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Ahmad EM, Abdelsamad A, El-Shabrawi HM, El-Awady MAM, Aly MAM, El-Soda M. In-silico identification of putatively functional intergenic small open reading frames in the cucumber genome and their predicted response to biotic and abiotic stresses. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2024. [PMID: 39189930 DOI: 10.1111/pce.15104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2024] [Revised: 07/13/2024] [Accepted: 08/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
The availability of high-throughput sequencing technologies increased our understanding of different genomes. However, the genomes of all living organisms still have many unidentified coding sequences. The increased number of missing small open reading frames (sORFs) is due to the length threshold used in most gene identification tools, which is true in the genic and, more importantly and surprisingly, in the intergenic regions. Scanning the cucumber genome intergenic regions revealed 420 723 sORF. We excluded 3850 sORF with similarities to annotated cucumber proteins. To propose the functionality of the remaining 416 873 sORF, we calculated their codon adaptation index (CAI). We found 398 937 novel sORF (nsORF) with CAI ≥ 0.7 that were further used for downstream analysis. Searching against the Rfam database revealed 109 nsORFs similar to multiple RNA families. Using SignalP-5.0 and NLS, identified 11 592 signal peptides. Five predicted proteins interacting with Meloidogyne incognita and Powdery mildew proteins were selected using published transcriptome data of host-pathogen interactions. Gene ontology enrichment interpreted the function of those proteins, illustrating that nsORFs' expression could contribute to the cucumber's response to biotic and abiotic stresses. This research highlights the importance of previously overlooked nsORFs in the cucumber genome and provides novel insights into their potential functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esraa M Ahmad
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Abdelsamad
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Hattem M El-Shabrawi
- Plant Biotechnology Department, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology Division, National Research Center, Giza, Egypt
| | | | - Mohammed A M Aly
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Mohamed El-Soda
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
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2
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Moldovan JB, Kopera HC, Liu Y, Garcia-Canadas M, Catalina P, Leone P, Sanchez L, Kitzman J, Kidd J, Garcia-Perez J, Moran J. Variable patterns of retrotransposition in different HeLa strains provide mechanistic insights into SINE RNA mobilization processes. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:7761-7779. [PMID: 38850156 PMCID: PMC11260458 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Alu elements are non-autonomous Short INterspersed Elements (SINEs) derived from the 7SL RNA gene that are present at over one million copies in human genomic DNA. Alu mobilizes by a mechanism known as retrotransposition, which requires the Long INterspersed Element-1 (LINE-1) ORF2-encoded protein (ORF2p). Here, we demonstrate that HeLa strains differ in their capacity to support Alu retrotransposition. Human Alu elements retrotranspose efficiently in HeLa-HA and HeLa-CCL2 (Alu-permissive) strains, but not in HeLa-JVM or HeLa-H1 (Alu-nonpermissive) strains. A similar pattern of retrotransposition was observed for other 7SL RNA-derived SINEs and tRNA-derived SINEs. In contrast, mammalian LINE-1s, a zebrafish LINE, a human SINE-VNTR-Alu (SVA) element, and an L1 ORF1-containing mRNA can retrotranspose in all four HeLa strains. Using an in vitro reverse transcriptase-based assay, we show that Alu RNAs associate with ORF2p and are converted into cDNAs in both Alu-permissive and Alu-nonpermissive HeLa strains, suggesting that 7SL- and tRNA-derived SINEs use strategies to 'hijack' L1 ORF2p that are distinct from those used by SVA elements and ORF1-containing mRNAs. These data further suggest ORF2p associates with the Alu RNA poly(A) tract in both Alu-permissive and Alu-nonpermissive HeLa strains, but that Alu retrotransposition is blocked after this critical step in Alu-nonpermissive HeLa strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- John B Moldovan
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Huira C Kopera
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Ying Liu
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Marta Garcia-Canadas
- Department of Genomic Medicine, GENYO, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research, Pfizer-University of Granada-Andalusian Regional Government, PTS Granada 18016, Spain
| | | | - Paola E Leone
- Genetics and Genomics Laboratory, SOLCA Hospital, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Laura Sanchez
- Department of Genomic Medicine, GENYO, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research, Pfizer-University of Granada-Andalusian Regional Government, PTS Granada 18016, Spain
| | - Jacob O Kitzman
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Kidd
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jose Luis Garcia-Perez
- Department of Genomic Medicine, GENYO, Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research, Pfizer-University of Granada-Andalusian Regional Government, PTS Granada 18016, Spain
| | - John V Moran
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Herbert A. The ancient Z-DNA and Z-RNA specific Zα fold has evolved modern roles in immunity and transcription through the natural selection of flipons. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:240080. [PMID: 39092141 PMCID: PMC11293857 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.240080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
The Zα fold specifically binds to both Z-DNA and Z-RNA, left-handed nucleic acid structures that form under physiological conditions and are encoded by flipons. I trace the Zα fold back to unicellular organisms representing all three domains of life and to the realm of giant nucleocytoplasmic DNA viruses (NCVs). The canonical Zα fold is present in the earliest known holozoan unicellular symbiont Capsaspora owczarzaki and persists in vertebrates and some invertebrates, but not in plants or fungi. In metazoans, starting with porifera, Zα is incorporated into the double-stranded RNA editing enzyme ADAR and reflects an early symbiont relationship with NCV. In vertebrates, Zα is also present in ZBP1 and PKZ proteins that recognize host-derived Z-RNAs to defend against modern-day viruses. A related Zα fold, also likely to bind Z-DNA, is present in proteins thought to modulate gene expression, including a subset of prokaryote arsR proteins and the p15 (PC4) family present in algae. Other Zα variants that probably play a more general role in the reinitiation of transcription include the archaeal and human transcription factor E and the human RNA polymerase 3 subunit C proteins. The roles in immunity and transcription underlie the natural selection of flipons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Herbert
- Discovery, InsideOutBio, 42 8th Street, Charlestown, MA02129, USA
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4
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Moldovan JB, Kopera HC, Liu Y, Garcia-Canadas M, Catalina P, Leone PE, Sanchez L, Kitzman JO, Kidd JM, Garcia-Perez JL, Moran JV. Variable patterns of retrotransposition in different HeLa strains provide mechanistic insights into SINE RNA mobilization processes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.03.592410. [PMID: 38746229 PMCID: PMC11092746 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.03.592410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Alu elements are non-autonomous Short INterspersed Elements (SINEs) derived from the 7SL RNA gene that are present at over one million copies in human genomic DNA. Alu mobilizes by a mechanism known as retrotransposition, which requires the Long INterspersed Element-1 (LINE-1 or L1) ORF2 -encoded protein (ORF2p). Here, we demonstrate that HeLa strains differ in their capacity to support Alu retrotransposition. Human Alu elements retrotranspose efficiently in HeLa-HA and HeLa-CCL2 ( Alu -permissive) strains, but not in HeLa-JVM or HeLa-H1 ( Alu -nonpermissive) strains. A similar pattern of retrotransposition was observed for other 7SL RNA -derived SINEs and tRNA -derived SINEs. In contrast, mammalian LINE-1s, a zebrafish LINE, a human SINE-VNTR - Alu ( SVA ) element, and an L1 ORF1 -containing messenger RNA can retrotranspose in all four HeLa strains. Using an in vitro reverse transcriptase-based assay, we show that Alu RNAs associate with ORF2p and are converted into cDNAs in both Alu -permissive and Alu -nonpermissive HeLa strains, suggesting that 7SL - and tRNA -derived SINE RNAs use strategies to 'hijack' L1 ORF2p that are distinct from those used by SVA elements and ORF1 -containing mRNAs. These data further suggest ORF2p associates with the Alu RNA poly(A) tract in both Alu -permissive and Alu -nonpermissive HeLa strains, but that Alu retrotransposition is blocked after this critical step in Alu -nonpermissive HeLa strains.
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Konečná K, Zapletalová P, Freiberger T, Tichý L. LDLR gene rearrangements in Czech FH patients likely arise from one mutational event. Lipids Health Dis 2024; 23:36. [PMID: 38308247 PMCID: PMC10835926 DOI: 10.1186/s12944-024-02013-3] [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: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Large deletions and duplications within the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) gene make up approximately 10% of LDLR pathogenic variants found in Czech patients with familial hypercholesterolemia. The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that all probands with each rearrangement share identical breakpoints inherited from a common ancestor and to determine the role of Alu repetitive elements in the generation of these rearrangements. METHODS The breakpoint sequence was determined by PCR amplification and Sanger sequencing. To confirm the breakpoint position, an NGS analysis was performed. Haplotype analysis of common LDLR variants was performed using PCR and Sanger sequencing. RESULTS The breakpoints of 8 rearrangements within the LDLR gene were analysed, including the four most common LDLR rearrangements in the Czech population (number of probands ranging from 8 to 28), and four less common rearrangements (1-4 probands). Probands with a specific rearrangement shared identical breakpoint positions and haplotypes associated with the rearrangement, suggesting a shared origin from a common ancestor. All breakpoints except for one were located inside an Alu element. In 6 out of 8 breakpoints, there was high homology (≥ 70%) between the two Alu repeats in which the break occurred. CONCLUSIONS The most common rearrangements of the LDLR gene in the Czech population likely arose from one mutational event. Alu elements likely played a role in the generation of the majority of rearrangements inside the LDLR gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kateřina Konečná
- Centre of Molecular Biology and Genetics, University Hospital Brno, Jihlavská 20, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
- National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Zapletalová
- Centre of Molecular Biology and Genetics, University Hospital Brno, Jihlavská 20, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Freiberger
- Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- Centre for Cardiovascular Surgery and Transplantation, Pekařská 53, 656 91, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Lukáš Tichý
- Centre of Molecular Biology and Genetics, University Hospital Brno, Jihlavská 20, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic.
