Exploiting preQ(1) riboswitches to regulate ribosomal frameshifting

Harnessing Synthetic Riboswitches for Tunable Gene Regulation in Mammalian Cells

RNA switches regulated by specific inducer molecules have become a powerful synthetic biology tool for precise gene regulation in mammalian systems. The engineered RNA switches can be integrated with natural RNA-mediated gene regulatory functions as a modular and customizable approach to probe and control cellular behavior. RNA switches have been used to advance synthetic biology applications, including gene therapy, bio-production, and cellular reprogramming. This review explores recent progress in the design and functional implementation of synthetic riboswitches in mammalian cells based on diverse RNA regulation mechanisms by highlighting recent studies and emerging technologies. We also discuss challenges such as off-target effects, system stability, and ligand delivery in complex biological environments. In conclusion, this review emphasizes the potential of synthetic riboswitches as a platform for customizable gene regulation in diverse biomedical applications.

Premature translation termination mediated non-ER stress induced ATF6 activation by a ligand-dependent ribosomal frameshifting circuit

The −1 programmed ribosomal frameshifting (−1 PRF) has been explored as a gene regulatory circuit for synthetic biology applications. The −1 PRF usually uses an RNA pseudoknot structure as the frameshifting stimulator. Finding a ligand-responsive pseudoknot with efficient −1 PRF activity is time consuming and is becoming a bottleneck for its development. Inserting a guanine to guanine (GG)–mismatch pair in the 5′-stem of a small frameshifting pseudoknot could attenuate −1 PRF activity by reducing stem stability. Thus, a ligand-responsive frameshifting pseudoknot can be built using GG-mismatch–targeting small molecules to restore stem stability. Here, a pseudoknot requiring stem–loop tertiary interactions for potent frameshifting activity was used as the engineering template. This considerably amplified the effect of mismatch destabilization, and led to creation of a mammalian −1 PRF riboswitch module capable of mediating premature translation termination as a synthetic regulatory mode. Application of the synthetic circuit allowed ligand-dependent ATF6N mimic formation for the activation of protein folding–related genes involved in the unfolded protein response without an ER-stress inducing agent. With the availability of mismatch-targeting molecules, the tailored module thus paves the way for various mismatch plug-ins to streamline highly efficient orthogonal ligand-dependent −1 PRF stimulator development in the synthetic biology toolbox.

Riboswitches for Controlled Expression of Therapeutic Transgenes Delivered by Adeno-Associated Viral Vectors

Vectors developed from adeno-associated virus (AAV) are powerful tools for in vivo transgene delivery in both humans and animal models, and several AAV-delivered gene therapies are currently approved for clinical use. However, AAV-mediated gene therapy still faces several challenges, including limited vector packaging capacity and the need for a safe, effective method for controlling transgene expression during and after delivery. Riboswitches, RNA elements which control gene expression in response to ligand binding, are attractive candidates for regulating expression of AAV-delivered transgene therapeutics because of their small genomic footprints and non-immunogenicity compared to protein-based expression control systems. In addition, the ligand-sensing aptamer domains of many riboswitches can be exchanged in a modular fashion to allow regulation by a variety of small molecules, proteins, and oligonucleotides. Riboswitches have been used to regulate AAV-delivered transgene therapeutics in animal models, and recently developed screening and selection methods allow rapid isolation of riboswitches with novel ligands and improved performance in mammalian cells. This review discusses the advantages of riboswitches in the context of AAV-delivered gene therapy, the subsets of riboswitch mechanisms which have been shown to function in human cells and animal models, recent progress in riboswitch isolation and optimization, and several examples of AAV-delivered therapeutic systems which might be improved by riboswitch regulation.

Translational recoding signals: Expanding the synthetic biology toolbox

Innovation follows discovery. If the 20th century was a golden age of discovery in the biomolecular biosciences, the current century may be remembered by the explosion of beneficial devices and therapies conceived by the bioengineers of the era. Much as the development of solid-state electronic components made possible the information revolution, the rational combining of millions of basic molecular control modules will enable the development of highly sophisticated biomachines that will make today's smartphones appear rudimentary. The molecular toolbox is already well-stocked, particularly in our ability to manipulate DNA, control transcription, generate functionally novel hybrid proteins, and expand the genetic code to include unnatural amino acids. This review focuses on how RNA-based regulatory modules that direct alternative readings of the genetic code can be employed as basic circuit components to expand our ability to control gene expression.

