cedex 05, France
| | - Béatrice Golinelli-Pimpaneau
- Laboratoire de Chimie des Processus Biologiques, UMR 8229 CNRS, Collège de France, Sorbonne Université, 11 Place Marcelin Berthelot, 75231, Paris cedex 05, France.
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2
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Yuan W, Zhang R, Lyu H, Xiao S, Guo D, Zhang Q, Ali DW, Michalak M, Chen XZ, Zhou C, Tang J. Dysregulation of tRNA methylation in cancer: Mechanisms and targeting therapeutic strategies. Cell Death Discov 2024; 10:327. [PMID: 39019857 PMCID: PMC11254935 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-024-02097-x] [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: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024] Open
Abstract
tRNA is the RNA type that undergoes the most modifications among known RNA, and in recent years, tRNA methylation has emerged as a crucial process in regulating gene translation. Dysregulation of tRNA abundance occurs in cancer cells, along with increased expression and activity of tRNA methyltransferases to raise the level of tRNA modification and stability. This leads to hijacking of translation and synthesis of multiple proteins associated with tumor proliferation, metastasis, invasion, autophagy, chemotherapy resistance, and metabolic reprogramming. In this review, we provide an overview of current research on tRNA methylation in cancer to clarify its involvement in human malignancies and establish a theoretical framework for future therapeutic interventions targeting tRNA methylation processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbin Yuan
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hao Lyu
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shuai Xiao
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Dong Guo
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Declan William Ali
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Marek Michalak
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Xing-Zhen Chen
- Membrane Protein Disease Research Group, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Cefan Zhou
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Jingfeng Tang
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China.
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3
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Cui J, Sendinc E, Liu Q, Kim S, Fang JY, Gregory RI. m 3C32 tRNA modification controls serine codon-biased mRNA translation, cell cycle, and DNA-damage response. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5775. [PMID: 38982125 PMCID: PMC11233606 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50161-y] [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: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The epitranscriptome includes a diversity of RNA modifications that influence gene expression. N3-methylcytidine (m3C) mainly occurs in the anticodon loop (position C32) of certain tRNAs yet its role is poorly understood. Here, using HAC-Seq, we report comprehensive METTL2A/2B-, METTL6-, and METTL2A/2B/6-dependent m3C profiles in human cells. METTL2A/2B modifies tRNA-arginine and tRNA-threonine members, whereas METTL6 modifies the tRNA-serine family. However, decreased m3C32 on tRNA-Ser-GCT isodecoders is only observed with combined METTL2A/2B/6 deletion. Ribo-Seq reveals altered translation of genes related to cell cycle and DNA repair pathways in METTL2A/2B/6-deficient cells, and these mRNAs are enriched in AGU codons that require tRNA-Ser-GCT for translation. These results, supported by reporter assays, help explain the observed altered cell cycle, slowed proliferation, and increased cisplatin sensitivity phenotypes of METTL2A/2B/6-deficient cells. Thus, we define METTL2A/2B/6-dependent methylomes and uncover a particular requirement of m3C32 tRNA modification for serine codon-biased mRNA translation of cell cycle, and DNA repair genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Cui
- Stem Cell Program, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Erdem Sendinc
- Stem Cell Program, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Qi Liu
- Stem Cell Program, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Rice Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 510640, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of New Technology in Rice Breeding, 510640, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Sujin Kim
- Stem Cell Program, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jaden Y Fang
- Stem Cell Program, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Richard I Gregory
- Stem Cell Program, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Harvard Initiative for RNA Medicine, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
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Pitolli M, Cela M, Kapps D, Chicher J, Despons L, Frugier M. Comparative proteomics uncovers low asparagine content in Plasmodium tRip-KO proteins. IUBMB Life 2024. [PMID: 38963319 DOI: 10.1002/iub.2891] [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: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
tRNAs are not only essential for decoding the genetic code, but their abundance also has a strong impact on the rate of protein production, folding, and on the stability of the translated messenger RNAs. Plasmodium expresses a unique surface protein called tRip, involved in the import of exogenous tRNAs into the parasite. Comparative proteomic analysis of the blood stage of wild-type and tRip-KO variant of P. berghei parasites revealed that downregulated proteins in the mutant parasite are distinguished by a bias in their asparagine content. Furthermore, the demonstration of the possibility of charging host tRNAs with Plasmodium aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases led us to propose that imported host tRNAs participate in parasite protein synthesis. These results also suggest a novel mechanism of translational control in which import of host tRNAs emerge as regulators of gene expression in the Plasmodium developmental cycle and pathogenesis, by enabling the synthesis of asparagine-rich regulatory proteins that efficiently and selectively control the parasite infectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Pitolli
