1
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Quintana J, Alda I, Alda J. Quantitative probability estimation of light-induced inactivation of SARS-CoV-2. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3386. [PMID: 38336807 PMCID: PMC10858268 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54006-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
During the COVID pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, studies have shown the efficiency of deactivating this virus via ultraviolet light. The damage mechanism is well understood: UV light disturbs the integrity of the RNA chain at those locations where specific nucleotide neighbors occur. In this contribution, we present a model to address certain gaps in the description of the interaction between UV photons and the RNA sequence for virus inactivation. We begin by exploiting the available information on the pathogen's morphology, physical, and genomic characteristics, enabling us to estimate the average number of UV photons required to photochemically damage the virus's RNA. To generalize our results, we have numerically generated random RNA sequences and checked that the distribution of pairs of nucleotides susceptible of damage for the SARS-CoV-2 is within the expected values for a random-generated RNA chain. After determining the average number of photons reaching the RNA for a preset level of fluence (or photon density), we applied the binomial probability distribution to evaluate the damage of nucleotide pairs in the RNA chain due to UV radiation. Our results describe this interaction in terms of the probability of damaging a single pair of nucleotides, and the number of available photons. The cumulative probability exhibits a steep sigmoidal shape, implying that a relatively small change in the number of affected pairs may trigger the inactivation of the virus. Our light-RNA interaction model quantitatively describes how the fraction of affected pairs of nucleotides in the RNA sequence depends on the probability of damaging a single pair and the number of photons impinging on it. A better understanding of the underlying inactivation mechanism would help in the design of optimum experiments and UV sanitization methods. Although this paper focuses on SARS-CoV-2, these results can be adapted for any other type of pathogen susceptible of UV damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime Quintana
- Applied Optics Complutense Group, University Complutense of Madrid, Av. Arcos de Jalón, 118, 28037, Madrid, Spain
| | - Irene Alda
- School of Science and Technology, IE University, Paseo de la Castellana, 259E, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Alda
- Applied Optics Complutense Group, University Complutense of Madrid, Av. Arcos de Jalón, 118, 28037, Madrid, Spain.
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2
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Tangpradabkul T, Palo M, Townley J, Hsu K, participants E, Smaga S, Das R, Schepartz A. Minimization of the E. coli ribosome, aided and optimized by community science. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:1027-1042. [PMID: 38214230 PMCID: PMC10853774 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad1254] [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: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The ribosome is a ribonucleoprotein complex found in all domains of life. Its role is to catalyze protein synthesis, the messenger RNA (mRNA)-templated formation of amide bonds between α-amino acid monomers. Amide bond formation occurs within a highly conserved region of the large ribosomal subunit known as the peptidyl transferase center (PTC). Here we describe the step-wise design and characterization of mini-PTC 1.1, a 284-nucleotide RNA that recapitulates many essential features of the Escherichia coli PTC. Mini-PTC 1.1 folds into a PTC-like structure under physiological conditions, even in the absence of r-proteins, and engages small molecule analogs of A- and P-site tRNAs. The sequence of mini-PTC 1.1 differs from the wild type E. coli ribosome at 12 nucleotides that were installed by a cohort of citizen scientists using the on-line video game Eterna. These base changes improve both the secondary structure and tertiary folding of mini-PTC 1.1 as well as its ability to bind small molecule substrate analogs. Here, the combined input from Eterna citizen-scientists and RNA structural analysis provides a robust workflow for the design of a minimal PTC that recapitulates many features of an intact ribosome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Palo
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jill Townley
- Eterna Massive Open Laboratory, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Kenneth B Hsu
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | | | - Sarah Smaga
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Rhiju Das
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Eterna Massive Open Laboratory, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Alanna Schepartz
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- ARC Institute, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
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3
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Srivastava Y, Blau ME, Jenkins JL, Wedekind JE. Full-Length NAD +-I Riboswitches Bind a Single Cofactor but Cannot Discriminate against Adenosine Triphosphate. Biochemistry 2023; 62:3396-3410. [PMID: 37947391 PMCID: PMC10702441 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.3c00391] [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: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial riboswitches are structured RNAs that bind small metabolites to control downstream gene expression. Two riboswitch classes have been reported to sense nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), which plays a key redox role in cellular metabolism. The NAD+-I (class I) riboswitch stands out because it comprises two homologous, tandemly arranged domains. However, previous studies examined the isolated domains rather than the full-length riboswitch. Crystallography and ligand binding analyses led to the hypothesis that each domain senses NAD+ but with disparate equilibrium binding constants (KD) of 127 μM (domain I) and 3.4 mM (domain II). Here, we analyzed individual domains and the full-length riboswitch by isothermal titration calorimetry to quantify the cofactor affinity and specificity. Domain I senses NAD+ with a KD of 24.6 ± 8.4 μM but with a reduced ligand-to-receptor stoichiometry, consistent with nonproductive domain self-association observed by gel-filtration chromatography; domain II revealed no detectable binding. By contrast, the full-length riboswitch binds a single NAD+ with a KD of 31.5 ± 1.5 μM; dinucleotides NADH and AP2-ribavirin also bind with one-to-one stoichiometry. Unexpectedly, the full-length riboswitch also binds a single ATP equivalent (KD = 11.0 ± 3.5 μM). The affinity trend of the full-length riboswitch is ADP = ATP > NAD+ = AP2-ribavirin > NADH. Although our results support riboswitch sensing of a single NAD+ at concentrations significantly below the intracellular levels of this cofactor, our findings do not support the level of specificity expected for a riboswitch that exclusively senses NAD+. Gene regulatory implications and future challenges are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshita Srivastava
- Department
of Biochemistry & Biophysics and Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642, United States
| | - Maya E. Blau
- Department
of Biochemistry & Biophysics and Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642, United States
| | - Jermaine L. Jenkins
- Department
of Biochemistry & Biophysics and Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642, United States
| | - Joseph E. Wedekind
- Department
of Biochemistry & Biophysics and Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642, United States
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4
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Razmi K, Mousavi SE, Patil JG. Paternal source of germ plasm determinants in the viviparous teleost, Gambusia holbrooki; dads do matter. Dev Biol 2023; 502:14-19. [PMID: 37385406 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2023.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
The identity of germ cells, the progenitors of life, is thought to be acquired by two modes; either by maternal signals (preformed) or induced de novo from pluripotent cells (epigenesis) in the developing embryos. However, paternal roles seem enshrouded or completely overlooked in this fundamental biological process. Hence, we investigated the presence of germplasm transcripts in the sperm of Gambusia holbrooki, a live-bearing fish, demonstrating their presence and suggesting paternal contributions. Interestingly, not all germplasm markers were present (nanos1 and tdrd6) in the sperm, but some were conspicuous (dazl, dnd-α, piwi II, and vasa), indicating that the latter is required for establishing germ cell identity in the progeny, with a possible parent-specific role. Furthermore, there were also spatial differences in the distribution of these determinants, suggesting additional roles in sperm physiology and/or fertility. Our results support the hypothesis that dads also play a vital role in establishing the germ cell identity, especially in G. holbrooki, which shares elements of both preformation and induction modes of germline determination. This, coupled with its life history traits, makes G. holbrooki an excellent system for dissecting evolutionary relationships between the two germline determination modes, their underpinning mechanisms and ultimately the perpetuity of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Komeil Razmi
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Taroona, TAS, 7053, Australia
| | - Seyed Ehsan Mousavi
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Taroona, TAS, 7053, Australia
| | - Jawahar G Patil
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Taroona, TAS, 7053, Australia.
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5
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Schroeder GM, Kiliushik D, Jenkins JL, Wedekind JE. Structure and function analysis of a type III preQ 1-I riboswitch from Escherichia coli reveals direct metabolite sensing by the Shine-Dalgarno sequence. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105208. [PMID: 37660906 PMCID: PMC10622847 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Riboswitches are small noncoding RNAs found primarily in the 5' leader regions of bacterial messenger RNAs where they regulate expression of downstream genes in response to binding one or more cellular metabolites. Such noncoding RNAs are often regulated at the translation level, which is thought to be mediated by the accessibility of the Shine-Dalgarno sequence (SDS) ribosome-binding site. Three classes (I-III) of prequeuosine1 (preQ1)-sensing riboswitches are known that control translation. Class I is divided into three subtypes (types I-III) that have diverse mechanisms of sensing preQ1, which is involved in queuosine biosynthesis. To provide insight into translation control, we determined a 2.30 Å-resolution cocrystal structure of a class I type III preQ1-sensing riboswitch identified in Escherichia coli (Eco) by bioinformatic searches. The Eco riboswitch structure differs from previous preQ1 riboswitch structures because it has the smallest naturally occurring aptamer and the SDS directly contacts the preQ1 metabolite. We validated structural observations using surface plasmon resonance and in vivo gene-expression assays, which showed strong switching in live E. coli. Our results demonstrate that the Eco riboswitch is relatively sensitive to mutations that disrupt noncanonical interactions that form the pseudoknot. In contrast to type II preQ1 riboswitches, a kinetic analysis showed that the type III Eco riboswitch strongly prefers preQ1 over the chemically similar metabolic precursor preQ0. Our results reveal the importance of noncanonical interactions in riboswitch-driven gene regulation and the versatility of the class I preQ1 riboswitch pseudoknot as a metabolite-sensing platform that supports SDS sequestration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Griffin M Schroeder
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA; Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Daniil Kiliushik
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA; Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Jermaine L Jenkins
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA; Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Joseph E Wedekind
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA; Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA.
