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Jalan A, Jayasree PJ, Karemore P, Narayan KP, Khandelia P. Decoding the 'Fifth' Nucleotide: Impact of RNA Pseudouridylation on Gene Expression and Human Disease. Mol Biotechnol 2024; 66:1581-1598. [PMID: 37341888 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-023-00792-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Cellular RNAs, both coding and noncoding are adorned by > 100 chemical modifications, which impact various facets of RNA metabolism and gene expression. Very often derailments in these modifications are associated with a plethora of human diseases. One of the most oldest of such modification is pseudouridylation of RNA, wherein uridine is converted to a pseudouridine (Ψ) via an isomerization reaction. When discovered, Ψ was referred to as the 'fifth nucleotide' and is chemically distinct from uridine and any other known nucleotides. Experimental evidence accumulated over the past six decades, coupled together with the recent technological advances in pseudouridine detection, suggest the presence of pseudouridine on messenger RNA, as well as on diverse classes of non-coding RNA in human cells. RNA pseudouridylation has widespread effects on cellular RNA metabolism and gene expression, primarily via stabilizing RNA conformations and destabilizing interactions with RNA-binding proteins. However, much remains to be understood about the RNA targets and their recognition by the pseudouridylation machinery, the regulation of RNA pseudouridylation, and its crosstalk with other RNA modifications and gene regulatory processes. In this review, we summarize the mechanism and molecular machinery involved in depositing pseudouridine on target RNAs, molecular functions of RNA pseudouridylation, tools to detect pseudouridines, the role of RNA pseudouridylation in human diseases like cancer, and finally, the potential of pseudouridine to serve as a biomarker and as an attractive therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Jalan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani - Hyderabad Campus, Jawahar Nagar, Kapra Mandal, Medchal-Malkajgiri District, Telangana, 500078, India
| | - P J Jayasree
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani - Hyderabad Campus, Jawahar Nagar, Kapra Mandal, Medchal-Malkajgiri District, Telangana, 500078, India
| | - Pragati Karemore
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani - Hyderabad Campus, Jawahar Nagar, Kapra Mandal, Medchal-Malkajgiri District, Telangana, 500078, India
| | - Kumar Pranav Narayan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani - Hyderabad Campus, Jawahar Nagar, Kapra Mandal, Medchal-Malkajgiri District, Telangana, 500078, India
| | - Piyush Khandelia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani - Hyderabad Campus, Jawahar Nagar, Kapra Mandal, Medchal-Malkajgiri District, Telangana, 500078, India.
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2
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Zhang M, Zhang X, Ma Y, Yi C. New directions for Ψ and m 1A decoding in mRNA: deciphering the stoichiometry and function. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2024; 30:537-547. [PMID: 38531648 PMCID: PMC11019747 DOI: 10.1261/rna.079950.124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Over the past decade, advancements in epitranscriptomics have significantly enhanced our understanding of mRNA metabolism and its role in human development and diseases. This period has witnessed breakthroughs in sequencing technologies and the identification of key proteins involved in RNA modification processes. Alongside the well-studied m6A, Ψ and m1A have emerged as key epitranscriptomic markers. Initially identified through transcriptome-wide profiling, these modifications are now recognized for their broad impact on RNA metabolism and gene expression. In this Perspective, we focus on the detections and functions of Ψ and m1A modifications in mRNA and discuss previous discrepancies and future challenges. We summarize recent advances and highlight the latest sequencing technologies for stoichiometric detection and their mechanistic investigations for functional unveiling in mRNA as the new research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiling Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xiaoting Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yichen Ma
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Chengqi Yi
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Department of Chemical Biology and Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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3
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Gilbert WV. Recent developments, opportunities, and challenges in the study of mRNA pseudouridylation. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2024; 30:530-536. [PMID: 38531650 PMCID: PMC11019745 DOI: 10.1261/rna.079975.124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Pseudouridine is an abundant mRNA modification found in diverse organisms ranging from bacteria and viruses to multicellular plants and humans. New developments in pseudouridine profiling provide quantitative tools to map mRNA pseudouridylation sites. Sparse biochemical studies establish the potential for mRNA pseudouridylation to affect most stages of the mRNA life cycle from birth to death. This recent progress sets the stage for deeper investigations into the molecular and cellular functions of specific mRNA pseudouridines, including in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy V Gilbert
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
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4
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Fagre C, Gilbert W. Beyond reader proteins: RNA binding proteins and RNA modifications in conversation to regulate gene expression. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2024; 15:e1834. [PMID: 38444048 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Post-transcriptional mRNA modifications play diverse roles in gene expression and RNA function. In many cases, RNA modifications function by altering how cellular machinery such as RNA binding proteins (RBPs) interact with RNA substrates. For instance, N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is recognized by the well-characterized YTH domain-containing family of "reader" proteins. For other mRNA modifications, similar global readers of modification status have not been clearly defined. Rather, most interactions between RBPs and RNA modifications have a more complicated dependence on sequence context and binding modality. The current handful of studies that demonstrate modifications impacting protein binding likely represent only a fraction of the full landscape. In this review, we dissect the known instances of RNA modifications altering RBP binding, specifically m6A, N1-methyladenosine (m1A), 5-methylcytosine (m5C), pseudouridine (Ψ), and internal N7-methylguanosine. We then review the biochemical properties of these and other identified mRNA modifications including dihydrouridine (D), N4-acetylcytosine (ac4C), and 2'-O-Methylation (Nme). We focus on how these properties would be likely to impact RNA:RBP interactions, including by changes to hydrogen bond potential, base-stacking efficiency, and RNA conformational preferences. The effects of RNA modifications on secondary structure have been well-studied, and we briefly discuss how structural effects imparted by modifications can lead to protein binding changes. Finally, we discuss strategies for uncovering as-yet-to-be identified modification-sensitive RBP:RNA Interactions. Coordinating future efforts to intersect the epitranscriptome and the RNA-protein interactome will illuminate the rules governing RNA modification recognition and the mechanisms responsible for the biological consequences of mRNA modification. This article is categorized under: RNA Structure and Dynamics > RNA Structure, Dynamics and Chemistry RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein-RNA Recognition RNA Processing > RNA Editing and Modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Fagre
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Wendy Gilbert
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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5
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Chen H, Zhao S. Research progress of RNA pseudouridine modification in nervous system. Int J Neurosci 2024:1-11. [PMID: 38407188 DOI: 10.1080/00207454.2024.2315483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Recent advances of pseudouridine (Ψ, 5-ribosyluracil) modification highlight its crucial role as a post-transcriptional regulator in gene expression and its impact on various RNA processes. Ψ synthase (PUS), a category of RNA-modifying enzymes, orchestrates the pseudouridylation reaction. It can specifically recognize conserved sequences or structural motifs within substrates, thereby regulating the biological function of various RNA molecules accurately. Our comprehensive review underscored the close association of PUS1, PUS3, PUS7, PUS10, and dyskerin PUS1 with various nervous system disorders, including neurodevelopmental disorders, nervous system tumors, mitochondrial myopathy, lactic acidosis and sideroblastic anaemia (MLASA) syndrome, peripheral nervous system disorders, and type II myotonic dystrophy. In light of these findings, this study elucidated how Ψ strengthened RNA structures and contributed to RNA function, thereby providing valuable insights into the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying nervous system diseases. However, the detailed effects and mechanisms of PUS on neuron remain elusive. This lack of mechanistic understanding poses a substantial obstacle to the development of therapeutic approaches for various neurological disorders based on Ψ modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Chen
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, Guangxi, China
| | - Shuang Zhao
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, Guangxi, China
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Rodell R, Robalin N, Martinez NM. Why U matters: detection and functions of pseudouridine modifications in mRNAs. Trends Biochem Sci 2024; 49:12-27. [PMID: 38097411 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2023.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