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, Strasbourg, France
| | - Marta Cela
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, Strasbourg, France
| | - Delphine Kapps
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, Strasbourg, France
| | - Johana Chicher
- Strasbourg-Esplanade Proteomics Facility, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Laurence Despons
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, Strasbourg, France
| | - Magali Frugier
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, Strasbourg, France
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5
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Sun J, Wu J, Yuan Y, Fan L, Chua WLP, Ling YHS, Balamkundu S, priya D, Suen HCS, de Crécy-Lagard V, Dziergowska A, Dedon PC. tRNA modification profiling reveals epitranscriptome regulatory networks in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.01.601603. [PMID: 39005467 PMCID: PMC11245014 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.01.601603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Transfer RNA (tRNA) modifications have emerged as critical posttranscriptional regulators of gene expression affecting diverse biological and disease processes. While there is extensive knowledge about the enzymes installing the dozens of post-transcriptional tRNA modifications - the tRNA epitranscriptome - very little is known about how metabolic, signaling, and other networks integrate to regulate tRNA modification levels. Here we took a comprehensive first step at understanding epitranscriptome regulatory networks by developing a high-throughput tRNA isolation and mass spectrometry-based modification profiling platform and applying it to a Pseudomonas aeruginosa transposon insertion mutant library comprising 5,746 strains. Analysis of >200,000 tRNA modification data points validated the annotations of predicted tRNA modification genes, uncovered novel tRNA-modifying enzymes, and revealed tRNA modification regulatory networks in P. aeruginosa. Platform adaptation for RNA-seq library preparation would complement epitranscriptome studies, while application to human cell and mouse tissue demonstrates its utility for biomarker and drug discovery and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Sun
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, 138602 Singapore
| | - Junzhou Wu
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, 138602 Singapore
| | - Yifeng Yuan
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 USA
| | - Leon Fan
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
| | - Wei Lin Patrina Chua
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, 138602 Singapore
| | - Yan Han Sharon Ling
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, 138602 Singapore
| | | | - Dwija priya
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, 138602 Singapore
| | - Hazel Chay Suen Suen
- Department of Food, Chemical & Biotechnology, Singapore of Institute of Technology, 138683 Singapore
| | - Valérie de Crécy-Lagard
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 USA
- Genetic Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 USA
| | | | - Peter C. Dedon
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, 138602 Singapore
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6
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Wang J, Gao G, Wang D. Developing AAV-delivered nonsense suppressor tRNAs for neurological disorders. Neurotherapeutics 2024; 21:e00391. [PMID: 38959711 PMCID: PMC11269797 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurot.2024.e00391] [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: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene therapy is a clinical stage therapeutic modality for neurological disorders. A common genetic defect in myriad monogenic neurological disorders is nonsense mutations that account for about 11% of all human pathogenic mutations. Stop codon readthrough by suppressor transfer RNA (sup-tRNA) has long been sought as a potential gene therapy approach to target nonsense mutations, but hindered by inefficient in vivo delivery. The rapid advances in AAV delivery technology have not only powered gene therapy development but also enabled in vivo preclinical assessment of a range of nucleic acid therapeutics, such as sup-tRNA. Compared with conventional AAV gene therapy that delivers a transgene to produce therapeutic proteins, AAV-delivered sup-tRNA has several advantages, such as small gene sizes and operating within the endogenous gene expression regulation, which are important considerations for treating some neurological disorders. This review will first examine sup-tRNA designs and delivery by AAV vectors. We will then analyze how AAV-delivered sup-tRNA can potentially address some neurological disorders that are challenging to conventional gene therapy, followed by discussing available mouse models of neurological diseases for in vivo preclinical testing. Potential challenges for AAV-delivered sup-tRNA to achieve therapeutic efficacy and safety will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaming Wang
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA; Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Guangping Gao
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA; Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
| | - Dan Wang
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA; RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
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7