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6
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Li Y, Dautel DR, Gray MA, McKenna ME, Champion JA. Rational design of elastin-like polypeptide fusion proteins to tune self-assembly and properties of protein vesicles. J Mater Chem B 2023. [PMID: 37357544 DOI: 10.1039/d3tb00200d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Protein vesicles made from bioactive proteins have potential value in drug delivery, biocatalysis, and as artificial cells. As the proteins are produced recombinantly, the ability to precisely tune the protein sequence provides control not possible with polymeric vesicles. The tunability and biocompatibility motivated this work to develop protein vesicles using rationally designed protein building blocks to investigate how protein sequence influences vesicle self-assembly and properties. We have reported an elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) fused to an arginine-rich leucine zipper (ZR) and functional, globular proteins fused to a glutamate-rich leucine zipper (ZE) that self-assemble into protein vesicles when warmed from 4 to 25 °C due to the hydrophobic transition of ELP. Previously, we demonstrated the ability to tune vesicle properties by changing protein and salt concentration, ZE : ZR ratio, and warming rate. However, there is a limit to the properties that can be achieved via assembly conditions. In order to access a wider range of vesicle diameter and stability profiles, this work investigated how modifiying the hydrophobicity and length of the ELP sequence influenced self-assembly and the final properties of protein vesicles using mCherry as a model globular protein. The results showed that both transition temperature and diameter of protein vesicles were inversely correlated to the ELP guest residue hydrophobicity and the number of ELP pentapeptide repeats. Additionally, sequence manipulation enabled assembly of vesicles with properties not accessible by changes to assembly conditions. For example, introduction of tyrosine at 5 guest residue positions in ELP enabled formation of nanoscale vesicles stable at physiological salt concentration. This work yields design guidelines for modifying the ELP sequence to manipulate protein vesicle transition temperature, size and stability to achieve desired properties for particular biofunctional applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yirui Li
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, USA.
- BioEngineering Program, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, USA
| | - Dylan R Dautel
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, USA.
| | - Mikaela A Gray
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, USA.
| | - Michael E McKenna
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, USA.
| | - Julie A Champion
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, USA.
- BioEngineering Program, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, USA
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7
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Wang Y, Ling X, Zhang C, Zou J, Luo B, Luo Y, Jia X, Jia G, Zhang M, Hu J, Liu T, Wang Y, Lu K, Li D, Ma J, Liu C, Su Z. Modular characterization of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein domain functions in nucleocapsid-like assembly. MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE 2023; 4:16. [PMID: 37211575 DOI: 10.1186/s43556-023-00129-z] [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: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, with the Omicron subvariant XBB currently prevailing the global infections, continue to pose threats on public health worldwide. This non-segmented positive-stranded RNA virus encodes the multi-functional nucleocapsid protein (N) that plays key roles in viral infection, replication, genome packaging and budding. N protein consists of two structural domains, NTD and CTD, and three intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) including the NIDR, the serine/arginine rich motif (SRIDR), and the CIDR. Previous studies revealed functions of N protein in RNA binding, oligomerization, and liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), however, characterizations of individual domains and their dissected contributions to N protein functions remain incomplete. In particular, little is known about N protein assembly that may play essential roles in viral replication and genome packing. Here, we present a modular approach to dissect functional roles of individual domains in SARS-CoV-2 N protein that reveals inhibitory or augmented modulations of protein assembly and LLPS in the presence of viral RNAs. Intriguingly, full-length N protein (NFL) assembles into ring-like architecture whereas the truncated SRIDR-CTD-CIDR (N182-419) promotes filamentous assembly. Moreover, LLPS droplets of NFL and N182-419 are significantly enlarged in the presence of viral RNAs, and we observed filamentous structures in the N182-419 droplets using correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM), suggesting that the formation of LLPS droplets may promote higher-order assembly of N protein for transcription, replication and packaging. Together this study expands our understanding of the multiple functions of N protein in SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Frontiers Medical Center of Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics and Department of Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610044, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaobin Ling
- The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Frontiers Medical Center of Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics and Department of Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610044, Sichuan, China
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Chong Zhang
- The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Frontiers Medical Center of Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics and Department of Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610044, Sichuan, China
| | - Jian Zou
- The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Frontiers Medical Center of Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics and Department of Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610044, Sichuan, China
| | - Bingnan Luo
- The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Frontiers Medical Center of Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics and Department of Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610044, Sichuan, China
| | - Yongbo Luo
- The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Frontiers Medical Center of Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics and Department of Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610044, Sichuan, China
| | - Xinyu Jia
- The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Frontiers Medical Center of Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics and Department of Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610044, Sichuan, China
| | - Guowen Jia
- The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Frontiers Medical Center of Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics and Department of Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610044, Sichuan, China
| | - Minghua Zhang
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, Sichuan, China
| | - Junchao Hu
- The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Frontiers Medical Center of Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics and Department of Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610044, Sichuan, China
| | - Ting Liu
- The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Frontiers Medical Center of Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics and Department of Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610044, Sichuan, China
| | - Yuanfeiyi Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Frontiers Medical Center of Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics and Department of Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610044, Sichuan, China
| | - Kefeng Lu
- The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Frontiers Medical Center of Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics and Department of Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610044, Sichuan, China
| | - Dan Li
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Jinbiao Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China.
| | - Cong Liu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center On Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201210, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Bio-Organic and Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Zhaoming Su
- The State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Frontiers Medical Center of Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics and Department of Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610044, Sichuan, China.
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8
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Luo B, Zhang C, Ling X, Mukherjee S, Jia G, Xie J, Jia X, Liu L, Baulin EF, Luo Y, Jiang L, Dong H, Wei X, Bujnicki JM, Su Z. Cryo-EM reveals dynamics of Tetrahymena group I intron self-splicing. Nat Catal 2023. [DOI: 10.1038/s41929-023-00934-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
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9
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Jia X, Zhang C, Luo B, Frandsen JK, Watkins AM, Li K, Zhang M, Wei X, Yang Y, Henkin TM, Su Z. Cryo-EM-guided engineering of T-box-tRNA modules with enhanced selectivity and sensitivity in translational regulation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.28.530422. [PMID: 36909519 PMCID: PMC10002618 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.28.530422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Riboswitches are non-coding RNA elements that play vital roles in regulating gene expression. Their specific ligand-dependent structural reorganization facilitates their use as templates for design of engineered RNA switches for therapeutics, nanotechnology and synthetic biology. T-box riboswitches bind tRNAs to sense aminoacylation and control gene expression via transcription attenuation or translation inhibition. Here we determine the cryo-EM structure of the wild-type Mycobacterium smegmatis ileS T-box in complex with its cognate tRNA Ile . This structure shows a very flexible antisequestrator region that tolerates both 3'-OH and 2',3'-cyclic phosphate modification at the 3' end of tRNA Ile . Elongation of one helical turn (11-base pair) in both the tRNA acceptor arm and T-box Stem III maintains T-box-tRNA complex formation and increases the selectivity for tRNA 3' end modification. Moreover, elongation of Stem III results in ∼6-fold tighter binding to tRNA, which leads to increased sensitivity of downstream translational regulation indicated by precedent translation. Our results demonstrate that cryo-EM can guide RNA engineering to design improved riboswitch modules for translational regulation, and potentially a variety of additional functions.
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10
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Velema WA, Lu Z. Chemical RNA Cross-Linking: Mechanisms, Computational Analysis, and Biological Applications. JACS AU 2023; 3:316-332. [PMID: 36873678 PMCID: PMC9975857 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.2c00625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, RNA has emerged as a multifaceted biomolecule that is involved in virtually every function of the cell and is critical for human health. This has led to a substantial increase in research efforts to uncover the many chemical and biological aspects of RNA and target RNA for therapeutic purposes. In particular, analysis of RNA structures and interactions in cells has been critical for understanding their diverse functions and druggability. In the last 5 years, several chemical methods have been developed to achieve this goal, using chemical cross-linking combined with high-throughput sequencing and computational analysis. Applications of these methods resulted in important new insights into RNA functions in a variety of biological contexts. Given the rapid development of new chemical technologies, a thorough perspective on the past and future of this field is provided. In particular, the various RNA cross-linkers and their mechanisms, the computational analysis and challenges, and illustrative examples from recent literature are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willem A. Velema
- Institute
for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6500 HC, The Netherlands
| | - Zhipeng Lu
- Department
of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, United States
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11
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Jackson RW, Smathers CM, Robart AR. General Strategies for RNA X-ray Crystallography. Molecules 2023; 28:2111. [PMID: 36903357 PMCID: PMC10004510 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28052111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023] Open
Abstract
An extremely small proportion of the X-ray crystal structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank are of RNA or RNA-protein complexes. This is due to three main obstacles to the successful determination of RNA structure: (1) low yields of pure, properly folded RNA; (2) difficulty creating crystal contacts due to low sequence diversity; and (3) limited methods for phasing. Various approaches have been developed to address these obstacles, such as native RNA purification, engineered crystallization modules, and incorporation of proteins to assist in phasing. In this review, we will discuss these strategies and provide examples of how they are used in practice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Aaron R. Robart
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 20506, USA
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12
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Tan C, Wang S, Yang H, Huang Q, Li S, Liu X, Ye H, Zhang G. Understanding the interaction of nucleotides with UVC light: an insight from quantum chemical calculation-based findings. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:3270-3278. [PMID: 36625732 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp05054d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Short-wave ultraviolet (also called UVC) irradiation is a well-adopted method of viral inactivation due to its ability to damage genetic material. A fundamental problem with the UVC inactivation method is that its mechanism of action on viruses is still unknown at the molecular level. To address this problem, herein we investigate the response mechanism of genome materials to UVC light by means of quantum chemical calculations. The spectral properties of four nucleotides, namely, adenine, cytosine, guanine, and uracil, are mainly focused on. Meanwhile, the transition state and reaction rate constant of uracil molecules are also considered to demonstrate the difficulty level of adjacent nucleotide reaction without and with UVC irradiation. The results show that the peak wavelengths are 248.7 nm, 226.1 nm (252.7 nm), 248.3 nm, and 205.8 nm (249.2 nm) for adenine, cytosine, guanine, and uracil nucleotides, respectively. Besides, the reaction rate constants of uracil molecules are 6.419 × 10-49 s-1 M-1 and 5.436 × 1011 s-1 M-1 for the ground state and excited state, respectively. Their corresponding half-life values are 1.56 × 1048 s and 1.84 × 10-12 s. This directly suggests that the molecular reaction between nucleotides is a photochemical process and the reaction without UVC irradiation almost cannot occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunjian Tan
- Electronic Components, Technology and Materials, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CD Delft, The Netherlands. .,Engineering Research Center of Integrated Circuits for Next-Generation Communications, Ministry of Education, School of Microelectronics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China.
| | - Shaogang Wang
- Electronic Components, Technology and Materials, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CD Delft, The Netherlands. .,Engineering Research Center of Integrated Circuits for Next-Generation Communications, Ministry of Education, School of Microelectronics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China.
| | - Huiru Yang
- Engineering Research Center of Integrated Circuits for Next-Generation Communications, Ministry of Education, School of Microelectronics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China.
| | - Qianming Huang
- Engineering Research Center of Integrated Circuits for Next-Generation Communications, Ministry of Education, School of Microelectronics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China.
| | - Shizhen Li
- Engineering Research Center of Integrated Circuits for Next-Generation Communications, Ministry of Education, School of Microelectronics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China.
| | - Xu Liu
- Electronic Components, Technology and Materials, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CD Delft, The Netherlands. .,Engineering Research Center of Integrated Circuits for Next-Generation Communications, Ministry of Education, School of Microelectronics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China.
| | - Huaiyu Ye
- Engineering Research Center of Integrated Circuits for Next-Generation Communications, Ministry of Education, School of Microelectronics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China.
| | - Guoqi Zhang
- Electronic Components, Technology and Materials, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CD Delft, The Netherlands.