The uridine modifications pseudouridine (Ψ), dihydrouridine, and 5-methyluridine are present in eukaryotic mRNAs. Many uridine-modifying enzymes are associated with human disease, underscoring the importance of uncovering the functions of uridine modifications in mRNAs. These modified uridines have chemical properties distinct from those of canonical uridines, which impact RNA structure and RNA-protein interactions. Ψ, the most abundant of these uridine modifications, is present across (pre-)mRNAs. Recent work has shown that many Ψs are present at intermediate to high stoichiometries that are likely conducive to function and at locations that are poised to influence pre-/mRNA processing. Technological innovations and mechanistic investigations are unveiling the functions of uridine modifications in pre-mRNA splicing, translation, and mRNA stability, which are discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Rodell
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Nicolas Robalin
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Nicole M Martinez
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Sarafan ChEM-H Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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7
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Schievelbein MJ, Resende C, Glennon MM, Kerosky M, Brown JA. Global RNA modifications to the MALAT1 triple helix differentially affect thermostability and weaken binding to METTL16. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:105548. [PMID: 38092148 PMCID: PMC10805700 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic mRNAs are generated using modified nucleotides, namely N1-methylpseudouridine (m1Ψ) triphosphate, so that the mRNA evades detection by the immune system. RNA modifications, even at a single-nucleotide position, perturb RNA structure, although it is not well understood how structure and function is impacted by globally modified RNAs. Therefore, we examined the metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 triple helix, a highly structured stability element that includes single-, double-, and triple-stranded RNA, globally modified with N6-methyladenosine (m6A), pseudouridine (Ψ), or m1Ψ. UV thermal denaturation assays showed that m6A destabilizes both the Hoogsteen and Watson-Crick faces of the RNA by ∼20 °C, Ψ stabilizes the Hoogsteen and Watson-Crick faces of the RNA by ∼12 °C, and m1Ψ has minimal effect on the stability of the Hoogsteen face of the RNA but increases the stability of the Watson-Crick face by ∼9 °C. Native gel-shift assays revealed that binding of the methyltransferase-like protein 16 to the metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 triple helix was weakened by at least 8-, 99-, and 23-fold, respectively, when RNA is globally modified with m6A, Ψ, or m1Ψ. These results demonstrate that a more thermostable RNA structure does not lead to tighter RNA-protein interactions, thereby highlighting the regulatory power of RNA modifications by multiple means.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mika J Schievelbein
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Carlos Resende
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Madeline M Glennon
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Matthew Kerosky
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Jessica A Brown
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA.
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8
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Niu Y, Liu L. RNA pseudouridine modification in plants. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023; 74:6431-6447. [PMID: 37581601 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
Pseudouridine is one of the well-known chemical modifications in various RNA species. Current advances to detect pseudouridine show that the pseudouridine landscape is dynamic and affects multiple cellular processes. Although our understanding of this post-transcriptional modification mainly depends on yeast and human models, the recent findings provide strong evidence for the critical role of pseudouridine in plants. Here, we review the current knowledge of pseudouridine in plant RNAs, including its synthesis, degradation, regulatory mechanisms, and functions. Moreover, we propose future areas of research on pseudouridine modification in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanli Niu
- Laboratory of Cell Signal Transduction, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475001, China
| | - Lingyun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475001, China
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9
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Patrasso EA, Raikundalia S, Arango D. Regulation of the epigenome through RNA modifications. Chromosoma 2023; 132:231-246. [PMID: 37138119 PMCID: PMC10524150 DOI: 10.1007/s00412-023-00794-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Chemical modifications of nucleotides expand the complexity and functional properties of genomes and transcriptomes. A handful of modifications in DNA bases are part of the epigenome, wherein DNA methylation regulates chromatin structure, transcription, and co-transcriptional RNA processing. In contrast, more than 150 chemical modifications of RNA constitute the epitranscriptome. Ribonucleoside modifications comprise a diverse repertoire of chemical groups, including methylation, acetylation, deamination, isomerization, and oxidation. Such RNA modifications regulate all steps of RNA metabolism, including folding, processing, stability, transport, translation, and RNA's intermolecular interactions. Initially thought to influence all aspects of the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression exclusively, recent findings uncovered a crosstalk between the epitranscriptome and the epigenome. In other words, RNA modifications feedback to the epigenome to transcriptionally regulate gene expression. The epitranscriptome achieves this feat by directly or indirectly affecting chromatin structure and nuclear organization. This review highlights how chemical modifications in chromatin-associated RNAs (caRNAs) and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) encoding factors involved in transcription, chromatin structure, histone modifications, and nuclear organization affect gene expression transcriptionally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmely A Patrasso
- Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Program, IMC University of Applied Sciences, Krems, Austria
| | - Sweta Raikundalia
- Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Daniel Arango
- Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
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10
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Chen AY, Owens MC, Liu KF. Coordination of RNA modifications in the brain and beyond. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:2737-2749. [PMID: 37138184 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02083-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Gene expression regulation is a critical process throughout the body, especially in the nervous system. One mechanism by which biological systems regulate gene expression is via enzyme-mediated RNA modifications, also known as epitranscriptomic regulation. RNA modifications, which have been found on nearly all RNA species across all domains of life, are chemically diverse covalent modifications of RNA nucleotides and represent a robust and rapid mechanism for the regulation of gene expression. Although numerous studies have been conducted regarding the impact that single modifications in single RNA molecules have on gene expression, emerging evidence highlights potential crosstalk between and coordination of modifications across RNA species. These potential coordination axes of RNA modifications have emerged as a new direction in the field of epitranscriptomic research. In this review, we will highlight several examples of gene regulation via RNA modification in the nervous system, followed by a summary of the current state of the field of RNA modification coordination axes. In doing so, we aim to inspire the field to gain a deeper understanding of the roles of RNA modifications and coordination of these modifications in the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Yulin Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, 19081, USA
| | - Michael C Owens
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Graduate Group in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Kathy Fange Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Graduate Group in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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11
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The Repertoire of RNA Modifications Orchestrates a Plethora of Cellular Responses. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032387. [PMID: 36768716 PMCID: PMC9916637 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Although a plethora of DNA modifications have been extensively investigated in the last decade, recent breakthroughs in molecular biology, including high throughput sequencing techniques, have enabled the identification of post-transcriptional marks that decorate RNAs; hence, epitranscriptomics has arisen. This recent scientific field aims to decode the regulatory layer of the transcriptome and set the ground for the detection of modifications in ribose nucleotides. Until now, more than 170 RNA modifications have been reported in diverse types of RNA that contribute to various biological processes, such as RNA biogenesis, stability, and transcriptional and translational accuracy. However, dysfunctions in the RNA-modifying enzymes that regulate their dynamic level can lead to human diseases and cancer. The present review aims to highlight the epitranscriptomic landscape in human RNAs and match the catalytic proteins with the deposition or deletion of a specific mark. In the current review, the most abundant RNA modifications, such as N6-methyladenosine (m6A), N5-methylcytosine (m5C), pseudouridine (Ψ) and inosine (I), are thoroughly described, their functional and regulatory roles are discussed and their contributions to cellular homeostasis are stated. Ultimately, the involvement of the RNA modifications and their writers, erasers, and readers in human diseases and cancer is also discussed.