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Threonine fuels brain tumor growth through a conserved tRNA modification. NATURE CANCER 2024; 5:962-963. [PMID: 38565921 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-024-00750-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
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8
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Wu X, Yuan H, Wu Q, Gao Y, Duan T, Yang K, Huang T, Wang S, Yuan F, Lee D, Taori S, Plute T, Heissel S, Alwaseem H, Isay-Del Viscio M, Molina H, Agnihotri S, Hsu DJ, Zhang N, Rich JN. Threonine fuels glioblastoma through YRDC-mediated codon-biased translational reprogramming. NATURE CANCER 2024; 5:1024-1044. [PMID: 38519786 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-024-00748-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Cancers commonly reprogram translation and metabolism, but little is known about how these two features coordinate in cancer stem cells. Here we show that glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) display elevated protein translation. To dissect underlying mechanisms, we performed a CRISPR screen and identified YRDC as the top essential transfer RNA (tRNA) modification enzyme in GSCs. YRDC catalyzes the formation of N6-threonylcarbamoyladenosine (t6A) on ANN-decoding tRNA species (A denotes adenosine, and N denotes any nucleotide). Targeting YRDC reduced t6A formation, suppressed global translation and inhibited tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo. Threonine is an essential substrate of YRDC. Threonine accumulated in GSCs, which facilitated t6A formation through YRDC and shifted the proteome to support mitosis-related genes with ANN codon bias. Dietary threonine restriction (TR) reduced tumor t6A formation, slowed xenograft growth and augmented anti-tumor efficacy of chemotherapy and anti-mitotic therapy, providing a molecular basis for a dietary intervention in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xujia Wu
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Guangdong Translational Medicine Innovation Platform, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huairui Yuan
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Qiulian Wu
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Yixin Gao
- Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Guangdong Translational Medicine Innovation Platform, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tingting Duan
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Kailin Yang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Tengfei Huang
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Shuai Wang
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Fanen Yuan
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Derrick Lee
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Suchet Taori
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Tritan Plute
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- John G. Rangos Sr. Research Center, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Søren Heissel
- Proteomics Resource Center, the Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hanan Alwaseem
- Proteomics Resource Center, the Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Henrik Molina
- Proteomics Resource Center, the Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sameer Agnihotri
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- John G. Rangos Sr. Research Center, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Dennis J Hsu
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Nu Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Guangdong Translational Medicine Innovation Platform, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Jeremy N Rich
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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Saha S, Mukherjee B, Banerjee P, Das D. The 'Not-So-Famous Five' in tumorigenesis: tRNAs, tRNA fragments, and tRNA epitranscriptome in concert with AARSs and AIMPs. Biochimie 2024; 222:45-62. [PMID: 38401639 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2024.02.004] [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: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
RNA profiling studies have revealed that ∼75% of the human genome is transcribed to RNA but only a meagre fraction of it is translated to proteins. Majority of transcribed RNA constitute a specialized pool of non-coding RNAs. Human genome contains approximately 506 genes encoding a set of 51 different tRNAs, constituting a unique class of non-coding RNAs that not only have essential housekeeping functions as translator molecules during protein synthesis, but have numerous uncharted regulatory functions. Intriguing findings regarding a variety of non-canonical functions of tRNAs, tRNA derived fragments (tRFs), esoteric epitranscriptomic modifications of tRNAs, along with aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (AARSs) and ARS-interacting multifunctional proteins (AIMPs), envision a 'peripheral dogma' controlling the flow of genetic information in the backdrop of qualitative information wrung out of the long-live central dogma of molecular biology, to drive cells towards either proliferation or differentiation programs. Our review will substantiate intriguing peculiarities of tRNA gene clusters, atypical tRNA-transcription from internal promoters catalysed by another distinct RNA polymerase enzyme, dynamically diverse tRNA epitranscriptome, intricate mechanism of tRNA-charging by AARSs governing translation fidelity, epigenetic regulation of gene expression by tRNA fragments, and the role of tRNAs and tRNA derived/associated molecules as quantitative determinants of the functional proteome, covertly orchestrating the process of tumorigenesis, through a deregulated tRNA-ome mediating selective codon-biased translation of cancer related gene transcripts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sutapa Saha
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, 86/1, College Street, Kolkata, 700073, WB, India.
