1
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Dong X, Sheng K, Gebert LFR, Aiyer S, MacRae IJ, Lyumkis D, Williamson JR. Assembly of the bacterial ribosome with circularly permuted rRNA. Nucleic Acids Res 2024:gkae636. [PMID: 39036963 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Co-transcriptional assembly is an integral feature of the formation of RNA-protein complexes that mediate translation. For ribosome synthesis, prior studies have indicated that the strict order of transcription of rRNA domains may not be obligatory during bacterial ribosome biogenesis, since a series of circularly permuted rRNAs are viable. In this work, we report the structural insights into assembly of the bacterial ribosome large subunit (LSU) based on cryo-EM density maps of intermediates that accumulate during in vitro ribosome synthesis using a set of circularly permuted (CiPer) rRNAs. The observed ensemble of 23 resolved ribosome large subunit intermediates reveals conserved assembly routes with an underlying hierarchy among cooperative assembly blocks. There are intricate interdependencies for the formation of key structural rRNA helices revealed from the circular permutation of rRNA. While the order of domain synthesis is not obligatory, the order of domain association does appear to proceed with a particular order, likely due to the strong evolutionary pressure on efficient ribosome synthesis. This work reinforces the robustness of the known assembly hierarchy of the bacterial large ribosomal subunit and offers a coherent view of how efficient assembly of CiPer rRNAs can be understood in that context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiyu Dong
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Department of Chemistry, and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Kai Sheng
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Department of Chemistry, and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Luca F R Gebert
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Sriram Aiyer
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Section of Molecular Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Ian J MacRae
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Dmitry Lyumkis
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Section of Molecular Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - James R Williamson
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Department of Chemistry, and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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2
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Seffouh A, Nikolay R, Ortega J. Critical steps in the assembly process of the bacterial 50S ribosomal subunit. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:4111-4123. [PMID: 38554105 PMCID: PMC11077053 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
During assembly, ribosomal particles in bacteria fold according to energy landscapes comprised of multiple parallel pathways. Cryo-electron microscopy studies have identified a critical maturation step that occurs during the late assembly stages of the 50S subunit in Bacillus subtilis. This step acts as a point of convergency for all the parallel assembly pathways of the subunit, where an assembly intermediate accumulates in a 'locked' state, causing maturation to pause. Assembly factors then act on this critical step to 'unlock' the last maturation steps involving the functional sites. Without these factors, the 50S subunit fails to complete its assembly, causing cells to die due to a lack of functional ribosomes to synthesize proteins. In this review, we analyze these findings in B. subtilis and examine other cryo-EM studies that have visualized assembly intermediates in different bacterial species, to determine if convergency points in the ribosome assembly process are a common theme among bacteria. There are still gaps in our knowledge, as these methodologies have not yet been applied to diverse species. However, identifying and characterizing these convergency points can reveal how different bacterial species implement unique mechanisms to regulate critical steps in the ribosome assembly process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amal Seffouh
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0C7, Canada
- Centre for Structural Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 0B1, Canada
| | - Rainer Nikolay
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Joaquin Ortega
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0C7, Canada
- Centre for Structural Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 0B1, Canada
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3
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Cruz VE, Weirich CS, Peddada N, Erzberger JP. The DEAD-box ATPase Dbp10/DDX54 initiates peptidyl transferase center formation during 60S ribosome biogenesis. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3296. [PMID: 38632236 PMCID: PMC11024185 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47616-7] [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: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
DEAD-box ATPases play crucial roles in guiding rRNA restructuring events during the biogenesis of large (60S) ribosomal subunits, but their precise molecular functions are currently unknown. In this study, we present cryo-EM reconstructions of nucleolar pre-60S intermediates that reveal an unexpected, alternate secondary structure within the nascent peptidyl-transferase-center (PTC). Our analysis of three sequential nucleolar pre-60S intermediates reveals that the DEAD-box ATPase Dbp10/DDX54 remodels this alternate base pairing and enables the formation of the rRNA junction that anchors the mature form of the universally conserved PTC A-loop. Post-catalysis, Dbp10 captures rRNA helix H61, initiating the concerted exchange of biogenesis factors during late nucleolar 60S maturation. Our findings show that Dbp10 activity is essential for the formation of the ribosome active site and reveal how this function is integrated with subsequent assembly steps to drive the biogenesis of the large ribosomal subunit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor E Cruz
- Department of Biophysics, UT Southwestern Medical Center - ND10.124B, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
- O'Donnell Brain Institute/CAND, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Christine S Weirich
- Department of Biophysics, UT Southwestern Medical Center - ND10.124B, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Nagesh Peddada
- Department of Biophysics, UT Southwestern Medical Center - ND10.124B, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Jan P Erzberger
- Department of Biophysics, UT Southwestern Medical Center - ND10.124B, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
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4
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Dong X, Sheng K, Gebert LFR, Aiyer S, MacRae IJ, Lyumkis D, Williamson JR. Assembly of the Bacterial Ribosome with Circularly Permuted rRNA. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.10.588894. [PMID: 38644992 PMCID: PMC11030442 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.10.588894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Co-transcriptional assembly is an integral feature of the formation of RNA-protein complexes that mediate translation. For ribosome synthesis, prior studies have indicated that the strict order of transcription of rRNA domains may not be obligatory during bacterial ribosome biogenesis, since a series of circularly permuted rRNAs are viable. In this work, we report the insights into assembly of the bacterial ribosome large subunit (LSU) based on cryo-EM density maps of intermediates that accumulate during in vitro ribosome synthesis using a set of circularly permuted (CiPer) rRNAs. The observed ensemble of twenty-three resolved ribosome large subunit intermediates reveals conserved assembly routes with an underlying hierarchy among cooperative assembly blocks. There are intricate interdependencies for the formation of key structural rRNA helices revealed from the circular permutation of rRNA. While the order of domain synthesis is not obligatory, the order of domain association does appear to proceed with a particular order, likely due to the strong evolutionary pressure on efficient ribosome synthesis. This work reinforces the robustness of the known assembly hierarchy of the bacterial large ribosomal subunit, and offers a coherent view of how efficient assembly of CiPer rRNAs can be understood in that context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiyu Dong
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Department of Chemistry, and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Kai Sheng
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Department of Chemistry, and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Luca F R Gebert
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Sriram Aiyer
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Section of Molecular Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Ian J MacRae
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Dmitry Lyumkis
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Section of Molecular Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - James R Williamson
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Department of Chemistry, and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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5
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Hao Y, Hulscher RM, Zinshteyn B, Woodson SA. Late consolidation of rRNA structure during co-transcriptional assembly in E. coli by time-resolved DMS footprinting. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.10.574868. [PMID: 38260533 PMCID: PMC10802402 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.10.574868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
The production of new ribosomes requires proper folding of the rRNA and the addition of more than 50 ribosomal proteins. The structures of some assembly intermediates have been determined by cryo-electron microscopy, yet these structures do not provide information on the folding dynamics of the rRNA. To visualize the changes in rRNA structure during ribosome assembly in E. coli cells, transcripts were pulse-labeled with 4-thiouridine and the structure of newly made rRNA probed at various times by dimethyl sulfate modification and mutational profiling sequencing (4U-DMS-MaPseq). The in-cell DMS modification patterns revealed that many long-range rRNA tertiary interactions and protein binding sites through the 16S and 23S rRNA remain partially unfolded 1.5 min after transcription. By contrast, the active sites were continually shielded from DMS modification, suggesting that these critical regions are guarded by cellular factors throughout assembly. Later, bases near the peptidyl tRNA site exhibited specific rearrangements consistent with the binding and release of assembly factors. Time-dependent structure-probing in cells suggests that many tertiary interactions throughout the new ribosomal subunits remain mobile or unfolded until the late stages of subunit maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumeng Hao
- T.C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Ryan M. Hulscher
- T.C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Boris Zinshteyn
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 725 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Sarah A. Woodson
- T.C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
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6
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LaPeruta AJ, Micic J, Woolford Jr. JL. Additional principles that govern the release of pre-ribosomes from the nucleolus into the nucleoplasm in yeast. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:10867-10883. [PMID: 35736211 PMCID: PMC10639060 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
During eukaryotic ribosome biogenesis, pre-ribosomes travel from the nucleolus, where assembly is initiated, to the nucleoplasm and then are exported to the cytoplasm, where assembly concludes. Although nuclear export of pre-ribosomes has been extensively investigated, the release of pre-ribosomes from the nucleolus is an understudied phenomenon. Initial data indicate that unfolded rRNA interacts in trans with nucleolar components and that, when rRNA folds due to ribosomal protein (RP) binding, the number of trans interactions drops below the threshold necessary for nucleolar retention. To validate and expand on this idea, we performed a bioinformatic analysis of the protein components of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae ribosome assembly pathway. We found that ribosome biogenesis factors (RiBi factors) contain significantly more predicted trans interacting regions than RPs. We also analyzed cryo-EM structures of ribosome assembly intermediates to determine how nucleolar pre-ribosomes differ from post-nucleolar pre-ribosomes, specifically the capacity of RPs, RiBi factors, and rRNA components to interact in trans. We observed a significant decrease in the theoretical trans-interacting capability of pre-ribosomes between nucleolar and post-nucleolar stages of assembly due to the release of RiBi factors from particles and the folding of rRNA. Here, we provide a mechanism for the release of pre-ribosomes from the nucleolus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber J LaPeruta
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Jelena Micic
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - John L Woolford Jr.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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7
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Cruz VE, Weirich CS, Peddada N, Erzberger JP. The DEAD-box ATPase Dbp10/DDX54 initiates peptidyl transferase center formation during 60S ribosome biogenesis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.01.565222. [PMID: 37961218 PMCID: PMC10635065 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.01.565222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
DEAD-box ATPases play crucial roles in guiding rRNA restructuring events during the biogenesis of large (60S) ribosomal subunits, but their precise molecular functions are currently unknown. In this study, we present cryo-EM reconstructions of nucleolar pre-60S intermediates that reveal an unexpected, alternate secondary structure within the nascent peptidyl-transferase-center (PTC). Our analysis of three sequential nucleolar pre-60S intermediates reveals that the DEAD-box ATPase Dbp10/DDX54 remodels this alternate base pairing and enables the formation of the rRNA junction that anchors the mature form of the universally conserved PTC A-loop. Post-catalysis, Dbp10 captures rRNA helix H61, initiating the concerted exchange of biogenesis factors during late nucleolar 60S maturation. Our findings show that Dbp10 activity is essential for the formation of the ribosome active site and reveal how this function is integrated with subsequent assembly steps to drive the biogenesis of the large ribosomal subunit.