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12
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Ramakrishnan M, Rajan KS, Mullasseri S, Palakkal S, Kalpana K, Sharma A, Zhou M, Vinod KK, Ramasamy S, Wei Q. The plant epitranscriptome: revisiting pseudouridine and 2'-O-methyl RNA modifications. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2022; 20:1241-1256. [PMID: 35445501 PMCID: PMC9241379 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
There is growing evidence that post-transcriptional RNA modifications are highly dynamic and can be used to improve crop production. Although more than 172 unique types of RNA modifications have been identified throughout the kingdom of life, we are yet to leverage upon the understanding to optimize RNA modifications in crops to improve productivity. The contributions of internal mRNA modifications such as N6-methyladenosine (m6 A) and 5-methylcytosine (m5 C) methylations to embryonic development, root development, leaf morphogenesis, flowering, fruit ripening and stress response are sufficiently known, but the roles of the two most abundant RNA modifications, pseudouridine (Ψ) and 2'-O-methylation (Nm), in the cell remain unclear due to insufficient advances in high-throughput technologies in plant development. Therefore, in this review, we discuss the latest methods and insights gained in mapping internal Ψ and Nm and their unique properties in plants and other organisms. In addition, we discuss the limitations that remain in high-throughput technologies for qualitative and quantitative mapping of these RNA modifications and highlight future challenges in regulating the plant epitranscriptome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muthusamy Ramakrishnan
- Co‐Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern ChinaNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingJiangsuChina
- Bamboo Research InstituteNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingJiangsuChina
| | - K. Shanmugha Rajan
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology InstituteBar‐Ilan University52900Ramat‐GanIsrael
- Department of Chemical and Structural BiologyWeizmann Institute7610001RehovotIsrael
| | - Sileesh Mullasseri
- School of Ocean Science and TechnologyKerala University of Fisheries and Ocean StudiesCochinIndia
| | - Sarin Palakkal
- The Institute for Drug ResearchSchool of PharmacyThe Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalemIsrael
| | - Krishnan Kalpana
- Department of Plant PathologyAgricultural College and Research InstituteTamilnadu Agricultural University625 104MaduraiTamil NaduIndia
| | - Anket Sharma
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical SilvicultureZhejiang A&F UniversityHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Mingbing Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical SilvicultureZhejiang A&F UniversityHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Zhejiang Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Bamboo Resources and High‐Efficiency UtilizationZhejiang A&F UniversityHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | | | - Subbiah Ramasamy
- Cardiac Metabolic Disease LaboratoryDepartment of BiochemistrySchool of Biological SciencesMadurai Kamaraj UniversityMaduraiTamil NaduIndia
| | - Qiang Wei
- Co‐Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern ChinaNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingJiangsuChina
- Bamboo Research InstituteNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingJiangsuChina
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13
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Cerneckis J, Cui Q, He C, Yi C, Shi Y. Decoding pseudouridine: an emerging target for therapeutic development. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2022; 43:522-535. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2022.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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14
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Sousa-Luís R, Carmo-Fonseca M. Pseudouridylation: A new player in co-transcriptional splicing regulation. Mol Cell 2022; 82:495-496. [PMID: 35120645 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Martinez et al. (2022) uncovered a novel function for the most abundant modified nucleoside in RNA. The study shows that uridines at splice sites and splicing regulatory motifs in the pre-mRNA may be converted to pseudouridine during transcription and impact splicing decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Sousa-Luís
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Professor Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Maria Carmo-Fonseca
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Professor Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal.
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15
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Martinez NM, Su A, Burns MC, Nussbacher JK, Schaening C, Sathe S, Yeo GW, Gilbert WV. Pseudouridine synthases modify human pre-mRNA co-transcriptionally and affect pre-mRNA processing. Mol Cell 2022; 82:645-659.e9. [PMID: 35051350 PMCID: PMC8859966 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Pseudouridine is a modified nucleotide that is prevalent in human mRNAs and is dynamically regulated. Here, we investigate when in their life cycle mRNAs become pseudouridylated to illuminate the potential regulatory functions of endogenous mRNA pseudouridylation. Using single-nucleotide resolution pseudouridine profiling on chromatin-associated RNA from human cells, we identified pseudouridines in nascent pre-mRNA at locations associated with alternatively spliced regions, enriched near splice sites, and overlapping hundreds of binding sites for RNA-binding proteins. In vitro splicing assays establish a direct effect of individual endogenous pre-mRNA pseudouridines on splicing efficiency. We validate hundreds of pre-mRNA sites as direct targets of distinct pseudouridine synthases and show that PUS1, PUS7, and RPUSD4-three pre-mRNA-modifying pseudouridine synthases with tissue-specific expression-control widespread changes in alternative pre-mRNA splicing and 3' end processing. Our results establish a vast potential for cotranscriptional pre-mRNA pseudouridylation to regulate human gene expression via alternative pre-mRNA processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Martinez
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Amanda Su
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Margaret C Burns
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Stem Cell Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Julia K Nussbacher
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Stem Cell Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Cassandra Schaening
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Shashank Sathe
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Stem Cell Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Gene W Yeo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Stem Cell Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
| | - Wendy V Gilbert
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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16
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Chokkalla AK, Mehta SL, Vemuganti R. Epitranscriptomic Modifications Modulate Normal and Pathological Functions in CNS. Transl Stroke Res 2022; 13:1-11. [PMID: 34224107 PMCID: PMC8727632 DOI: 10.1007/s12975-021-00927-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
RNA is more than just a combination of four genetically encoded nucleobases as it carries extra information in the form of epitranscriptomic modifications. Diverse chemical groups attach covalently to RNA to enhance the plasticity of cellular transcriptome. The reversible and dynamic nature of epitranscriptomic modifications allows RNAs to achieve rapid and context-specific gene regulation. Dedicated cellular machinery comprising of writers, erasers, and readers drives the epitranscriptomic signaling. Epitranscriptomic modifications control crucial steps of mRNA metabolism such as splicing, export, localization, stability, degradation, and translation. The majority of the epitranscriptomic modifications are highly abundant in the brain and contribute to activity-dependent gene expression. Thus, they regulate the vital physiological processes of the brain, such as synaptic plasticity, neurogenesis, and stress response. Furthermore, epitranscriptomic alterations influence the progression of several neurologic disorders. This review discussed the molecular mechanisms of epitranscriptomic regulation in neurodevelopmental and neuropathological conditions with the goal to identify novel therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anil K Chokkalla
- Cellular and Molecular Pathology Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 600 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53792, USA
| | - Suresh L Mehta
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 600 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53792, USA
| | - Raghu Vemuganti
- Cellular and Molecular Pathology Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 600 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53792, USA.