| | - Biyas Mukherjee
- Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF, Bidhannagar, Kolkata, 700064, India
| | - Proma Banerjee
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, 86/1, College Street, Kolkata, 700073, WB, India
| | - Debadrita Das
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, 86/1, College Street, Kolkata, 700073, WB, India
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10
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Lee BST, Sinha A, Dedon P, Preiser P. Charting new territory: The Plasmodium falciparum tRNA modification landscape. Biomed J 2024:100745. [PMID: 38734409 DOI: 10.1016/j.bj.2024.100745] [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: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Ribonucleoside modifications comprising the epitranscriptome are present in all organisms and all forms of RNA, including mRNA, rRNA and tRNA, the three major RNA components of the translational machinery. Of these, tRNA is the most heavily modified and the tRNA epitranscriptome has the greatest diversity of modifications. In addition to their roles in tRNA biogenesis, quality control, structure, cleavage, and codon recognition, tRNA modifications have been shown to regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, including humans. However, studies investigating the impact of tRNA modifications on gene expression in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum are currently scarce. Current evidence shows that the parasite has a limited capacity for transcriptional control, which points to a heavier reliance on strategies for posttranscriptional regulation such as tRNA epitranscriptome reprogramming. This review addresses the known functions of tRNA modifications in the biology of P. falciparum while highlighting the potential therapeutic opportunities and the value of using P. falciparum as a model organism for addressing several open questions related to the tRNA epitranscriptome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Sian Teck Lee
- Antimicrobial Resistance IRG, Singapore MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore
| | - Ameya Sinha
- Antimicrobial Resistance IRG, Singapore MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore;; School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Peter Dedon
- Antimicrobial Resistance IRG, Singapore MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore;; Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA USA.
| | - Peter Preiser
- Antimicrobial Resistance IRG, Singapore MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore;; School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore;.
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11
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Añazco-Guenkova AM, Miguel-López B, Monteagudo-García Ó, García-Vílchez R, Blanco S. The impact of tRNA modifications on translation in cancer: identifying novel therapeutic avenues. NAR Cancer 2024; 6:zcae012. [PMID: 38476632 PMCID: PMC10928989 DOI: 10.1093/narcan/zcae012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent advancements have illuminated the critical role of RNA modifications in post-transcriptional regulation, shaping the landscape of gene expression. This review explores how tRNA modifications emerge as critical players, fine-tuning functionalities that not only maintain the fidelity of protein synthesis but also dictate gene expression and translation profiles. Highlighting their dysregulation as a common denominator in various cancers, we systematically investigate the intersection of both cytosolic and mitochondrial tRNA modifications with cancer biology. These modifications impact key processes such as cell proliferation, tumorigenesis, migration, metastasis, bioenergetics and the modulation of the tumor immune microenvironment. The recurrence of altered tRNA modification patterns across different cancer types underscores their significance in cancer development, proposing them as potential biomarkers and as actionable targets to disrupt tumorigenic processes, offering new avenues for precision medicine in the battle against cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M Añazco-Guenkova
- Centro de Investigación del Cáncer and Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) - University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Borja Miguel-López
- Centro de Investigación del Cáncer and Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) - University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Óscar Monteagudo-García
- Centro de Investigación del Cáncer and Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) - University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Raquel García-Vílchez
- Centro de Investigación del Cáncer and Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) - University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Sandra Blanco
- Centro de Investigación del Cáncer and Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) - University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
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12