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Luqman-Fatah A, Nishimori K, Amano S, Fumoto Y, Miyoshi T. Retrotransposon life cycle and its impacts on cellular responses. RNA Biol 2024; 21:11-27. [PMID: 39396200 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2024.2409607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 08/30/2024] [Accepted: 09/16/2024] [Indexed: 10/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Approximately 45% of the human genome is comprised of transposable elements (TEs), also known as mobile genetic elements. However, their biological function remains largely unknown. Among them, retrotransposons are particularly abundant, and some of the copies are still capable of mobilization within the genome through RNA intermediates. This review focuses on the life cycle of human retrotransposons and summarizes their regulatory mechanisms and impacts on cellular processes. Retrotransposons are generally epigenetically silenced in somatic cells, but are transcriptionally reactivated under certain conditions, such as tumorigenesis, development, stress, and ageing, potentially leading to genetic instability. We explored the dual nature of retrotransposons as genomic parasites and regulatory elements, focusing on their roles in genetic diversity and innate immunity. Furthermore, we discuss how host factors regulate retrotransposon RNA and cDNA intermediates through their binding, modification, and degradation. The interplay between retrotransposons and the host machinery provides insight into the complex regulation of retrotransposons and the potential for retrotransposon dysregulation to cause aberrant responses leading to inflammation and autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Luqman-Fatah
- Laboratory for Retrotransposon Dynamics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Kei Nishimori
- Laboratory for Retrotransposon Dynamics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Department of Gene Mechanisms, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shota Amano
- Laboratory for Retrotransposon Dynamics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Department of Gene Mechanisms, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yukiko Fumoto
- Laboratory for Retrotransposon Dynamics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Tomoichiro Miyoshi
- Laboratory for Retrotransposon Dynamics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Department of Gene Mechanisms, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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7
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Böğürcü-Seidel N, Ritschel N, Acker T, Németh A. Beyond ribosome biogenesis: noncoding nucleolar RNAs in physiology and tumor biology. Nucleus 2023; 14:2274655. [PMID: 37906621 PMCID: PMC10730139 DOI: 10.1080/19491034.2023.2274655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The nucleolus, the largest subcompartment of the nucleus, stands out from the nucleoplasm due to its exceptionally high local RNA and low DNA concentrations. Within this central hub of nuclear RNA metabolism, ribosome biogenesis is the most prominent ribonucleoprotein (RNP) biogenesis process, critically determining the structure and function of the nucleolus. However, recent studies have shed light on other roles of the nucleolus, exploring the interplay with various noncoding RNAs that are not directly involved in ribosome synthesis. This review focuses on this intriguing topic and summarizes the techniques to study and the latest findings on nucleolar long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) as well as microRNAs (miRNAs) in the context of nucleolus biology beyond ribosome biogenesis. We particularly focus on the multifaceted roles of the nucleolus and noncoding RNAs in physiology and tumor biology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nadja Ritschel
- Institute of Neuropathology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Till Acker
- Institute of Neuropathology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Attila Németh
- Institute of Neuropathology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
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8
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Zhou S, Van Bortle K. The Pol III transcriptome: Basic features, recurrent patterns, and emerging roles in cancer. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2023; 14:e1782. [PMID: 36754845 PMCID: PMC10498592 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
The RNA polymerase III (Pol III) transcriptome is universally comprised of short, highly structured noncoding RNA (ncRNA). Through RNA-protein interactions, the Pol III transcriptome actuates functional activities ranging from nuclear gene regulation (7SK), splicing (U6, U6atac), and RNA maturation and stability (RMRP, RPPH1, Y RNA), to cytoplasmic protein targeting (7SL) and translation (tRNA, 5S rRNA). In higher eukaryotes, the Pol III transcriptome has expanded to include additional, recently evolved ncRNA species that effectively broaden the footprint of Pol III transcription to additional cellular activities. Newly evolved ncRNAs function as riboregulators of autophagy (vault), immune signaling cascades (nc886), and translation (Alu, BC200, snaR). Notably, upregulation of Pol III transcription is frequently observed in cancer, and multiple ncRNA species are linked to both cancer progression and poor survival outcomes among cancer patients. In this review, we outline the basic features and functions of the Pol III transcriptome, and the evidence for dysregulation and dysfunction for each ncRNA in cancer. When taken together, recurrent patterns emerge, ranging from shared functional motifs that include molecular scaffolding and protein sequestration, overlapping protein interactions, and immunostimulatory activities, to the biogenesis of analogous small RNA fragments and noncanonical miRNAs, augmenting the function of the Pol III transcriptome and further broadening its role in cancer. This article is categorized under: RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease RNA Processing > Processing of Small RNAs RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein-RNA Interactions: Functional Implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sihang Zhou
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Kevin Van Bortle
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
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9
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Borovská I, Vořechovský I, Královičová J. Alu RNA fold links splicing with signal recognition particle proteins. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:8199-8216. [PMID: 37309897 PMCID: PMC10450188 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcriptomic diversity in primates was considerably expanded by exonizations of intronic Alu elements. To better understand their cellular mechanisms we have used structure-based mutagenesis coupled with functional and proteomic assays to study the impact of successive primate mutations and their combinations on inclusion of a sense-oriented AluJ exon in the human F8 gene. We show that the splicing outcome was better predicted by consecutive RNA conformation changes than by computationally derived splicing regulatory motifs. We also demonstrate an involvement of SRP9/14 (signal recognition particle) heterodimer in splicing regulation of Alu-derived exons. Nucleotide substitutions that accumulated during primate evolution relaxed the conserved left-arm AluJ structure including helix H1 and reduced the capacity of SRP9/14 to stabilize the closed Alu conformation. RNA secondary structure-constrained mutations that promoted open Y-shaped conformations of the Alu made the Alu exon inclusion reliant on DHX9. Finally, we identified additional SRP9/14 sensitive Alu exons and predicted their functional roles in the cell. Together, these results provide unique insights into architectural elements required for sense Alu exonization, identify conserved pre-mRNA structures involved in exon selection and point to a possible chaperone activity of SRP9/14 outside the mammalian signal recognition particle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Borovská
- Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics, Centre of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava 840 05, Slovak Republic
| | - Igor Vořechovský
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, HDH, MP808, Southampton SO16 6YD, United Kingdom
| | - Jana Královičová
- Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics, Centre of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava 840 05, Slovak Republic
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava 845 06, Slovak Republic
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10
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Gussakovsky D, Booy EP, Brown MJF, McKenna SA. Nuclear SRP9/SRP14 heterodimer transcriptionally regulates 7SL and BC200 RNA expression. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2023; 29:1185-1200. [PMID: 37156570 PMCID: PMC10351891 DOI: 10.1261/rna.079649.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The SRP9/SRP14 heterodimer is a central component of signal recognition particle (SRP) RNA (7SL) processing and Alu retrotransposition. In this study, we sought to establish the role of nuclear SRP9/SRP14 in the transcriptional regulation of 7SL and BC200 RNA. 7SL and BC200 RNA steady-state levels, rate of decay, and transcriptional activity were evaluated under SRP9/SRP14 knockdown conditions. Immunofluorescent imaging, and subcellular fractionation of MCF-7 cells, revealed a distinct nuclear localization for SRP9/SRP14. The relationship between this localization and transcriptional activity at 7SL and BC200 genes was also examined. These findings demonstrate a novel nuclear function of SRP9/SRP14 establishing that this heterodimer transcriptionally regulates 7SL and BC200 RNA expression. We describe a model in which SRP9/SRP14 cotranscriptionally regulate 7SL and BC200 RNA expression. Our model is also a plausible pathway for regulating Alu RNA transcription and is consistent with the hypothesized roles of SRP9/SRP14 transporting 7SL RNA into the nucleolus for posttranscriptional processing, and trafficking of Alu RNA for retrotransposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Gussakovsky
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Evan P Booy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Mira J F Brown
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Sean A McKenna
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada
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11
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Mattick JS, Amaral PP, Carninci P, Carpenter S, Chang HY, Chen LL, Chen R, Dean C, Dinger ME, Fitzgerald KA, Gingeras TR, Guttman M, Hirose T, Huarte M, Johnson R, Kanduri C, Kapranov P, Lawrence JB, Lee JT, Mendell JT, Mercer TR, Moore KJ, Nakagawa S, Rinn JL, Spector DL, Ulitsky I, Wan Y, Wilusz JE, Wu M. Long non-coding RNAs: definitions, functions, challenges and recommendations. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2023; 24:430-447. [PMID: 36596869 PMCID: PMC10213152 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-022-00566-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 554] [Impact Index Per Article: 554.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Genes specifying long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) occupy a large fraction of the genomes of complex organisms. The term 'lncRNAs' encompasses RNA polymerase I (Pol I), Pol II and Pol III transcribed RNAs, and RNAs from processed introns. The various functions of lncRNAs and their many isoforms and interleaved relationships with other genes make lncRNA classification and annotation difficult. Most lncRNAs evolve more rapidly than protein-coding sequences, are cell type specific and regulate many aspects of cell differentiation and development and other physiological processes. Many lncRNAs associate with chromatin-modifying complexes, are transcribed from enhancers and nucleate phase separation of nuclear condensates and domains, indicating an intimate link between lncRNA expression and the spatial control of gene expression during development. lncRNAs also have important roles in the cytoplasm and beyond, including in the regulation of translation, metabolism and signalling. lncRNAs often have a modular structure and are rich in repeats, which are increasingly being shown to be relevant to their function. In this Consensus Statement, we address the definition and nomenclature of lncRNAs and their conservation, expression, phenotypic visibility, structure and functions. We also discuss research challenges and provide recommendations to advance the understanding of the roles of lncRNAs in development, cell biology and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- John S Mattick
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- UNSW RNA Institute, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Paulo P Amaral
- INSPER Institute of Education and Research, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Piero Carninci
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Human Technopole, Milan, Italy
| | - Susan Carpenter
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Howard Y Chang
- Center for Personal Dynamics Regulomes, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Dermatology, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ling-Ling Chen
- CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Runsheng Chen
- Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, Center for Big Data Research in Health, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Caroline Dean
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Marcel E Dinger
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- UNSW RNA Institute, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Katherine A Fitzgerald
- Division of Innate Immunity, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | | | - Mitchell Guttman
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Tetsuro Hirose
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Maite Huarte
- Department of Gene Therapy and Regulation of Gene Expression, Center for Applied Medical Research, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Institute of Health Research of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Rory Johnson
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Conway Institute for Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Chandrasekhar Kanduri
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Philipp Kapranov
- Institute of Genomics, School of Medicine, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, China
| | - Jeanne B Lawrence
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Jeannie T Lee
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joshua T Mendell
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Timothy R Mercer
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Kathryn J Moore