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veteran Administration Hospital, Madison, WI, USA.
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17
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RNA Modifications and RNA Metabolism in Neurological Disease Pathogenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222111870. [PMID: 34769301 PMCID: PMC8584444 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The intrinsic cellular heterogeneity and molecular complexity of the mammalian nervous system relies substantially on the dynamic nature and spatiotemporal patterning of gene expression. These features of gene expression are achieved in part through mechanisms involving various epigenetic processes such as DNA methylation, post-translational histone modifications, and non-coding RNA activity, amongst others. In concert, another regulatory layer by which RNA bases and sugar residues are chemically modified enhances neuronal transcriptome complexity. Similar RNA modifications in other systems collectively constitute the cellular epitranscriptome that integrates and impacts various physiological processes. The epitranscriptome is dynamic and is reshaped constantly to regulate vital processes such as development, differentiation and stress responses. Perturbations of the epitranscriptome can lead to various pathogenic conditions, including cancer, cardiovascular abnormalities and neurological diseases. Recent advances in next-generation sequencing technologies have enabled us to identify and locate modified bases/sugars on different RNA species. These RNA modifications modulate the stability, transport and, most importantly, translation of RNA. In this review, we discuss the formation and functions of some frequently observed RNA modifications—including methylations of adenine and cytosine bases, and isomerization of uridine to pseudouridine—at various layers of RNA metabolism, together with their contributions to abnormal physiological conditions that can lead to various neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders.
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18
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Armas P, Coux G, Weiner AMJ, Calcaterra NB. What's new about CNBP? Divergent functions and activities for a conserved nucleic acid binding protein. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2021; 1865:129996. [PMID: 34474118 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2021.129996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cellular nucleic acid binding protein (CNBP) is a conserved single-stranded nucleic acid binding protein present in most eukaryotes, but not in plants. Expansions in the CNBP gene cause myotonic dystrophy type 2. Initially reported as a transcriptional regulator, CNBP was then also identified acting as a translational regulator. SCOPE OF REVIEW The focus of this review was to link the CNBP structural features and newly reported biochemical activities with the recently described biological functions, in the context of its pathological significance. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS Several post-translational modifications affect CNBP subcellular localization and activity. CNBP participates in the transcriptional and translational regulation of a wide range of genes by remodeling single-stranded nucleic acid secondary structures and/or by modulating the activity of trans-acting factors. CNBP is required for proper neural crest and heart development, and plays a role in cell proliferation control. Besides, CNBP has been linked with neurodegenerative, inflammatory, and congenital diseases, as well as with tumor processes. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE This review provides an insight into the growing functions of CNBP in cell biology. A unique and robust mechanistic or biochemical connection among these roles has yet not been elucidated. However, the ability of CNBP to dynamically integrate signaling pathways and to act as nucleic acid chaperone may explain most of the roles and functions identified so far.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Armas
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONIeCET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Esmeralda y Ocampo 531, S2002LRK Rosario, Argentina
| | - Gabriela Coux
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONIeCET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Esmeralda y Ocampo 531, S2002LRK Rosario, Argentina
| | - Andrea M J Weiner
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONIeCET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Esmeralda y Ocampo 531, S2002LRK Rosario, Argentina
| | - Nora B Calcaterra
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONIeCET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Esmeralda y Ocampo 531, S2002LRK Rosario, Argentina.
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19
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Lin TY, Mehta R, Glatt S. Pseudouridines in RNAs: switching atoms means shifting paradigms. FEBS Lett 2021; 595:2310-2322. [PMID: 34468991 PMCID: PMC9290505 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The structure, stability, and function of various coding and noncoding RNAs are influenced by chemical modifications. Pseudouridine (Ψ) is one of the most abundant post‐transcriptional RNA base modifications and has been detected at individual positions in tRNAs, rRNAs, mRNAs, and snRNAs, which are referred to as Ψ‐sites. By allowing formation of additional bonds with neighboring atoms, Ψ strengthens RNA–RNA and RNA–protein interactions. Although many aspects of the underlying modification reactions remain unclear, the advent of new transcriptome‐wide methods to quantitatively detect Ψ‐sites has recently changed our perception of the functional roles and importance of Ψ. For instance, it is now clear that the occurrence of Ψs appears to be directly linked to the lifetime and the translation efficiency of a given mRNA molecule. Furthermore, the administration of Ψ‐containing RNAs reduces innate immune responses, which appears strikingly advantageous for the development of generations of mRNA‐based vaccines. In this review, we aim to comprehensively summarize recent discoveries that highlight the impact of Ψ on various types of RNAs and outline possible novel biomedical applications of Ψ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting-Yu Lin
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology (MCB), Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Rahul Mehta
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology (MCB), Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Sebastian Glatt
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology (MCB), Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
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20
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Rajan KS, Adler K, Madmoni H, Peleg-Chen D, Cohen-Chalamish S, Doniger T, Galili B, Gerber D, Unger R, Tschudi C, Michaeli S. Pseudouridines on Trypanosoma brucei mRNAs are developmentally regulated: Implications to mRNA stability and protein binding. Mol Microbiol 2021; 116:808-826. [PMID: 34165831 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The parasite Trypanosoma brucei cycles between an insect and a mammalian host and is the causative agent of sleeping sickness. Here, we performed high-throughput mapping of pseudouridines (Ψs) on mRNA from two life stages of the parasite. The analysis revealed ~273 Ψs, including developmentally regulated Ψs that are guided by homologs of pseudouridine synthases (PUS1, 3, 5, and 7). Mutating the U that undergoes pseudouridylation in the 3' UTR of valyl-tRNA synthetase destabilized the mRNA level. To investigate the mechanism by which Ψ affects the stability of this mRNA, proteins that bind to the 3' UTR were identified, including the RNA binding protein RBSR1. The binding of RBSR1 protein to the 3' UTR was stronger when lacking Ψ compared to transcripts carrying the modification, suggesting that Ψ can inhibit the binding of proteins to their target and thus affect the stability of mRNAs. Consequently, Ψ modification on mRNA adds an additional level of regulation to the dominant post-transcriptional control in these parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Shanmugha Rajan
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology Institute, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Katerina Adler