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Senaldi L, Hassan N, Cullen S, Balaji U, Trigg N, Gu J, Finkelstein H, Phillips K, Conine C, Smith-Raska M. Khdc3 Regulates Metabolism Across Generations in a DNA-Independent Manner. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.27.582278. [PMID: 38464133 PMCID: PMC10925209 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.27.582278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Genetic variants can alter the profile of heritable molecules such as small RNAs in sperm and oocytes, and in this manner ancestral genetic variants can have a significant effect on offspring phenotypes even if they are not themselves inherited. Here we show that wild type female mice descended from ancestors with a mutation in the mammalian germ cell gene Khdc3 have hepatic metabolic defects that persist over multiple generations. We find that genetically wild type females descended from Khdc3 mutants have transcriptional dysregulation of critical hepatic metabolic genes, which persist over multiple generations and pass through both female and male lineages. This was associated with dysregulation of hepatically-metabolized molecules in the blood of these wild type mice with mutational ancestry. The oocytes of Khdc3-null females, as well as their wild type descendants, had dysregulation of multiple small RNAs, suggesting that these epigenetic changes in the gametes transmit the phenotype between generations. Our results demonstrate that ancestral mutation in Khdc3 can produce transgenerational inherited phenotypes, potentially indefinitely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liana Senaldi
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
- Drukier Institute for Children's Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nora Hassan
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sean Cullen
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
- Drukier Institute for Children's Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Uthra Balaji
- Drukier Institute for Children's Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Natalie Trigg
- Departments of Genetics and Paediatrics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jinghua Gu
- Drukier Institute for Children's Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hailey Finkelstein
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kathryn Phillips
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
| | - Colin Conine
- Departments of Genetics and Paediatrics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Matthew Smith-Raska
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
- Drukier Institute for Children's Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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13
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Rashad S, Al-Mesitef S, Mousa A, Zhou Y, Ando D, Sun G, Fukuuchi T, Iwasaki Y, Xiang J, Byrne SR, Sun J, Maekawa M, Saigusa D, Begley TJ, Dedon PC, Niizuma K. Translational response to mitochondrial stresses is orchestrated by tRNA modifications. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.14.580389. [PMID: 38405984 PMCID: PMC10888749 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.14.580389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Mitochondrial stress and dysfunction play important roles in many pathologies. However, how cells respond to mitochondrial stress is not fully understood. Here, we examined the translational response to electron transport chain (ETC) inhibition and arsenite induced mitochondrial stresses. Our analysis revealed that during mitochondrial stress, tRNA modifications (namely f5C, hm5C, queuosine and its derivatives, and mcm5U) dynamically change to fine tune codon decoding, usage, and optimality. These changes in codon optimality drive the translation of many pathways and gene sets, such as the ATF4 pathway and selenoproteins, involved in the cellular response to mitochondrial stress. We further examined several of these modifications using targeted approaches. ALKBH1 knockout (KO) abrogated f5C and hm5C levels and led to mitochondrial dysfunction, reduced proliferation, and impacted mRNA translation rates. Our analysis revealed that tRNA queuosine (tRNA-Q) is a master regulator of the mitochondrial stress response. KO of QTRT1 or QTRT2, the enzymes responsible for tRNA-Q synthesis, led to mitochondrial dysfunction, translational dysregulation, and metabolic alterations in mitochondria-related pathways, without altering cellular proliferation. In addition, our analysis revealed that tRNA-Q loss led to a domino effect on various tRNA modifications. Some of these changes could be explained by metabolic profiling. Our analysis also revealed that utilizing serum deprivation or alteration with Queuine supplementation to study tRNA-Q or stress response can introduce various confounding factors by altering many other tRNA modifications. In summary, our data show that tRNA modifications are master regulators of the mitochondrial stress response by driving changes in codon decoding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherif Rashad
- Department of Neurosurgical Engineering and Translational Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Neurosurgical Engineering and Translational Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Shadi Al-Mesitef
- Department of Neurosurgical Engineering and Translational Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Neurosurgical Engineering and Translational Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Abdulrahman Mousa
- Department of Neurosurgical Engineering and Translational Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Neurosurgical Engineering and Translational Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yuan Zhou
- Department of Neurosurgical Engineering and Translational Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Neurosurgical Engineering and Translational Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Daisuke Ando
- Department of Neurosurgical Engineering and Translational Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Neurosurgical Engineering and Translational Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Neurology, Tohoku university Graduate school of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Guangxin Sun
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA, USA
| | - Tomoko Fukuuchi