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8
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Sun J, Kinman LF, Jahagirdar D, Ortega J, Davis JH. KsgA facilitates ribosomal small subunit maturation by proofreading a key structural lesion. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2023; 30:1468-1480. [PMID: 37653244 PMCID: PMC10710901 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-023-01078-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Ribosome assembly is orchestrated by many assembly factors, including ribosomal RNA methyltransferases, whose precise role is poorly understood. Here, we leverage the power of cryo-EM and machine learning to discover that the E. coli methyltransferase KsgA performs a 'proofreading' function in the assembly of the small ribosomal subunit by recognizing and partially disassembling particles that have matured but are not competent for translation. We propose that this activity allows inactive particles an opportunity to reassemble into an active state, thereby increasing overall assembly fidelity. Detailed structural quantifications in our datasets additionally enabled the expansion of the Nomura assembly map to highlight rRNA helix and r-protein interdependencies, detailing how the binding and docking of these elements are tightly coupled. These results have wide-ranging implications for our understanding of the quality-control mechanisms governing ribosome biogenesis and showcase the power of heterogeneity analysis in cryo-EM to unveil functionally relevant information in biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyu Sun
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Laurel F Kinman
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Dushyant Jahagirdar
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Joaquin Ortega
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
- Centre for Structural Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Joseph H Davis
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Computational and Systems Biology Graduate Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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9
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Bose N, Moore SD. Variable Region Sequences Influence 16S rRNA Performance. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0125223. [PMID: 37212673 PMCID: PMC10269663 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01252-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023] Open
Abstract
16S rRNA gene sequences are commonly analyzed for taxonomic and phylogenetic studies because they contain variable regions that can help distinguish different genera. However, intra-genus distinction using variable region homology is often impossible due to the high overall sequence identities among closely related species, even though some residues may be conserved within respective species. Using a computational method that included the allelic diversity within individual genomes, we discovered that certain Escherichia and Shigella species can be distinguished by a multi-allelic 16S rRNA variable region single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). To evaluate the performance of 16S rRNAs with altered variable regions, we developed an in vivo system that measures the acceptance and distribution of variant 16S rRNAs into a large pool of natural versions supporting normal translation and growth. We found that 16S rRNAs containing evolutionarily disparate variable regions were underpopulated both in ribosomes and in active translation pools, even for an SNP. Overall, this study revealed that variable region sequences can substantially influence the performance of 16S rRNAs and that this biological constraint can be leveraged to justify refining taxonomic assignments of variable region sequence data. IMPORTANCE This study reevaluates the notion that 16S rRNA gene variable region sequences are uninformative for intra-genus classification and that single nucleotide variations within them have no consequence to strains that bear them. We demonstrated that the performance of 16S rRNAs in Escherichia coli can be negatively impacted by sequence changes in variable regions, even for single nucleotide changes that are native to closely related Escherichia and Shigella species; thus, biological performance is likely constraining the evolution of variable regions in bacteria. Further, the native nucleotide variations we tested occur in all strains of their respective species and across their multiple 16S rRNA gene copies, suggesting that these species evolved beyond what would be discerned from a consensus sequence comparison. Therefore, this work also reveals that the multiple 16S rRNA gene alleles found in most bacteria can provide more informative phylogenetic and taxonomic detail than a single reference allele.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikhil Bose
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Sean D. Moore
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
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10
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Assmann SM, Chou HL, Bevilacqua PC. Rock, scissors, paper: How RNA structure informs function. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 35:1671-1707. [PMID: 36747354 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
RNA can fold back on itself to adopt a wide range of structures. These range from relatively simple hairpins to intricate 3D folds and can be accompanied by regulatory interactions with both metabolites and macromolecules. The last 50 yr have witnessed elucidation of an astonishing array of RNA structures including transfer RNAs, ribozymes, riboswitches, the ribosome, the spliceosome, and most recently entire RNA structuromes. These advances in RNA structural biology have deepened insight into fundamental biological processes including gene editing, transcription, translation, and structure-based detection and response to temperature and other environmental signals. These discoveries reveal that RNA can be relatively static, like a rock; that it can have catalytic functions of cutting bonds, like scissors; and that it can adopt myriad functional shapes, like paper. We relate these extraordinary discoveries in the biology of RNA structure to the plant way of life. We trace plant-specific discovery of ribozymes and riboswitches, alternative splicing, organellar ribosomes, thermometers, whole-transcriptome structuromes and pan-structuromes, and conclude that plants have a special set of RNA structures that confer unique types of gene regulation. We finish with a consideration of future directions for the RNA structure-function field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Assmann
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Center for RNA Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Hong-Li Chou
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Philip C Bevilacqua
- Center for RNA Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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11
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Gor K, Duss O. Emerging Quantitative Biochemical, Structural, and Biophysical Methods for Studying Ribosome and Protein-RNA Complex Assembly. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13050866. [PMID: 37238735 DOI: 10.3390/biom13050866] [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: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Ribosome assembly is one of the most fundamental processes of gene expression and has served as a playground for investigating the molecular mechanisms of how protein-RNA complexes (RNPs) assemble. A bacterial ribosome is composed of around 50 ribosomal proteins, several of which are co-transcriptionally assembled on a ~4500-nucleotide-long pre-rRNA transcript that is further processed and modified during transcription, the entire process taking around 2 min in vivo and being assisted by dozens of assembly factors. How this complex molecular process works so efficiently to produce an active ribosome has been investigated over decades, resulting in the development of a plethora of novel approaches that can also be used to study the assembly of other RNPs in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Here, we review biochemical, structural, and biophysical methods that have been developed and integrated to provide a detailed and quantitative understanding of the complex and intricate molecular process of bacterial ribosome assembly. We also discuss emerging, cutting-edge approaches that could be used in the future to study how transcription, rRNA processing, cellular factors, and the native cellular environment shape ribosome assembly and RNP assembly at large.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavan Gor
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
- Faculty of Biosciences, Collaboration for Joint PhD Degree between EMBL and Heidelberg University, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Olivier Duss
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
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12
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Bikmullin AG, Fatkhullin B, Stetsenko A, Gabdulkhakov A, Garaeva N, Nurullina L, Klochkova E, Golubev A, Khusainov I, Trachtmann N, Blokhin D, Guskov A, Validov S, Usachev K, Yusupov M. Yet Another Similarity between Mitochondrial and Bacterial Ribosomal Small Subunit Biogenesis Obtained by Structural Characterization of RbfA from S. aureus. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032118. [PMID: 36768442 PMCID: PMC9917171 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032118] [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: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Ribosome biogenesis is a complex and highly accurate conservative process of ribosomal subunit maturation followed by association. Subunit maturation comprises sequential stages of ribosomal RNA and proteins' folding, modification and binding, with the involvement of numerous RNAses, helicases, GTPases, chaperones, RNA, protein-modifying enzymes, and assembly factors. One such assembly factor involved in bacterial 30S subunit maturation is ribosomal binding factor A (RbfA). In this study, we present the crystal (determined at 2.2 Å resolution) and NMR structures of RbfA as well as the 2.9 Å resolution cryo-EM reconstruction of the 30S-RbfA complex from Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Additionally, we show that the manner of RbfA action on the small ribosomal subunit during its maturation is shared between bacteria and mitochondria. The obtained results clarify the function of RbfA in the 30S maturation process and its role in ribosome functioning in general. Furthermore, given that S. aureus is a serious human pathogen, this study provides an additional prospect to develop antimicrobials targeting bacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aydar G. Bikmullin
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, 420021 Kazan, Russia
| | - Bulat Fatkhullin
- Department of Integrated Structural Biology, Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
| | - Artem Stetsenko
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute (GBB), University of Groningen, 9700 AB Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Azat Gabdulkhakov
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
| | - Natalia Garaeva
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, 420021 Kazan, Russia
| | - Liliia Nurullina
- Department of Integrated Structural Biology, Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Evelina Klochkova
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, 420021 Kazan, Russia
| | - Alexander Golubev
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, 420021 Kazan, Russia
| | | | - Natalie Trachtmann
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Stuttgart, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Dmitriy Blokhin
- NMR Laboratory, Medical Physics Department, Institute of Physics, Kazan Federal University, 420008 Kazan, Russia
| | - Albert Guskov
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute (GBB), University of Groningen, 9700 AB Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Shamil Validov
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, 420021 Kazan, Russia
- Federal Research Center “Kazan Scientific Center of Russian Academy of Sciences”, 420111 Kazan, Russia
| | - Konstantin Usachev
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, 420021 Kazan, Russia
- Federal Research Center “Kazan Scientific Center of Russian Academy of Sciences”, 420111 Kazan, Russia
| | - Marat Yusupov
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, 420021 Kazan, Russia
- Department of Integrated Structural Biology, Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
- Correspondence:
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13