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology Institute, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Hava Madmoni
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology Institute, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Dana Peleg-Chen
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology Institute, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Smadar Cohen-Chalamish
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology Institute, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Tirza Doniger
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology Institute, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Beathrice Galili
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology Institute, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Doron Gerber
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology Institute, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Ron Unger
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology Institute, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Christian Tschudi
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Shulamit Michaeli
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology Institute, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
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21
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Ondono R, Lirio Á, Elvira C, Álvarez-Marimon E, Provenzano C, Cardinali B, Pérez-Alonso M, Perálvarez-Marín A, Borrell JI, Falcone G, Estrada-Tejedor R. Design of novel small molecule base-pair recognizers of toxic CUG RNA transcripts characteristics of DM1. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 19:51-61. [PMID: 33363709 PMCID: PMC7753043 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.11.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Myotonic Dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is an incurable neuromuscular disorder caused by toxic DMPK transcripts that carry CUG repeat expansions in the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR). The intrinsic complexity and lack of crystallographic data makes noncoding RNA regions challenging targets to study in the field of drug discovery. In DM1, toxic transcripts tend to stall in the nuclei forming complex inclusion bodies called foci and sequester many essential alternative splicing factors such as Muscleblind-like 1 (MBNL1). Most DM1 phenotypic features stem from the reduced availability of free MBNL1 and therefore many therapeutic efforts are focused on recovering its normal activity. For that purpose, herein we present pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidin-7-(8H)-ones, a privileged scaffold showing remarkable biological activity against many targets involved in human disorders including cancer and viral diseases. Their combination with a flexible linker meets the requirements to stabilise DM1 toxic transcripts, and therefore, enabling the release of MBNL1. Therefore, a set of novel pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidin-7-(8H)-ones derivatives (1a-e) were obtained using click chemistry. 1a exerted over 20% MBNL1 recovery on DM1 toxic RNA activity in primary cell biology studies using patient-derived myoblasts. 1a promising anti DM1 activity may lead to subsequent generations of ligands, highlighting a new affordable treatment against DM1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raul Ondono
- IQS School of Engineering, Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ángel Lirio
- IQS School of Engineering, Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carlos Elvira
- IQS School of Engineering, Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elena Álvarez-Marimon
- Biophysics Unit, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Claudia Provenzano
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council, Monterotondo, Rome, Italy
| | - Beatrice Cardinali
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council, Monterotondo, Rome, Italy
| | - Manuel Pérez-Alonso
- Translational Genomics Group, Incliva Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain
- Department of Genetics and Interdisciplinary Research Structure for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Alex Perálvarez-Marín
- Biophysics Unit, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - José I. Borrell
- IQS School of Engineering, Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Germana Falcone
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council, Monterotondo, Rome, Italy
| | - Roger Estrada-Tejedor
- IQS School of Engineering, Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona, Spain
- Corresponding author.
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22
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Borchardt EK, Martinez NM, Gilbert WV. Regulation and Function of RNA Pseudouridylation in Human Cells. Annu Rev Genet 2020; 54:309-336. [PMID: 32870730 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-112618-043830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in pseudouridine detection reveal a complex pseudouridine landscape that includes messenger RNA and diverse classes of noncoding RNA in human cells. The known molecular functions of pseudouridine, which include stabilizing RNA conformations and destabilizing interactions with varied RNA-binding proteins, suggest that RNA pseudouridylation could have widespread effects on RNA metabolism and gene expression. Here, we emphasize how much remains to be learned about the RNA targets of human pseudouridine synthases, their basis for recognizing distinct RNA sequences, and the mechanisms responsible for regulated RNA pseudouridylation. We also examine the roles of noncoding RNA pseudouridylation in splicing and translation and point out the potential effects of mRNA pseudouridylation on protein production, including in the context of therapeutic mRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin K Borchardt
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA; , ,
| | - Nicole M Martinez
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA; , ,
| | - Wendy V Gilbert
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA; , ,
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23
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Khan SM, He F, Wang D, Chen Y, Xu D. MU-PseUDeep: A deep learning method for prediction of pseudouridine sites. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 18:1877-1883. [PMID: 32774783 PMCID: PMC7387732 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Pseudouridine synthase binds to uridine sites and catalyzes the conversion of uridine to pseudouridine (Ψ). This binding takes place in a specific context and in the conformation of nucleotides. Most machine-learning methods for Ψ site classification use nucleotide frequency as a feature, which may not fully depict the relevant conformation around a Ψ site. Using the power of deep learning and raw sequence, as well as secondary structure features, our tool MU-PseUDeep is designed to capture both the sequence and secondary structure context, which inputs the raw RNA sequence and the predicted secondary structure to two sets of convolutional neural networks. It has shown considerable improvement in Ψ site prediction over existing tools, XG-PseU, PseUI, and iRNA-PseU for both balanced and imbalanced datasets. To the best of our knowledge, this is the most accurate tool for Ψ site prediction. We also used MU-PseUDeep to scan the human transcriptome, which shows that the genes with predicted Ψ sites are enriched in nucleotide and protein binding, as well as in neurodegeneration pathways. The tool is open source, available at https://github.com/smk5g5/MU-PseUDeep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saad M. Khan
- Informatics Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, United States
| | - Fei He
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, United States
- School of Information Science and Technology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130117, China
| | - Duolin Wang
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, United States
| | - Yongbing Chen
- School of Information Science and Technology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130117, China
| | - Dong Xu
- Informatics Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, United States
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, United States
- Corresponding author.