- Laboratory of Biomedical and Analytical Sciences, Faculty of Pharma-Science, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuko Iwasaki
- Laboratory of Biomedical and Analytical Sciences, Faculty of Pharma-Science, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jingdong Xiang
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA, USA
| | - Shane R Byrne
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA, USA
- Codomax Inc, 17 Briden St STE 219, Worcester, MA 01605
| | - Jingjing Sun
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA, USA
- Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Antimicrobial Resistance IRG, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise, Singapore
| | - Masamitsu Maekawa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University Hospital, Sendai, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Daisuke Saigusa
- Laboratory of Biomedical and Analytical Sciences, Faculty of Pharma-Science, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Thomas J Begley
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Peter C Dedon
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA, USA
- Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Antimicrobial Resistance IRG, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise, Singapore
| | - Kuniyasu Niizuma
- Department of Neurosurgical Engineering and Translational Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Neurosurgical Engineering and Translational Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
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14
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Han M, Huang Q, Li X, Chen X, Zhu H, Pan Y, Zhang B. M7G-related tumor immunity: novel insights of RNA modification and potential therapeutic targets. Int J Biol Sci 2024; 20:1238-1255. [PMID: 38385078 PMCID: PMC10878144 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.90382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
RNA modifications play a pivotal role in regulating cellular biology by exerting influence over distribution features and molecular functions at the post-transcriptional level. Among these modifications, N7-methylguanosine (m7G) stands out as one of the most prevalent. Over recent years, significant attention has been directed towards understanding the implications of m7G modification. This modification is present in diverse RNA molecules, including transfer RNAs, messenger RNAs, ribosomal RNAs, and other noncoding RNAs. Its regulation occurs through a series of specific methyltransferases and m7G-binding proteins. Notably, m7G modification has been implicated in various diseases, prominently across multiple cancer types. Earlier studies have elucidated the significance of m7G modification in the context of immune biology regulation within the tumor microenvironment. This comprehensive review culminates in a synthesis of findings related to the modulation of immune cells infiltration, encompassing T cells, B cells, and various innate immune cells, all orchestrated by m7G modification. Furthermore, the interplay between m7G modification and its regulatory proteins can profoundly affect the efficacy of diverse adjuvant therapeutics, thereby potentially serving as a pivotal biomarker and therapeutic target for combinatory interventions in diverse cancer types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengzhen Han
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Qibo Huang
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Xinxin Li
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Xiaoping Chen
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - He Zhu
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Yonglong Pan
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Bixiang Zhang
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
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15
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Shi Y, Feng Y, Wang Q, Dong G, Xia W, Jiang F. The Role of tRNA-Centered Translational Regulatory Mechanisms in Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 16:77. [PMID: 38201505 PMCID: PMC10778012 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16010077] [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: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. While numerous factors have been identified as contributing to the development of malignancy, our understanding of the mechanisms involved remains limited. Early cancer detection and the development of effective treatments are therefore critical areas of research. One class of molecules that play a crucial role in the transmission of genetic information are transfer RNAs (tRNAs), which are the most abundant RNA molecules in the human transcriptome. Dysregulated synthesis of tRNAs directly results in translation disorders and diseases, including cancer. Moreover, various types of tRNA modifications and the enzymes responsible for these modifications have been implicated in tumor biology. Furthermore, alterations in tRNA modification can impact tRNA stability, and impaired stability can prompt the cleavage of tRNAs into smaller fragments known as tRNA fragments (tRFs). Initially believed to be random byproducts lacking any physiological function, tRFs have now been redefined as non-coding RNA molecules with distinct roles in regulating RNA stability, translation, target gene expression, and other biological processes. In this review, we present recent findings on translational regulatory models centered around tRNAs in tumors, providing a deeper understanding of tumorigenesis and suggesting new directions for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanjian Shi
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing 211166, China; (Y.S.); (Y.F.); (Q.W.); (G.D.)
