1
|
Wahiduzzaman, Tindell SJ, Alexander E, Hackney E, Kharel K, Schmidtke R, Arkov AL. Drosophila germ granules are assembled from protein components through different modes of competing interactions with the multi-domain Tudor protein. FEBS Lett 2024; 598:774-786. [PMID: 38499396 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14846] [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: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Membraneless organelles are RNA-protein assemblies which have been implicated in post-transcriptional control. Germ cells form membraneless organelles referred to as germ granules, which contain conserved proteins including Tudor domain-containing scaffold polypeptides and their partner proteins that interact with Tudor domains. Here, we show that in Drosophila, different germ granule proteins associate with the multi-domain Tudor protein using different numbers of Tudor domains. Furthermore, these proteins compete for interaction with Tudor in vitro and, surprisingly, partition to distinct and poorly overlapping clusters in germ granules in vivo. This partition results in minimization of the competition. Our data suggest that Tudor forms structurally different configurations with different partner proteins which dictate different biophysical properties and phase separation parameters within the same granule.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wahiduzzaman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Murray State University, KY, USA
| | - Samuel J Tindell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Murray State University, KY, USA
| | - Emma Alexander
- Department of Biological Sciences, Murray State University, KY, USA
| | - Ethan Hackney
- Department of Biological Sciences, Murray State University, KY, USA
| | - Kabita Kharel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Murray State University, KY, USA
| | - Ryan Schmidtke
- Department of Biological Sciences, Murray State University, KY, USA
| | - Alexey L Arkov
- Department of Biological Sciences, Murray State University, KY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Šimčíková D, Gelles-Watnick S, Neugebauer KM. Tudor-dimethylarginine interactions: the condensed version. Trends Biochem Sci 2023; 48:689-698. [PMID: 37156649 PMCID: PMC10524826 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2023.04.003] [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: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Biomolecular condensates (BMCs) can facilitate or inhibit diverse cellular functions. BMC formation is driven by noncovalent protein-protein, protein-RNA, and RNA-RNA interactions. Here, we focus on Tudor domain-containing proteins - such as survival motor neuron protein (SMN) - that contribute to BMC formation by binding to dimethylarginine (DMA) modifications on protein ligands. SMN is present in RNA-rich BMCs, and its absence causes spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). SMN's Tudor domain forms cytoplasmic and nuclear BMCs, but its DMA ligands are largely unknown, highlighting open questions about the function of SMN. Moreover, DMA modification can alter intramolecular interactions and affect protein localization. Despite these emerging functions, the lack of direct methods of DMA detection remains an obstacle to understanding Tudor-DMA interactions in cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Šimčíková
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Sara Gelles-Watnick
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Karla M Neugebauer
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Vrettos N, Maragkakis M, Alexiou P, Sgourdou P, Ibrahim F, Palmieri D, Kirino Y, Mourelatos Z. Modulation of Aub-TDRD interactions elucidates piRNA amplification and germplasm formation. Life Sci Alliance 2021; 4:e202000912. [PMID: 33376130 PMCID: PMC7772777 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202000912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Aub guided by piRNAs ensures genome integrity by cleaving retrotransposons, and genome propagation by trapping mRNAs to form the germplasm that instructs germ cell formation. Arginines at the N-terminus of Aub (Aub-NTRs) interact with Tudor and other Tudor domain-containing proteins (TDRDs). Aub-TDRD interactions suppress active retrotransposons via piRNA amplification and form germplasm via generation of Aub-Tudor ribonucleoproteins. Here, we show that Aub-NTRs are dispensable for primary piRNA biogenesis but essential for piRNA amplification and that their symmetric dimethylation is required for germplasm formation and germ cell specification but largely redundant for piRNA amplification.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Vrettos
- Division of Neuropathology, Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Manolis Maragkakis
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Paraskevi Sgourdou
- Departments of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Fadia Ibrahim
- Division of Neuropathology, Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Daniel Palmieri
- Division of Neuropathology, Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yohei Kirino
- Computational Medicine Center, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Zissimos Mourelatos
- Division of Neuropathology, Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Manage KI, Rogers AK, Wallis DC, Uebel CJ, Anderson DC, Nguyen DAH, Arca K, Brown KC, Cordeiro Rodrigues RJ, de Albuquerque BF, Ketting RF, Montgomery TA, Phillips CM. A tudor domain protein, SIMR-1, promotes siRNA production at piRNA-targeted mRNAs in C. elegans. eLife 2020; 9:56731. [PMID: 32338603 PMCID: PMC7255803 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