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Fordjour FK, Guo C, Ai Y, Daaboul GG, Gould SJ. A shared, stochastic pathway mediates exosome protein budding along plasma and endosome membranes. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102394. [PMID: 35988652 PMCID: PMC9512851 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles of ∼30 to 150 nm that are secreted by all cells, abundant in all biofluids, and play important roles in health and disease. However, details about the mechanism of exosome biogenesis are unclear. Here, we carried out a cargo-based analysis of exosome cargo protein biogenesis in which we identified the most highly enriched exosomal cargo proteins and then followed their biogenesis, trafficking, and exosomal secretion to test different hypotheses for how cells make exosomes. We show that exosome cargo proteins bud from cells (i) in exosome-sized vesicles regardless of whether they are localized to plasma or endosome membranes, (ii) ∼5-fold more efficiently when localized to the plasma membrane, (iii) ∼5-fold less efficiently when targeted to the endosome membrane, (iv) by a stochastic process that leads to ∼100-fold differences in their abundance from one exosome to another, and (v) independently of small GTPase Rab27a, the ESCRT complex–associated protein Alix, or the cargo protein CD63. Taken together, our results demonstrate that cells use a shared, stochastic mechanism to bud exosome cargoes along the spectrum of plasma and endosome membranes and far more efficiently from the plasma membrane than the endosome. Our observations also indicate that the pronounced variation in content between different exosome-sized vesicles is an inevitable consequence of a stochastic mechanism of small vesicle biogenesis, that the origin membrane of exosome-sized extracellular vesicles simply cannot be determined, and that most of what we currently know about exosomes has likely come from studies of plasma membrane-derived vesicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis K Fordjour
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Chenxu Guo
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yiwei Ai
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Stephen J Gould
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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14
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Bushhouse DZ, Choi EK, Hertz LM, Lucks JB. How does RNA fold dynamically? J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167665. [PMID: 35659535 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in interrogating RNA folding dynamics have shown the classical model of RNA folding to be incomplete. Here, we pose three prominent questions for the field that are at the forefront of our understanding of the importance of RNA folding dynamics for RNA function. The first centers on the most appropriate biophysical framework to describe changes to the RNA folding energy landscape that a growing RNA chain encounters during transcriptional elongation. The second focuses on the potential ubiquity of strand displacement - a process by which RNA can rapidly change conformations - and how this process may be generally present in broad classes of seemingly different RNAs. The third raises questions about the potential importance and roles of cellular protein factors in RNA conformational switching. Answers to these questions will greatly improve our fundamental knowledge of RNA folding and function, drive biotechnological advances that utilize engineered RNAs, and potentially point to new areas of biology yet to be discovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Z Bushhouse
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Graduate Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
| | - Edric K Choi
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Graduate Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
| | - Laura M Hertz
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Graduate Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
| | - Julius B Lucks
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Graduate Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA; Center for Water Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA; Center for Engineering Sustainability and Resilience, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
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15
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Maksimova E, Kravchenko O, Korepanov A, Stolboushkina E. Protein Assistants of Small Ribosomal Subunit Biogenesis in Bacteria. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10040747. [PMID: 35456798 PMCID: PMC9032327 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10040747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Ribosome biogenesis is a fundamental and multistage process. The basic steps of ribosome assembly are the transcription, processing, folding, and modification of rRNA; the translation, folding, and modification of r-proteins; and consecutive binding of ribosomal proteins to rRNAs. Ribosome maturation is facilitated by biogenesis factors that include a broad spectrum of proteins: GTPases, RNA helicases, endonucleases, modification enzymes, molecular chaperones, etc. The ribosome assembly factors assist proper rRNA folding and protein–RNA interactions and may sense the checkpoints during the assembly to ensure correct order of this process. Inactivation of these factors is accompanied by severe growth phenotypes and accumulation of immature ribosomal subunits containing unprocessed rRNA, which reduces overall translation efficiency and causes translational errors. In this review, we focus on the structural and biochemical analysis of the 30S ribosomal subunit assembly factors RbfA, YjeQ (RsgA), Era, KsgA (RsmA), RimJ, RimM, RimP, and Hfq, which take part in the decoding-center folding.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alexey Korepanov
- Correspondence: (A.K.); (E.S.); Tel.: +7-925-7180670 (A.K.); +7-915-4791359 (E.S.)
| | - Elena Stolboushkina
- Correspondence: (A.K.); (E.S.); Tel.: +7-925-7180670 (A.K.); +7-915-4791359 (E.S.)
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16
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Ben-Ari A, Ben-Ari L, Bisker G. Nonequilibrium self-assembly of multiple stored targets in a dimer-based system. J Chem Phys 2021; 155:234113. [PMID: 34937365 DOI: 10.1063/5.0069161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Nonequilibrium self-assembly can be found in various biological processes where chemical potential gradients are exploited to steer the system to a desired organized structure with a particular function. Microtubules, for example, are composed of two globular protein subunits, α-tubulin and β-tubulin, which bind together to form polar dimers that self-assemble a hollow cylinder structure in a process driven by GTPase activity. Inspired by this process, we define a generic self-assembly lattice model containing particles of two subunits, which is driven out-of-equilibrium by a dimer-favoring local driving force. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we characterize the ability of this system to restore pre-encoded target structures as a function of the initial seed size, interaction energy, chemical potential, number of target structures, and strength of the nonequilibrium drive. We demonstrate some intriguing consequences of the drive, such as a smaller critical seed and an improved target assembly stability, compared to the equilibrium scenario. Our results can expand the theoretical basis of nonequilibrium self-assembly and provide deeper understanding of how nonequilibrium driving can overcome equilibrium constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adi Ben-Ari
- Faculty of Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Liron Ben-Ari
- Faculty of Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Gili Bisker
- Faculty of Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
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17
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Abstract
To exert their functions, RNAs adopt diverse structures, ranging from simple secondary to complex tertiary and quaternary folds. In vivo, RNA folding starts with RNA transcription, and a wide variety of processes are coupled to co-transcriptional RNA folding events, including the regulation of fundamental transcription dynamics, gene regulation by mechanisms like attenuation, RNA processing or ribonucleoprotein particle formation. While co-transcriptional RNA folding and associated co-transcriptional processes are by now well accepted as pervasive regulatory principles in all organisms, investigations into the role of the transcription machinery in co-transcriptional folding processes have so far largely focused on effects of the order in which RNA regions are produced and of transcription kinetics. Recent structural and structure-guided functional analyses of bacterial transcription complexes increasingly point to an additional role of RNA polymerase and associated transcription factors in supporting co-transcriptional RNA folding by fostering or preventing strategic contacts to the nascent transcripts. In general, the results support the view that transcription complexes can act as RNA chaperones, a function that has been suggested over 30 years ago. Here, we discuss transcription complexes as RNA chaperones based on recent examples from bacterial transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelly Said
- Freie Universität Berlin, Department Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Laboratory of Structural Biochemistry, Berlin, Germany
| | - Markus C Wahl
- Freie Universität Berlin, Department Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Laboratory of Structural Biochemistry, Berlin, Germany.,Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin Für Materialien Und Energie, Macromolecular Crystallography, Berlin, Germany
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18
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Rodgers ML, Woodson SA. A roadmap for rRNA folding and assembly during transcription. Trends Biochem Sci 2021; 46:889-901. [PMID: 34176739 PMCID: PMC8526401 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2021.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Ribonucleoprotein (RNP) assembly typically begins during transcription when folding of the newly synthesized RNA is coupled with the recruitment of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). Upon binding, the proteins induce structural rearrangements in the RNA that are crucial for the next steps of assembly. Focusing primarily on bacterial ribosome assembly, we discuss recent work showing that early RNA-protein interactions are more dynamic than previously supposed, and remain so, until sufficient proteins are recruited to each transcript to consolidate an entire domain of the RNP. We also review studies showing that stable assembly of an RNP competes against modification and processing of the RNA. Finally, we discuss how transcription sets the timeline for competing and cooperative RNA-RBP interactions that determine the fate of the nascent RNA. How this dance is coordinated is the focus of this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret L Rodgers
- T.C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Sarah A Woodson
- T.C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
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19
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Shape changes and cooperativity in the folding of the central domain of the 16S ribosomal RNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2020837118. [PMID: 33658370 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2020837118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Both the small and large subunits of the ribosome, the molecular machine that synthesizes proteins, are complexes of ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) and a number of proteins. In bacteria, the small subunit has a single 16S rRNA whose folding is the first step in its assembly. The central domain of the 16S rRNA folds independently, driven either by Mg2+ ions or by interaction with ribosomal proteins. To provide a quantitative description of ion-induced folding of the ∼350-nucleotide rRNA, we carried out extensive coarse-grained molecular simulations spanning Mg2+ concentration between 0 and 30 mM. The Mg2+ dependence of the radius of gyration shows that globally the rRNA folds cooperatively. Surprisingly, various structural elements order at different Mg2+ concentrations, indicative of the heterogeneous assembly even within a single domain of the rRNA. Binding of Mg2+ ions is highly specific, with successive ion condensation resulting in nucleation of tertiary structures. We also predict the Mg2+-dependent protection factors, measurable in hydroxyl radical footprinting experiments, which corroborate the specificity of Mg2+-induced folding. The simulations, which agree quantitatively with several experiments on the folding of a three-way junction, show that its folding is preceded by formation of other tertiary contacts in the central junction. Our work provides a starting point in simulating the early events in the assembly of the small subunit of the ribosome.