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Cancer Research, Cancer Institute of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing 210009, China
- The Fourth Clinical College, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Yipeng Feng
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing 211166, China; (Y.S.); (Y.F.); (Q.W.); (G.D.)
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Cancer Research, Cancer Institute of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing 210009, China
- The Fourth Clinical College, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Qinglin Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing 211166, China; (Y.S.); (Y.F.); (Q.W.); (G.D.)
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Cancer Research, Cancer Institute of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing 210009, China
- The Fourth Clinical College, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Gaochao Dong
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing 211166, China; (Y.S.); (Y.F.); (Q.W.); (G.D.)
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Cancer Research, Cancer Institute of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Wenjie Xia
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing 211166, China; (Y.S.); (Y.F.); (Q.W.); (G.D.)
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Cancer Research, Cancer Institute of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Feng Jiang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing 211166, China; (Y.S.); (Y.F.); (Q.W.); (G.D.)
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Cancer Research, Cancer Institute of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing 210009, China
- The Fourth Clinical College, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
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16
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Nakano Y, Gamper H, McGuigan H, Maharjan S, Sun Z, Krishnan K, Yigit E, Li NS, Piccirilli JA, Kleiner R, Nichols N, Hou YM. Genome-Wide Profiling of tRNA Using an Unexplored Reverse Transcriptase with High Processivity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.09.569604. [PMID: 38106225 PMCID: PMC10723452 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.09.569604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring the dynamic changes of cellular tRNA pools is challenging, due to the extensive post-transcriptional modifications of individual species. The most critical component in tRNAseq is a processive reverse transcriptase (RT) that can read through each modification with high efficiency. Here we show that the recently developed group-II intron RT Induro has the processivity and efficiency necessary to profile tRNA dynamics. Using our Induro-tRNAseq, simpler and more comprehensive than the best methods to date, we show that Induro progressively increases readthrough of tRNA over time and that the mechanism of increase is selective removal of RT stops, without altering the misincorporation frequency. We provide a parallel dataset of the misincorporation profile of Induro relative to the related TGIRT RT to facilitate the prediction of non-annotated modifications. We report an unexpected modification profile among human proline isoacceptors, absent from mouse and lower eukaryotes, that indicates new biology of decoding proline codons.
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17
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Mitchener M, Begley TJ, Dedon PC. Molecular Coping Mechanisms: Reprogramming tRNAs To Regulate Codon-Biased Translation of Stress Response Proteins. Acc Chem Res 2023; 56:3504-3514. [PMID: 37992267 PMCID: PMC10702489 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.3c00572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
As part of the classic central dogma of molecular biology, transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are integral to protein translation as the adaptor molecules that link the genetic code in messenger RNA (mRNA) to the amino acids in the growing peptide chain. tRNA function is complicated by the existence of 61 codons to specify 20 amino acids, with most amino acids coded by two or more synonymous codons. Further, there are often fewer tRNAs with unique anticodons than there are synonymous codons for an amino acid, with a single anticodon able to decode several codons by "wobbling" of the base pairs arising between the third base of the codon and the first position on the anticodon. The complications introduced by synonymous codons and wobble base pairing began to resolve in the 1960s with the discovery of dozens of chemical modifications of the ribonucleotides in tRNA, which, by analogy to the epigenome, are now collectively referred to as the epitranscriptome for not changing the genetic code inherent to all RNA sequences. tRNA modifications were found to stabilize codon-anticodon interactions, prevent misinitiation of translation, and promote translational fidelity, among other functions, with modification deficiencies causing pathological phenotypes. This led to hypotheses that modification-dependent tRNA decoding efficiencies might play regulatory roles in cells. However, it was only with the advent of systems biology and convergent "omic" technologies that the higher level function of synonymous codons and tRNA modifications began to emerge.Here, we describe our laboratories' discovery of tRNA reprogramming and codon-biased translation as a mechanism linking tRNA modifications and synonymous codon usage to regulation of gene expression at the level of translation. Taking