- Department of Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- RNA Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - John L Rinn
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - David L Spector
- Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbour, NY, USA
| | - Igor Ulitsky
- Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yue Wan
- Laboratory of RNA Genomics and Structure, Genome Institute of Singapore, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biochemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jeremy E Wilusz
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Therapeutic Innovation Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mian Wu
- Translational Research Institute, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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12
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Stasenko DV, Tatosyan KA, Borodulina OR, Kramerov DA. Nucleotide Context Can Modulate Promoter Strength in Genes Transcribed by RNA Polymerase III. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:802. [PMID: 37107560 PMCID: PMC10137851 DOI: 10.3390/genes14040802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The small nuclear RNAs 4.5SH and 4.5SI were characterized only in mouse-like rodents; their genes originate from 7SL RNA and tRNA, respectively. Similar to many genes transcribed by RNA polymerase III (pol III), the genes of 4.5SH and 4.5SI RNAs include boxes A and B, forming an intergenic pol III-directed promoter. In addition, their 5'-flanking sequences have TATA-like boxes at position -31/-24, also required for efficient transcription. The patterns of the three boxes notably differ in the 4.5SH and 4.5SI RNA genes. The A, B, and TATA-like boxes were replaced in the 4.5SH RNA gene with the corresponding boxes in the 4.5SI RNA gene to evaluate their effect on the transcription of transfected constructs in HeLa cells. Simultaneous replacement of all three boxes decreased the transcription level by 40%, which indicates decreased promoter activity in a foreign gene. We developed a new approach to compare the promoter strength based on the competition of two co-transfected gene constructs when the proportion between the constructs modulates their relative activity. This method demonstrated that the promoter activity of 4.5SI is 12 times that of 4.5SH. Unexpectedly, the replacement of all three boxes of the weak 4.5SH promoter with those of the strong 4.5SI gene significantly reduced, rather than enhanced, the promoter activity. Thus, the strength of a pol III-directed promoter can depend on the nucleotide environment of the gene.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Dmitri A. Kramerov
- Laboratory of Eukaryotic Genome Evolution, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
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13
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Lari A, Glaunsinger BA. Murine Gammaherpesvirus 68 ORF45 Stimulates B2 Retrotransposon and Pre-tRNA Activation in a Manner Dependent on Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) Signaling. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0017223. [PMID: 36752632 PMCID: PMC10100704 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00172-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA polymerase III (RNAPIII) transcribes a variety of noncoding RNAs, including tRNA (tRNA) and the B2 family of short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs). B2 SINEs are noncoding retrotransposons that possess tRNA-like promoters and are normally silenced in healthy somatic tissue. Infection with the murine gammaherpesvirus MHV68 induces transcription of both SINEs and tRNAs, in part through the activity of the viral protein kinase ORF36. Here, we identify the conserved MHV68 tegument protein ORF45 as an additional activator of these RNAPIII loci. MHV68 ORF45 and ORF36 form a complex, resulting in an additive induction RNAPIII and increased ORF45 expression. ORF45-induced RNAPIII transcription is dependent on its activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, which in turn increases the abundance of the RNAPIII transcription factor Brf1. Other viral and nonviral activators of MAPK/ERK signaling also increase the levels of Brf1 protein, B2 SINE RNA, and tRNA, suggesting that this is a common strategy to increase RNAPIII activity. IMPORTANCE Gammaherpesviral infection alters the gene expression landscape of a host cell, including through the induction of noncoding RNAs transcribed by RNA polymerase III (RNAPIII). Among these are a class of repetitive genes known as retrotransposons, which are normally silenced elements and can copy and spread throughout the genome, and transfer RNAs (tRNAs), which are fundamental components of protein translation machinery. How these loci are activated during infection is not well understood. Here, we identify ORF45 from the model murine gammaherpesvirus MHV68 as a novel activator of RNAPIII transcription. To do so, it engages the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway, which is a central regulator of cellular response to environmental stimuli. Activation of this pathway leads to the upregulation of a key factor required for RNAPIII activity, Brf1. These findings expand our understanding of the regulation and dysregulation of RNAPIII transcription and highlight how viral cooption of key signaling pathways can impact host gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azra Lari
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Britt A. Glaunsinger
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Berkeley, California, USA
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14
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Modenini G, Abondio P, Boattini A. The coevolution between APOBEC3 and retrotransposons in primates. Mob DNA 2022; 13:27. [PMID: 36443831 PMCID: PMC9706992 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-022-00283-1] [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: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Retrotransposons are genetic elements with the ability to replicate in the genome using reverse transcriptase: they have been associated with the development of different biological structures, such as the Central Nervous System (CNS), and their high mutagenic potential has been linked to various diseases, including cancer and neurological disorders. Throughout evolution and over time, Primates and Homo had to cope with infections from viruses and bacteria, and also with endogenous retroelements. Therefore, host genomes have evolved numerous methods to counteract the activity of endogenous and exogenous pathogens, and the APOBEC3 family of mutators is a prime example of a defensive mechanism in this context.In most Primates, there are seven members of the APOBEC3 family of deaminase proteins: among their functions, there is the ability to inhibit the mobilization of retrotransposons and the functionality of viruses. The evolution of the APOBEC3 proteins found in Primates is correlated with the expansion of two major families of retrotransposons, i.e. ERV and LINE-1.In this review, we will discuss how the rapid expansion of the APOBEC3 family is linked to the evolution of retrotransposons, highlighting the strong evolutionary arms race that characterized the history of APOBEC3s and endogenous retroelements in Primates. Moreover, the possible role of this relationship will be assessed in the context of embryonic development and brain-associated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Modenini
- grid.6292.f0000 0004 1757 1758Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Paolo Abondio
- grid.6292.f0000 0004 1757 1758Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy ,grid.6292.f0000 0004 1757 1758Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Alessio Boattini
- grid.6292.f0000 0004 1757 1758Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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15
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Lee H, Min JW, Mun S, Han K. Human Retrotransposons and Effective Computational Detection Methods for Next-Generation Sequencing Data. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:life12101583. [PMID: 36295018 PMCID: PMC9605557 DOI: 10.3390/life12101583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are classified into two classes according to their mobilization mechanism. Compared to DNA transposons that move by the "cut and paste" mechanism, retrotransposons mobilize via the "copy and paste" method. They have been an essential research topic because some of the active elements, such as Long interspersed element 1 (LINE-1), Alu, and SVA elements, have contributed to the genetic diversity of primates beyond humans. In addition, they can cause genetic disorders by altering gene expression and generating structural variations (SVs). The development and rapid technological advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) have led to new perspectives on detecting retrotransposon-mediated SVs, especially insertions. Moreover, various computational methods have been developed based on NGS data to precisely detect the insertions and deletions in the human genome. Therefore, this review discusses details about the recently studied and utilized NGS technologies and the effective computational approaches for discovering retrotransposons through it. The final part covers a diverse range of computational methods for detecting retrotransposon insertions with human NGS data. This review will give researchers insights into understanding the TEs and how to investigate them and find connections with research interests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haeun Lee
- Department of Bioconvergence Engineering, Dankook University, Yongin 16890, Korea
| | - Jun Won Min
- Department of Surgery, Dankook University College of Medicine, Cheonan 31116, Korea
| | - Seyoung Mun
- Department of Microbiology, College of Science & Technology, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Korea
- Center for Bio Medical Engineering Core Facility, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Korea
- Correspondence: (S.M.); (K.H.)
| | - Kyudong Han
- Department of Bioconvergence Engineering, Dankook University, Yongin 16890, Korea
- Department of Microbiology, College of Science & Technology, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Korea
- Center for Bio Medical Engineering Core Facility, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Korea
- HuNbiome Co., Ltd., R&D Center, Seoul 08507, Korea
- Correspondence: (S.M.); (K.H.)
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16
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Kim WR, Park EG, Lee HE, Park SJ, Huh JW, Kim JN, Kim HS. Hsa-miR-422a Originated from Short Interspersed Nuclear Element Increases ARID5B Expression by Collaborating with NF-E2. Mol Cells 2022; 45:465-478. [PMID: 35444070 PMCID: PMC9260135 DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2022.2158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that regulate the expression of target messenger RNA (mRNA) complementary to the 3' untranslated region (UTR) at the post-transcriptional level. Hsa-miR-422a, which is commonly known as miRNA derived from transposable element (MDTE), was derived from short interspersed nuclear element (SINE). Through expression analysis, hsa-miR-422a was found to be highly expressed in both the small intestine and liver of crab-eating monkey. AT-Rich Interaction Domain 5 B (ARID5B) was selected as the target gene of hsa-miR-422a, which has two binding sites in both the exon and 3'UTR of ARID5B. To identify the interaction between hsa-miR-422a and ARID5B, a dual luciferase assay was conducted in HepG2 cell line. The luciferase activity of cells treated with the hsa-miR-422a mimic was upregulated and inversely downregulated when both the hsa-miR-422a mimic and inhibitor were administered. Nuclear factor erythroid-2 (NF-E2) was selected as the core transcription factor (TF) via feed forward loop analysis. The luciferase expression was downregulated when both the hsa-miR-422a mimic and siRNA of NF-E2 were treated, compared to the treatment of the hsa-miR-422a mimic alone. The present study suggests that hsa-miR-422a derived from SINE could bind to the exon region as well as the 3'UTR of ARID5B. Additionally, hsa-miR-422a was found to share binding sites in ARID5Bwith several TFs, including NF-E2. The hsa-miR-422a might thus interact with TF to regulate the expression of ARID5B, as demonstrated experimentally. Altogether, hsa-miR-422a acts as a super enhancer miRNA of ARID5Bby collaborating with TF and NF-E2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woo Ryung Kim
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
- Institute of Systems Biology, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
| | - Eun Gyung Park
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
- Institute of Systems Biology, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
| | - Hee-Eun Lee
- National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju 28199, Korea
| | - Sang-Je Park
- National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju 28199, Korea
| | - Jae-Won Huh
- National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju 28199, Korea
- Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34113, Korea
| | - Jeong Nam Kim
- Department of Microbiology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
| | - Heui-Soo Kim
- Institute of Systems Biology, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
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17
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SINEs as Credible Signs to Prove Common Ancestry in the Tree of Life: A Brief Review of Pioneering Case Studies in Retroposon Systematics. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13060989. [PMID: 35741751 PMCID: PMC9223172 DOI: 10.3390/genes13060989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, the insertions of SINEs (and other retrotransposed elements) are regarded as one of the most reliable synapomorphies in molecular systematics. The methodological mainstream of molecular systematics is the calculation of nucleotide (or amino acid) sequence divergences under a suitable substitution model. In contrast, SINE insertion analysis does not require any complex model because SINE insertions are unidirectional and irreversible. This straightforward methodology was named the “SINE method,” which resolved various taxonomic issues that could not be settled by sequence comparison alone. The SINE method has challenged several traditional hypotheses proposed based on the fossil record and anatomy, prompting constructive discussions in the Evo/Devo era. Here, we review our pioneering SINE studies on salmon, cichlids, cetaceans, Afrotherian mammals, and birds. We emphasize the power of the SINE method in detecting incomplete lineage sorting by tracing the genealogy of specific genomic loci with minimal noise. Finally, in the context of the whole-genome era, we discuss how the SINE method can be applied to further our understanding of the tree of life.