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13
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Trachman RJ, Link KA, Knutson JR, Ferré-D'Amaré AR. Characterizing Fluorescence Properties of Turn-on RNA Aptamers. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2568:25-36. [PMID: 36227560 PMCID: PMC9812286 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2687-0_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] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Fluorescent RNA aptamers are tools for studying RNA localization and interactions in vivo. The photophysical properties of these in vitro selected RNAs should be characterized prior to cellular imaging experiments. Here, we describe the process of determining the fluorophore affinity, fluorescence enhancement, and fluorescence lifetime(s) of the Mango-III fluorescence turn-on aptamer. Parameters determined through these protocols will aid in establishing conditions for live-cell imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Trachman
- Biochemistry and Biophysics Center, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Katie A Link
- Biochemistry and Biophysics Center, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jay R Knutson
- Biochemistry and Biophysics Center, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Adrian R Ferré-D'Amaré
- Biochemistry and Biophysics Center, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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14
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Hertler J, Slama K, Schober B, Özrendeci Z, Marchand V, Motorin Y, Helm M. Synthesis of point-modified mRNA. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:e115. [PMID: 36062567 PMCID: PMC9723659 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthetic mRNA has recently moved into the focus of therapeutic and vaccination efforts. Incorporation of modified nucleotides during in vitro transcription can improve translation and attenuate immunogenicity, but is limited to triphosphate nucleotides which are accepted by RNA polymerases, and their incorporation is either random or complete. In contrast, site-specific modification, herein termed 'point modification' in analogy to point mutations, holds significant technical challenge. We developed fundamental techniques for isolation of long, translatable and internally point-modified mRNAs. Enabling concepts include three-way-one-pot splint ligations, and isolation of mRNA by real-time elution from agarose gels. The use of blue light permitted visualization of mRNA in pre-stained gels without the photochemical damage associated with the use of hard UV-radiation. This allowed visualization of the mRNA through its migration in the agarose gel, which in turn, was a prerequisite for its recovery by electroelution into precast troughs. Co-eluting agarose particles were quantified and found to not be detrimental to mRNA translation in vitro. Translation of EGFP-coding mRNA into functional protein was quantified by incorporation of 35S-labelled methionine and by in-gel EGFP fluorescence. This enabled the functional analysis of point modifications, specifically of ribose methylations in the middle of a 1371 nt long mRNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmin Hertler
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Staudinger Weg 5, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Kaouthar Slama
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Staudinger Weg 5, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Benedikt Schober
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Staudinger Weg 5, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Zeynep Özrendeci
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Staudinger Weg 5, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Virginie Marchand
- IMoPA UMR7365 CNRS-UL, BioPole Université de Lorraine, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France
| | - Yuri Motorin
- IMoPA UMR7365 CNRS-UL, BioPole Université de Lorraine, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France
- Epitranscriptomics and RNA Sequencing (EpiRNA-Seq) Core Facility, UMS2008 IBSLor (CNRS-UL)/US40 (INSERM), Université de Lorraine, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France
| | - Mark Helm
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Staudinger Weg 5, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
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15
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Pourseif MM, Masoudi-Sobhanzadeh Y, Azari E, Parvizpour S, Barar J, Ansari R, Omidi Y. Self-amplifying mRNA vaccines: Mode of action, design, development and optimization. Drug Discov Today 2022; 27:103341. [PMID: 35988718 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.103341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The mRNA-based vaccines are quality-by-design (QbD) immunotherapies that provide safe, tunable, scalable, streamlined and potent treatment possibilities against different types of diseases. The self-amplifying mRNA (saRNA) vaccines, as a highly advantageous class of mRNA vaccines, are inspired by the intracellular self-multiplication nature of some positive-sense RNA viruses. Such vaccine platforms provide a relatively increased expression level of vaccine antigen(s) together with self-adjuvanticity properties. Lined with the QbD saRNA vaccines, essential optimizations improve the stability, safety, and immunogenicity of the vaccine constructs. Here, we elaborate on the concepts and mode-of-action of mRNA and saRNA vaccines, articulate the potential limitations or technical bottlenecks, and explain possible solutions or optimization methods in the process of their design and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad M Pourseif
- Research Center for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Biomedicine Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Yosef Masoudi-Sobhanzadeh
- Research Center for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Biomedicine Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Erfan Azari
- Research Center for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Biomedicine Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Faculty of Pharmacy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Sepideh Parvizpour
- Research Center for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Biomedicine Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Jaleh Barar
- Research Center for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Biomedicine Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Faculty of Pharmacy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Rais Ansari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
| | - Yadollah Omidi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.
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16
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Li M, Li J, Yang Y, Liu W, Liang Z, Ding G, Chen X, Song Q, Xue C, Sun B. Investigation of mouse hepatitis virus strain A59 inactivation under both ambient and cold environments reveals the mechanisms of infectivity reduction following UVC exposure. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 2022; 10:107206. [PMID: 35043085 PMCID: PMC8757640 DOI: 10.1016/j.jece.2022.107206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The surface contamination of SARS-CoV-2 is becoming a potential source of virus transmission during the pandemic of COVID-19. Under the cold environment, the infection incidents would be more severe with the increase of virus survival time. Thus, the disinfection of contaminated surfaces in both ambient and cold environments is a critical measure to restrain the spread of the virus. In our study, it was demonstrated that the 254 nm ultraviolet-C (UVC) is an efficient method to inactivate a coronavirus, mouse hepatitis virus strain A59 (MHV-A59). The inactivation rate to MHV-A59 coronavirus was up to 99.99% when UVC doses were 2.90 and 14.0 mJ/cm2 at room temperature (23 °C) and in cold environment (-20 °C), respectively. Further mechanistic study demonstrated that UVC could induce spike protein damage to partly impede virus attachment and genome penetration processes, which contributes to 12% loss of viral infectivity. Additionally, it can induce genome damage to significantly interrupt genome replication, protein synthesis, virus assembly and release processes, which takes up 88% contribution to viral inactivation. With these mechanistic understandings, it will greatly contribute to the prevention and control of the current SARS-CoV-2 transmissions in cold chains (low temperature-controlled product supply chains), public area such as airport, school, and warehouse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Li
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Dalian University of Technology, 2 Linggong Road, 116024 Dalian, China
- School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, 116024 Dalian, China
| | - Jiahuan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Dalian University of Technology, 2 Linggong Road, 116024 Dalian, China
- School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, 116024 Dalian, China
| | - Yunlong Yang
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, 116024 Dalian, China
| | - Wenhui Liu
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, 116024 Dalian, China
| | - Zhihui Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Dalian University of Technology, 2 Linggong Road, 116024 Dalian, China
- School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, 116024 Dalian, China
| | - Guanyu Ding
- Soleilware Photonics Co.,LTD, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215000, China
| | - Xiaohe Chen
- Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215163, China
| | - Qi Song
- Soleilware Photonics Co.,LTD, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215000, China
- Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215163, China
| | - Changying Xue
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, 116024 Dalian, China
| | - Bingbing Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Dalian University of Technology, 2 Linggong Road, 116024 Dalian, China
- School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, 116024 Dalian, China
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17
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Bou-Nader C, Zhang J. Rational engineering enables co-crystallization and structural determination of the HIV-1 matrix-tRNA complex. STAR Protoc 2022; 3:101056. [PMID: 35005638 PMCID: PMC8715211 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2021.101056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Host tRNAs specifically interact with the matrix domain (MA) of HIV-1 major structural polyprotein, Gag, to control its membrane localization and virion assembly. In this protocol, we describe the purification and engineering of HIV-1 MA and tRNA, and the co-crystallization and structure determination of the complex using X-ray crystallography. Rational engineering of the tRNA surface created tRNA-tRNA packing contacts that drove the formation of diffraction-quality co-crystals. This protocol can be adapted to solve other ribonucleoprotein complex structures containing structured RNAs. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Bou-Nader et al. (2021).
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Bou-Nader
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jinwei Zhang
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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18
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A small RNA that cooperatively senses two stacked metabolites in one pocket for gene control. Nat Commun 2022; 13:199. [PMID: 35017488 PMCID: PMC8752633 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27790-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Riboswitches are structured non-coding RNAs often located upstream of essential genes in bacterial messenger RNAs. Such RNAs regulate expression of downstream genes by recognizing a specific cellular effector. Although nearly 50 riboswitch classes are known, only a handful recognize multiple effectors. Here, we report the 2.60-Å resolution co-crystal structure of a class I type I preQ1-sensing riboswitch that reveals two effectors stacked atop one another in a single binding pocket. These effectors bind with positive cooperativity in vitro and both molecules are necessary for gene regulation in bacterial cells. Stacked effector recognition appears to be a hallmark of the largest subgroup of preQ1 riboswitches, including those from pathogens such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae. We postulate that binding to stacked effectors arose in the RNA World to closely position two substrates for RNA-mediated catalysis. These findings expand known effector recognition capabilities of riboswitches and have implications for antimicrobial development. Riboswitches contain an aptamer domain that recognizes a metabolite and an expression platform that regulates gene expression. Here the authors report the crystal structure of a preQ1-sensing riboswitch from Carnobacterium antarcticus that shows two metabolites in a single binding pocket.