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20
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Abstract
Codon-dependent translation underlies genetics and phylogenetic inferences, but its origins pose two challenges. Prevailing narratives cannot account for the fact that aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs), which translate the genetic code, must collectively enforce the rules used to assemble themselves. Nor can they explain how specific assignments arose from rudimentary differentiation between ancestral aaRSs and corresponding transfer RNAs (tRNAs). Experimental deconstruction of the two aaRS superfamilies created new experimental tools with which to analyze the emergence of the code. Amino acid and tRNA substrate recognition are linked to phase transfer free energies of amino acids and arise largely from aaRS class-specific differences in secondary structure. Sensitivity to protein folding rules endowed ancestral aaRS-tRNA pairs with the feedback necessary to rapidly compare alternative genetic codes and coding sequences. These and other experimental data suggest that the aaRS bidirectional genetic ancestry stabilized the differentiation and interdependence required to initiate and elaborate the genetic coding table.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles W Carter
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7260, USA;
| | - Peter R Wills
- Department of Physics, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
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21
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Duss O, Stepanyuk GA, Puglisi JD, Williamson JR. Transient Protein-RNA Interactions Guide Nascent Ribosomal RNA Folding. Cell 2019; 179:1357-1369.e16. [PMID: 31761533 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.10.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Ribosome assembly is an efficient but complex and heterogeneous process during which ribosomal proteins assemble on the nascent rRNA during transcription. Understanding how the interplay between nascent RNA folding and protein binding determines the fate of transcripts remains a major challenge. Here, using single-molecule fluorescence microscopy, we follow assembly of the entire 3' domain of the bacterial small ribosomal subunit in real time. We find that co-transcriptional rRNA folding is complicated by the formation of long-range RNA interactions and that r-proteins self-chaperone the rRNA folding process prior to stable incorporation into a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex. Assembly is initiated by transient rather than stable protein binding, and the protein-RNA binding dynamics gradually decrease during assembly. This work questions the paradigm of strictly sequential and cooperative ribosome assembly and suggests that transient binding of RNA binding proteins to cellular RNAs could provide a general mechanism to shape nascent RNA folding during RNP assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Duss
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Galina A Stepanyuk
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Joseph D Puglisi
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - James R Williamson
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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22
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Nuthanakanti A, Walunj MB, Torris A, Badiger MV, Srivatsan SG. Self-assemblies of nucleolipid supramolecular synthons show unique self-sorting and cooperative assembling process. NANOSCALE 2019; 11:11956-11966. [PMID: 31188377 DOI: 10.1039/c9nr01863h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The inherent control of the self-sorting and co-assembling process that has evolved in multi-component biological systems is not easy to emulate in vitro using synthetic supramolecular synthons. Here, using the basic component of nucleic acids and lipids, we describe a simple platform to build hierarchical assemblies of two component systems, which show an interesting self-sorting and co-assembling behavior. The assembling systems are made of a combination of amphiphilic purine and pyrimidine ribonucleoside-fatty acid conjugates (nucleolipids), which were prepared by coupling fatty acid acyl chains of different lengths at the 2'-O- and 3'-O-positions of the ribose sugar. Individually, the purine and pyrimidine nucleolipids adopt a distinct morphology, which either supports or does not support the gelation process. Interestingly, due to the subtle difference in the order of formation and stability of individual assemblies, different mixtures of supramolecular synthons and complementary ribonucleosides exhibit a cooperative and disruptive self-sorting and co-assembling behavior. A systematic morphological analysis combined with single crystal X-ray crystallography, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), NMR, CD, rheological and 3D X-ray microtomography studies provided insights into the mechanism of the self-sorting and co-assembling process. Taken together, this approach has enabled the construction of assemblies with unique higher ordered architectures and gels with remarkably enhanced mechanical strength that cannot be derived from the respective single component systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashok Nuthanakanti
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, Dr Homi Bhabha Road, Pashan, Pune 411008, India.
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23
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Runnels CM, Lanier KA, Williams JK, Bowman JC, Petrov AS, Hud NV, Williams LD. Folding, Assembly, and Persistence: The Essential Nature and Origins of Biopolymers. J Mol Evol 2018; 86:598-610. [PMID: 30456440 PMCID: PMC6267704 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-018-9876-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Life as we know it requires three basic types of polymers: polypeptide, polynucleotide, and polysaccharide. Here we evaluate both universal and idiosyncratic characteristics of these biopolymers. We incorporate this information into a model that explains much about their origins, selection, and early evolution. We observe that all three biopolymer types are pre-organized, conditionally self-complementary, chemically unstable in aqueous media yet persistent because of kinetic trapping, with chiral monomers and directional chains. All three biopolymers are synthesized by dehydration reactions that are catalyzed by molecular motors driven by hydrolysis of phosphorylated nucleosides. All three biopolymers can access specific states that protect against hydrolysis. These protected states are folded, using self-complementary interactions among recurrent folding elements within a given biopolymer, or assembled, in associations between the same or different biopolymer types. Self-association in a hydrolytic environment achieves self-preservation. Heterogeneous association achieves partner-preservation. These universal properties support a model in which life's polymers emerged simultaneously and co-evolved in a common hydrolytic milieu where molecular persistence depended on folding and assembly. We believe that an understanding of the structure, function, and origins of any given type of biopolymer requires the context of other biopolymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calvin M Runnels
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Kathryn A Lanier
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Justin Krish Williams
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Jessica C Bowman
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Anton S Petrov
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Nicholas V Hud
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Loren Dean Williams
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
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24
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Tamaru D, Amikura K, Shimizu Y, Nierhaus KH, Ueda T. Reconstitution of 30S ribosomal subunits in vitro using ribosome biogenesis factors. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2018; 24:1512-1519. [PMID: 30076205 PMCID: PMC6191716 DOI: 10.1261/rna.065615.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Reconstitution of ribosomes in vitro from individual ribosomal proteins provides a powerful tool for understanding the ribosome assembly process including the sequential incorporation of ribosomal proteins. However, conventional assembly methods require high-salt conditions for efficient ribosome assembly. In this study, we reconstituted 30S ribosomal subunits from individually purified ribosomal proteins in the presence of ribosome biogenesis factors. In this system, two GTPases (Era and YjeQ) facilitated assembly of a 30S subunit exhibiting poly(U)-directed polyphenylalanine synthesis and native protein synthesis under physiological conditions. This in vitro system permits a study of the assembly process and function of ribosome biogenesis factors, and it will facilitate the generation of ribosomes from DNA without using cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daichi Tamaru
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8562, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Amikura
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8562, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Shimizu
- Laboratory for Cell-Free Protein Synthesis, RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center, Suita, Osaka 565-0874, Japan
| | - Knud H Nierhaus
- Institute for Medical Physics and Biophysics, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Takuya Ueda
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8562, Japan
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25
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Smith LG, Zhao J, Mathews DH, Turner DH. Physics-based all-atom modeling of RNA energetics and structure. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-RNA 2018; 8. [PMID: 28815951 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Revised: 02/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The database of RNA sequences is exploding, but knowledge of energetics, structures, and dynamics lags behind. All-atom computational methods, such as molecular dynamics, hold promise for closing this gap. New algorithms and faster computers have accelerated progress in improving the reliability and accuracy of predictions. Currently, the methods can facilitate refinement of experimentally determined nuclear magnetic resonance and x-ray structures, but are 'unreliable' for predictions based only on sequence. Much remains to be discovered, however, about the many molecular interactions driving RNA folding and the best way to approximate them quantitatively. The large number of parameters required means that a wide variety of experimental results will be required to benchmark force fields and different approaches. As computational methods become more reliable and accessible, they will be used by an increasing number of biologists, much as x-ray crystallography has expanded. Thus, many fundamental physical principles underlying the computational methods are described. This review presents a summary of the current state of molecular dynamics as applied to RNA. It is designed to be helpful to students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty who are considering or starting computational studies of RNA. WIREs RNA 2017, 8:e1422. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1422.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis G Smith
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Center for RNA Biology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Jianbo Zhao
- Department of Chemistry and Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - David H Mathews
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Center for RNA Biology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Douglas H Turner
- Department of Chemistry and Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
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26
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Zhang X, Zhang D, Zhao C, Tian K, Shi R, Du X, Burcke AJ, Wang J, Chen SJ, Gu LQ. Nanopore electric snapshots of an RNA tertiary folding pathway. Nat Commun 2017; 8:1458. [PMID: 29133841 PMCID: PMC5684407 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01588-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The chemical properties and biological mechanisms of RNAs are determined by their tertiary structures. Exploring the tertiary structure folding processes of RNA enables us to understand and control its biological functions. Here, we report a nanopore snapshot approach combined with coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation and master equation analysis to elucidate the folding of an RNA pseudoknot structure. In this approach, single RNA molecules captured by the nanopore can freely fold from the unstructured state without constraint and can be programmed to terminate their folding process at different intermediates. By identifying the nanopore signatures and measuring their time-dependent populations, we can “visualize” a series of kinetically important intermediates, track the kinetics of their inter-conversions, and derive the RNA pseudoknot folding pathway. This approach can potentially be developed into a single-molecule toolbox to investigate the biophysical mechanisms of RNA folding and unfolding, its interactions with ligands, and its functions. While RNA folding is critical for its function, study of this process is challenging. Here, the authors combine nanopore single-molecule manipulation with theoretical analysis to follow the folding of an RNA pseudoknot, monitoring the intermediate states and the kinetics of their interconversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyue Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA.,Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Dong Zhang
- Department of Physics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Chenhan Zhao
- Department of Physics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Kai Tian
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA.,Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Ruicheng Shi
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Xiao Du
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Andrew J Burcke
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Shi-Jie Chen
- Department of Physics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA. .,Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA. .,Informatics Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA.
| | - Li-Qun Gu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA. .,Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA.