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24
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Fischer S, Di Liddo A, Taylor K, Gerhardus JS, Sobczak K, Zarnack K, Weigand JE. Muscleblind-like 2 controls the hypoxia response of cancer cells. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2020; 26:648-663. [PMID: 32127384 PMCID: PMC7161353 DOI: 10.1261/rna.073353.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Hypoxia is a hallmark of solid cancers, supporting proliferation, angiogenesis, and escape from apoptosis. There is still limited understanding of how cancer cells adapt to hypoxic conditions and survive. We analyzed transcriptome changes of human lung and breast cancer cells under chronic hypoxia. Hypoxia induced highly concordant changes in transcript abundance, but divergent splicing responses, underlining the cell type-specificity of alternative splicing programs. While RNA-binding proteins were predominantly reduced, hypoxia specifically induced muscleblind-like protein 2 (MBNL2). Strikingly, MBNL2 induction was critical for hypoxia adaptation by controlling the transcript abundance of hypoxia response genes, such as vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) MBNL2 depletion reduced the proliferation and migration of cancer cells, demonstrating an important role of MBNL2 as cancer driver. Hypoxia control is specific for MBNL2 and not shared by its paralog MBNL1. Thus, our study revealed MBNL2 as central mediator of cancer cell responses to hypoxia, regulating the expression and alternative splicing of hypoxia-induced genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Fischer
- Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, 64287, Germany
| | - Antonella Di Liddo
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, 60438, Germany
| | - Katarzyna Taylor
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, 61-614, Poland
| | - Jamina S Gerhardus
- Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, 64287, Germany
| | - Krzysztof Sobczak
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, 61-614, Poland
| | - Kathi Zarnack
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, 60438, Germany
| | - Julia E Weigand
- Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, 64287, Germany
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25
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Gonzalez-Rivera JC, Orr AA, Engels SM, Jakubowski JM, Sherman MW, O'Connor KN, Matteson T, Woodcock BC, Contreras LM, Tamamis P. Computational evolution of an RNA-binding protein towards enhanced oxidized-RNA binding. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 18:137-152. [PMID: 31988703 PMCID: PMC6965710 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2019.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The oxidation of RNA has been implicated in the development of many diseases. Among the four ribonucleotides, guanosine is the most susceptible to oxidation, resulting in the formation of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine (8-oxoG). Despite the limited knowledge about how cells regulate the detrimental effects of oxidized RNA, cellular factors involved in its regulation have begun to be identified. One of these factors is polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase), a multifunctional enzyme implicated in RNA turnover. In the present study, we have examined the interaction of PNPase with 8-oxoG in atomic detail to provide insights into the mechanism of 8-oxoG discrimination. We hypothesized that PNPase subunits cooperate to form a binding site using the dynamic SFF loop within the central channel of the PNPase homotrimer. We evolved this site using a novel approach that initially screened mutants from a library of beneficial mutations and assessed their interactions using multi-nanosecond Molecular Dynamics simulations. We found that evolving this single site resulted in a fold change increase in 8-oxoG affinity between 1.2 and 1.5 and/or selectivity between 1.5 and 1.9. In addition to the improvement in 8-oxoG binding, complementation of K12 Δpnp with plasmids expressing mutant PNPases caused increased cell tolerance to H2O2. This observation provides a clear link between molecular discrimination of RNA oxidation and cell survival. Moreover, this study provides a framework for the manipulation of modified-RNA protein readers, which has potential application in synthetic biology and epitranscriptomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan C. Gonzalez-Rivera
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas, 200 E. Dean Keeton Street Stop C0400, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Asuka A. Orr
- Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, 3122 TAMU Room 200, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Sean M. Engels
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas, 200 E. Dean Keeton Street Stop C0400, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Joseph M. Jakubowski
- Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, 3122 TAMU Room 200, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Mark W. Sherman
- Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, 100 E 24th Street, Stop A5000, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Katherine N. O'Connor
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas, 200 E. Dean Keeton Street Stop C0400, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Tomas Matteson
- Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, 100 E 24th Street, Stop A5000, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Brendan C. Woodcock
- Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, 3122 TAMU Room 200, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Lydia M. Contreras
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas, 200 E. Dean Keeton Street Stop C0400, Austin, TX 78712, United States
- Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, 100 E 24th Street, Stop A5000, Austin, TX 78712, United States
- Corresponding authors at: McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas, 200 E. Dean Keeton Street Stop C0400, Austin, TX 78712, United States (L.M. Contreras).
| | - Phanourios Tamamis
- Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, 3122 TAMU Room 200, College Station, TX 77843, United States
- Corresponding authors at: McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas, 200 E. Dean Keeton Street Stop C0400, Austin, TX 78712, United States (L.M. Contreras).
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26
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Hung CS, Lin JC. Alternatively spliced MBNL1 isoforms exhibit differential influence on enhancing brown adipogenesis. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2019; 1863:194437. [PMID: 31730826 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2019.194437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Browning of white adipocytes (WAs) (also referred as beige cells) was demonstrated to execute thermogenesis by consuming stored lipids as do brown adipocytes (BAs), and this is highly related to metabolic homeostasis. Alternative splicing (AS) constitutes a pivotal mechanism for defining cellular fates and functional specifications. Nevertheless, the impacts of AS regulation on the browning of WAs have not been comprehensively investigated. In this study, we first identified the discriminative expression and splicing profiles of the muscleblind-like 1 (MBNL1) gene in postnatal brown adipose tissues (BATs) compared to those of embryonic BATs. A shift in the MBNL1+ex 5 isoform 7 (MBNL17) to MBNL1-ex 5 isoform 1 (MBNL11) was characterized throughout BAT development or during the in vitro browning of pre-WAs, 3T3-L1 cells. The interplay between MBNL1 and the exonic CCUG motif constitutes an autoregulatory mechanism for excluding MBNL1 exon 5. The simultaneous association of RNA-binding motif protein 4a (RBM4a) with exonic and intronic CU elements collaboratively mediates the skipping of MBNL1 exon 5. Overexpressing the MBNL11 isoform exhibited a more-prominent effect than that of the MBNL17 isoform on programming its own transcripts and beige cell-related splicing events in a CCUG motif-mediated manner. In addition to splicing regulation, overexpression of the MBNL11 and MBNL17 isoforms differentially enhanced beige adipogenic signatures of 3T3-L1 cells. Our findings demonstrated that MBNL1 constitutes an emerging and autoregulatory mechanism involved in development of beige cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-Sheng Hung
- PhD Program in Medicine Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jung-Chun Lin
- PhD Program in Medicine Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; School of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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27
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Computational and NMR studies of RNA duplexes with an internal pseudouridine-adenosine base pair. Sci Rep 2019; 9:16278. [PMID: 31700156 PMCID: PMC6838189 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52637-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Pseudouridine (Ψ) is the most common chemical modification present in RNA. In general, Ψ increases the thermodynamic stability of RNA. However, the degree of stabilization depends on the sequence and structural context. To explain experimentally observed sequence dependence of the effect of Ψ on the thermodynamic stability of RNA duplexes, we investigated the structure, dynamics and hydration of RNA duplexes with an internal Ψ-A base pair in different nearest-neighbor sequence contexts. The structures of two RNA duplexes containing 5′-GΨC/3′-CAG and 5′-CΨG/3′-GAC motifs were determined using NMR spectroscopy. To gain insight into the effect of Ψ on duplex dynamics and hydration, we performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of RNA duplexes with 5′-GΨC/3′-CAG, 5′-CΨG/3′-GAC, 5′-AΨU/3′-UAA and 5′-UΨA/3′-AAU motifs and their unmodified counterparts. Our results showed a subtle impact from Ψ modification on the structure and dynamics of the RNA duplexes studied. The MD simulations confirmed the change in hydration pattern when U is replaced with Ψ. Quantum chemical calculations showed that the replacement of U with Ψ affected the intrinsic stacking energies at the base pair steps depending on the sequence context. The calculated intrinsic stacking energies help to explain the experimentally observed sequence dependent changes in the duplex stability from Ψ modification.