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19
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Cryo-EM structures of full-length Tetrahymena ribozyme at 3.1 Å resolution. Nature 2021; 596:603-607. [PMID: 34381213 PMCID: PMC8405103 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03803-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Single-particle cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has become a standard technique for determining protein structures at atomic resolution1-3. However, cryo-EM studies of protein-free RNA are in their early days. The Tetrahymena thermophila group I self-splicing intron was the first ribozyme to be discovered and has been a prominent model system for the study of RNA catalysis and structure-function relationships4, but its full structure remains unknown. Here we report cryo-EM structures of the full-length Tetrahymena ribozyme in substrate-free and bound states at a resolution of 3.1 Å. Newly resolved peripheral regions form two coaxially stacked helices; these are interconnected by two kissing loop pseudoknots that wrap around the catalytic core and include two previously unforeseen (to our knowledge) tertiary interactions. The global architecture is nearly identical in both states; only the internal guide sequence and guanosine binding site undergo a large conformational change and a localized shift, respectively, upon binding of RNA substrates. These results provide a long-sought structural view of a paradigmatic RNA enzyme and signal a new era for the cryo-EM-based study of structure-function relationships in ribozymes.
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20
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Zhang M, Li K, Bai J, Velema WA, Yu C, van Damme R, Lee WH, Corpuz ML, Chen JF, Lu Z. Optimized photochemistry enables efficient analysis of dynamic RNA structuromes and interactomes in genetic and infectious diseases. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2344. [PMID: 33879794 PMCID: PMC8058046 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22552-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Direct determination of RNA structures and interactions in living cells is critical for understanding their functions in normal physiology and disease states. Here, we present PARIS2, a dramatically improved method for RNA duplex determination in vivo with >4000-fold higher efficiency than previous methods. PARIS2 captures ribosome binding sites on mRNAs, reporting translation status on a transcriptome scale. Applying PARIS2 to the U8 snoRNA mutated in the neurological disorder LCC, we discover a network of dynamic RNA structures and interactions which are destabilized by patient mutations. We report the first whole genome structure of enterovirus D68, an RNA virus that causes polio-like symptoms, revealing highly dynamic conformations altered by antiviral drugs and different pathogenic strains. We also discover a replication-associated asymmetry on the (+) and (-) strands of the viral genome. This study establishes a powerful technology for efficient interrogation of the RNA structurome and interactome in human diseases.
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MESH Headings
- Calcinosis/genetics
- Calcinosis/metabolism
- Central Nervous System Cysts/genetics
- Central Nervous System Cysts/metabolism
- Communicable Diseases/genetics
- Communicable Diseases/metabolism
- Cross-Linking Reagents
- Enterovirus D, Human/genetics
- Furocoumarins
- Genetic Diseases, Inborn/genetics
- Genetic Diseases, Inborn/metabolism
- Genome, Viral
- Humans
- Leukoencephalopathies/genetics
- Leukoencephalopathies/metabolism
- Models, Molecular
- Mutation
- Nucleic Acid Conformation
- Photochemical Processes
- Photochemistry/methods
- RNA/chemistry
- RNA/genetics
- RNA/metabolism
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism
- RNA, Small Nucleolar/chemistry
- RNA, Small Nucleolar/genetics
- RNA, Small Nucleolar/metabolism
- RNA, Viral/chemistry
- RNA, Viral/genetics
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Affiliation(s)
- Minjie Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kongpan Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jianhui Bai
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Willem A Velema
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Chengqing Yu
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ryan van Damme
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Wilson H Lee
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Maia L Corpuz
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jian-Fu Chen
- Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Zhipeng Lu
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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21
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Na Y, Kim H, Choi Y, Shin S, Jung JH, Kwon SC, Kim VN, Kim JS. FAX-RIC enables robust profiling of dynamic RNP complex formation in multicellular organisms in vivo. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:e28. [PMID: 33332543 PMCID: PMC7968992 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa1194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA-protein interaction is central to post-transcriptional gene regulation. Identification of RNA-binding proteins relies mainly on UV-induced crosslinking (UVX) followed by the enrichment of RNA-protein conjugates and LC-MS/MS analysis. However, UVX has limited applicability in tissues of multicellular organisms due to its low penetration depth. Here, we introduce formaldehyde crosslinking (FAX) as an alternative chemical crosslinking for RNA interactome capture (RIC). Mild FAX captures RNA-protein interaction with high specificity and efficiency in cell culture. Unlike UVX-RIC, FAX-RIC robustly detects proteins that bind to structured RNAs or uracil-poor RNAs (e.g. AGO1, STAU1, UPF1, NCBP2, EIF4E, YTHDF proteins and PABP), broadening the coverage. Applied to Xenopus laevis oocytes and embryos, FAX-RIC provided comprehensive and unbiased RNA interactome, revealing dynamic remodeling of RNA-protein complexes. Notably, translation machinery changes during oocyte-to-embryo transition, for instance, from canonical eIF4E to noncanonical eIF4E3. Furthermore, using Mus musculus liver, we demonstrate that FAX-RIC is applicable to mammalian tissue samples. Taken together, we report that FAX can extend the RNA interactome profiling into multicellular organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongwoo Na
- Center for RNA Research, Institute for Basic Science, Seoul 08826, Korea.,School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Hyunjoon Kim
- Center for RNA Research, Institute for Basic Science, Seoul 08826, Korea.,School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Yeon Choi
- Center for RNA Research, Institute for Basic Science, Seoul 08826, Korea.,School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Sanghee Shin
- Center for RNA Research, Institute for Basic Science, Seoul 08826, Korea.,School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Jae Hun Jung
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Kyung Hee University, Yongin 17104, Korea
| | - S Chul Kwon
- Center for RNA Research, Institute for Basic Science, Seoul 08826, Korea.,School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - V Narry Kim
- Center for RNA Research, Institute for Basic Science, Seoul 08826, Korea.,School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Jong-Seo Kim
- Center for RNA Research, Institute for Basic Science, Seoul 08826, Korea.,School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
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22
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Felicetti S, Fregoni J, Schnappinger T, Reiter S, de Vivie-Riedle R, Feist J. Photoprotecting Uracil by Coupling with Lossy Nanocavities. J Phys Chem Lett 2020; 11:8810-8818. [PMID: 32914984 PMCID: PMC7569670 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c02236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
We analyze how the photorelaxation dynamics of a molecule can be controlled by modifying its electromagnetic environment using a nanocavity mode. In particular, we consider the photorelaxation of the RNA nucleobase uracil, which is the natural mechanism to prevent photodamage. In our theoretical work, we identify the operative conditions in which strong coupling with the cavity mode can open an efficient photoprotective channel, resulting in a relaxation dynamics twice as fast as the natural one. We rely on a state-of-the-art chemically detailed molecular model and a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian propagation approach to perform full-quantum simulations of the system dissipative dynamics. By focusing on the photon decay, our analysis unveils the active role played by cavity-induced dissipative processes in modifying chemical reaction rates, in the context of molecular polaritonics. Remarkably, we find that the photorelaxation efficiency is maximized when an optimal trade-off between light-matter coupling strength and photon decay rate is satisfied. This result is in contrast with the common intuition that increasing the quality factor of nanocavities and plasmonic devices improves their performance. Finally, we use a detailed model of a metal nanoparticle to show that the speedup of the uracil relaxation could be observed via coupling with a nanosphere pseudomode, without requiring the implementation of complex nanophotonic structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Felicetti
- Istituto
di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, Consiglio
Nazionale delle Ricerche (IFN-CNR), Milano, Italy
- Departamento
de Física Teórica
de la Materia Condensada and Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC), Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jacopo Fregoni
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Chimiche, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Dipartimento
di Scienze Fisiche, Informatiche e Matematiche, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | | | - Sebastian Reiter
- Department
Chemie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität
München, München, Germany
| | | | - Johannes Feist
- Departamento
de Física Teórica
de la Materia Condensada and Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC), Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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23
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Schroeder GM, Dutta D, Cavender CE, Jenkins J, Pritchett EM, Baker CD, Ashton JM, Mathews DH, Wedekind JE. Analysis of a preQ1-I riboswitch in effector-free and bound states reveals a metabolite-programmed nucleobase-stacking spine that controls gene regulation. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:8146-8164. [PMID: 32597951 PMCID: PMC7641330 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Riboswitches are structured RNA motifs that recognize metabolites to alter the conformations of downstream sequences, leading to gene regulation. To investigate this molecular framework, we determined crystal structures of a preQ1-I riboswitch in effector-free and bound states at 2.00 Å and 2.65 Å-resolution. Both pseudoknots exhibited the elusive L2 loop, which displayed distinct conformations. Conversely, the Shine-Dalgarno sequence (SDS) in the S2 helix of each structure remained unbroken. The expectation that the effector-free state should expose the SDS prompted us to conduct solution experiments to delineate environmental changes to specific nucleobases in response to preQ1. We then used nudged elastic band computational methods to derive conformational-change pathways linking the crystallographically-determined effector-free and bound-state structures. Pathways featured: (i) unstacking and unpairing of L2 and S2 nucleobases without preQ1-exposing the SDS for translation and (ii) stacking and pairing L2 and S2 nucleobases with preQ1-sequestering the SDS. Our results reveal how preQ1 binding reorganizes L2 into a nucleobase-stacking spine that sequesters the SDS, linking effector recognition to biological function. The generality of stacking spines as conduits for effector-dependent, interdomain communication is discussed in light of their existence in adenine riboswitches, as well as the turnip yellow mosaic virus ribosome sensor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Griffin M Schroeder
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Debapratim Dutta
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Chapin E Cavender
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Jermaine L Jenkins
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Pritchett