Selective Binding to mRNA Duplex Regions by Chemically Modified Peptide Nucleic Acids Stimulates Ribosomal Frameshifting

Minus-one programmed ribosomal frameshifting (-1 PRF) allows the precise maintenance of the ratio between viral proteins and is involved in the regulation of the half-lives of cellular mRNAs. Minus-one ribosomal frameshifting is activated by several stimulatory elements such as a heptameric slippery sequence (X XXY YYZ) and an mRNA secondary structure (hairpin or pseudoknot) that is positioned 2-8 nucleotides downstream from the slippery site. Upon -1 RF, the ribosomal reading frame is shifted from the normal zero frame to the -1 frame with the heptameric slippery sequence decoded as XXX YYY Z instead of X XXY YYZ. Our research group has developed chemically modified peptide nucleic acid (PNA) L and Q monomers to recognize G-C and C-G Watson-Crick base pairs, respectively, through major-groove parallel PNA·RNA-RNA triplex formation. L- and Q-incorporated PNAs show selective binding to double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) over single-stranded RNAs (ssRNAs). The sequence specificity and structural selectivity of L- and Q-modified PNAs may allow the precise targeting of desired viral and cellular RNA structures, and thus may serve as valuable biological tools for mechanistic studies and potential therapeutics for fighting diseases. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate by cell-free in vitro translation assays using rabbit reticulocyte lysate that the dsRNA-specific chemically modified PNAs targeting model mRNA hairpins stimulate -1 RF (from 2% to 32%). An unmodified control PNA, however, shows nonspecific inhibition of translation. Our results suggest that the modified dsRNA-binding PNAs may be advantageous for targeting structured RNAs.

Long-Range Interactions in Riboswitch Control of Gene Expression

Riboswitches are widespread RNA motifs that regulate gene expression in response to fluctuating metabolite concentrations. Known primarily from bacteria, riboswitches couple specific ligand binding and changes in RNA structure to mRNA expression in cis. Crystal structures of the ligand binding domains of most of the phylogenetically widespread classes of riboswitches, each specific to a particular metabolite or ion, are now available. Thus, the bound states-one end point-have been thoroughly characterized, but the unbound states have been more elusive. Consequently, it is less clear how the unbound, sensing riboswitch refolds into the ligand binding-induced output state. The ligand recognition mechanisms of riboswitches are diverse, but we find that they share a common structural strategy in positioning their binding sites at the point of the RNA three-dimensional fold where the residues farthest from one another in sequence meet. We review how riboswitch folds adhere to this fundamental strategy and propose future research directions for understanding and harnessing their ability to specifically control gene expression.

Rational design of a synthetic mammalian riboswitch as a ligand-responsive -1 ribosomal frame-shifting stimulator

Metabolite-responsive RNA pseudoknots derived from prokaryotic riboswitches have been shown to stimulate −1 programmed ribosomal frameshifting (PRF), suggesting −1 PRF as a promising gene expression platform to extend riboswitch applications in higher eukaryotes. However, its general application has been hampered by difficulty in identifying a specific ligand-responsive pseudoknot that also functions as a ligand-dependent -1 PRF stimulator. We addressed this problem by using the −1 PRF stimulation pseudoknot of SARS-CoV (SARS-PK) to build a ligand-dependent −1 PRF stimulator. In particular, the extra stem of SARS-PK was replaced by an RNA aptamer of theophylline and designed to couple theophylline binding with the stimulation of −1 PRF. Conformational and functional analyses indicate that the engineered theophylline-responsive RNA functions as a mammalian riboswitch with robust theophylline-dependent −1 PRF stimulation activity in a stable human 293T cell-line. Thus, RNA–ligand interaction repertoire provided by in vitro selection becomes accessible to ligand-specific −1 PRF stimulator engineering using SARS-PK as the scaffold for synthetic biology application.

Ribosomal frameshifting and transcriptional slippage: From genetic steganography and cryptography to adventitious use

Genetic decoding is not ‘frozen’ as was earlier thought, but dynamic. One facet of this is frameshifting that often results in synthesis of a C-terminal region encoded by a new frame. Ribosomal frameshifting is utilized for the synthesis of additional products, for regulatory purposes and for translational ‘correction’ of problem or ‘savior’ indels. Utilization for synthesis of additional products occurs prominently in the decoding of mobile chromosomal element and viral genomes. One class of regulatory frameshifting of stable chromosomal genes governs cellular polyamine levels from yeasts to humans. In many cases of productively utilized frameshifting, the proportion of ribosomes that frameshift at a shift-prone site is enhanced by specific nascent peptide or mRNA context features. Such mRNA signals, which can be 5′ or 3′ of the shift site or both, can act by pairing with ribosomal RNA or as stem loops or pseudoknots even with one component being 4 kb 3′ from the shift site. Transcriptional realignment at slippage-prone sequences also generates productively utilized products encoded trans-frame with respect to the genomic sequence. This too can be enhanced by nucleic acid structure. Together with dynamic codon redefinition, frameshifting is one of the forms of recoding that enriches gene expression.