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18
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Chesnokova E, Beletskiy A, Kolosov P. The Role of Transposable Elements of the Human Genome in Neuronal Function and Pathology. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:5847. [PMID: 35628657 PMCID: PMC9148063 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) have been extensively studied for decades. In recent years, the introduction of whole-genome and whole-transcriptome approaches, as well as single-cell resolution techniques, provided a breakthrough that uncovered TE involvement in host gene expression regulation underlying multiple normal and pathological processes. Of particular interest is increased TE activity in neuronal tissue, and specifically in the hippocampus, that was repeatedly demonstrated in multiple experiments. On the other hand, numerous neuropathologies are associated with TE dysregulation. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of literature about the role of TEs in neurons published over the last three decades. The first chapter of the present review describes known mechanisms of TE interaction with host genomes in general, with the focus on mammalian and human TEs; the second chapter provides examples of TE exaptation in normal neuronal tissue, including TE involvement in neuronal differentiation and plasticity; and the last chapter lists TE-related neuropathologies. We sought to provide specific molecular mechanisms of TE involvement in neuron-specific processes whenever possible; however, in many cases, only phenomenological reports were available. This underscores the importance of further studies in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Chesnokova
- Laboratory of Cellular Neurobiology of Learning, Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 117485 Moscow, Russia; (A.B.); (P.K.)
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19
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Costallat M, Batsché E, Rachez C, Muchardt C. The 'Alu-ome' shapes the epigenetic environment of regulatory elements controlling cellular defense. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:5095-5110. [PMID: 35544277 PMCID: PMC9122584 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Promoters and enhancers are sites of transcription initiation (TSSs) and carry specific histone modifications, including H3K4me1, H3K4me3, and H3K27ac. Yet, the principles governing the boundaries of such regulatory elements are still poorly characterized. Alu elements are good candidates for a boundary function, being highly abundant in gene-rich regions, while essentially excluded from regulatory elements. Here, we show that the interval ranging from TSS to first upstream Alu, accommodates all H3K4me3 and most H3K27ac marks, while excluding DNA methylation. Remarkably, the average length of these intervals greatly varies in-between tissues, being longer in stem- and shorter in immune-cells. The very shortest TSS-to-first-Alu intervals were observed at promoters active in T-cells, particularly at immune genes, where first-Alus were traversed by RNA polymerase II transcription, while accumulating H3K4me1 signal. Finally, DNA methylation at first-Alus was found to evolve with age, regressing from young to middle-aged, then recovering later in life. Thus, the first-Alus upstream of TSSs appear as dynamic boundaries marking the transition from DNA methylation to active histone modifications at regulatory elements, while also participating in the recording of immune gene transcriptional events by positioning H3K4me1-modified nucleosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mickael Costallat
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Biological Adaptation and Ageing, B2A-IBPS, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Eric Batsché
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Biological Adaptation and Ageing, B2A-IBPS, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Christophe Rachez
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Biological Adaptation and Ageing, B2A-IBPS, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Christian Muchardt
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine, Biological Adaptation and Ageing, B2A-IBPS, 75005, Paris, France
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20
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Baar T, Dümcke S, Gressel S, Schwalb B, Dilthey A, Cramer P, Tresch A. RNA transcription and degradation of Alu retrotransposons depends on sequence features and evolutionary history. G3 GENES|GENOMES|GENETICS 2022; 12:6543614. [PMID: 35253846 PMCID: PMC9073682 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Alu elements are one of the most successful groups of RNA retrotransposons and make up 11% of the human genome with over 1 million individual loci. They are linked to genetic defects, increases in sequence diversity, and influence transcriptional activity. Still, their RNA metabolism is poorly understood yet. It is even unclear whether Alu elements are mostly transcribed by RNA Polymerase II or III. We have conducted a transcription shutoff experiment by α-amanitin and metabolic RNA labeling by 4-thiouridine combined with RNA fragmentation (TT-seq) and RNA-seq to shed further light on the origin and life cycle of Alu transcripts. We find that Alu RNAs are more stable than previously thought and seem to originate in part from RNA Polymerase II activity, as previous reports suggest. Their expression however seems to be independent of the transcriptional activity of adjacent genes. Furthermore, we have developed a novel statistical test for detecting the expression of quantitative trait loci in Alu elements that relies on the de Bruijn graph representation of all Alu sequences. It controls for both statistical significance and biological relevance using a tuned k-mer representation, discovering influential sequence features missed by regular motif search. In addition, we discover several point mutations using a generalized linear model, and motifs of interest, which also match transcription factor-binding motifs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Till Baar
- Institute of Medical Statistics and Computational Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne 50937, Germany
| | | | - Saskia Gressel
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Björn Schwalb
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Alexander Dilthey
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Patrick Cramer
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Achim Tresch
- Institute of Medical Statistics and Computational Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne 50937, Germany
- CECAD, University of Cologne, Cologne 50931, Germany
- Center for Data and Simulation Science, University of Cologne, Cologne 50923, Germany
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21
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Aune TM, Tossberg JT, Heinrich RM, Porter KP, Crooke PS. Alu RNA Structural Features Modulate Immune Cell Activation and A-to-I Editing of Alu RNAs Is Diminished in Human Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Front Immunol 2022; 13:818023. [PMID: 35126398 PMCID: PMC8813004 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.818023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Alu retrotransposons belong to the class of short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs). Alu RNA is abundant in cells and its repetitive structure forms double-stranded RNAs (dsRNA) that activate dsRNA sensors and trigger innate immune responses with significant pathological consequences. Mechanisms to prevent innate immune activation include deamination of adenosines to inosines in dsRNAs, referred to as A-to-I editing, degradation of Alu RNAs by endoribonucleases, and sequestration of Alu RNAs by RNA binding proteins. We have previously demonstrated that widespread loss of Alu RNA A-to-I editing is associated with diverse human diseases including viral (COVID-19, influenza) and autoimmune diseases (multiple sclerosis). Here we demonstrate loss of A-to-I editing in leukocytes is also associated with inflammatory bowel diseases. Our structure-function analysis demonstrates that ability to activate innate immune responses resides in the left arm of Alu RNA, requires a 5’-PPP, RIG-I is the major Alu dsRNA sensor, and A-to-I editing disrupts both structure and function. Further, edited Alu RNAs inhibit activity of unedited Alu RNAs. Altering Alu RNA nucleotide sequence increases biological activity. Two classes of Alu RNAs exist, one class stimulates both IRF and NF-kB transcriptional activity and a second class only stimulates IRF transcriptional activity. Thus, Alu RNAs play important roles in human disease but may also have therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M. Aune
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
- *Correspondence: Thomas M. Aune,
| | - John T. Tossberg
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Rachel M. Heinrich
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Krislyn P. Porter
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Philip S. Crooke
- Department of Mathematics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
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22
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Song Z, Shah S, Lv B, Ji N, Liu X, Yan L, Khan M, Zhao Y, Wu P, Liu S, Zheng L, Su L, Wang X, Lv Z. Anti-aging and anti-oxidant activities of murine short interspersed nuclear element antisense RNA. Eur J Pharmacol 2021; 912:174577. [PMID: 34688636 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2021.174577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
Short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) play a key role in regulating gene expression, and SINE RNAs are involved in age-related diseases. We investigated the anti-aging effects of a genetically engineered murine SINE B1 antisense RNA (B1as RNA) and explored its mechanism of action in naturally senescent BALB/c (≥14 months) and moderately senscent C57BL/6N (≥9 months) mice. After tail vein injection, B1as RNA was available in the blood of mice for approximately 30 min, persisted for approximately 2-4 h in most detected tissues and persisted approximately 48 h in lungs. We found that treatment with B1as RNA improved stamina and promoted hair re-growth in aged mice. Treatment with B1as RNA also partially rescued the increase in mitochondrial DNA copy number in liver and spleen tissues observed in aged and moderately senescent mice. Finally, treatment with B1as RNA increased the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in aged and moderately senescent mice, reduced these animals' malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species levels, and modulated the expression of several aging-associated genes, including Sirtuin 1, p21, p16Ink4a, p15Ink4b and p19Arf, and anti-oxidant genes (Sesn1 and Sesn 2). These data suggest that B1as RNA inhibits the aging process by enhancing antioxidant activity, promoting the scavenging of free radicals, and modulating the expression of aging-associated genes. This is the first report describing the anti-aging activity of SINE antisense RNA, which may serve as an effective nucleic acid drug for the treatment of age-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixue Song
- Department of Genetics, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Lab of Laboratory Animal, Shijiazhuang, 050017, Hebei Province, PR China.
| | - Suleman Shah
- Department of Genetics, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Lab of Laboratory Animal, Shijiazhuang, 050017, Hebei Province, PR China.
| | - Baixue Lv
- Department of Ultrasound, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, Hubei Province, PR China; Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Wuhan, 430022, Hubei Province, PR China.
| | - Ning Ji
- Department of Genetics, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Lab of Laboratory Animal, Shijiazhuang, 050017, Hebei Province, PR China.
| | - Xin Liu
- Department of Genetics, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Lab of Laboratory Animal, Shijiazhuang, 050017, Hebei Province, PR China.
| | - Lifang Yan
- Department of Genetics, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Lab of Laboratory Animal, Shijiazhuang, 050017, Hebei Province, PR China.
| | - Murad Khan
- Department of Genetics, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Lab of Laboratory Animal, Shijiazhuang, 050017, Hebei Province, PR China.
| | - Yufang Zhao
- Department of Genetics, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Lab of Laboratory Animal, Shijiazhuang, 050017, Hebei Province, PR China.
| | - Peiyuan Wu
- Department of Genetics, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Lab of Laboratory Animal, Shijiazhuang, 050017, Hebei Province, PR China.
| | - Shufeng Liu
- Department of Genetics, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Lab of Laboratory Animal, Shijiazhuang, 050017, Hebei Province, PR China.
| | - Long Zheng
- Department of Genetics, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Lab of Laboratory Animal, Shijiazhuang, 050017, Hebei Province, PR China.
| | - Libo Su
- Department of Genetics, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Lab of Laboratory Animal, Shijiazhuang, 050017, Hebei Province, PR China.
| | - Xiufang Wang
- Department of Genetics, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Lab of Laboratory Animal, Shijiazhuang, 050017, Hebei Province, PR China.
| | - Zhanjun Lv
- Department of Genetics, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Lab of Laboratory Animal, Shijiazhuang, 050017, Hebei Province, PR China.