- Genomics Research Center, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Cameron D Baker
- Genomics Research Center, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - John M Ashton
- Genomics Research Center, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - David H Mathews
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Joseph E Wedekind
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
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24
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Jarmoskaite I, AlSadhan I, Vaidyanathan PP, Herschlag D. How to measure and evaluate binding affinities. eLife 2020; 9:e57264. [PMID: 32758356 PMCID: PMC7452723 DOI: 10.7554/elife.57264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 245] [Impact Index Per Article: 61.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantitative measurements of biomolecule associations are central to biological understanding and are needed to build and test predictive and mechanistic models. Given the advances in high-throughput technologies and the projected increase in the availability of binding data, we found it especially timely to evaluate the current standards for performing and reporting binding measurements. A review of 100 studies revealed that in most cases essential controls for establishing the appropriate incubation time and concentration regime were not documented, making it impossible to determine measurement reliability. Moreover, several reported affinities could be concluded to be incorrect, thereby impacting biological interpretations. Given these challenges, we provide a framework for a broad range of researchers to evaluate, teach about, perform, and clearly document high-quality equilibrium binding measurements. We apply this framework and explain underlying fundamental concepts through experimental examples with the RNA-binding protein Puf4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inga Jarmoskaite
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Ishraq AlSadhan
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | | | - Daniel Herschlag
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
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25
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Zhang K, Zheludev IN, Hagey RJ, Wu MTP, Haslecker R, Hou YJ, Kretsch R, Pintilie GD, Rangan R, Kladwang W, Li S, Pham EA, Bernardin-Souibgui C, Baric RS, Sheahan TP, D Souza V, Glenn JS, Chiu W, Das R. Cryo-electron Microscopy and Exploratory Antisense Targeting of the 28-kDa Frameshift Stimulation Element from the SARS-CoV-2 RNA Genome. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2020. [PMID: 32743589 DOI: 10.1101/2020.07.18.209270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Drug discovery campaigns against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are beginning to target the viral RNA genome 1, 2 . The frameshift stimulation element (FSE) of the SARS-CoV-2 genome is required for balanced expression of essential viral proteins and is highly conserved, making it a potential candidate for antiviral targeting by small molecules and oligonucleotides 3-6 . To aid global efforts focusing on SARS-CoV-2 frameshifting, we report exploratory results from frameshifting and cellular replication experiments with locked nucleic acid (LNA) antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), which support the FSE as a therapeutic target but highlight difficulties in achieving strong inactivation. To understand current limitations, we applied cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and the Ribosolve 7 pipeline to determine a three-dimensional structure of the SARS-CoV-2 FSE, validated through an RNA nanostructure tagging method. This is the smallest macromolecule (88 nt; 28 kDa) resolved by single-particle cryo-EM at subnanometer resolution to date. The tertiary structure model, defined to an estimated accuracy of 5.9 Å, presents a topologically complex fold in which the 5' end threads through a ring formed inside a three-stem pseudoknot. Our results suggest an updated model for SARS-CoV-2 frameshifting as well as binding sites that may be targeted by next generation ASOs and small molecules.
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26
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Vargas V, Cime-Castillo J, Lanz-Mendoza H. Immune priming with inactive dengue virus during the larval stage of Aedes aegypti protects against the infection in adult mosquitoes. Sci Rep 2020; 10:6723. [PMID: 32317699 PMCID: PMC7174395 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63402-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Several studies have observed that the immune response in insects can be conserved, a phenomenon known as immune priming, which has been mostly tested in adult stages. However, it is unknown if induction of immune priming in larval stages protects against dengue virus (DENV) infections in adult mosquitoes. In this work, we primed larval instar 3rd of Aedes aegypti with inactive dengue virus, producing adult mosquitoes with i) an enhanced antiviral-immune response; ii) a reduction in the load and replication of RNA of dengue virus (DENV); iii) a decline in viral infective particles production. Adult mosquitoes previously primed during larval stages over-expressed RNA interference (RNAi) markers Argonaute-2 (AGO-2) and Dicer-2 (DCR-2). We also observed inter-individual variations of DENV infection in adult mosquitoes, indicating a heterogeneous response to DENV infection in the same mosquito strain. However, mosquitoes primed during larval stages appear to control the infection, reducing the viral load. The over-expression of interferon-like factors (VAGO) and AGO-2 in the pupa stage suggests a fast activation of antiviral mechanisms after immune priming in larvae, creating a condition in which adult mosquitoes are resistant to the pathogen in the posterior exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Vargas
- National Institute of Public Health, Center for Research on Infectious Diseases, Santa María Ahuacatitlán, Cuernavaca, 62100, Morelos, Mexico.,Postgraduate in Biological Sciences, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Av. Ciudad Universitaria 3000, Coyoacán, C.P. 04510, Mexico
| | - Jorge Cime-Castillo
- National Institute of Public Health, Center for Research on Infectious Diseases, Santa María Ahuacatitlán, Cuernavaca, 62100, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Humberto Lanz-Mendoza
- National Institute of Public Health, Center for Research on Infectious Diseases, Santa María Ahuacatitlán, Cuernavaca, 62100, Morelos, Mexico.
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27
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Saha R, Chen IA. Effect of UV Radiation on Fluorescent RNA Aptamers' Functional and Templating Ability. Chembiochem 2019; 20:2609-2617. [PMID: 31125512 PMCID: PMC6899979 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201900261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Damage from ultraviolet (UV) radiation was likely to be an important selection pressure during the origin of life. RNA is believed to have been central to the origin of life and might form the basis for simple synthetic cells. Although photodamage of DNA has been extensively studied, photodamage is highly dependent on local molecular context, and damage to functional RNAs has been relatively under‐studied. We irradiated two fluorescent RNA aptamers and monitored the loss of activity, folding, and the kinetics of lesion accumulation. The loss of activity differed depending on the aptamer, with the Spinach2 aptamer retaining substantial activity after long exposure times. The binding pocket was particularly susceptible to damage, and melting of the duplex regions increased susceptibility; this is consistent with the view that duplex formation is protective. At the same time, susceptibility varied greatly depending on context, thus emphasizing the importance of studying many different RNAs to understand UV hardiness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranajay Saha
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Irene A Chen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.,Program in Biomolecular Sciences and Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
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28
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Layne TR, Green RA, Lewis CA, Nogales F, Dawson Cruz TC, Zehner ZE, Seashols-Williams SJ. microRNA Detection in Blood, Urine, Semen, and Saliva Stains After Compromising Treatments. J Forensic Sci 2019; 64:1831-1837. [PMID: 31184791 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.14113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Evaluation of microRNA (miRNA) expression as a potential method for forensic body fluid identification has been the subject of investigation over the past several years. Because of their size and encapsulation within proteins and lipids, miRNAs are inherently less susceptible to degradation than other RNAs. In this work, blood, urine, semen, and saliva were exposed to environmental and chemical conditions mimicking sample compromise at the crime scene. For many treated samples, including 100% of blood samples, miRNAs remained detectable, comparable to the untreated control. Sample degradation varied by body fluid and treatment, with blood remarkably resistant, while semen and saliva are more susceptible to environmental insult. Body fluid identification using relative miRNA expression of blood and semen of the exposed samples was 100% and 94%, respectively. Given the overall robust results herein, the case is strengthened for the use of miRNAs as a molecular method for body fluid identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany R Layne
- Department of Forensic Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Box 843079, Richmond, Virginia, 23284-3079
| | - Raquel A Green
- Department of Forensic Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Box 843079, Richmond, Virginia, 23284-3079
| | - Carolyn A Lewis
- Department of Forensic Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Box 843079, Richmond, Virginia, 23284-3079
| | - Francy Nogales
- Department of Forensic Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Box 843079, Richmond, Virginia, 23284-3079
| | - Tracey C Dawson Cruz
- Department of Forensic Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Box 843079, Richmond, Virginia, 23284-3079
| | - Zendra E Zehner
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Box 980614, Richmond, Virginia, 23298-0614
| | - Sarah J Seashols-Williams
- Department of Forensic Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Box 843079, Richmond, Virginia, 23284-3079
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29
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Sengupta RN, Herschlag D. Enhancement of RNA/Ligand Association Kinetics via an Electrostatic Anchor. Biochemistry 2019; 58:2760-2768. [PMID: 31117387 PMCID: PMC6586055 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.9b00231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
![]()
The diverse biological
processes mediated by RNA rest upon its
recognition of various ligands, including small molecules and nucleic
acids. Nevertheless, a recent literature survey suggests that RNA
molecular recognition of these ligands is slow, with association rate
constants orders of magnitude below the diffusional limit. Thus, we
were prompted to consider strategies for increasing RNA association
kinetics. Proteins can accelerate ligand association via electrostatic
forces, and here, using the Tetrahymena group I ribozyme,
we provide evidence that electrostatic forces can accelerate RNA/ligand
association. This RNA enzyme (E) catalyzes cleavage of an oligonucleotide
substrate (S) by an exogenous guanosine (G) cofactor. The G 2′-
and 3′-OH groups interact with an active site metal ion, termed
MC, within E·S·G, and we perturbed each of these
contacts via −NH3+ substitution. New
and prior data indicate that G(2′NH3+) and G(3′NH3+) bind as strongly as
G, suggesting that the −NH3+ substituents
of these analogues avoid repulsive interactions with MC and make alternative interactions. Unexpectedly, removal of the
adjacent −OH via −H substitution to give G(2′H,3′NH3+) and G(2′NH3+,3′H) enhanced binding, in stark contrast to the deleterious
effect of these substitutions on G binding. Pulse–chase experiments
indicate that the −NH3+ moiety of G(2′H,3′NH3+) increases the rate of G association. These results
suggest that the positively charged −NH3+ group can act as a molecular “anchor” to increase
the residence time of the encounter complex and thereby enhance productive
binding. Electrostatic anchors may provide a broadly applicable strategy