Reprogramming eukaryotic translation with ligand-responsive synthetic RNA switches

Protein synthesis in eukaryotes is regulated by diverse reprogramming mechanisms that expand the coding capacity of individual genes. Here, we exploit one such mechanism termed −1 programmed ribosomal frameshifting (−1 PRF) to engineer ligand-responsive RNA switches that regulate protein expression. First, efficient −1 PRF stimulatory RNA elements were discovered by in vitro selection; then, ligand-responsive switches were constructed by coupling −1 PRF stimulatory elements to RNA aptamers using rational design and in vivo directed evolution. We demonstrate that −1 PRF switches tightly control the relative stoichiometry of two distinct protein outputs from a single mRNA, exhibiting consistent ligand response across whole populations of cells. Furthermore, −1 PRF switches were applied to build single-mRNA logic gates and an apoptosis module in yeast. Together, these results showcase the potential for harnessing translation-reprogramming mechanisms for synthetic biology, and establish −1 PRF switches as powerful RNA tools for controlling protein synthesis in eukaryotes.

Synergetic regulation of translational reading-frame switch by ligand-responsive RNAs in mammalian cells

Distinct translational initiation mechanisms between prokaryotes and eukaryotes limit the exploitation of prokaryotic riboswitch repertoire for regulatory RNA circuit construction in mammalian application. Here, we explored programmed ribosomal frameshifting (PRF) as the regulatory gene expression platform for engineered ligand-responsive RNA devices in higher eukaryotes. Regulation was enabled by designed ligand-dependent conformational rearrangements of the two cis-acting RNA motifs of opposite activity in -1 PRF. Particularly, RNA elements responsive to trans-acting ligands can be tailored to modify co-translational RNA refolding dynamics of a hairpin upstream of frameshifting site to achieve reversible and adjustable -1 PRF attenuating activity. Combined with a ligand-responsive stimulator, synthetic RNA devices for synergetic translational-elongation control of gene expression can be constructed. Due to the similarity between co-transcriptional RNA hairpin folding and co-translational RNA hairpin refolding, the RNA-responsive ligand repertoire provided in prokaryotic systems thus becomes accessible to gene-regulatory circuit construction for synthetic biology application in mammalian cells.

Structure and function of preQ1 riboswitches

PreQ₁ riboswitches help regulate the biosynthesis and transport of preQ₁ (7-aminomethyl-7-deazaguanine), a precursor of the hypermodified guanine nucleotide queuosine (Q), in a number of Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Fusobacteria. Queuosine is almost universally found at the wobble position of the anticodon in asparaginyl, tyrosyl, histidyl and aspartyl tRNAs, where it contributes to translational fidelity. Two classes of preQ₁ riboswitches have been identified (preQ₁-I and preQ₁-II), and structures of examples from both classes have been determined. Both classes form H-type pseudoknots upon preQ₁ binding, each of which has distinct unusual features and modes of preQ₁ recognition. These features include an unusually long loop 2 in preQ₁-I pseudoknots and an embedded hairpin in loop 3 in preQ₁-II pseudoknots. PreQ₁-I riboswitches are also notable for their unusually small aptamer domain, which has been extensively investigated by NMR, X-ray crystallography, FRET, and other biophysical methods. Here we review the discovery, structural biology, ligand specificity, cation interactions, folding, dynamics, and applications to biotechnology of preQ₁ riboswitches. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Riboswitches.

Tuning a riboswitch response through structural extension of a pseudoknot

Structural and dynamic features of RNA folding landscapes represent critical aspects of RNA function in the cell and are particularly central to riboswitch-mediated control of gene expression. Here, using single-molecule fluorescence energy transfer imaging, we explore the folding dynamics of the preQ1 class II riboswitch, an upstream mRNA element that regulates downstream encoded modification enzymes of queuosine biosynthesis. For reasons that are not presently understood, the classical pseudoknot fold of this system harbors an extra stem-loop structure within its 3'-terminal region immediately upstream of the Shine-Dalgarno sequence that contributes to formation of the ligand-bound state. By imaging ligand-dependent preQ1 riboswitch folding from multiple structural perspectives, we reveal that the extra stem-loop strongly influences pseudoknot dynamics in a manner that decreases its propensity to spontaneously fold and increases its responsiveness to ligand binding. We conclude that the extra stem-loop sensitizes this RNA to broaden the dynamic range of the ON/OFF regulatory switch.