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23
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Wang SB, Narendran S, Hirahara S, Varshney A, Pereira F, Apicella I, Ambati M, Ambati VL, Yerramothu P, Ambati K, Nagasaka Y, Argyle D, Huang P, Baker KL, Marion KM, Gupta K, Liu B, Hinton DR, Canna SW, Sallam T, Sadda SR, Kerur N, Gelfand BD, Ambati J. DDX17 is an essential mediator of sterile NLRC4 inflammasome activation by retrotransposon RNAs. Sci Immunol 2021; 6:eabi4493. [PMID: 34860583 PMCID: PMC8767314 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abi4493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Detection of microbial products by multiprotein complexes known as inflammasomes is pivotal to host defense against pathogens. Nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat (NLR) CARD domain containing 4 (NLRC4) forms an inflammasome in response to bacterial products; this requires their detection by NLR family apoptosis inhibitory proteins (NAIPs), with which NLRC4 physically associates. However, the mechanisms underlying sterile NLRC4 inflammasome activation, which is implicated in chronic noninfectious diseases, remain unknown. Here, we report that endogenous short interspersed nuclear element (SINE) RNAs, which promote atrophic macular degeneration (AMD) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), induce NLRC4 inflammasome activation independent of NAIPs. We identify DDX17, a DExD/H box RNA helicase, as the sensor of SINE RNAs that licenses assembly of an inflammasome comprising NLRC4, NLR pyrin domain–containing protein 3, and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein–containing CARD and induces caspase-1 activation and cytokine release. Inhibiting DDX17-mediated NLRC4 inflammasome activation decreased interleukin-18 release in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with SLE and prevented retinal degeneration in an animal model of AMD. Our findings uncover a previously unrecognized noncanonical NLRC4 inflammasome activated by endogenous retrotransposons and provide potential therapeutic targets for SINE RNA–driven diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao-bin Wang
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Siddharth Narendran
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Aravind Eye Care System, Madurai, India
| | - Shuichiro Hirahara
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Akhil Varshney
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Felipe Pereira
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Departamento de Oftalmologia e Ciências Visuais, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo 04023-062, Brazil
| | - Ivana Apicella
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Meenakshi Ambati
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Center for Digital Image Evaluation, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Vidya L. Ambati
- Center for Digital Image Evaluation, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Praveen Yerramothu
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Kameshwari Ambati
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Yosuke Nagasaka
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Dionne Argyle
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Peirong Huang
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | | | | | - Kartik Gupta
- Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Bo Liu
- Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - David R. Hinton
- Departments of Pathology and Ophthalmology, USC Roski Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Scott W. Canna
- Pediatric Rheumatology & RK Mellon Institute for Pediatric Research, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Tamer Sallam
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, Center for Health Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Srinivas R. Sadda
- Doheny Eye Institute, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California–Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nagaraj Kerur
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Bradley D. Gelfand
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Jayakrishna Ambati
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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24
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Dynamic Variations of 3'UTR Length Reprogram the mRNA Regulatory Landscape. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9111560. [PMID: 34829789 PMCID: PMC8615635 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9111560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper concerns 3′-untranslated regions (3′UTRs) of mRNAs, which are non-coding regulatory platforms that control stability, fate and the correct spatiotemporal translation of mRNAs. Many mRNAs have polymorphic 3′UTR regions. Controlling 3′UTR length and sequence facilitates the regulation of the accessibility of functional effectors (RNA binding proteins, miRNAs or other ncRNAs) to 3′UTR functional boxes and motifs and the establishment of different regulatory landscapes for mRNA function. In this context, shortening of 3′UTRs would loosen miRNA or protein-based mechanisms of mRNA degradation, while 3′UTR lengthening would strengthen accessibility to these effectors. Alterations in the mechanisms regulating 3′UTR length would result in widespread deregulation of gene expression that could eventually lead to diseases likely linked to the loss (or acquisition) of specific miRNA binding sites. Here, we will review the mechanisms that control 3′UTR length dynamics and their alterations in human disorders. We will discuss, from a mechanistic point of view centered on the molecular machineries involved, the generation of 3′UTR variability by the use of alternative polyadenylation and cleavage sites, of mutually exclusive terminal alternative exons (exon skipping) as well as by the process of exonization of Alu cassettes to generate new 3′UTRs with differential functional features.
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25
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Abstract
Alu RNA are implicated in the poor prognosis of several human disease states. These RNA are transcription products of primate specific transposable elements called Alu elements. These elements are extremely abundant, comprising over 10% of the human genome, and 100 to 1000 cytoplasmic copies of Alu RNA per cell. Alu RNA do not have a single universal functional role aside from selfish self-propagation. Despite this, Alu RNA have been found to operate in a diverse set of translational and transcriptional mechanisms. This review will focus on the current knowledge of Alu RNA involved in human disease states and known mechanisms of action. Examples of Alu RNA that are transcribed in a variety of contexts such as introns, mature mRNA, and non-coding transcripts will be discussed. Past and present challenges in studying Alu RNA, and the future directions of Alu RNA in basic and clinical research will also be examined.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sean A McKenna
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
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26
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Fukuda S, Narendran S, Varshney A, Nagasaka Y, Wang SB, Ambati K, Apicella I, Pereira F, Fowler BJ, Yasuma T, Hirahara S, Yasuma R, Huang P, Yerramothu P, Makin RD, Wang M, Baker KL, Marion KM, Huang X, Baghdasaryan E, Ambati M, Ambati VL, Banerjee D, Bonilha VL, Tolstonog GV, Held U, Ogura Y, Terasaki H, Oshika T, Bhattarai D, Kim KB, Feldman SH, Aguirre JI, Hinton DR, Kerur N, Sadda SR, Schumann GG, Gelfand BD, Ambati J. Alu complementary DNA is enriched in atrophic macular degeneration and triggers retinal pigmented epithelium toxicity via cytosolic innate immunity. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabj3658. [PMID: 34586848 PMCID: PMC8480932 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj3658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Long interspersed nuclear element-1 (L1)–mediated reverse transcription (RT) of Alu RNA into cytoplasmic Alu complementary DNA (cDNA) has been implicated in retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) degeneration. The mechanism of Alu cDNA–induced cytotoxicity and its relevance to human disease are unknown. Here we report that Alu cDNA is highly enriched in the RPE of human eyes with geographic atrophy, an untreatable form of age-related macular degeneration. We demonstrate that the DNA sensor cGAS engages Alu cDNA to induce cytosolic mitochondrial DNA escape, which amplifies cGAS activation, triggering RPE degeneration via the inflammasome. The L1-extinct rice rat was resistant to Alu RNA–induced Alu cDNA synthesis and RPE degeneration, which were enabled upon L1-RT overexpression. Nucleoside RT inhibitors (NRTIs), which inhibit both L1-RT and inflammasome activity, and NRTI derivatives (Kamuvudines) that inhibit inflammasome, but not RT, both block Alu cDNA toxicity, identifying inflammasome activation as the terminal effector of RPE degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinichi Fukuda
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
| | - Siddharth Narendran
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Aravind Eye Hospital System, Madurai, India
| | - Akhil Varshney
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Yosuke Nagasaka
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Shao-bin Wang
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Kameshwari Ambati
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Ivana Apicella
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Felipe Pereira
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Departamento de Oftalmologia e Ciências Visuais, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo 04023-062, Brazil
| | - Benjamin J. Fowler
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Tetsuhiro Yasuma
- Department of Ophthalmology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
- Departamento de Oftalmologia e Ciências Visuais, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo 04023-062, Brazil
| | - Shuichiro Hirahara
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Reo Yasuma
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Peirong Huang
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China
| | - Praveen Yerramothu
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Ryan D. Makin
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Mo Wang
- Doheny Eye Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Elmira Baghdasaryan
- Doheny Eye Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California–Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Meenakshi Ambati
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Center for Digital Image Evaluation, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Vidya L. Ambati
- Center for Digital Image Evaluation, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Daipayan Banerjee
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | | | - Genrich V. Tolstonog
- Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ulrike Held
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institute, Langen, Germany
| | - Yuichiro Ogura
- Department of Ophthalmology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hiroko Terasaki
- Department of Ophthalmology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Tetsuro Oshika
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
| | - Deepak Bhattarai
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Kyung Bo Kim
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Sanford H. Feldman
- Center for Comparative Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - J. Ignacio Aguirre
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - David R. Hinton
- Departments of Pathology and Ophthalmology, USC Roski Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nagaraj Kerur
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Srinivas R. Sadda
- Doheny Eye Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California–Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Gerald G. Schumann
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institute, Langen, Germany
| | - Bradley D. Gelfand
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Jayakrishna Ambati
- Center for Advanced Vision Science, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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27
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Majer F, Sikora J. Easy and fast PCR-based protocol allows characterization of breakpoints resulting from Alu/Alu-mediated genomic rearrangements. Mol Genet Genomic Med 2021; 9:e1830. [PMID: 34596355 PMCID: PMC8683632 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.1830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Filip Majer
- Research Unit for Rare Diseases, Department of Paediatrics and Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, General University Hospital, Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Sikora
- Research Unit for Rare Diseases, Department of Paediatrics and Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, General University Hospital, Praha 2, Czech Republic.,Institute of Pathology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, General University Hospital, Praha 2, Czech Republic
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28
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Analysis of SINE Families B2, Dip, and Ves with Special Reference to Polyadenylation Signals and Transcription Terminators. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22189897. [PMID: 34576060 PMCID: PMC8466645 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22189897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Short Interspersed Elements (SINEs) are eukaryotic non-autonomous retrotransposons transcribed by RNA polymerase III (pol III). The 3′-terminus of many mammalian SINEs has a polyadenylation signal (AATAAA), pol III transcription terminator, and A-rich tail. The RNAs of such SINEs can be polyadenylated, which is unique for pol III transcripts. Here, B2 (mice and related rodents), Dip (jerboas), and Ves (vespertilionid bats) SINE families were thoroughly studied. They were divided into subfamilies reliably distinguished by relatively long indels. The age of SINE subfamilies can be estimated, which allows us to reconstruct their evolution. The youngest and most active variants of SINE subfamilies were given special attention. The shortest pol III transcription terminators are TCTTT (B2), TATTT (Ves and Dip), and the rarer TTTT. The last nucleotide of the terminator is often not transcribed; accordingly, the truncated terminator of its descendant becomes nonfunctional. The incidence of complete transcription of the TCTTT terminator is twice higher compared to TTTT and thus functional terminators are more likely preserved in daughter SINE copies. Young copies have long poly(A) tails; however, they gradually shorten in host generations. Unexpectedly, the tail shortening below A10 increases the incidence of terminator elongation by Ts thus restoring its efficiency. This process can be critical for the maintenance of SINE activity in the genome.
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29
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Sadova AA, Panteleev DY, Pavlova GV. Zooming in: PAGE-Northern Blot Helps to Analyze Anti-Sense Transcripts Originating from Human rIGS under Transcriptional Stress. Noncoding RNA 2021; 7:ncrna7030050. [PMID: 34449671 PMCID: PMC8395900 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna7030050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribosomal intergenic spacer (rIGS), located between the 45S rRNA coding arrays in humans, is a deep, unexplored source of small and long non-coding RNA molecules transcribed in certain conditions to help a cell generate a stress response, pass through a differentiation state or fine tune the functioning of the nucleolus as a ribosome biogenesis center of the cell. Many of the non-coding transcripts originating from the rIGS are not characterized to date. Here, we confirm the transcriptional activity of the region laying a 2 kb upstream of the rRNA promoter, and demonstrate its altered expression under transcriptional stress, induced by a wide range of known transcription inhibitors. We managed to show an increased variability of anti-sense transcripts in alpha-amanitin treated cells by applying the low-molecular RNA fraction extracted from agarose gel to PAGE-northern. Also, the fractioning of RNA by size using agarose gel slices occurred, being applicable for determining the sizes of target transcripts via RT-PCR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia A. Sadova
- Academic Chair of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of General Medicine, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, 117997 Moscow, Russia
- Institute of Biomedical Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, 123007 Moscow, Russia
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117485 Moscow, Russia; (D.Y.P.); (G.V.P.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Dmitry Y. Panteleev
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117485 Moscow, Russia; (D.Y.P.); (G.V.P.)
| | - Galina V. Pavlova
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117485 Moscow, Russia; (D.Y.P.); (G.V.P.)