for the development of fast binding RNA ligands and RNA-targeted therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raghuvir N Sengupta
- Department of Biochemistry , Stanford University , Stanford , California 94305 , United States
| | - Daniel Herschlag
- Department of Biochemistry , Stanford University , Stanford , California 94305 , United States.,Departments of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry , Stanford University , Stanford , California 94305 , United States.,Stanford ChEM-H (Chemistry, Engineering, and Medicine for Human Health) , Stanford University , Stanford , California 94305 , United States
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30
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Brister MM, Crespo-Hernández CE. Excited-State Dynamics in the RNA Nucleotide Uridine 5'-Monophosphate Investigated Using Femtosecond Broadband Transient Absorption Spectroscopy. J Phys Chem Lett 2019; 10:2156-2161. [PMID: 30995048 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b00492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Damage to RNA from ultraviolet radiation induces chemical modifications to the nucleobases. Unraveling the excited states involved in these reactions is essential; however, investigations aimed at understanding the electronic-energy relaxation pathways of the RNA nucleotide uridine 5'-monophosphate (UMP) have not received enough attention. In this Letter, the excited-state dynamics of UMP is investigated in aqueous solution. Excitation at 267 nm results in a trifurcation event that leads to the simultaneous population of the vibrationally excited ground state, a long-lived 1nπ* state, and a receiver triplet state within 200 fs. The receiver state internally converts to the long-lived 3ππ* state in an ultrafast time scale. The results elucidate the electronic relaxation pathways and clarify earlier transient absorption experiments performed for uracil derivatives in solution. This mechanistic information is important because long-lived nπ* and ππ* excited states of both singlet and triplet multiplicities are thought to lead to the formation of harmful photoproducts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew M Brister
- Department of Chemistry , Case Western Reserve University , 10900 Euclid Avenue , Cleveland , Ohio 44106 , United States
| | - Carlos E Crespo-Hernández
- Department of Chemistry , Case Western Reserve University , 10900 Euclid Avenue , Cleveland , Ohio 44106 , United States
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31
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Cholet F, Ijaz UZ, Smith CJ. Differential ratio amplicons (R amp ) for the evaluation of RNA integrity extracted from complex environmental samples. Environ Microbiol 2019; 21:827-844. [PMID: 30585386 PMCID: PMC6392129 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14516] [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: 10/03/2018] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Reliability and reproducibility of transcriptomics‐based studies are dependent on RNA integrity. In microbial ecology, microfluidics‐based techniques, such as the Ribosomal Integrity Number (RIN), targeting rRNA are currently the only approaches to evaluate RNA integrity. However, the relationship between rRNA and mRNA integrity is unknown. Here, we present an integrity index, the Ratio Amplicon, Ramp, adapted from human clinical studies, to directly monitor mRNA integrity from complex environmental samples. We show, in a suite of experimental degradations of RNA extracted from sediment, that while the RIN generally reflected the degradation status of RNA the Ramp mapped mRNA degradation better. Furthermore, we examined the effect of degradation on transcript community structure by amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA, amoA and glnA transcripts. We successfully sequenced transcripts for all three targets even from highly‐degraded RNA samples. While RNA degradation changed the community structure of the mRNA profiles, no changes were observed for the 16S rRNA transcript profiles. Since both RT‐Q‐PCR and sequencing results were obtained, even from highly degraded samples, we strongly recommend evaluating RNA integrity prior to downstream processing to ensure meaningful results. For this, both the RIN and Ramp are useful, with the Ramp better evaluating mRNA integrity in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabien Cholet
- Infrastructure and Environment Research Division, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8LT, UK
| | - Umer Z Ijaz
- Infrastructure and Environment Research Division, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8LT, UK
| | - Cindy J Smith
- Infrastructure and Environment Research Division, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8LT, UK
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32
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Queiroz RML, Smith T, Villanueva E, Marti-Solano M, Monti M, Pizzinga M, Mirea DM, Ramakrishna M, Harvey RF, Dezi V, Thomas GH, Willis AE, Lilley KS. Comprehensive identification of RNA-protein interactions in any organism using orthogonal organic phase separation (OOPS). Nat Biotechnol 2019; 37:169-178. [PMID: 30607034 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-018-0001-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 203] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Existing high-throughput methods to identify RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are based on capture of polyadenylated RNAs and cannot recover proteins that interact with nonadenylated RNAs, including long noncoding RNA, pre-mRNAs and bacterial RNAs. We present orthogonal organic phase separation (OOPS), which does not require molecular tagging or capture of polyadenylated RNA, and apply it to recover cross-linked protein-RNA and free protein, or protein-bound RNA and free RNA, in an unbiased way. We validated OOPS in HEK293, U2OS and MCF10A human cell lines, and show that 96% of proteins recovered were bound to RNA. We show that all long RNAs can be cross-linked to proteins, and recovered 1,838 RBPs, including 926 putative novel RBPs. OOPS is approximately 100-fold more efficient than existing methods and can enable analyses of dynamic RNA-protein interactions. We also characterize dynamic changes in RNA-protein interactions in mammalian cells following nocodazole arrest, and present a bacterial RNA-interactome for Escherichia coli. OOPS is compatible with downstream proteomics and RNA sequencing, and can be applied in any organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rayner M L Queiroz
- Cambridge Centre for Proteomics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Tom Smith
- Cambridge Centre for Proteomics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Eneko Villanueva
- Cambridge Centre for Proteomics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | | | - Mie Monti
- Cambridge Centre for Proteomics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Dan-Mircea Mirea
- Cambridge Centre for Proteomics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | - Veronica Dezi
- MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, Leicester, UK
| | | | - Anne E Willis
- MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, Leicester, UK
| | - Kathryn S Lilley
- Cambridge Centre for Proteomics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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33
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Baronti L, Karlsson H, Marušič M, Petzold K. A guide to large-scale RNA sample preparation. Anal Bioanal Chem 2018; 410:3239-3252. [PMID: 29546546 PMCID: PMC5937877 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-018-0943-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Revised: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
RNA is becoming more important as an increasing number of functions, both regulatory and enzymatic, are being discovered on a daily basis. As the RNA boom has just begun, most techniques are still in development and changes occur frequently. To understand RNA functions, revealing the structure of RNA is of utmost importance, which requires sample preparation. We review the latest methods to produce and purify a variation of RNA molecules for different purposes with the main focus on structural biology and biophysics. We present a guide aimed at identifying the most suitable method for your RNA and your biological question and highlighting the advantages of different methods. Graphical abstract In this review we present different methods for large-scale production and purification of RNAs for structural and biophysical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Baronti
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Scheeles Väg 2, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hampus Karlsson
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Scheeles Väg 2, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maja Marušič
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Scheeles Väg 2, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Katja Petzold
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Scheeles Väg 2, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden.
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34
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Synthesis and characterization of Ag+-decorated poly(glycidyl methacrylate) microparticle design for the adsorption of nucleic acids. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2018; 1081-1082:1-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2018.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Revised: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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35
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Tian S, Kladwang W, Das R. Allosteric mechanism of the V. vulnificus adenine riboswitch resolved by four-dimensional chemical mapping. eLife 2018; 7:29602. [PMID: 29446752 PMCID: PMC5847336 DOI: 10.7554/elife.29602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The structural interconversions that mediate the gene regulatory functions of RNA molecules may be different from classic models of allostery, but the relevant structural correlations have remained elusive in even intensively studied systems. Here, we present a four-dimensional expansion of chemical mapping called lock-mutate-map-rescue (LM2R), which integrates multiple layers of mutation with nucleotide-resolution chemical mapping. This technique resolves the core mechanism of the adenine-responsive V. vulnificus add riboswitch, a paradigmatic system for which both Monod-Wyman-Changeux (MWC) conformational selection models and non-MWC alternatives have been proposed. To discriminate amongst these models, we locked each functionally important helix through designed mutations and assessed formation or depletion of other helices via compensatory rescue evaluated by chemical mapping. These LM2R measurements give strong support to the pre-existing correlations predicted by MWC models, disfavor alternative models, and suggest additional structural heterogeneities that may be general across ligand-free riboswitches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siqi Tian
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Wipapat Kladwang
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Rhiju Das
- Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
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36
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Bonilla S, Limouse C, Bisaria N, Gebala M, Mabuchi H, Herschlag D. Single-Molecule Fluorescence Reveals Commonalities and Distinctions among Natural and in Vitro-Selected RNA Tertiary Motifs in a Multistep Folding Pathway. J Am Chem Soc 2017; 139:18576-18589. [PMID: 29185740 PMCID: PMC5748328 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b08870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Decades
of study of the RNA folding problem have revealed that
diverse and complex structured RNAs are built from a common set of
recurring structural motifs, leading to the perspective that a generalizable
model of RNA folding may be developed from understanding of the folding
properties of individual structural motifs. We used single-molecule
fluorescence to dissect the kinetic and thermodynamic properties of
a set of variants of a common tertiary structural motif, the tetraloop/tetraloop-receptor
(TL/TLR). Our results revealed a multistep TL/TLR folding pathway
in which preorganization of the ubiquitous AA-platform submotif precedes
the formation of the docking transition state and tertiary A-minor
hydrogen bond interactions form after the docking transition state.