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28
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Taylor K, Sznajder LJ, Cywoniuk P, Thomas JD, Swanson MS, Sobczak K. MBNL splicing activity depends on RNA binding site structural context. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 46:9119-9133. [PMID: 29955876 PMCID: PMC6158504 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Muscleblind-like (MBNL) proteins are conserved RNA-binding factors involved in alternative splicing (AS) regulation during development. While AS is controlled by distribution of MBNL paralogs and isoforms, the affinity of these proteins for specific RNA-binding regions and their location within transcripts, it is currently unclear how RNA structure impacts MBNL-mediated AS regulation. Here, we defined the RNA structural determinants affecting MBNL-dependent AS activity using both cellular and biochemical assays. While enhanced inclusion of MBNL-regulated alternative exons is controlled by the arrangement and number of MBNL binding sites within unstructured RNA, when these sites are embedded in a RNA hairpin MBNL binds preferentially to one side of stem region. Surprisingly, binding of MBNL proteins to RNA targets did not entirely correlate with AS efficiency. Moreover, comparison of MBNL proteins revealed structure-dependent competitive behavior between the paralogs. Our results showed that the structure of targeted RNAs is a prevalent component of the mechanism of alternative splicing regulation by MBNLs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Taylor
- Laboratory of Gene Therapy, Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznan, Poland
| | - Lukasz J Sznajder
- Center for NeuroGenetics and the Genetics Institute, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida College of Medicine, 2033 Mowry Road, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Piotr Cywoniuk
- Laboratory of Gene Therapy, Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznan, Poland
| | - James D Thomas
- Center for NeuroGenetics and the Genetics Institute, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida College of Medicine, 2033 Mowry Road, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,Computational Biology Program, Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Maurice S Swanson
- Center for NeuroGenetics and the Genetics Institute, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida College of Medicine, 2033 Mowry Road, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Krzysztof Sobczak
- Laboratory of Gene Therapy, Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznan, Poland
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29
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Hale MA, Johnson NE, Berglund JA. Repeat-associated RNA structure and aberrant splicing. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2019; 1862:194405. [PMID: 31323433 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2019.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Revised: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Over 30 hereditary disorders attributed to the expansion of microsatellite repeats have been identified. Despite variant nucleotide content, number of consecutive repeats, and different locations in the genome, many of these diseases have pathogenic RNA gain-of-function mechanisms. The repeat-containing RNAs can form structures in vitro predicted to contribute to the disease through assembly of intracellular RNA aggregates termed foci. The expanded repeat RNAs within these foci sequester RNA binding proteins (RBPs) with important roles in the regulation of RNA metabolism, most notably alternative splicing (AS). These deleterious interactions lead to downstream alterations in transcriptome-wide AS directly linked with disease symptoms. This review summarizes existing knowledge about the association between the repeat RNA structures and RBPs as well as the resulting aberrant AS patterns, specifically in the context of myotonic dystrophy. The connection between toxic, structured RNAs and dysregulation of AS in other repeat expansion diseases is also discussed. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: RNA structure and splicing regulation edited by Francisco Baralle, Ravindra Singh and Stefan Stamm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A Hale
- Department of Neurology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Nicholas E Johnson
- Department of Neurology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - J Andrew Berglund
- The RNA Institute, Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA.
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Umuhire Juru A, Patwardhan NN, Hargrove AE. Understanding the Contributions of Conformational Changes, Thermodynamics, and Kinetics of RNA-Small Molecule Interactions. ACS Chem Biol 2019; 14:824-838. [PMID: 31042354 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.8b00945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The implication of RNA in multiple cellular processes beyond protein coding has revitalized interest in the development of small molecules for therapeutically targeting RNA and for further probing its cellular biology. However, the process of rationally designing such small molecule probes is hampered by the paucity of information about fundamental molecular recognition principles of RNA. In this Review, we summarize two important and often underappreciated aspects of RNA-small molecule recognition: RNA conformational dynamics and the biophysical properties of interactions of small molecules with RNA, specifically thermodynamics and kinetics. While conformational flexibility is often said to impede RNA ligand development, the ability of small molecules to influence the RNA conformational landscape can have a significant effect on the cellular functions of RNA. An analysis of the conformational landscape of RNA and the interactions of individual conformations with ligands can thus guide the development of new small molecule probes, which needs to be investigated further. Additionally, while it is common practice to quantify the binding affinities ( Ka or Kd) of small molecules for biomacromolecules as a measure of their activity, further biophysical characterization of their interaction can provide a deeper understanding. Studies that focus on the thermodynamic and kinetic parameters for interaction between RNA and ligands are next discussed. Finally, this Review provides the reader with a perspective on how such in-depth analysis of biophysical characteristics of the interaction of RNA and small molecules can impact our understanding of these interactions and how they will benefit the future design of small molecule probes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Umuhire Juru
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Neeraj N. Patwardhan
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Amanda E. Hargrove
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
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31
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Nucleotide Modifications Decrease Innate Immune Response Induced by Synthetic Analogs of snRNAs and snoRNAs. Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:genes9110531. [PMID: 30400232 PMCID: PMC6266926 DOI: 10.3390/genes9110531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Short nuclear regulatory RNAs play a key role in the main stages of maturation of the precursors of the major RNA species. Small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) form the core of the spliceosome and are responsible for the splicing of pre-mRNA molecules. Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) direct post-transcriptional modification of pre-rRNAs. A promising strategy for the development of non-coding RNA (ncRNAs) mimicking molecules is the introduction of modified nucleotides, which are normally present in natural ncRNAs, into the structure of synthetic RNAs. We have created a set of snoRNAs and snRNA analogs and studied the effect of base modifications, specifically, pseudouridine (Ψ) and 5-methylcytidine (m⁵C), on the immune-stimulating and cytotoxic properties of these RNAs. Here, we performed a whole-transcriptome study of the influence of synthetic snoRNA analogs with various modifications on gene expression in human cells. Moreover, we confirmed the role of PKR in the recognition of snoRNA and snRNA analogs using the short hairpin RNA (shRNA) technique. We believe that the data obtained will contribute to the understanding of the role of nucleotide modification in ncRNA functions, and can be useful for creating the agents for gene regulation based on the structure of natural snoRNAs and snRNAs.