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Department of X-ray and Radioisotope Diagnostic Methods, Burdenko Neurosurgical Institute, 125047 Moscow, Russia
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30
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Ichiyanagi T, Katoh H, Mori Y, Hirafuku K, Boyboy BA, Kawase M, Ichiyanagi K. B2 SINE Copies Serve as a Transposable Boundary of DNA Methylation and Histone Modifications in the Mouse. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:2380-2395. [PMID: 33592095 PMCID: PMC8136502 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
More than one million copies of short interspersed elements (SINEs), a class of retrotransposons, are present in the mammalian genomes, particularly within gene-rich genomic regions. Evidence has accumulated that ancient SINE sequences have acquired new binding sites for transcription factors (TFs) through multiple mutations following retrotransposition, and as a result have rewired the host regulatory network during the course of evolution. However, it remains unclear whether currently active SINEs contribute to the expansion of TF binding sites. To study the mobility, expression, and function of SINE copies, we first identified about 2,000 insertional polymorphisms of SINE B1 and B2 families within Mus musculus. Using a novel RNA sequencing method designated as melRNA-seq, we detected the expression of SINEs in male germ cells at both the subfamily and genomic copy levels: the vast majority of B1 RNAs originated from evolutionarily young subfamilies, whereas B2 RNAs originated from both young and old subfamilies. DNA methylation and chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing (ChIP-seq) analyses in liver revealed that polymorphic B2 insertions served as a boundary element inhibiting the expansion of DNA hypomethylated and histone hyperacetylated regions, and decreased the expression of neighboring genes. Moreover, genomic B2 copies were enriched at the boundary of various histone modifications, and chromatin insulator protein, CCCTC-binding factor, a well-known chromatin boundary protein, bound to >100 polymorphic and >10,000 non-polymorphic B2 insertions. These results suggest that the currently active B2 copies are mobile boundary elements that can modulate chromatin modifications and gene expression, and are likely involved in epigenomic and phenotypic diversification of the mouse species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoko Ichiyanagi
- Laboratory of Genome and Epigenome Dynamics, Department of Animal Sciences, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Katoh
- Laboratory of Genome and Epigenome Dynamics, Department of Animal Sciences, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Yoshinobu Mori
- Laboratory of Genome and Epigenome Dynamics, Department of Animal Sciences, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Keigo Hirafuku
- The Jikei University Hospital, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8471, Japan
| | - Beverly Ann Boyboy
- Laboratory of Genome and Epigenome Dynamics, Department of Animal Sciences, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Masaki Kawase
- Laboratory of Genome and Epigenome Dynamics, Department of Animal Sciences, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Kenji Ichiyanagi
- Laboratory of Genome and Epigenome Dynamics, Department of Animal Sciences, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
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31
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Hermant C, Torres-Padilla ME. TFs for TEs: the transcription factor repertoire of mammalian transposable elements. Genes Dev 2021; 35:22-39. [PMID: 33397727 PMCID: PMC7778262 DOI: 10.1101/gad.344473.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In this review, Hermant and Torres-Padilla summarize and discuss the transcription factors known to be involved in the sequence-specific recognition and transcriptional activation of specific transposable element families or subfamilies. Transposable elements (TEs) are genetic elements capable of changing position within the genome. Although their mobilization can constitute a threat to genome integrity, nearly half of modern mammalian genomes are composed of remnants of TE insertions. The first critical step for a successful transposition cycle is the generation of a full-length transcript. TEs have evolved cis-regulatory elements enabling them to recruit host-encoded factors driving their own, selfish transcription. TEs are generally transcriptionally silenced in somatic cells, and the mechanisms underlying their repression have been extensively studied. However, during germline formation, preimplantation development, and tumorigenesis, specific TE families are highly expressed. Understanding the molecular players at stake in these contexts is of utmost importance to establish the mechanisms regulating TEs, as well as the importance of their transcription to the biology of the host. Here, we review the transcription factors known to be involved in the sequence-specific recognition and transcriptional activation of specific TE families or subfamilies. We discuss the diversity of TE regulatory elements within mammalian genomes and highlight the importance of TE mobilization in the dispersal of transcription factor-binding sites over the course of evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Hermant
- Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells (IES), Helmholtz Zentrum München, D-81377 München, Germany
| | - Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla
- Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells (IES), Helmholtz Zentrum München, D-81377 München, Germany.,Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München, D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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Sadeq S, Al-Hashimi S, Cusack CM, Werner A. Endogenous Double-Stranded RNA. Noncoding RNA 2021; 7:15. [PMID: 33669629 PMCID: PMC7930956 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna7010015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The birth of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) is closely associated with the presence and activation of repetitive elements in the genome. The transcription of endogenous retroviruses as well as long and short interspersed elements is not only essential for evolving lncRNAs but is also a significant source of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). From an lncRNA-centric point of view, the latter is a minor source of bother in the context of the entire cell; however, dsRNA is an essential threat. A viral infection is associated with cytoplasmic dsRNA, and endogenous RNA hybrids only differ from viral dsRNA by the 5' cap structure. Hence, a multi-layered defense network is in place to protect cells from viral infections but tolerates endogenous dsRNA structures. A first line of defense is established with compartmentalization; whereas endogenous dsRNA is found predominantly confined to the nucleus and the mitochondria, exogenous dsRNA reaches the cytoplasm. Here, various sensor proteins recognize features of dsRNA including the 5' phosphate group of viral RNAs or hybrids with a particular length but not specific nucleotide sequences. The sensors trigger cellular stress pathways and innate immunity via interferon signaling but also induce apoptosis via caspase activation. Because of its central role in viral recognition and immune activation, dsRNA sensing is implicated in autoimmune diseases and used to treat cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Andreas Werner
- Biosciences Institute, Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK; (S.S.); (S.A.-H.); (C.M.C.)
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Schaffer AA, Levanon EY. ALU A-to-I RNA Editing: Millions of Sites and Many Open Questions. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2181:149-162. [PMID: 32729079 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0787-9_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Alu elements are repetitive short interspersed elements prevalent in the primate genome. These repeats account for over 10% of the genome with more than a million highly similar copies. A direct outcome of this is an enrichment in long structures of stable dsRNA, which are the target of adenosine deaminases acting on RNAs (ADARs), the enzymes catalyzing A-to-I RNA editing. Indeed, A-to-I editing by ADARs is extremely abundant in primates: over a hundred million editing sites exist in their genomes. However, despite the radical increase in ADAR targets brought on by the introduction of Alu elements, the few evolutionary conserved editing sites manage to retain their editing levels. Here, we review and discuss the cost of having an unusual amount of dsRNA and editing in the transcriptome, as well as the opportunities it presents, which possibly contributed to accelerating primate evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amos A Schaffer
- Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Erez Y Levanon
- Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
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Evans TA, Erwin JA. Retroelement-derived RNA and its role in the brain. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2020; 114:68-80. [PMID: 33229216 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2020.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Comprising ~40% of the human genome, retroelements are mobile genetic elements which are transcribed into RNA, then reverse-transcribed into DNA and inserted into a new site in the genome. Retroelements are referred to as "genetic parasites", residing among host genes and relying on host machinery for transcription and evolutionary propagation. The healthy brain has the highest expression of retroelement-derived sequences compared to other somatic tissue, which leads to the question: how does retroelement-derived RNA influence human traits and cellular states? While the functional importance of upregulating retroelement expression in the brain is an active area of research, RNA species derived from retroelements influence both self- and host gene expression by contributing to chromatin remodeling, alternative splicing, somatic mosaicism and translational repression. Here, we review the emerging evidence that the functional importance of RNA derived from retroelements is multifaceted. Retroelements can influence organismal states through the seeding of epigenetic states in chromatin, the production of structured RNA and even catalytically active ribozymes, the generation of cytoplasmic ssDNA and RNA/DNA hybrids, the production of viral-like proteins, and the generation of somatic mutations. Comparative sequencing suggests that retroelements can contribute to intraspecies variation through these mechanisms to alter transcript identity and abundance. In humans, an increasing number of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative conditions are associated with dysregulated retroelements, including Aicardi-Goutieres syndrome (AGS), Rett syndrome (RTT), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer's disease (AD), multiple sclerosis (MS), schizophrenia (SZ), and aging. Taken together, these concepts suggest a larger functional role for RNA derived from retroelements. This review aims to define retroelement-derived RNA, discuss how it impacts the mammalian genome, as well as summarize data supporting phenotypic consequences of this unique RNA subset in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor A Evans
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jennifer Ann Erwin
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Mustelin T, Ukadike KC. How Retroviruses and Retrotransposons in Our Genome May Contribute to Autoimmunity in Rheumatological Conditions. Front Immunol 2020; 11:593891. [PMID: 33281822 PMCID: PMC7691656 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.593891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
More than 200 human disorders include various manifestations of autoimmunity. The molecular events that lead to these diseases are still incompletely understood and their causes remain largely unknown. Numerous potential triggers of autoimmunity have been proposed over the years, but very few of them have been conclusively confirmed or firmly refuted. Viruses have topped the lists of suspects for decades, and it seems that many viruses, including those of the Herpesviridae family, indeed can influence disease initiation and/or promote exacerbations by a number of mechanisms that include prolonged anti-viral immunity, immune subverting factors, and mechanisms, and perhaps “molecular mimicry”. However, no specific virus has yet been established as being truly causative. Here, we discuss a different, but perhaps mechanistically related possibility, namely that retrotransposons or retroviruses that infected us in the past and left a lasting copy of themselves in our genome still can provoke an escalating immune response that leads to autoimmune disease. Many of these loci still encode for retroviral proteins that have retained some, or all, of their original functions. Importantly, these endogenous proviruses cannot be eliminated by the immune system the way it can eliminate exogenous viruses. Hence, if not properly controlled, they may drive a frustrated and escalating chronic, or episodic, immune response to the point of a frank autoimmune disorder. Here, we discuss the evidence and the proposed mechanisms, and assess the therapeutic options that emerge from the current understanding of this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Mustelin
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Kennedy C Ukadike
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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Abstract