Differences in ion dependences between TL/TLR variants indicated the
occurrence of sequence-dependent conformational rearrangements prior
to and after the formation of the docking transition state. Nevertheless,
varying the junction connecting the TL/TLR produced a common kinetic
and ionic effect for all variants, suggesting that the global conformational
search and compaction electrostatics are energetically independent
from the formation of the tertiary motif contacts. We also found that in vitro-selected variants, despite their similar stability
at high Mg2+ concentrations, are considerably less stable
than natural variants under near-physiological ionic conditions, and
the occurrence of the TL/TLR sequence variants in Nature correlates
with their thermodynamic stability in isolation. Overall, our findings
are consistent with modular but complex energetic properties of RNA
structural motifs and will aid in the eventual quantitative description
of RNA folding from its secondary and tertiary structural elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve Bonilla
- Department of Chemical Engineering, ‡Department of Applied Physics, §Department of Biochemistry, ∥Department of Chemistry, ⊥Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford University , Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Charles Limouse
- Department of Chemical Engineering, ‡Department of Applied Physics, §Department of Biochemistry, ∥Department of Chemistry, ⊥Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford University , Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Namita Bisaria
- Department of Chemical Engineering, ‡Department of Applied Physics, §Department of Biochemistry, ∥Department of Chemistry, ⊥Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford University , Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Magdalena Gebala
- Department of Chemical Engineering, ‡Department of Applied Physics, §Department of Biochemistry, ∥Department of Chemistry, ⊥Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford University , Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Hideo Mabuchi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, ‡Department of Applied Physics, §Department of Biochemistry, ∥Department of Chemistry, ⊥Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford University , Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Daniel Herschlag
- Department of Chemical Engineering, ‡Department of Applied Physics, §Department of Biochemistry, ∥Department of Chemistry, ⊥Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford University , Stanford, California 94305, United States
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37
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Origin of the RNA world: The fate of nucleobases in warm little ponds. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:11327-11332. [PMID: 28973920 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1710339114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Before the origin of simple cellular life, the building blocks of RNA (nucleotides) had to form and polymerize in favorable environments on early Earth. At this time, meteorites and interplanetary dust particles delivered organics such as nucleobases (the characteristic molecules of nucleotides) to warm little ponds whose wet-dry cycles promoted rapid polymerization. We build a comprehensive numerical model for the evolution of nucleobases in warm little ponds leading to the emergence of the first nucleotides and RNA. We couple Earth's early evolution with complex prebiotic chemistry in these environments. We find that RNA polymers must have emerged very quickly after the deposition of meteorites (less than a few years). Their constituent nucleobases were primarily meteoritic in origin and not from interplanetary dust particles. Ponds appeared as continents rose out of the early global ocean, but this increasing availability of "targets" for meteorites was offset by declining meteorite bombardment rates. Moreover, the rapid losses of nucleobases to pond seepage during wet periods, and to UV photodissociation during dry periods, mean that the synthesis of nucleotides and their polymerization into RNA occurred in just one to a few wet-dry cycles. Under these conditions, RNA polymers likely appeared before 4.17 billion years ago.
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38
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RNA structure inference through chemical mapping after accidental or intentional mutations. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:9876-9881. [PMID: 28851837 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1619897114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the critical roles RNA structures play in regulating gene expression, sequencing-based methods for experimentally determining RNA base pairs have remained inaccurate. Here, we describe a multidimensional chemical-mapping method called "mutate-and-map read out through next-generation sequencing" (M2-seq) that takes advantage of sparsely mutated nucleotides to induce structural perturbations at partner nucleotides and then detects these events through dimethyl sulfate (DMS) probing and mutational profiling. In special cases, fortuitous errors introduced during DNA template preparation and RNA transcription are sufficient to give M2-seq helix signatures; these signals were previously overlooked or mistaken for correlated double-DMS events. When mutations are enhanced through error-prone PCR, in vitro M2-seq experimentally resolves 33 of 68 helices in diverse structured RNAs including ribozyme domains, riboswitch aptamers, and viral RNA domains with a single false positive. These inferences do not require energy minimization algorithms and can be made by either direct visual inspection or by a neural-network-inspired algorithm called M2-net. Measurements on the P4-P6 domain of the Tetrahymena group I ribozyme embedded in Xenopus egg extract demonstrate the ability of M2-seq to detect RNA helices in a complex biological environment.
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39
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Dawn of the in vivo RNA structurome and interactome. Biochem Soc Trans 2017; 44:1395-1410. [PMID: 27911722 DOI: 10.1042/bst20160075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2016] [Revised: 06/19/2016] [Accepted: 07/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
RNA is one of the most fascinating biomolecules in living systems given its structural versatility to fold into elaborate architectures for important biological functions such as gene regulation, catalysis, and information storage. Knowledge of RNA structures and interactions can provide deep insights into their functional roles in vivo For decades, RNA structural studies have been conducted on a transcript-by-transcript basis. The advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) has enabled the development of transcriptome-wide structural probing methods to profile the global landscape of RNA structures and interactions, also known as the RNA structurome and interactome, which transformed our understanding of the RNA structure-function relationship on a transcriptomic scale. In this review, molecular tools and NGS methods used for RNA structure probing are presented, novel insights uncovered by RNA structurome and interactome studies are highlighted, and perspectives on current challenges and potential future directions are discussed. A more complete understanding of the RNA structures and interactions in vivo will help illuminate the novel roles of RNA in gene regulation, development, and diseases.
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40
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Cantine MD, Fournier GP. Environmental Adaptation from the Origin of Life to the Last Universal Common Ancestor. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2017; 48:35-54. [PMID: 28685374 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-017-9542-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 06/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Extensive fundamental molecular and biological evolution took place between the prebiotic origins of life and the state of the Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA). Considering the evolutionary innovations between these two endpoints from the perspective of environmental adaptation, we explore the hypothesis that LUCA was temporally, spatially, and environmentally distinct from life's earliest origins in an RNA world. Using this lens, we interpret several molecular biological features as indicating an environmental transition between a cold, radiation-shielded origin of life and a mesophilic, surface-dwelling LUCA. Cellularity provides motility and permits Darwinian evolution by connecting genetic material and its products, and thus establishing heredity and lineage. Considering the importance of compartmentalization and motility, we propose that the early emergence of cellularity is required for environmental dispersal and diversification during these transitions. Early diversification and the emergence of ecology before LUCA could be an important pre-adaptation for life's persistence on a changing planet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjorie D Cantine
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Gregory P Fournier
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
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41
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Abstract
Photo-activatable ribonucleoside cross-linking and immunoprecipitation (PAR-CLIP) is a method to detect binding sites of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) transcriptome-wide. This chapter covers the computational analysis of the high-throughput sequencing reads generated from PAR-CLIP experiments. It explains how the reads are mutated due to UV cross-linking and how to appropriately pre-process and align them to a reference sequence. Aligned reads are then aggregated into clusters which represent putative RBP-binding sites. Mapping artifacts are a source of false positives, which can be controlled by means of a mapping decoy and adaptive quality filtering of the read clusters. A step-by-step explanation of this procedure is given. All necessary tools are open source, including the scripts presented and used in this chapter.
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42
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Meyer M, Masquida B. Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis for Purification of Large Amounts of RNA. Methods Mol Biol 2016; 1320:59-65. [PMID: 26227037 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2763-0_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) constitutes a powerful technique for the efficient purification of RNA molecules dedicated to applications that require high purity levels. PAGE allows for the fractionation of RNA obtained from cell extracts, chemical or enzymatic synthesis, or modification experiments. Native or denaturing conditions can be chosen for analytical or preparative-scale separations and the nucleotide resolution can be tuned by changing the percentage and reticulation of the gel material. In this protocol, we focus on the preparation of milligram-scale amounts of ~200 nucleotides (nt) RNA molecules that were used in subsequent crystallization experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélanie Meyer
- Département de Biologie Structurale et Intégrative, IGBMC, Université de Strasbourg/CNRS/INSERM, Illkirch, France
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43
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Köse K, Uzun L. PolyGuanine methacrylate cryogels for ribonucleic acid purification. J Sep Sci 2016; 39:1998-2005. [PMID: 27004613 DOI: 10.1002/jssc.201600199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2016] [Revised: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The isolation and purification of ribonucleic acid have attracted attention recently for the understanding of the functions in detail because of the necessity for the treatment of genetic diseases. In this study, guanine-incorporated polymeric cryogels were developed to obtain highly purified ribonucleic acid. The satisfactory purification performance was achieved with the guanine-incorporated poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-guanine methacrylate) cryogels. The most crucial advantages to use guanine as a functional monomer are to obtain a real natural interaction between guanine on the polymeric material and cytosine on the ribonucleic acid. Moreover, using cryogel with a highly porous structure and high swelling ratio provide advantages of getting more water within the structure to get more analyte to interact. The characterization of cryogels has proved the success of the synthesis and the perfect natural interaction to be taken place between the ligand (guanine methacrylate) and the cytosine in the ribonucleic acid molecules. Although the pores within the structure of cryogels are small, they provide efficient and fast adsorption. The chromatographic separation performance was investigated for different conditions (pH, temperature etc.). The desorption ratio and reusability were also analyzed at the end of the five adsorption-desorption cycles with no significant changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazım Köse
- Department of Chemistry, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.,Scientific Technical Research and Application Center, Hitit University, Çorum, Turkey
| | - Lokman Uzun
- Department of Chemistry, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
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44
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Watters KE, Yu AM, Strobel EJ, Settle AH, Lucks JB. Characterizing RNA structures in vitro and in vivo with selective 2'-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension sequencing (SHAPE-Seq). Methods 2016; 103:34-48. [PMID: 27064082 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2016.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Revised: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA molecules adopt a wide variety of structures that perform many cellular functions, including, among others, catalysis, small molecule sensing, and cellular defense. Our ability to characterize, predict, and design RNA structures are key factors for understanding and controlling the biological roles of RNAs. Fortunately, there has been rapid progress in this area, especially with respect to experimental methods that can characterize RNA structures in a high throughput fashion using chemical probing and next-generation sequencing. Here, we describe one such method, selective 2'-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension sequencing (SHAPE-Seq), which measures nucleotide resolution flexibility information for RNAs in vitro and in vivo. We outline the process of designing and performing a SHAPE-Seq experiment and describe methods for using experimental SHAPE-Seq data to restrain computational folding algorithms to generate more accurate predictions of RNA secondary structure. We also provide a number of examples of SHAPE-Seq reactivity spectra obtained in vitro and in vivo and discuss important considerations for performing SHAPE-Seq experiments, both in terms of collecting and analyzing data. Finally, we discuss improvements and extensions of these experimental and computational techniques that promise to deepen our knowledge of RNA folding and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle E Watters
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States
| | - Angela M Yu
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States; Tri-Institutional Program in Computational Biology and Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States; Computational Biology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Eric J Strobel
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States
| | - Alex H Settle
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States
| | - Julius B Lucks
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States.