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27
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Razi A, Britton RA, Ortega J. The impact of recent improvements in cryo-electron microscopy technology on the understanding of bacterial ribosome assembly. Nucleic Acids Res 2017; 45:1027-1040. [PMID: 28180306 PMCID: PMC5388408 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkw1231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Revised: 11/20/2016] [Accepted: 11/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) had played a central role in the study of ribosome structure and the process of translation in bacteria since the development of this technique in the mid 1980s. Until recently cryo-EM structures were limited to ∼10 Å in the best cases. However, the recent advent of direct electron detectors has greatly improved the resolution of cryo-EM structures to the point where atomic resolution is now achievable. This improved resolution will allow cryo-EM to make groundbreaking contributions in essential aspects of ribosome biology, including the assembly process. In this review, we summarize important insights that cryo-EM, in combination with chemical and genetic approaches, has already brought to our current understanding of the ribosomal assembly process in bacteria using previous detector technology. More importantly, we discuss how the higher resolution structures now attainable with direct electron detectors can be leveraged to propose precise testable models regarding this process. These structures will provide an effective platform to develop new antibiotics that target this fundamental cellular process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aida Razi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and M. G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Diseases Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Robert A Britton
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology and Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Joaquin Ortega
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and M. G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Diseases Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Abstract
The ribosome is imprinted with a detailed molecular chronology of the origins and early evolution of proteins. Here we show that when arranged by evolutionary phase of ribosomal evolution, ribosomal protein (rProtein) segments reveal an atomic level history of protein folding. The data support a model in which aboriginal oligomers evolved into globular proteins in a hierarchical step-wise process. Complexity of assembly and folding of polypeptide increased incrementally in concert with expansion of rRNA. (i) Short random coil proto-peptides bound to rRNA, and (ii) lengthened over time and coalesced into β–β secondary elements. These secondary elements (iii) accreted and collapsed, primarily into β-domains. Domains (iv) accumulated and gained complex super-secondary structures composed of mixtures of α-helices and β-strands. Early protein evolution was guided and accelerated by interactions with rRNA. rRNA and proto-peptide provided mutual protection from chemical degradation and disassembly. rRNA stabilized polypeptide assemblies, which evolved in a stepwise process into globular domains, bypassing the immense space of random unproductive sequences. Coded proteins originated as oligomers and polymers created by the ribosome, on the ribosome and for the ribosome. Synthesis of increasingly longer products was iteratively coupled with lengthening and maturation of the ribosomal exit tunnel. Protein catalysis appears to be a late byproduct of selection for sophisticated and finely controlled assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A Kovacs
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
| | - Anton S Petrov
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
| | - Kathryn A Lanier
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
| | - Loren Dean Williams
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
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29
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The cryo-EM structure of YjeQ bound to the 30S subunit suggests a fidelity checkpoint function for this protein in ribosome assembly. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E3396-E3403. [PMID: 28396444 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1618016114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent work suggests that bacterial YjeQ (RsgA) participates in the late stages of assembly of the 30S subunit and aids the assembly of the decoding center but also binds the mature 30S subunit with high affinity. To determine the function and mechanisms of YjeQ in the context of the mature subunit, we determined the cryo-EM structure of the fully assembled 30S subunit in complex with YjeQ at 5.8-Å resolution. We found that binding of YjeQ stabilizes helix 44 into a conformation similar to that adopted by the subunit during proofreading. This finding indicates that, along with acting as an assembly factor, YjeQ has a role as a checkpoint protein, consisting of testing the proofreading ability of the 30S subunit. The structure also informs the mechanism by which YjeQ implements the release from the 30S subunit of a second assembly factor, called RbfA. Finally, it reveals how the 30S subunit stimulates YjeQ GTPase activity and leads to release of the protein. Checkpoint functions have been described for eukaryotic ribosome assembly factors; however, this work describes an example of a bacterial assembly factor that tests a specific translation mechanism of the 30S subunit.
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30
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Merriman DK, Xue Y, Yang S, Kimsey IJ, Shakya A, Clay M, Al-Hashimi HM. Shortening the HIV-1 TAR RNA Bulge by a Single Nucleotide Preserves Motional Modes over a Broad Range of Time Scales. Biochemistry 2016; 55:4445-56. [PMID: 27232530 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.6b00285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Helix-junction-helix (HJH) motifs are flexible building blocks of RNA architecture that help define the orientation and dynamics of helical domains. They are also frequently involved in adaptive recognition of proteins and small molecules and in the formation of tertiary contacts. Here, we use a battery of nuclear magnetic resonance techniques to examine how deleting a single bulge residue (C24) from the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) transactivation response element (TAR) trinucleotide bulge (U23-C24-U25) affects dynamics over a broad range of time scales. Shortening the bulge has an effect on picosecond-to-nanosecond interhelical and local bulge dynamics similar to that casued by increasing the Mg(2+) and Na(+) concentration, whereby a preexisting two-state equilibrium in TAR is shifted away from a bent flexible conformation toward a coaxial conformation, in which all three bulge residues are flipped out and flexible. Surprisingly, the point deletion minimally affects microsecond-to-millisecond conformational exchange directed toward two low-populated and short-lived excited conformational states that form through reshuffling of bases pairs throughout TAR. The mutant does, however, adopt a slightly different excited conformational state on the millisecond time scale, in which U23 is intrahelical, mimicking the expected conformation of residue C24 in the excited conformational state of wild-type TAR. Thus, minor changes in HJH topology preserve motional modes in RNA occurring over the picosecond-to-millisecond time scales but alter the relative populations of the sampled states or cause subtle changes in their conformational features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawn K Merriman
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University , Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Yi Xue
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center , Durham, North Carolina 27710, United States
| | - Shan Yang
- Baxter Health Care (Suzhou) Company, Ltd. , Suzhou, Jiang Su 215028, China
| | - Isaac J Kimsey
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center , Durham, North Carolina 27710, United States
| | - Anisha Shakya
- Department of Chemistry and Biophysics, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Mary Clay
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center , Durham, North Carolina 27710, United States
| | - Hashim M Al-Hashimi
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University , Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.,Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center , Durham, North Carolina 27710, United States
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31
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Ni X, Davis JH, Jain N, Razi A, Benlekbir S, McArthur AG, Rubinstein JL, Britton RA, Williamson JR, Ortega J. YphC and YsxC GTPases assist the maturation of the central protuberance, GTPase associated region and functional core of the 50S ribosomal subunit. Nucleic Acids Res 2016; 44:8442-55. [PMID: 27484475 PMCID: PMC5041480 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkw678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
YphC and YsxC are GTPases in Bacillus subtilis that facilitate the assembly of the 50S ribosomal subunit, however their roles in this process are still uncharacterized. To explore their function, we used strains in which the only copy of the yphC or ysxC genes were under the control of an inducible promoter. Under depletion conditions, they accumulated incomplete ribosomal subunits that we named 45SYphC and 44.5SYsxC particles. Quantitative mass spectrometry analysis and the 5–6 Å resolution cryo-EM maps of the 45SYphC and 44.5SYsxC particles revealed that the two GTPases participate in the maturation of the central protuberance, GTPase associated region and key RNA helices in the A, P and E functional sites of the 50S subunit. We observed that YphC and YsxC bind specifically to the two immature particles, suggesting that they represent either on-pathway intermediates or that their structure has not significantly diverged from that of the actual substrate. These results describe the nature of these immature particles, a widely used tool to study the assembly process of the ribosome. They also provide the first insights into the function of YphC and YsxC in 50S subunit assembly and are consistent with this process occurring through multiple parallel pathways, as it has been described for the 30S subunit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodan Ni
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S4K1, Canada M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Diseases Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S4K1, Canada
| | - Joseph H Davis
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA Department of Chemistry and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Nikhil Jain
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Aida Razi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S4K1, Canada M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Diseases Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S4K1, Canada
| | - Samir Benlekbir
- Molecular Structure and Function Program, The Hospital for Sick Children,Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Andrew G McArthur
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S4K1, Canada M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Diseases Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S4K1, Canada
| | - John L Rubinstein
- Molecular Structure and Function Program, The Hospital for Sick Children,Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Robert A Britton
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - James R Williamson
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA Department of Chemistry and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Joaquin Ortega
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S4K1, Canada M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Diseases Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S4K1, Canada
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32