In this review, Yeganeh et al. summarize different human diseases that have been linked to defects in the Pol III transcription apparatus or to Pol III products imbalance and discuss the possible underlying mechanisms. RNA polymerase (Pol) III is responsible for transcription of different noncoding genes in eukaryotic cells, whose RNA products have well-defined functions in translation and other biological processes for some, and functions that remain to be defined for others. For all of them, however, new functions are being described. For example, Pol III products have been reported to regulate certain proteins such as protein kinase R (PKR) by direct association, to constitute the source of very short RNAs with regulatory roles in gene expression, or to control microRNA levels by sequestration. Consistent with these many functions, deregulation of Pol III transcribed genes is associated with a large variety of human disorders. Here we review different human diseases that have been linked to defects in the Pol III transcription apparatus or to Pol III products imbalance and discuss the possible underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghdad Yeganeh
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nouria Hernandez
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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Alvarez MEV, Chivers M, Borovska I, Monger S, Giannoulatou E, Kralovicova J, Vorechovsky I. Transposon clusters as substrates for aberrant splice-site activation. RNA Biol 2020; 18:354-367. [PMID: 32965162 PMCID: PMC7951965 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2020.1805909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposed elements (TEs) have dramatically shaped evolution of the exon-intron structure and significantly contributed to morbidity, but how recent TE invasions into older TEs cooperate in generating new coding sequences is poorly understood. Employing an updated repository of new exon-intron boundaries induced by pathogenic mutations, termed DBASS, here we identify novel TE clusters that facilitated exon selection. To explore the extent to which such TE exons maintain RNA secondary structure of their progenitors, we carried out structural studies with a composite exon that was derived from a long terminal repeat (LTR78) and AluJ and was activated by a C > T mutation optimizing the 5ʹ splice site. Using a combination of SHAPE, DMS and enzymatic probing, we show that the disease-causing mutation disrupted a conserved AluJ stem that evolved from helix 3.3 (or 5b) of 7SL RNA, liberating a primordial GC 5ʹ splice site from the paired conformation for interactions with the spliceosome. The mutation also reduced flexibility of conserved residues in adjacent exon-derived loops of the central Alu hairpin, revealing a cross-talk between traditional and auxilliary splicing motifs that evolved from opposite termini of 7SL RNA and were approximated by Watson-Crick base-pairing already in organisms without spliceosomal introns. We also identify existing Alu exons activated by the same RNA rearrangement. Collectively, these results provide valuable TE exon models for studying formation and kinetics of pre-mRNA building blocks required for splice-site selection and will be useful for fine-tuning auxilliary splicing motifs and exon and intron size constraints that govern aberrant splice-site activation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martin Chivers
- School of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Ivana Borovska
- Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Steven Monger
- Computational Genomics Laboratory, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, Australia
| | - Eleni Giannoulatou
- Computational Genomics Laboratory, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, Australia.,St. Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jana Kralovicova
- School of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.,Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
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A comprehensive analysis of chimpanzee (Pan Troglodytes)-specific AluYb8 element. Genes Genomics 2020; 42:1207-1213. [PMID: 32860627 DOI: 10.1007/s13258-020-00989-7] [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: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alu elements are most abundant retrotransposons with > 1.2 million copies in the primate genome. AluYb8 subfamily was diverged from AluY lineage, and has accumulated eight diagnostic mutations and 7-bp duplication during primate evolution. A total of 1851 AluYb copies are present in the human genome, and most of them are human-specific. On the other hand, only a few AluYb8 copies were identified in the chimpanzee genome by previous studies on AluYb8. The significantly different number of species-specific AluYb8 elements between human and chimpanzee might result from the incompletion of chimpanzee reference genome sequences at the time of the previous study. OBJECTIVE AluYb8 elements could generate genomic structural variations in the chimpanzee genome. This study aimed to identify and characterize chimpanzee-specific AluYb elements using the most updated chimpanzee reference genome sequences (Jan. 2018, panTro6). METHODS To identify chimpanzee-specific AluYb8, we carried out genomic comparison with non-chimpanzee primate genome using the UCSC table browser. In addition, chimpanzee-specific AluYb8 candidates were manually inspected and experimentally verified using PCR and Sanger sequencing. RESULTS Among a total of 231 chimpanzee-specific AluYb8 candidates, 11 of the candidates are chimpanzee-specific AluYb8, and 29 elements are shared between the chimpanzee and non-chimpanzee primate genomes. Through the sequence analysis of AluYb8 and other Alu subfamilies, we were able to observe various diagnostic mutations and variable length duplications in 7-bp duplication region of AluYb8 element. In addition, we further validated two of the chimpanzee-specific AluYb8 elements (CS8 and CS20) that were not previously discovered by display PCR and Sanger sequencing. Interestingly, we identified a AluYb8 insertion-mediated deletion (CS8 locus) in the chimpanzee genome. CONCLUSION Our study found that AluYb8 elements are much more abundant in the human genome than chimpanzee genome, and that it could be due to the absence of hyperactive "master" AluYb8 elements in the chimpanzee genome.
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Cullen H, Schorn AJ. Endogenous Retroviruses Walk a Fine Line between Priming and Silencing. Viruses 2020; 12:v12080792. [PMID: 32718022 PMCID: PMC7472051 DOI: 10.3390/v12080792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) in mammals are closely related to infectious retroviruses and utilize host tRNAs as a primer for reverse transcription and replication, a hallmark of long terminal repeat (LTR) retroelements. Their dependency on tRNA makes these elements vulnerable to targeting by small RNAs derived from the 3′-end of mature tRNAs (3′-tRFs), which are highly expressed during epigenetic reprogramming and potentially protect many tissues in eukaryotes. Here, we review some key functions of ERV reprogramming during mouse and human development and discuss how small RNA-mediated silencing maintains genome stability when ERVs are temporarily released from heterochromatin repression. In particular, we take a closer look at the tRNA primer binding sites (PBS) of two highly active ERV families in mice and their sequence variation that is shaped by the conflict of successful tRNA priming for replication versus evasion of silencing by 3′-tRFs.
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Kögler A, Seibt KM, Heitkam T, Morgenstern K, Reiche B, Brückner M, Wolf H, Krabel D, Schmidt T. Divergence of 3' ends as a driver of short interspersed nuclear element (SINE) evolution in the Salicaceae. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 103:443-458. [PMID: 32056333 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) are small, non-autonomous and heterogeneous retrotransposons that are widespread in plants. To explore the amplification dynamics and evolutionary history of SINE populations in representative deciduous tree species, we analyzed the genomes of the six following Salicaceae species: Populus deltoides, Populus euphratica, Populus tremula, Populus tremuloides, Populus trichocarpa, and Salix purpurea. We identified 11 Salicaceae SINE families (SaliS-I to SaliS-XI), comprising 27 077 full-length copies. Most of these families harbor segmental similarities, providing evidence for SINE emergence by reshuffling or heterodimerization. We observed two SINE groups, differing in phylogenetic distribution pattern, similarity and 3' end structure. These groups probably emerged during the 'salicoid duplication' (~65 million years ago) in the Salix-Populus progenitor and during the separation of the genus Salix (45-65 million years ago), respectively. In contrast to conserved 5' start motifs across species and SINE families, the 3' ends are highly variable in sequence and length. This extraordinary 3'-end variability results from mutations in the poly(A) tail, which were fixed by subsequent amplificational bursts. We show that the dissemination of newly evolved 3' ends is accomplished by a displacement of older motifs, leading to various 3'-end subpopulations within the SaliS families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Kögler
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Botany, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - Kathrin M Seibt
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Botany, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - Tony Heitkam
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Botany, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - Kristin Morgenstern
- Department of Forest Sciences, Institute of Forest Botany and Forest Zoology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01735, Tharandt, Germany
| | - Birgit Reiche
- Department of Forest Sciences, Institute of Forest Botany and Forest Zoology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01735, Tharandt, Germany
| | | | - Heino Wolf
- Staatsbetrieb Sachsenforst, 01796, Pirna, Germany
| | - Doris Krabel
- Department of Forest Sciences, Institute of Forest Botany and Forest Zoology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01735, Tharandt, Germany
| | - Thomas Schmidt
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Botany, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
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Kojima KK. Hagfish genome reveals parallel evolution of 7SL RNA-derived SINEs. Mob DNA 2020; 11:18. [PMID: 32489435 PMCID: PMC7245038 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-020-00210-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Short interspersed elements (SINEs) are ubiquitous components of eukaryotic genomes. SINEs are composite transposable elements that are mobilized by non-long terminal repeat (non-LTR) retrotransposons, also called long interspersed elements (LINEs). The 3′ part of SINEs usually originated from that of counterpart non-LTR retrotransposons. The 5′ part of SINEs mostly originated from small RNA genes. SINE1 is a group of SINEs whose 5′ part originated from 7SL RNA, and is represented by primate Alu and murine B1. Well-defined SINE1 has been found only from Euarchontoglires, a group of mammals, in contrast to the wide distribution of SINE2, which has a tRNA-derived sequence, from animals to plants to protists. Both Alu and B1 are mobilized by L1-type non-LTR retrotransposons, which are the only lineage of autonomous non-LTR retrotransposons active in these mammalian lineages. Results Here a new lineage of SINE1 is characterized from the seashore hagfish Eptatretus burgeri genome. This SINE1 family, designated SINE1-1_EBu, is young, and is transposed by RTE-type non-LTR retrotransposon, not L1-type. Comparison with other SINE families from hagfish indicated the birth of SINE1-1_EBu through chimera formation of a 7SL RNA-derived sequence and an older tRNA-derived SINE family. It reveals parallel evolution of SINE1 in two vertebrate lineages with different autonomous non-LTR retrotransposon partners. The comparison between two SINE1 lineages supports that the RNA secondary structure of the Alu domain of 7SL RNA is required for the efficient retrotransposition. Conclusions The hagfish SINE1 is the first evident SINE1 family found outside of Euarchontoglires. Independent evolution of SINE1 with similar RNA secondary structure originated in 7SL RNA indicates the functional importance of 7SL RNA-derived sequence in the proliferation of SINEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji K Kojima
- Genetic Information Research Institute, Cupertino, CA 95014 USA
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Martín B, Pappa S, Díez-Villanueva A, Mallona I, Custodio J, Barrero MJ, Peinado MA, Jordà M. Tissue and cancer-specific expression of DIEXF is epigenetically mediated by an Alu repeat. Epigenetics 2020; 15:765-779. [PMID: 32041475 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2020.1722398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Alu repeats constitute a major fraction of human genome and for a small subset of them a role in gene regulation has been described. The number of studies focused on the functional characterization of particular Alu elements is very limited. Most Alu elements are DNA methylated and then assumed to lie in repressed chromatin domains. We hypothesize that Alu elements with low or variable DNA methylation are candidates for a functional role. In a genome-wide study in normal and cancer tissues, we pinpointed an Alu repeat (AluSq2) with differential methylation located upstream of the promoter region of the DIEXF gene. DIEXF encodes a highly conserved factor essential for the development of zebrafish digestive tract. To characterize the contribution of the Alu element to the regulation of DIEXF we analysed the epigenetic landscapes of the gene promoter and flanking regions in different cell types and cancers. Alternate epigenetic profiles (DNA methylation and histone modifications) of the AluSq2 element were associated with DIEXF transcript diversity as well as protein levels, while the epigenetic profile of the CpG island associated with the DIEXF promoter remained unchanged. These results suggest that AluSq2 might directly contribute to the regulation of DIEXF transcription and protein expression. Moreover, AluSq2 was DNA hypomethylated in different cancer types, pointing out its putative contribution to DIEXF alteration in cancer and its potential as tumoural biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berta Martín