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45
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Ferré-D'Amaré AR. Use of the U1A Protein to Facilitate Crystallization and Structure Determination of Large RNAs. Methods Mol Biol 2016; 1320:67-76. [PMID: 26227038 PMCID: PMC5178131 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2763-0_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
The preparation of well-ordered crystals of RNAs with complex three-dimensional architecture can be facilitated by engineering a binding site for the spliceosomal protein U1A into a functionally and structurally dispensable stem-loop of the RNA of interest. Once suitable crystals are obtained, the U1A protein, of known structure, can be employed to facilitate preparation of heavy atom or anomalously scattering atom derivatives, or as a source of partial model phases for the molecular replacement method. Here, we describe the methods for making U1A preparations suitable for cocrystallization with RNA. As an example, the cocrystallization of the tetracycline aptamer with U1A is also described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian R Ferré-D'Amaré
- Laboratory of RNA Biophysics and Cellular Physiology, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, 50 South Drive, MSC8012, Bethesda, MD, 20892-8012, USA,
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46
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Unger C, Kofanova O, Sokolowska K, Lehmann D, Betsou F. Ultraviolet C radiation influences the robustness of RNA integrity measurement. Electrophoresis 2015; 36:2072-81. [PMID: 25998866 DOI: 10.1002/elps.201500082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2015] [Revised: 04/27/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The analytical and clinical validity of analyses of RNA samples destined for clinical diagnosis and therapeutic management is directly impacted by RNA quality. RNA is affected by heat, enzymatic degradation, and Ultraviolet (UV) light. RNA from three eukaryotic cell lines was degraded by heat, RNase, or UV light. RNA integrity values obtained with the benchmark Agilent Bioanalyzer 2100 system were compared with those from the more recent QIAxcel Advanced system. The application of this novel method has allowed us to unravel differences between RNA biophysical and biochemical degradation modes. Agilent RNA integrity number (RIN) and QIAxcel RIS were comparable in heat-degraded and RNase III-degraded RNA. Agilent RIN and QIAxcel RIS were comparable at a RIN decision level of 7 in UV-degraded RNA but not overall. The QIAxcel RIS method was more precise than Agilent RIN for RIN<8, while the inverse was true for RIN≥8. Greater degradation of mRNA and rRNA in UV-damaged samples hampered the Agilent RIN calculation algorithm. Overall, RIS was more robust than RIN for assessing RNA integrity. The ΔΔCt-values for heat- and UV-degraded RNA samples showed slightly higher correlation with RIS than with RIN. RNA integrity can be used to categorize RNA samples for suitability for downstream gene expression analyses, independently of the RNA degradation mechanism. The new method QIAxcel is more robust and therefore allows more accurate categorization of compromised RNA samples.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Fay Betsou
- Integrated Biobank of Luxembourg (IBBL), Luxembourg
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47
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Cheng CY, Chou FC, Kladwang W, Tian S, Cordero P, Das R. Consistent global structures of complex RNA states through multidimensional chemical mapping. eLife 2015; 4:e07600. [PMID: 26035425 PMCID: PMC4495719 DOI: 10.7554/elife.07600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2015] [Accepted: 06/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Accelerating discoveries of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) in myriad biological processes pose major challenges to structural and functional analysis. Despite progress in secondary structure modeling, high-throughput methods have generally failed to determine ncRNA tertiary structures, even at the 1-nm resolution that enables visualization of how helices and functional motifs are positioned in three dimensions. We report that integrating a new method called MOHCA-seq (Multiplexed •OHCleavage Analysis with paired-end sequencing) with mutate-and-map secondary structure inference guides Rosetta 3D modeling to consistent 1-nm accuracy for intricately folded ncRNAs with lengths up to 188 nucleotides, including a blind RNA-puzzle challenge, the lariat-capping ribozyme. This multidimensional chemical mapping (MCM) pipeline resolves unexpected tertiary proximities for cyclic-di-GMP, glycine, and adenosylcobalamin riboswitch aptamers without their ligands and a loose structure for the recently discovered human HoxA9D internal ribosome entry site regulon. MCM offers a sequencing-based route to uncovering ncRNA 3D structure, applicable to functionally important but potentially heterogeneous states. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.07600.001 Our genetic material, in the form of molecules of DNA, provides instructions for many different processes in our cells. To issue these instructions, particular sections of DNA are copied to make a type of molecule called ribonucleic acid (RNA). Some of these RNA molecules contain instructions to make proteins, but others—known as non-coding RNAs—regulate the activity of genes in cells. The genetic information within RNA is encoded by the sequence of four different chemical parts called ‘nucleotides’. RNA can exist as a single strand of nucleotides, but the nucleotides can also pair up in specific combinations to form sections of double-stranded RNA. Therefore, a single strand of non-coding RNA can fold into a complex three-dimensional shape that contains loops, twists, and bulges. The three-dimensional structures of non-coding RNAs are crucial for their roles in cells, but the variety and complexity of shapes that they can form makes it technically difficult to study them. In 2008, researchers developed a new method called MOHCA that can map the positions of nucleotides that are close together in the three-dimensional structure. Highly reactive chemicals are attached to the nucleotides and these can react with, and damage, other nearby nucleotides. By detecting which nucleotides have been damaged, it is possible to map the positions of these nucleotides and decipher the structure of the RNA molecule using computer algorithms. MOHCA is a promising approach, but the initial methods to find the damaged nucleotides were tedious and required specialized equipment. Now, Cheng, Das et al.—including some of the researchers involved in the 2008 work—have developed an improved version of MOHCA that uses readily available RNA sequencing techniques to find the damaged nucleotides. The RNA sequencing data are then analyzed by a new algorithm in the Rosetta computer modeling software. Cheng, Das et al. used this newly developed ‘MOHCA-seq’ and Rosetta to reveal the structures of a human non-coding RNA and several other non-coding RNA molecules to a much higher level of detail than before. Together, MOHCA-seq and Rosetta provide a rapid method for researchers to decipher the three-dimensional structure of non-coding RNAs. This method is likely to speed up the analysis of the complex structures of non-coding RNAs. It will be useful in future efforts to work out what roles these RNAs play in cells, including their activity in cancer, neurodegeneration, and other diseases. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.07600.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarence Yu Cheng
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Fang-Chieh Chou
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Wipapat Kladwang
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Siqi Tian
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Pablo Cordero
- Biomedical Informatics Program, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Rhiju Das
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
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48
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Tian S, Yesselman JD, Cordero P, Das R. Primerize: automated primer assembly for transcribing non-coding RNA domains. Nucleic Acids Res 2015; 43:W522-6. [PMID: 25999345 PMCID: PMC4489279 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2015] [Accepted: 05/11/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Customized RNA synthesis is in demand for biological and biotechnological research. While chemical synthesis and gel or chromatographic purification of RNA is costly and difficult for sequences longer than tens of nucleotides, a pipeline of primer assembly of DNA templates, in vitro transcription by T7 RNA polymerase and kit-based purification provides a cost-effective and fast alternative for preparing RNA molecules. Nevertheless, designing template primers that optimize cost and avoid mispriming during polymerase chain reaction currently requires expert inspection, downloading specialized software or both. Online servers are currently not available or maintained for the task. We report here a server named Primerize that makes available an efficient algorithm for primer design developed and experimentally tested in our laboratory for RNA domains with lengths up to 300 nucleotides. Free access: http://primerize.stanford.edu.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siqi Tian
- Departments of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford CA 94305, USA
| | - Joseph D Yesselman
- Departments of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford CA 94305, USA
| | - Pablo Cordero
- Program in Biomedical Informatics, Stanford University, Stanford CA 94305, USA
| | - Rhiju Das
- Departments of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford CA 94305, USA Program in Biomedical Informatics, Stanford University, Stanford CA 94305, USA Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford CA 94305, USA
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49
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Eichhorn CD, Al-Hashimi HM. Structural dynamics of a single-stranded RNA-helix junction using NMR. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2014; 20:782-91. [PMID: 24742933 PMCID: PMC4024633 DOI: 10.1261/rna.043711.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Many regulatory RNAs contain long single strands (ssRNA) that adjoin secondary structural elements. Here, we use NMR spectroscopy to study the dynamic properties of a 12-nucleotide (nt) ssRNA tail derived from the prequeuosine riboswitch linked to the 3' end of a 48-nt hairpin. Analysis of chemical shifts, NOE connectivity, (13)C spin relaxation, and residual dipolar coupling data suggests that the first two residues (A25 and U26) in the ssRNA tail stack onto the adjacent helix and assume an ordered conformation. The following U26-A27 step marks the beginning of an A6-tract and forms an acute pivot point for substantial motions within the tail, which increase toward the terminal end. Despite substantial internal motions, the ssRNA tail adopts, on average, an A-form helical conformation that is coaxial with the helix. Our results reveal a surprising degree of structural and dynamic complexity at the ssRNA-helix junction, which involves a fine balance between order and disorder that may facilitate efficient pseudoknot formation on ligand recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine D. Eichhorn
- Chemical Biology Doctoral Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - Hashim M. Al-Hashimi
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
- Corresponding authorE-mail
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50
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Advances in methods for native expression and purification of RNA for structural studies. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2014; 26:1-8. [PMID: 24607442 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2014.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2013] [Revised: 01/22/2014] [Accepted: 01/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Many RNAs present unique challenges in obtaining material suitable for structural or biophysical characterization. These issues include synthesis of chemically and conformationally homogeneous RNAs, refolding RNA purified using denaturing preparation techniques, and avoiding chemical damage. To address these challenges, new methodologies in RNA expression and purification have been developed seeking to emulate those commonly used for proteins. In this review, recent developments in the preparation of high-quality RNA for structural biology and biophysical applications are discussed, with an emphasis on native methods.
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