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Ramesh M, Woolford JL. Eukaryote-specific rRNA expansion segments function in ribosome biogenesis. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2016; 22:1153-1162. [PMID: 27317789 PMCID: PMC4931108 DOI: 10.1261/rna.056705.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The secondary structure of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is largely conserved across all kingdoms of life. However, eukaryotes have evolved extra blocks of rRNA sequences, relative to those of prokaryotes, called expansion segments (ES). A thorough characterization of the potential roles of ES remains to be done, possibly because of limitations in the availability of robust systems to study rRNA mutants. We sought to systematically investigate the potential functions, if any, of the ES in 25S rRNA of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by deletion mutagenesis. We deleted 14 of the 16 different eukaryote-specific ES in yeast 25S rRNA individually and assayed their phenotypes. Our results show that all but two of the ES tested are necessary for optimal growth and are required for production of 25S rRNA, suggesting that ES play roles in ribosome biogenesis. Further, we classified expansion segments into groups that participate in early nucleolar, middle, and late nucleoplasmic steps of ribosome biogenesis, by assaying their pre-rRNA processing phenotypes. This study is the first of its kind to systematically identify the functions of eukaryote-specific expansion segments by showing that they play roles in specific steps of ribosome biogenesis. The catalog of phenotypes we identified, combined with previous investigations of the roles ribosomal proteins in large subunit biogenesis, leads us to infer that assembling ribosomes are composed of distinct RNA and protein structural neighborhood clusters that participate in specific steps of ribosome biogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhumitha Ramesh
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15232, USA
| | - John L Woolford
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15232, USA
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33
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Thurlow B, Davis JH, Leong V, Moraes TF, Williamson JR, Ortega J. Binding properties of YjeQ (RsgA), RbfA, RimM and Era to assembly intermediates of the 30S subunit. Nucleic Acids Res 2016; 44:9918-9932. [PMID: 27382067 PMCID: PMC5175332 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkw613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Revised: 06/26/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Our understanding regarding the function of YjeQ (also called RsgA), RbfA, RimM and Era in ribosome biogenesis has been derived in part from the study of immature 30S particles that accumulate in null strains lacking one of these factors. However, their mechanistic details are still unknown. Here, we demonstrate that these immature particles are not dead-end products of assembly, but progress into mature 30S subunits. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed that in vivo the occupancy level of these factors in these immature 30S particles is below 10% and that the concentration of factors does not increase when immature particles accumulate in cells. We measured by microscale thermophoresis that YjeQ and Era binds to the mature 30S subunit with high affinity. However, the binding affinity of these factors to the immature particles and of RimM and RbfA to mature or immature particles was weak, suggesting that binding is not occurring at physiological concentrations. These results suggest that in the absence of these factors, the immature particles evolve into a thermodynamically stable intermediate that exhibits low affinity for the assembly factors. These results imply that the true substrates of YjeQ, RbfA, RimM and Era are immature particles that precede the ribosomal particles accumulating in the knockouts strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett Thurlow
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Diseases Research, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S4K1, Canada
| | - Joseph H Davis
- Department of Integrative Computational and Structural Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Vivian Leong
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Diseases Research, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S4K1, Canada
| | - Trevor F Moraes
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S1A8, Canada
| | - James R Williamson
- Department of Integrative Computational and Structural Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Joaquin Ortega
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Diseases Research, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S4K1, Canada
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Hori N, Denesyuk NA, Thirumalai D. Salt Effects on the Thermodynamics of a Frameshifting RNA Pseudoknot under Tension. J Mol Biol 2016; 428:2847-59. [PMID: 27315694 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2016.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Revised: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Because of the potential link between -1 programmed ribosomal frameshifting and response of a pseudoknot (PK) RNA to force, a number of single-molecule pulling experiments have been performed on PKs to decipher the mechanism of programmed ribosomal frameshifting. Motivated in part by these experiments, we performed simulations using a coarse-grained model of RNA to describe the response of a PK over a range of mechanical forces (fs) and monovalent salt concentrations (Cs). The coarse-grained simulations quantitatively reproduce the multistep thermal melting observed in experiments, thus validating our model. The free energy changes obtained in simulations are in excellent agreement with experiments. By varying f and C, we calculated the phase diagram that shows a sequence of structural transitions, populating distinct intermediate states. As f and C are changed, the stem-loop tertiary interactions rupture first, followed by unfolding of the 3'-end hairpin (I⇌F). Finally, the 5'-end hairpin unravels, producing an extended state (E⇌I). A theoretical analysis of the phase boundaries shows that the critical force for rupture scales as (logCm)(α) with α=1(0.5) for E⇌I (I⇌F) transition. This relation is used to obtain the preferential ion-RNA interaction coefficient, which can be quantitatively measured in single-molecule experiments, as done previously for DNA hairpins. A by-product of our work is the suggestion that the frameshift efficiency is likely determined by the stability of the 5'-end hairpin that the ribosome first encounters during translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoto Hori
- Biophysics Program, Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Natalia A Denesyuk
- Biophysics Program, Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - D Thirumalai
- Biophysics Program, Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
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35
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Wang SR, Min YQ, Wang JQ, Liu CX, Fu BS, Wu F, Wu LY, Qiao ZX, Song YY, Xu GH, Wu ZG, Huang G, Peng NF, Huang R, Mao WX, Peng S, Chen YQ, Zhu Y, Tian T, Zhang XL, Zhou X. A highly conserved G-rich consensus sequence in hepatitis C virus core gene represents a new anti-hepatitis C target. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2016; 2:e1501535. [PMID: 27051880 PMCID: PMC4820367 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1501535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2015] [Accepted: 02/18/2016] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
G-quadruplex (G4) is one of the most important secondary structures in nucleic acids. Until recently, G4 RNAs have not been reported in any ribovirus, such as the hepatitis C virus. Our bioinformatics analysis reveals highly conserved guanine-rich consensus sequences within the core gene of hepatitis C despite the high genetic variability of this ribovirus; we further show using various methods that such consensus sequences can fold into unimolecular G4 RNA structures, both in vitro and under physiological conditions. Furthermore, we provide direct evidences that small molecules specifically targeting G4 can stabilize this structure to reduce RNA replication and inhibit protein translation of intracellular hepatitis C. Ultimately, the stabilization of G4 RNA in the genome of hepatitis C represents a promising new strategy for anti-hepatitis C drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao-Ru Wang
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Yuan-Qin Min
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology and Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, Hubei, China
| | - Jia-Qi Wang
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Chao-Xing Liu
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Bo-Shi Fu
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Fan Wu
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Ling-Yu Wu
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Zhi-Xian Qiao
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Yan-Yan Song
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Guo-Hua Xu
- Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, Hubei, China
| | - Zhi-Guo Wu
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Gai Huang
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Nan-Fang Peng
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Rong Huang
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Wu-Xiang Mao
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Shuang Peng
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Yu-Qi Chen
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Ying Zhu
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Tian Tian
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Xiao-Lian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology and Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, Hubei, China
| | - Xiang Zhou
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, Hubei, China
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36
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Rolfsson Ó, Middleton S, Manfield IW, White SJ, Fan B, Vaughan R, Ranson NA, Dykeman E, Twarock R, Ford J, Kao CC, Stockley PG. Direct Evidence for Packaging Signal-Mediated Assembly of Bacteriophage MS2. J Mol Biol 2016; 428:431-48. [PMID: 26608810 PMCID: PMC4751978 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2015.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Revised: 11/06/2015] [Accepted: 11/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Using cross-linking coupled to matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry and CLIP-Seq sequencing, we determined the peptide and oligonucleotide sequences at the interfaces between the capsid proteins and the genomic RNA of bacteriophage MS2. The results suggest that the same coat protein (CP)-RNA and maturation protein (MP)-RNA interfaces are used in every viral particle. The portions of the viral RNA in contact with CP subunits span the genome, consistent with a large number of discrete and similar contacts within each particle. Many of these sites match previous predictions of the locations of multiple, dispersed and degenerate RNA sites with cognate CP affinity termed packaging signals (PSs). Chemical RNA footprinting was used to compare the secondary structures of protein-free genomic fragments and the RNA in the virion. Some PSs are partially present in protein-free RNA but others would need to refold from their dominant solution conformations to form the contacts identified in the virion. The RNA-binding peptides within the MP map to two sections of the N-terminal half of the protein. Comparison of MP sequences from related phages suggests a similar arrangement of RNA-binding sites, although these N-terminal regions have only limited sequence conservation. In contrast, the sequences of the C-termini are highly conserved, consistent with them encompassing pilin-binding domains required for initial contact with host cells. These results provide independent and unambiguous support for the assembly of MS2 virions via a PS-mediated mechanism involving a series of induced-fit viral protein interactions with RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Óttar Rolfsson
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Stefani Middleton
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; The Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Iain W Manfield
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Simon J White