- Program of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (PMPPC-IGTP) , Barcelona, Spain
| | - Stella Pappa
- Program of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (PMPPC-IGTP) , Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Díez-Villanueva
- Program of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (PMPPC-IGTP) , Barcelona, Spain
| | - Izaskun Mallona
- Program of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (PMPPC-IGTP) , Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joaquín Custodio
- Program of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (PMPPC-IGTP) , Barcelona, Spain
| | - María José Barrero
- Center for Regenerative Medicine in Barcelona (CMRB), Avinguda de la Granvia de l'Hospitalet , Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miguel A Peinado
- Program of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (PMPPC-IGTP) , Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mireia Jordà
- Program of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (PMPPC-IGTP) , Barcelona, Spain
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Seibt KM, Schmidt T, Heitkam T. The conserved 3' Angio-domain defines a superfamily of short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) in higher plants. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 101:681-699. [PMID: 31610059 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Repetitive sequences are ubiquitous components of eukaryotic genomes affecting genome size and evolution as well as gene regulation. Among them, short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) are non-coding retrotransposons usually shorter than 1000 bp. They contain only few short conserved structural motifs, in particular an internal promoter derived from cellular RNAs and a mostly AT-rich 3' tail, whereas the remaining regions are highly variable. SINEs emerge and vanish during evolution, and often diversify into numerous families and subfamilies that are usually specific for only a limited number of species. In contrast, at the 3' end of multiple plant SINEs we detected the highly conserved 'Angio-domain'. This 37 bp segment defines the Angio-SINE superfamily, which encompasses 24 plant SINE families widely distributed across 13 orders within the plant kingdom. We retrieved 28 433 full-length Angio-SINE copies from genome assemblies of 46 plant species, frequently located in genes. Compensatory mutations in and adjacent to the Angio-domain imply selective restraints maintaining its RNA structure. Angio-SINE families share segmental sequence similarities, indicating a modular evolution with strong Angio-domain preservation. We suggest that the conserved domain contributes to the evolutionary success of Angio-SINEs through either structural interactions between SINE RNA and proteins increasing their transpositional efficiency, or by enhancing their accumulation in genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin M Seibt
- Faculty of Biology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 20b, Dresden, 01217, Germany
| | - Thomas Schmidt
- Faculty of Biology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 20b, Dresden, 01217, Germany
| | - Tony Heitkam
- Faculty of Biology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 20b, Dresden, 01217, Germany
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44
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Kojima KK. Structural and sequence diversity of eukaryotic transposable elements. Genes Genet Syst 2019; 94:233-252. [DOI: 10.1266/ggs.18-00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kenji K. Kojima
- Genetic Information Research Institute
- Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University
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45
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Madissoon E, Damdimopoulos A, Katayama S, Krjutškov K, Einarsdottir E, Mamia K, De Groef B, Hovatta O, Kere J, Damdimopoulou P. Pleomorphic Adenoma Gene 1 Is Needed For Timely Zygotic Genome Activation and Early Embryo Development. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8411. [PMID: 31182756 PMCID: PMC6557853 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-44882-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Pleomorphic adenoma gene 1 (PLAG1) is a transcription factor involved in cancer and growth. We discovered a de novo DNA motif containing a PLAG1 binding site in the promoters of genes activated during zygotic genome activation (ZGA) in human embryos. This motif was located within an Alu element in a region that was conserved in the murine B1 element. We show that maternally provided Plag1 is needed for timely mouse preimplantation embryo development. Heterozygous mouse embryos lacking maternal Plag1 showed disrupted regulation of 1,089 genes, spent significantly longer time in the 2-cell stage, and started expressing Plag1 ectopically from the paternal allele. The de novo PLAG1 motif was enriched in the promoters of the genes whose activation was delayed in the absence of Plag1. Further, these mouse genes showed a significant overlap with genes upregulated during human ZGA that also contain the motif. By gene ontology, the mouse and human ZGA genes with de novo PLAG1 motifs were involved in ribosome biogenesis and protein synthesis. Collectively, our data suggest that PLAG1 affects embryo development in mice and humans through a conserved DNA motif within Alu/B1 elements located in the promoters of a subset of ZGA genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elo Madissoon
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, SE-14186, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Anastasios Damdimopoulos
- Bioinformatics and Expression Analysis core facility, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, SE-14186, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Shintaro Katayama
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, SE-14186, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kaarel Krjutškov
- Competence Centre on Health Technologies, 50410, Tartu, Estonia.,Molecular Neurology Research Program, University of Helsinki and Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Elisabet Einarsdottir
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, SE-14186, Stockholm, Sweden.,Molecular Neurology Research Program, University of Helsinki and Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Katariina Mamia
- Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-14186, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Bert De Groef
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086, Australia
| | - Outi Hovatta
- Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-14186, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Juha Kere
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, SE-14186, Stockholm, Sweden. .,Research Programs Unit, Molecular Neurology, University of Helsinki, and Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, 00014, Helsinki, Finland. .,School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London, WC2R 2LS, UK.
| | - Pauliina Damdimopoulou
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, SE-14186, Stockholm, Sweden. .,Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-14186, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Yang L, Scott L, Wichman HA. Tracing the history of LINE and SINE extinction in sigmodontine rodents. Mob DNA 2019; 10:22. [PMID: 31139266 PMCID: PMC6530004 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-019-0164-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background L1 retrotransposons have co-evolved with their mammalian hosts for the entire history of mammals and currently compose ~ 20% of a mammalian genome. B1 retrotransposons are dependent on L1 for retrotransposition and span the evolutionary history of rodents since their radiation. L1s were found to have lost their activity in a group of South American rodents, the Sigmodontinae, and B1 inactivation preceded the extinction of L1 in the same group. Consequently, a basal group of sigmodontines have active L1s but inactive B1s and a derived clade have both inactive L1s and B1s. It has been suggested that B1s became extinct during a long period of L1 quiescence and that L1s subsequently reemerged in the basal group. Results Here we investigate the evolutionary histories of L1 and B1 in the sigmodontine rodents and show that L1 activity continued until after the L1-extinct clade and the basal group diverged. After the split, L1 had a small burst of activity in the former group, followed by extinction. In the basal group, activity was initially low but was followed by a dramatic increase in L1 activity. We found the last wave of B1 retrotransposition was large and probably preceded the split between the two rodent clades. Conclusions Given that L1s had been steadily retrotransposing during the time corresponding to B1 extinction and that the burst of B1 activity preceding B1 extinction was large, we conclude that B1 extinction was not a result of L1 quiescence. Rather, the burst of B1 activity may have contributed to L1 extinction both by competition with L1 and by putting strong selective pressure on the host to control retrotransposition. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13100-019-0164-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Yang
- 1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID USA.,2Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID USA
| | - LuAnn Scott
- 1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID USA.,2Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID USA
| | - Holly A Wichman
- 1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID USA.,2Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID USA
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48
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Evaluating the applicability of mouse SINEs as an alternative normalization approach for RT-qPCR in brain tissue of the APP23 model for Alzheimer’s disease. J Neurosci Methods 2019; 320:128-137. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2019.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Revised: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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49
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Bodea GO, McKelvey EGZ, Faulkner GJ. Retrotransposon-induced mosaicism in the neural genome. Open Biol 2019; 8:rsob.180074. [PMID: 30021882 PMCID: PMC6070720 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.180074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, major discoveries in retrotransposon biology have depicted the neural genome as a dynamic structure during life. In particular, the retrotransposon LINE-1 (L1) has been shown to be transcribed and mobilized in the brain. Retrotransposition in the developing brain, as well as during adult neurogenesis, provides a milieu in which neural diversity can arise. Dysregulation of retrotransposon activity may also contribute to neurological disease. Here, we review recent reports of retrotransposon activity in the brain, and discuss the temporal nature of retrotransposition and its regulation in neural cells in response to stimuli. We also put forward hypotheses regarding the significance of retrotransposons for brain development and neurological function, and consider the potential implications of this phenomenon for neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela O Bodea
- Mater Research Institute-University of Queensland, TRI Building, Brisbane, Queensland 4102, Australia .,Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Eleanor G Z McKelvey
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Geoffrey J Faulkner
- Mater Research Institute-University of Queensland, TRI Building, Brisbane, Queensland 4102, Australia .,Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
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50
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Huang C, Zhang Y, Zhong S. Alcohol Intake and Abnormal Expression of Brf1 in Breast Cancer. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2019; 2019:4818106. [PMID: 31781337 PMCID: PMC6874981 DOI: 10.1155/2019/4818106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common malignant disease of females. Overall, one woman in every nine will get breast cancer at some time in her life. Epidemiological studies have indicated that alcohol consumption has most consistently been associated with breast cancer risk. However, the mechanism of alcohol-associated breast cancer remains to be addressed. Little is known about the effects of alcohol consumption on Brf1 (TFIIIB-related factor 1) expression and RNA Pol III gene (RNA polymerase III-dependent gene) transcription, which are responsible for protein synthesis and tightly linked to cell proliferation, cell transformation, and tumor development. Emerging evidences have indicated that alcohol induces deregulation of Brf1 and Pol III genes to cause the alterations of cell phenotypes and tumor formation. In this paper, we summarize the progresses regarding alcohol-caused increase in the expression of Brf1 and Pol III genes and analysis of its molecular mechanism of breast cancer. As the earlier and accurate diagnosis approach of breast cancer is not available yet, exploring the molecular mechanism and identifying the biomarker of alcohol-associated breast cancer are especially important. Recent studies have demonstrated that Brf1 is overexpressed in most ER+ (estrogen receptor positive) cases of breast cancer and the change in cellular levels of Brf1 reflects the therapeutic efficacy and prognosis of this disease. It suggests that Brf1 may be a potential diagnosis biomarker and a therapeutic target of alcohol-associated breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenghao Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, China
| | - Yanmei Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology of Shantou University Medical College, China
- Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shuping Zhong
- Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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