a historical approach, we recount how we discovered that the 8-10 modifications in each tRNA molecule undergo unique reprogramming in response to cellular stresses to promote translation of mRNA transcripts with unique codon usage patterns. These modification tunable transcripts (MoTTs) are enriched with specific codons that are differentially decoded by modified tRNAs and that fall into functional families of genes encoding proteins necessary to survive the specific stress. By developing and applying systems-level technologies, we showed that cells lacking specific tRNA modifications are sensitized to certain cellular stresses by mistranslation of proteins, disruption of mitochondrial function, and failure to translate critical stress response proteins. In essence, tRNA reprogramming serves as a cellular coping strategy, enabling rapid translation of proteins required for stress-specific cell response programs. Notably, this phenomenon has now been characterized in all organisms from viruses to humans and in response to all types of environmental changes. We also elaborate on recent findings that cancer cells hijack this mechanism to promote their own growth, metastasis, and chemotherapeutic resistance. We close by discussing how understanding of codon-biased translation in various systems can be exploited to develop new therapeutics and biomanufacturing processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle
M. Mitchener
- Antimicrobial
Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology Centre, Singapore 138602, Singapore
| | - Thomas J. Begley
- Department
of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, New York 12222, United States
- RNA
Institute, University at Albany, Albany, New York 12222, United States
| | - Peter C. Dedon
- Antimicrobial
Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology Centre, Singapore 138602, Singapore
- Department
of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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18
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Anastassiadis T, Köhrer C. Ushering in the era of tRNA medicines. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105246. [PMID: 37703991 PMCID: PMC10583094 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Long viewed as an intermediary in protein translation, there is a growing awareness that tRNAs are capable of myriad other biological functions linked to human health and disease. These emerging roles could be tapped to leverage tRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers, therapeutic targets, or even as novel medicines. Furthermore, the growing array of tRNA-derived fragments, which modulate an increasingly broad spectrum of cellular pathways, is expanding this opportunity. Together, these molecules offer drug developers the chance to modulate the impact of mutations and to alter cell homeostasis. Moreover, because a single therapeutic tRNA can facilitate readthrough of a genetic mutation shared across multiple genes, such medicines afford the opportunity to define patient populations not based on their clinical presentation or mutated gene but rather on the mutation itself. This approach could potentially transform the treatment of patients with rare and ultrarare diseases. In this review, we explore the diverse biology of tRNA and its fragments, examining the past and present challenges to provide a comprehensive understanding of the molecules and their therapeutic potential.
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19
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De Novo Assembly and Characterization of the Transcriptome of an Omnivorous Camel Cricket ( Tachycines meditationis). Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24044005. [PMID: 36835417 PMCID: PMC9966759 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24044005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Tachycines meditationis (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae: Tachycines) is a widely distributed insect in eastern Asia. This species is common in urban environments, and its unique omnivorous diet may contribute to its success in various habitats. However, molecular studies on the species are scarce. Here, we obtained the first transcriptome sequence of T. meditationis and performed preliminary analyses to test whether the evolution of coding sequences fits the expectations based on the species' ecology. We retrieved 476,495 effective transcripts and annotated 46,593 coding sequences (CDS). We analysed the codon usage and found that directional mutation pressure was the leading cause of codon usage bias in this species. This genome-wide relaxed codon usage pattern in T. meditationis is surprising, given the potentially large population size of this species. Moreover, despite the omnivorous diet, the chemosensory genes of this species do not exhibit codon usage deviating significantly from the genome-level pattern. They also do not seem to experience more gene family expansion than other cave cricket species do. A thorough search for rapidly evolved genes using the dN/dS value showed that genes associated with substance synthesis and metabolic pathways, such as retinol metabolism, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, and fatty acid metabolism, underwent species-specific positive selection. While some results seem to contradict the species ecology, our transcriptome assembly provides a valuable molecular resource for future studies on camel cricket evolution and molecular genetics for feeding ecology in insects, in general.
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