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32
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Martinez NM, Gilbert WV. Pre-mRNA modifications and their role in nuclear processing. QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY 2018; 6:210-227. [PMID: 30533247 DOI: 10.1007/s40484-018-0147-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Background Cellular non-coding RNAs are extensively modified post-transcriptionally, with more than 100 chemically distinct nucleotides identified to date. In the past five years, new sequencing based methods have revealed widespread decoration of eukaryotic messenger RNA with diverse RNA modifications whose functions in mRNA metabolism are only beginning to be known. Results Since most of the identified mRNA modifying enzymes are present in the nucleus, these modifications have the potential to function in nuclear pre-mRNA processing including alternative splicing. Here we review recent progress towards illuminating the role of pre-mRNA modifications in splicing and highlight key areas for future investigation in this rapidly growing field. Conclusions Future studies to identify which modifications are added to nascent pre-mRNA and to interrogate the direct effects of individual modifications are likely to reveal new mechanisms by which nuclear pre-mRNA processing is regulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Martinez
- Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Wendy V Gilbert
- Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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33
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Kadumuri RV, Janga SC. Epitranscriptomic Code and Its Alterations in Human Disease. Trends Mol Med 2018; 24:886-903. [PMID: 30120023 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2018.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Innovations in epitranscriptomics have resulted in the identification of more than 160 RNA modifications to date. These developments, together with the recent discovery of writers, readers, and erasers of modifications occurring across a wide range of RNAs and tissue types, have led to a surge in integrative approaches for transcriptome-wide mapping of modifications and protein-RNA interaction profiles of epitranscriptome players. RNA modification maps and crosstalk between them have begun to elucidate the role of modifications as signaling switches, entertaining the notion of an epitranscriptomic code as a driver of the post-transcriptional fate of RNA. Emerging single-molecule sequencing technologies and development of antibodies specific to various RNA modifications could enable charting of transcript-specific epitranscriptomic marks across cell types and their alterations in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajashekar Varma Kadumuri
- Department of BioHealth Informatics, School of Informatics and Computing, Walker Plaza Building, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, 719 Indiana Avenue, Suite 319, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Sarath Chandra Janga
- Department of BioHealth Informatics, School of Informatics and Computing, Walker Plaza Building, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, 719 Indiana Avenue, Suite 319, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Medical Research and Library Building, Indiana University School of Medicine, 975 West Walnut Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; Centre for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, 5021 Health Information and Translational Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, 410 West 10th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
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34
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Angelova MT, Dimitrova DG, Dinges N, Lence T, Worpenberg L, Carré C, Roignant JY. The Emerging Field of Epitranscriptomics in Neurodevelopmental and Neuronal Disorders. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2018; 6:46. [PMID: 29707539 PMCID: PMC5908907 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2018.00046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Analogous to DNA methylation and histone modifications, RNA modifications represent a novel layer of regulation of gene expression. The dynamic nature and increasing number of RNA modifications offer new possibilities to rapidly alter gene expression upon specific environmental changes. Recent lines of evidence indicate that modified RNA molecules and associated complexes regulating and “reading” RNA modifications play key roles in the nervous system of several organisms, controlling both, its development and function. Mutations in several human genes that modify transfer RNA (tRNA) have been linked to neurological disorders, in particular to intellectual disability. Loss of RNA modifications alters the stability of tRNA, resulting in reduced translation efficiency and generation of tRNA fragments, which can interfere with neuronal functions. Modifications present on messenger RNAs (mRNAs) also play important roles during brain development. They contribute to neuronal growth and regeneration as well as to the local regulation of synaptic functions. Hence, potential combinatorial effects of RNA modifications on different classes of RNA may represent a novel code to dynamically fine tune gene expression during brain function. Here we discuss the recent findings demonstrating the impact of modified RNAs on neuronal processes and disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita T Angelova
- Drosophila Genetics and Epigenetics, Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Biologie du Développement-Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Paris, France
| | - Dilyana G Dimitrova
- Drosophila Genetics and Epigenetics, Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Biologie du Développement-Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Paris, France
| | - Nadja Dinges
- Laboratory of RNA Epigenetics, Institute of Molecular Biology, Mainz, Germany
| | - Tina Lence
- Laboratory of RNA Epigenetics, Institute of Molecular Biology, Mainz, Germany
| | - Lina Worpenberg
- Laboratory of RNA Epigenetics, Institute of Molecular Biology, Mainz, Germany
| | - Clément Carré
- Drosophila Genetics and Epigenetics, Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Biologie du Développement-Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Yves Roignant
- Laboratory of RNA Epigenetics, Institute of Molecular Biology, Mainz, Germany
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36
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Abstract
Neurodegeneration is a leading cause of death in the developed world and a natural, albeit unfortunate, consequence of longer-lived populations. Despite great demand for therapeutic intervention, it is often the case that these diseases are insufficiently understood at the basic molecular level. What little is known has prompted much hopeful speculation about a generalized mechanistic thread that ties these disparate conditions together at the subcellular level and can be exploited for broad curative benefit. In this review, we discuss a prominent theory supported by genetic and pathological changes in an array of neurodegenerative diseases: that neurons are particularly vulnerable to disruption of RNA-binding protein dosage and dynamics. Here we synthesize the progress made at the clinical, genetic, and biophysical levels and conclude that this perspective offers the most parsimonious explanation for these mysterious diseases. Where appropriate, we highlight the reciprocal benefits of cross-disciplinary collaboration between disease specialists and RNA biologists as we envision a future in which neurodegeneration declines and our understanding of the broad importance of RNA processing deepens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin G Conlon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - James L Manley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
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37
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Konieczny P, Selma-Soriano E, Rapisarda AS, Fernandez-Costa JM, Perez-Alonso M, Artero R. Myotonic dystrophy: candidate small molecule therapeutics. Drug Discov Today 2017; 22:1740-1748. [PMID: 28780071 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2017.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Revised: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a rare multisystemic neuromuscular disorder caused by expansion of CTG trinucleotide repeats in the noncoding region of the DMPK gene. Mutant DMPK transcripts are toxic and alter gene expression at several levels. Chiefly, the secondary structure formed by CUGs has a strong propensity to capture and retain proteins, like those of the muscleblind-like (MBNL) family. Sequestered MBNL proteins cannot then fulfill their normal functions. Many therapeutic approaches have been explored to reverse these pathological consequences. Here, we review the myriad of small molecules that have been proposed for DM1, including examples obtained from computational rational design, HTS, drug repurposing, and therapeutic gene modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Konieczny
- Department of Genetics and Interdisciplinary Research Structure for Biotechnology and Biomedicine (ERI BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain; Translational Genomics Group, Incliva Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain; Joint Unit Incliva-CIPF, Valencia, Spain
| | - Estela Selma-Soriano
- Department of Genetics and Interdisciplinary Research Structure for Biotechnology and Biomedicine (ERI BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain; Translational Genomics Group, Incliva Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain; Joint Unit Incliva-CIPF, Valencia, Spain
| | - Anna S Rapisarda
- Department of Genetics and Interdisciplinary Research Structure for Biotechnology and Biomedicine (ERI BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain; Translational Genomics Group, Incliva Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain; Joint Unit Incliva-CIPF, Valencia, Spain
| | - Juan M Fernandez-Costa
- Department of Genetics and Interdisciplinary Research Structure for Biotechnology and Biomedicine (ERI BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain; Translational Genomics Group, Incliva Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain; Joint Unit Incliva-CIPF, Valencia, Spain
| | - Manuel Perez-Alonso
- Department of Genetics and Interdisciplinary Research Structure for Biotechnology and Biomedicine (ERI BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain; Translational Genomics Group, Incliva Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain; Joint Unit Incliva-CIPF, Valencia, Spain
| | - Ruben Artero
- Department of Genetics and Interdisciplinary Research Structure for Biotechnology and Biomedicine (ERI BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain; Translational Genomics Group, Incliva Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain; Joint Unit Incliva-CIPF, Valencia, Spain.
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