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Baochang Fan
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Robert Vaughan
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Neil A Ranson
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Eric Dykeman
- Department of Biology and Mathematics and York Centre for Complex Systems Analysis, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | - Reidun Twarock
- Department of Biology and Mathematics and York Centre for Complex Systems Analysis, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | - James Ford
- The Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - C Cheng Kao
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Peter G Stockley
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
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37
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Xu X, Yu T, Chen SJ. Understanding the kinetic mechanism of RNA single base pair formation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:116-21. [PMID: 26699466 PMCID: PMC4711849 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1517511113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA functions are intrinsically tied to folding kinetics. The most elementary step in RNA folding is the closing and opening of a base pair. Understanding this elementary rate process is the basis for RNA folding kinetics studies. Previous studies mostly focused on the unfolding of base pairs. Here, based on a hybrid approach, we investigate the folding process at level of single base pairing/stacking. The study, which integrates molecular dynamics simulation, kinetic Monte Carlo simulation, and master equation methods, uncovers two alternative dominant pathways: Starting from the unfolded state, the nucleotide backbone first folds to the native conformation, followed by subsequent adjustment of the base conformation. During the base conformational rearrangement, the backbone either retains the native conformation or switches to nonnative conformations in order to lower the kinetic barrier for base rearrangement. The method enables quantification of kinetic partitioning among the different pathways. Moreover, the simulation reveals several intriguing ion binding/dissociation signatures for the conformational changes. Our approach may be useful for developing a base pair opening/closing rate model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojun Xu
- Department of Physics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211; Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211; Informatics Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211
| | - Tao Yu
- Department of Physics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211; Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211; Informatics Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211; Department of Physics, Jianghan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430056, China
| | - Shi-Jie Chen
- Department of Physics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211; Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211; Informatics Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211;
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38
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Utp14 Recruits and Activates the RNA Helicase Dhr1 To Undock U3 snoRNA from the Preribosome. Mol Cell Biol 2016; 36:965-78. [PMID: 26729466 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00773-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2015] [Accepted: 12/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
In eukaryotic ribosome biogenesis, U3 snoRNA base pairs with the pre-rRNA to promote its processing. However, U3 must be removed to allow folding of the central pseudoknot, a key feature of the small subunit. Previously, we showed that the DEAH/RHA RNA helicase Dhr1 dislodges U3 from the pre-rRNA. DHR1 can be linked to UTP14, encoding an essential protein of the preribosome, through genetic interactions with the rRNA methyltransferase Bud23. Here, we report that Utp14 regulates Dhr1. Mutations within a discrete region of Utp14 reduced interaction with Dhr1 that correlated with reduced function of Utp14. These mutants accumulated Dhr1 and U3 in a pre-40S particle, mimicking a helicase-inactive Dhr1 mutant. This similarity in the phenotypes led us to propose that Utp14 activates Dhr1. Indeed, Utp14 formed a complex with Dhr1 and stimulated its unwinding activity in vitro. Moreover, the utp14 mutants that mimicked a catalytically inactive dhr1 mutant in vivo showed reduced stimulation of unwinding activity in vitro. Dhr1 binding to the preribosome was substantially reduced only when both Utp14 and Bud23 were depleted. Thus, Utp14 is bifunctional; together with Bud23, it is needed for stable interaction of Dhr1 with the preribosome, and Utp14 activates Dhr1 to dislodge U3.
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Fechter P, Parmentier D, Wu Z, Fuchsbauer O, Romby P, Marzi S. Traditional Chemical Mapping of RNA Structure In Vitro and In Vivo. Methods Mol Biol 2016; 1490:83-103. [PMID: 27665595 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6433-8_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Chemical probing is often used to gain knowledge on the secondary and tertiary structures of RNA molecules either free or engaged in complexes with ligands. The method monitors the reactivity of each nucleotide towards chemicals of various specificities reflecting the hydrogen bonding environment of each nucleotide within the RNA molecule. In addition, information can be obtained on the binding site of a ligand (noncoding RNAs, protein, metabolites), and on RNA conformational changes that accompanied ligand binding or perturbation of the environmental cues. The detection of the modifications can be obtained either by using end-labeled RNA molecules or by primer extension using reverse transcriptase. The goal of this chapter is to provide the reader with an experimental guide to probe the structure of RNA in vitro and in vivo with the most suitable chemical probes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Fechter
- Biotechnologie et Signalisation Cellulaire, CNRS-INSERM, ESBS, Université de Strasbourg, 300 boulevard Sebastien Brant, Illkirch, 67412, France
| | - Delphine Parmentier
- Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, CNRS, IBMC, Université de Strasbourg, 15 rue René Descartes, 67084, Strasbourg, France
| | - ZongFu Wu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang Road, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Olivier Fuchsbauer
- Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, CNRS, IBMC, Université de Strasbourg, 15 rue René Descartes, 67084, Strasbourg, France
| | - Pascale Romby
- Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, CNRS, IBMC, Université de Strasbourg, 15 rue René Descartes, 67084, Strasbourg, France.
| | - Stefano Marzi
- Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, CNRS, IBMC, Université de Strasbourg, 15 rue René Descartes, 67084, Strasbourg, France
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Jeganathan A, Razi A, Thurlow B, Ortega J. The C-terminal helix in the YjeQ zinc-finger domain catalyzes the release of RbfA during 30S ribosome subunit assembly. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2015; 21:1203-1216. [PMID: 25904134 PMCID: PMC4436671 DOI: 10.1261/rna.049171.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2014] [Accepted: 03/22/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
YjeQ (also called RsgA) and RbfA proteins in Escherichia coli bind to immature 30S ribosome subunits at late stages of assembly to assist folding of the decoding center. A key step for the subunit to enter the pool of actively translating ribosomes is the release of these factors. YjeQ promotes dissociation of RbfA during the final stages of maturation; however, the mechanism implementing this functional interplay has not been elucidated. YjeQ features an amino-terminal oligonucleotide/oligosaccharide binding domain, a central GTPase module and a carboxy-terminal zinc-finger domain. We found that the zinc-finger domain is comprised of two functional motifs: the region coordinating the zinc ion and a carboxy-terminal α-helix. The first motif is essential for the anchoring of YjeQ to the 30S subunit and the carboxy-terminal α-helix facilitates the removal of RbfA once the 30S subunit reaches the mature state. Furthermore, the ability of the mature 30S subunit to stimulate YjeQ GTPase activity also depends on the carboxy-terminal α-helix. Our data are consistent with a model in which YjeQ uses this carboxy-terminal α-helix as a sensor to gauge the conformation of helix 44, an essential motif of the decoding center. According to this model, the mature conformation of helix 44 is sensed by the carboxy-terminal α-helix, which in turn stimulates the YjeQ GTPase activity. Hydrolysis of GTP is believed to assist the release of YjeQ from the mature 30S subunit through a still uncharacterized mechanism. These results identify the structural determinants in YjeQ that implement the functional interplay with RbfA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajitha Jeganathan
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Diseases Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4K1
| | - Aida Razi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Diseases Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4K1
| | - Brett Thurlow
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Diseases Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4K1
| | - Joaquin Ortega
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Diseases Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4K1
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Chillón I, Marcia M, Legiewicz M, Liu F, Somarowthu S, Pyle AM. Native Purification and Analysis of Long RNAs. Methods Enzymol 2015; 558:3-37. [PMID: 26068736 PMCID: PMC4477701 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2015.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The purification and analysis of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in vitro is a challenge, particularly if one wants to preserve elements of functional structure. Here, we describe a method for purifying lncRNAs that preserves the cotranscriptionally derived structure. The protocol avoids the misfolding that can occur during denaturation-renaturation protocols, thus facilitating the folding of long RNAs to a native-like state. This method is simple and does not require addition of tags to the RNA or the use of affinity columns. LncRNAs purified using this type of native purification protocol are amenable to biochemical and biophysical analysis. Here, we describe how to study lncRNA global compaction in the presence of divalent ions at equilibrium using sedimentation velocity analytical ultracentrifugation and analytical size-exclusion chromatography as well as how to use these uniform RNA species to determine robust lncRNA secondary structure maps by chemical probing techniques like selective 2'-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension and dimethyl sulfate probing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Chillón
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA
| | - Marco Marcia
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Michal Legiewicz
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Srinivas Somarowthu
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Anna Marie Pyle
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA; Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
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42
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Abstract
Next-generation synchrotron radiation sources, such as X-ray free-electron lasers, energy recovery linacs, and ultra-low-emittance storage rings, are catalyzing novel methods of biomolecular microcrystallography and solution scattering. These methods are described and future trends are predicted. Importantly, there is a growing realization that serial microcrystallography and certain cutting-edge solution scattering experiments can be performed at existing storage ring sources by utilizing new technology. In this sense, next-generation sources are serving two distinct functions, namely, provision of new capabilities that require the newer sources and inspiration of new methods that can be performed at existing sources.