piRNAs play a critical role in the regulation of transposons and other germline genes. In Caenorhabditis elegans, regulation of piRNA target genes is mediated by the mutator complex, which synthesizes high levels of siRNAs through the activity of an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. However, the steps between mRNA recognition by the piRNA pathway and siRNA amplification by the mutator complex are unknown. Here, we identify the Tudor domain protein, SIMR-1, as acting downstream of piRNA production and upstream of mutator complex-dependent siRNA biogenesis. Interestingly, SIMR-1 also localizes to distinct subcellular foci adjacent to P granules and Mutator foci, two phase-separated condensates that are the sites of piRNA-dependent mRNA recognition and mutator complex-dependent siRNA amplification, respectively. Thus, our data suggests a role for multiple perinuclear condensates in organizing the piRNA pathway and promoting mRNA regulation by the mutator complex. In the biological world, a process known as RNA interference helps cells to switch genes on and off and to defend themselves against harmful genetic material. This mechanism works by deactivating RNA sequences, the molecular templates cells can use to create proteins. Overall, RNA interference relies on the cell creating small RNA molecules that can target and inhibit the harmful RNA sequences that need to be silenced. More precisely, in round worms such as Caenorhabditis elegans, RNA interference happens in two steps. First, primary small RNAs identify the target sequences, which are then combatted by newly synthetised, secondary small RNAs. A number of proteins are also involved in both steps of the process. RNA interference is particularly important to preserve fertility, guarding sex cells against ‘rogue’ segments of genetic information that could be passed on to the next generation. In future sex cells, the proteins involved in RNA interference cluster together, forming a structure called a germ granule. Yet, little is known about the roles and identity of these proteins. To fill this knowledge gap, Manage et al. focused on the second stage of the RNA interference pathway in the germ granules of C. elegans, examining the molecules that physically interact with a key protein. This work revealed a new protein called SIMR-1. Looking into the role of SIMR-1 showed that the protein is required to amplify secondary small RNAs, but not to identify target sequences. However, it only promotes the creation of secondary small RNAs if a specific subtype of primary small RNAs have recognized the target RNAs for silencing. Further experiments also showed that within the germ granule, SIMR-1 is present in a separate substructure different from any compartment previously identified. This suggests that each substep of the RNA interference process takes place at a different location in the granule. In both C. elegans and humans, disruptions in the RNA interference pathway can lead to conditions such as cancer or infertility. Dissecting the roles of the proteins involved in this process in roundworms may help to better grasp how this process unfolds in mammals, and how it could be corrected in the case of disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin I Manage
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Alicia K Rogers
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Dylan C Wallis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Celja J Uebel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Dorian C Anderson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Dieu An H Nguyen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Katerina Arca
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Kristen C Brown
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, United States.,Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, United States
| | - Ricardo J Cordeiro Rodrigues
- Biology of Non-coding RNA Group, Institute of Molecular Biology, Mainz, Germany.,International PhD Programme on Gene Regulation, Epigenetics, and Genome Stability, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - René F Ketting
- Biology of Non-coding RNA Group, Institute of Molecular Biology, Mainz, Germany
| | - Taiowa A Montgomery
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, United States
| | - Carolyn Marie Phillips
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Chen S, Zhang W, Min J, Liu K. Lesson from a Fab-enabled co-crystallization study of TDRD2 and PIWIL1. Methods 2020; 175:72-78. [PMID: 31288074 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2019.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 06/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The interaction of Tudor domain-containing proteins (TDRDs) with P-element-induced wimpy testis (PIWI) proteins plays critical roles in transposon silencing and spermatogenesis. Most human TDRDs recognize PIWI proteins in a methylarginine-dependent manner via their extended Tudor (eTudor) domains, except TDRD2, which prefers an unmethylated PIWI protein. In order to illustrate the recognition of unmethylated PIWI proteins by TDRD2, we extensively tried co-crystallization of the TDRD2 eTudor with different PIWIL1 peptides, but to no avail. Recombinant antigen-binding fragments (Fabs) have been used to crystallize some difficult proteins in the past, so we generated Fab against the TDRD2 eTudor protein using a phage-display antibody library, and one of these Fab fragments indeed facilitated the co-crystallization of TDRD2 and PIWIL1. Structural analysis of Fab, the TDRD2 eTudor domain in complex with an unmethylated PIWIL1-derived peptide revealed that the PIWIL1 residues G3 through R8 bound between the Tudor core and SN domain of TDRD2. The C-terminal residues of the PIWIL1 peptide were not resolved, presumably due to steric competition with the heavy chain of the Fab. We propose Fab-assisted crystallization as a tool not only for structural studies of single proteins, but also for analysis of interactions between proteins and their ligands in cases where co-crystallization of native protein complexes fails.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sizhuo Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, PR China
| | - Weilian Zhang
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Jinrong Min
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, PR China; Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Ke Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, PR China; Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Vo HDL, Wahiduzzaman, Tindell SJ, Zheng J, Gao M, Arkov AL. Protein components of ribonucleoprotein granules from Drosophila germ cells oligomerize and show distinct spatial organization during germline development. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19190. [PMID: 31844131 PMCID: PMC6915754 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55747-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The assembly of large RNA-protein granules occurs in germ cells of many animals and these germ granules have provided a paradigm to study structure-functional aspects of similar structures in different cells. Germ granules in Drosophila oocyte’s posterior pole (polar granules) are composed of RNA, in the form of homotypic clusters, and proteins required for germline development. In the granules, Piwi protein Aubergine binds to a scaffold protein Tudor, which contains 11 Tudor domains. Using a super-resolution microscopy, we show that surprisingly, Aubergine and Tudor form distinct clusters within the same polar granules in early Drosophila embryos. These clusters partially overlap and, after germ cells form, they transition into spherical granules with the structural organization unexpected from these interacting proteins: Aubergine shell around the Tudor core. Consistent with the formation of distinct clusters, we show that Aubergine forms homo-oligomers and using all purified Tudor domains, we demonstrate that multiple domains, distributed along the entire Tudor structure, interact with Aubergine. Our data suggest that in polar granules, Aubergine and Tudor are assembled into distinct phases, partially mixed at their “interaction hubs”, and that association of distinct protein clusters may be an evolutionarily conserved mechanism for the assembly of germ granules.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hieu D L Vo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Murray State University, Murray, KY, 42071, USA
| | - Wahiduzzaman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Murray State University, Murray, KY, 42071, USA
| | - Samuel J Tindell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Murray State University, Murray, KY, 42071, USA
| | - Jimiao Zheng
- Department of Biological Sciences, Murray State University, Murray, KY, 42071, USA
| | - Ming Gao
- Biology Department, Indiana University Northwest, Gary, IN, 46408, USA
| | - Alexey L Arkov
- Department of Biological Sciences, Murray State University, Murray, KY, 42071, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Gan B, Chen S, Liu H, Min J, Liu K. Structure and function of eTudor domain containing TDRD proteins. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2019; 54:119-132. [DOI: 10.1080/10409238.2019.1603199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bing Gan
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Sizhuo Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Huan Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Jinrong Min
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, PR China
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ke Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, PR China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Youkharibache P, Veretnik S, Li Q, Stanek KA, Mura C, Bourne PE. The Small β-Barrel Domain: A Survey-Based Structural Analysis. Structure 2018; 27:6-26. [PMID: 30393050 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2018.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Revised: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The small β-barrel (SBB) is an ancient protein structural domain characterized by extremes: it features a broad range of structural varieties, a deeply intricate evolutionary history, and it is associated with a bewildering array of cellular pathways. Here, we present a thorough, survey-based analysis of the structural properties of SBBs. We first consider the defining properties of the SBB, including various systems of nomenclature used to describe it, and we introduce the unifying concept of an "urfold." To begin elucidating how vast functional diversity can be achieved by a relatively simple domain, we explore the anatomy of the SBB and its representative structural variants. Many SBB proteins assemble into cyclic oligomers as the biologically functional units; these oligomers often bind RNA, and typically exhibit great quaternary structural plasticity (homomeric and heteromeric rings, variable subunit stoichiometries, etc.). We conclude with three themes that emerge from the rich structure ↔ function versatility of the SBB.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Youkharibache
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, The National Library of Medicine, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Stella Veretnik
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, The National Library of Medicine, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA.
| | - Qingliang Li
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, The National Library of Medicine, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Kimberly A Stanek
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Cameron Mura
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA.
| | - Philip E Bourne
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, The National Library of Medicine, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Structural basis for arginine methylation-independent recognition of PIWIL1 by TDRD2. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:12483-12488. [PMID: 29118143 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1711486114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The P-element-induced wimpy testis (PIWI)-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway plays a central role in transposon silencing and genome protection in the animal germline. A family of Tudor domain proteins regulates the piRNA pathway through direct Tudor domain-PIWI interactions. Tudor domains are known to fulfill this function by binding to methylated PIWI proteins in an arginine methylation-dependent manner. Here, we report a mechanism of methylation-independent Tudor domain-PIWI interaction. Unlike most other Tudor domains, the extended Tudor domain of mammalian Tudor domain-containing protein 2 (TDRD2) preferentially recognizes an unmethylated arginine-rich sequence from PIWI-like protein 1 (PIWIL1). Structural studies reveal an unexpected Tudor domain-binding mode for the PIWIL1 sequence in which the interface of Tudor and staphylococcal nuclease domains is primarily responsible for PIWIL1 peptide recognition. Mutations disrupting the TDRD2-PIWIL1 interaction compromise piRNA maturation via 3'-end trimming in vitro. Our work presented here reveals the molecular divergence of the interactions between different Tudor domain proteins and PIWI proteins.
Collapse
|
10
|
Abstract
Germ granules are the hallmark of all germ cells. These membrane-less, electron-dense structures were first observed over 100 years ago. Today, their role in regulating and processing transcripts critical for the establishment, maintenance, and protection of germ cells is well established, and pathways outlining the biochemical mechanisms and physical properties associated with their biogenesis are emerging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Lehmann
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Department of Cell Biology, Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine of the Skirball Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, USA.
| |
Collapse
|