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43
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Abstract
The proteome of cells is synthesized by ribosomes, complex ribonucleoproteins that in eukaryotes contain 79-80 proteins and four ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) more than 5,400 nucleotides long. How these molecules assemble together and how their assembly is regulated in concert with the growth and proliferation of cells remain important unanswered questions. Here, we review recently emerging principles to understand how eukaryotic ribosomal proteins drive ribosome assembly in vivo. Most ribosomal proteins assemble with rRNA cotranscriptionally; their association with nascent particles is strengthened as assembly proceeds. Each subunit is assembled hierarchically by sequential stabilization of their subdomains. The active sites of both subunits are constructed last, perhaps to prevent premature engagement of immature ribosomes with active subunits. Late-assembly intermediates undergo quality-control checks for proper function. Mutations in ribosomal proteins that affect mostly late steps lead to ribosomopathies, diseases that include a spectrum of cell type-specific disorders that often transition from hypoproliferative to hyperproliferative growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesus de la Cruz
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, E-41013 Sevilla, Spain
- Departamento de Genetica, Universidad de Sevilla, E-41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Katrin Karbstein
- Department of Cancer Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida 33458
| | - John L Woolford
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
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44
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Gamalinda M, Woolford JL. Paradigms of ribosome synthesis: Lessons learned from ribosomal proteins. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 3:e975018. [PMID: 26779413 DOI: 10.4161/21690731.2014.975018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2014] [Revised: 08/29/2014] [Accepted: 10/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The proteome in all cells is manufactured via the intricate process of translation by multimolecular factories called ribosomes. Nevertheless, these ribonucleoprotein particles, the largest of their kind, also have an elaborate assembly line of their own. Groundbreaking discoveries that bacterial ribosomal subunits can be self-assembled in vitro jumpstarted studies on how ribosomes are constructed. Until recently, ribosome assembly has been investigated almost entirely in vitro with bacterial small subunits under equilibrium conditions. In light of high-resolution ribosome structures and a more sophisticated toolkit, the past decade has been defined by a burst of kinetic studies in vitro and, importantly, also a shift to examining ribosome maturation in living cells, especially in eukaryotes. In this review, we summarize the principles governing ribosome assembly that emerged from studies focusing on ribosomal proteins and their interactions with rRNA. Understanding these paradigms has taken center stage, given the linkage between anomalous ribosome biogenesis and proliferative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Gamalinda
- Department of Biological Sciences; Carnegie Mellon University; Pittsburgh, PA USA; Present Address: Department of Epigenetics; Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics; Freiburg, Germany
| | - John L Woolford
- Department of Biological Sciences; Carnegie Mellon University ; Pittsburgh, PA USA
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45
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Abstract
We present direct experimental evidence that assembly of a single-stranded RNA virus occurs via a packaging signal-mediated mechanism. We show that the sequences of coat protein recognition motifs within multiple, dispersed, putative RNA packaging signals, as well as their relative spacing within a genomic fragment, act collectively to influence the fidelity and yield of capsid self-assembly in vitro. These experiments confirm that the selective advantages for viral yield and encapsidation specificity, predicted from previous modeling of packaging signal-mediated assembly, are found in Nature. Regions of the genome that act as packaging signals also function in translational and transcriptional enhancement, as well as directly coding for the coat protein, highlighting the density of encoded functions within the viral RNA. Assembly and gene expression are therefore direct molecular competitors for different functional folds of the same RNA sequence. The strongest packaging signal in the test fragment, encodes a region of the coat protein that undergoes a conformational change upon contact with packaging signals. A similar phenomenon occurs in other RNA viruses for which packaging signals are known. These contacts hint at an even deeper density of encoded functions in viral RNA, which if confirmed, would have profound consequences for the evolution of this class of pathogens.
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46
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Duss O, Michel E, Yulikov M, Schubert M, Jeschke G, Allain FHT. Structural basis of the non-coding RNA RsmZ acting as a protein sponge. Nature 2014; 509:588-92. [DOI: 10.1038/nature13271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 160] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2013] [Accepted: 03/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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47
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McGinnis JL, Weeks KM. Ribosome RNA assembly intermediates visualized in living cells. Biochemistry 2014; 53:3237-47. [PMID: 24818530 DOI: 10.1021/bi500198b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
In cells, RNAs likely adopt numerous intermediate conformations prior to formation of functional RNA-protein complexes. We used single-nucleotide resolution selective 2'-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension (SHAPE) to probe the structure of Escherichia coli 16S rRNA in healthy growing bacteria. SHAPE-directed modeling indicated that the predominant steady-state RNA conformational ensemble in dividing cells had a base-paired structure different from that expected on the basis of comparative sequence analysis and high-resolution studies of the 30S ribosomal subunit. We identified the major cause of these differences by stopping ongoing in-cell transcription (in essence, an in-cell RNA structure pulse-chase experiment) which caused the RNA to chase into a structure that closely resembled the expected one. Most helices that formed alternate RNA conformations under growth conditions interact directly with tertiary-binding ribosomal proteins and form a C-shape that surrounds the mRNA channel and decoding site. These in-cell experiments lead to a model in which ribosome assembly factors function as molecular struts to preorganize this intermediate and emphasize that the final stages of ribonucleoprotein assembly involve extensive protein-facilitated RNA conformational changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L McGinnis
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290, United States
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Physical and functional interaction between the methyltransferase Bud23 and the essential DEAH-box RNA helicase Ecm16. Mol Cell Biol 2014; 34:2208-20. [PMID: 24710271 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.01656-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The small ribosomal subunit assembles cotranscriptionally on the nascent primary transcript. Cleavage at site A2 liberates the pre-40S subunit. We previously identified Bud23 as a conserved eukaryotic methyltransferase that is required for efficient cleavage at A2. Here, we report that Bud23 physically and functionally interacts with the DEAH-box RNA helicase Ecm16 (also known as Dhr1). Ecm16 is also required for cleavage at A2. We identified mutations in ECM16 that suppressed the growth and A2 cleavage defects of a bud23Δ mutant. RNA helicases often require protein cofactors to provide substrate specificity. We used yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) two-hybrid analysis to map the binding site of Bud23 on Ecm16. Despite the physical and functional interaction between these factors, mutations that disrupted the interaction, as assayed by two-hybrid analysis, did not display a growth defect. We previously identified mutations in UTP2 and UTP14 that suppressed bud23Δ. We suggest that a network of protein interactions may mask the loss of interaction that we have defined by two-hybrid analysis. A mutation in motif I of Ecm16 that is predicted to impair its ability to hydrolyze ATP led to accumulation of Bud23 in an ∼45S particle containing Ecm16. Thus, Bud23 enters the pre-40S pathway at the time of Ecm16 function.
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49
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Gamalinda M, Ohmayer U, Jakovljevic J, Kumcuoglu B, Woolford J, Mbom B, Lin L, Woolford JL. A hierarchical model for assembly of eukaryotic 60S ribosomal subunit domains. Genes Dev 2014; 28:198-210. [PMID: 24449272 PMCID: PMC3909792 DOI: 10.1101/gad.228825.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Despite having structures for eukaryotic large ribosomal subunits, it has been unclear how these ribonucleoprotein complexes are constructed in living cells. Here, Gamalinda et al. used proteomics to assay changes in the levels of ribosomal protein and assembly factors in preribosomes upon depletion of ribosomal proteins that function in 60S assembly. The results show that the eukaryotic 60S ribosomal subunits are assembled in a hierarchical fashion. This study further reveals striking differences and similarities between bacterial and eukaryotic large ribosomal subunits, providing insights into the evolution of RNA–protein particles. Despite having high-resolution structures for eukaryotic large ribosomal subunits, it remained unclear how these ribonucleoprotein complexes are constructed in living cells. Nevertheless, knowing where ribosomal proteins interact with ribosomal RNA (rRNA) provides a strategic platform to investigate the connection between spatial and temporal aspects of 60S subunit biogenesis. We previously found that the function of individual yeast large subunit ribosomal proteins (RPLs) in precursor rRNA (pre-rRNA) processing correlates with their location in the structure of mature 60S subunits. This observation suggested that there is an order by which 60S subunits are formed. To test this model, we used proteomic approaches to assay changes in the levels of ribosomal proteins and assembly factors in preribosomes when RPLs functioning in early, middle, and late steps of pre-60S assembly are depleted. Our results demonstrate that structural domains of eukaryotic 60S ribosomal subunits are formed in a hierarchical fashion. Assembly begins at the convex solvent side, followed by the polypeptide exit tunnel, the intersubunit side, and finally the central protuberance. This model provides an initial paradigm for the sequential assembly of eukaryotic 60S subunits. Our results reveal striking differences and similarities between assembly of bacterial and eukaryotic large ribosomal subunits, providing insights into how these RNA–protein particles evolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Gamalinda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
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50
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Fedyukina DV, Jennaro TS, Cavagnero S. Charge segregation and low hydrophobicity are key features of ribosomal proteins from different organisms. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:6740-6750. [PMID: 24398678 PMCID: PMC3945335 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.507707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribosomes are large and highly charged macromolecular complexes consisting of RNA and proteins. Here, we address the electrostatic and nonpolar properties of ribosomal proteins that are important for ribosome assembly and interaction with other cellular components and may influence protein folding on the ribosome. We examined 50 S ribosomal subunits from 10 species and found a clear distinction between the net charge of ribosomal proteins from halophilic and non-halophilic organisms. We found that ∼67% ribosomal proteins from halophiles are negatively charged, whereas only up to ∼15% of ribosomal proteins from non-halophiles share this property. Conversely, hydrophobicity tends to be lower for ribosomal proteins from halophiles than for the corresponding proteins from non-halophiles. Importantly, the surface electrostatic potential of ribosomal proteins from all organisms, especially halophiles, has distinct positive and negative regions across all the examined species. Positively and negatively charged residues of ribosomal proteins tend to be clustered in buried and solvent-exposed regions, respectively. Hence, the majority of ribosomal proteins is characterized by a significant degree of intramolecular charge segregation, regardless of the organism of origin. This key property enables the ribosome to accommodate proteins within its complex scaffold regardless of their overall net charge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daria V Fedyukina
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Theodore S Jennaro
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Silvia Cavagnero
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706.
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