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Bai R, Yuan M, Zhang P, Luo T, Shi Y, Wan R. Structural basis of U12-type intron engagement by the fully assembled human minor spliceosome. Science 2024; 383:1245-1252. [PMID: 38484052 DOI: 10.1126/science.adn7272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
The minor spliceosome, which is responsible for the splicing of U12-type introns, comprises five small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs), of which only one is shared with the major spliceosome. In this work, we report the 3.3-angstrom cryo-electron microscopy structure of the fully assembled human minor spliceosome pre-B complex. The atomic model includes U11 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP), U12 snRNP, and U4atac/U6atac.U5 tri-snRNP. U11 snRNA is recognized by five U11-specific proteins (20K, 25K, 35K, 48K, and 59K) and the heptameric Sm ring. The 3' half of the 5'-splice site forms a duplex with U11 snRNA; the 5' half is recognized by U11-35K, U11-48K, and U11 snRNA. Two proteins, CENATAC and DIM2/TXNL4B, specifically associate with the minor tri-snRNP. A structural analysis uncovered how two conformationally similar tri-snRNPs are differentiated by the minor and major prespliceosomes for assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Bai
- Research Center for Industries of the Future, Key Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Meng Yuan
- Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Pu Zhang
- Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ting Luo
- Research Center for Industries of the Future, Key Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Yigong Shi
- Research Center for Industries of the Future, Key Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
- Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ruixue Wan
- Research Center for Industries of the Future, Key Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
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Shirokikh NE, Jensen KB, Thakor N. Editorial: RNA machines. Front Genet 2023; 14:1290420. [PMID: 37829284 PMCID: PMC10565666 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1290420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nikolay E. Shirokikh
- The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Kirk Blomquist Jensen
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Nehal Thakor
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
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Alternative splicing in plant abiotic stress responses. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 48:2117-2126. [PMID: 32869832 DOI: 10.1042/bst20200281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Modifications of the cellular proteome pool upon stress allow plants to tolerate environmental changes. Alternative splicing is the most significant mechanism responsible for the production of multiple protein isoforms from a single gene. The spliceosome, a large ribonucleoprotein complex, together with several associated proteins, controls this pre-mRNA processing, adding an additional level of regulation to gene expression. Deep sequencing of transcriptomes revealed that this co- or post-transcriptional mechanism is highly induced by abiotic stress, and concerns vast numbers of stress-related genes. Confirming the importance of splicing in plant stress adaptation, key players of stress signaling have been shown to encode alternative transcripts, whereas mutants lacking splicing factors or associated components show a modified sensitivity and defective responses to abiotic stress. Here, we examine recent literature on alternative splicing and splicing alterations in response to environmental stresses, focusing on its role in stress adaptation and analyzing the future perspectives and directions for research.
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Minor Intron Splicing from Basic Science to Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22116062. [PMID: 34199764 PMCID: PMC8199999 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22116062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Pre-mRNA splicing is an essential step in gene expression and is catalyzed by two machineries in eukaryotes: the major (U2 type) and minor (U12 type) spliceosomes. While the majority of introns in humans are U2 type, less than 0.4% are U12 type, also known as minor introns (mi-INTs), and require a specialized spliceosome composed of U11, U12, U4atac, U5, and U6atac snRNPs. The high evolutionary conservation and apparent splicing inefficiency of U12 introns have set them apart from their major counterparts and led to speculations on the purpose for their existence. However, recent studies challenged the simple concept of mi-INTs splicing inefficiency due to low abundance of their spliceosome and confirmed their regulatory role in alternative splicing, significantly impacting the expression of their host genes. Additionally, a growing list of minor spliceosome-associated diseases with tissue-specific pathologies affirmed the importance of minor splicing as a key regulatory pathway, which when deregulated could lead to tissue-specific pathologies due to specific alterations in the expression of some minor-intron-containing genes. Consequently, uncovering how mi-INTs splicing is regulated in a tissue-specific manner would allow for better understanding of disease pathogenesis and pave the way for novel therapies, which we highlight in this review.
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Doggett K, Williams BB, Markmiller S, Geng FS, Coates J, Mieruszynski S, Ernst M, Thomas T, Heath JK. Early developmental arrest and impaired gastrointestinal homeostasis in U12-dependent splicing-defective Rnpc3-deficient mice. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2018; 24:1856-1870. [PMID: 30254136 PMCID: PMC6239176 DOI: 10.1261/rna.068221.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 09/20/2018] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Splicing is an essential step in eukaryotic gene expression. While the majority of introns is excised by the U2-dependent, or major class, spliceosome, the appropriate expression of a very small subset of genes depends on U12-dependent, or minor class, splicing. The U11/U12 65K protein (hereafter 65K), encoded by RNPC3, is one of seven proteins that are unique to the U12-dependent spliceosome, and previous studies including our own have established that it plays a role in plant and vertebrate development. To pinpoint the impact of 65K loss during mammalian development and in adulthood, we generated germline and conditional Rnpc3-deficient mice. Homozygous Rnpc3-/- embryos died prior to blastocyst implantation, whereas Rnpc3+/- mice were born at the expected frequency, achieved sexual maturity, and exhibited a completely normal lifespan. Systemic recombination of conditional Rnpc3 alleles in adult (Rnpc3lox/lox ) mice caused rapid weight loss, leukopenia, and degeneration of the epithelial lining of the entire gastrointestinal tract, the latter due to increased cell death and a reduction in cell proliferation. Accompanying this, we observed a loss of both 65K and the pro-proliferative phospho-ERK1/2 proteins from the stem/progenitor cells at the base of intestinal crypts. RT-PCR analysis of RNA extracted from purified preparations of intestinal epithelial cells with recombined Rnpc3lox alleles revealed increased frequency of U12-type intron retention in all transcripts tested. Our study, using a novel conditional mouse model of Rnpc3 deficiency, establishes that U12-dependent splicing is not only important during development but is indispensable throughout life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Doggett
- Development and Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Ben B Williams
- Development and Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Sebastian Markmiller
- Department of Surgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3050, Australia
| | - Fan-Suo Geng
- Development and Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Janine Coates
- Development and Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Stephen Mieruszynski
- Development and Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Matthias Ernst
- Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute and La Trobe University School of Cancer Medicine, Heidelberg, Victoria 3050, Australia
| | - Tim Thomas
- Development and Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Joan K Heath
- Development and Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Department of Surgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3050, Australia
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Norppa AJ, Kauppala TM, Heikkinen HA, Verma B, Iwaï H, Frilander MJ. Mutations in the U11/U12-65K protein associated with isolated growth hormone deficiency lead to structural destabilization and impaired binding of U12 snRNA. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2018; 24:396-409. [PMID: 29255062 PMCID: PMC5824358 DOI: 10.1261/rna.062844.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Mutations in the components of the minor spliceosome underlie several human diseases. A subset of patients with isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD) harbors mutations in the RNPC3 gene, which encodes the minor spliceosome-specific U11/U12-65K protein. Although a previous study showed that IGHD patient cells have defects in U12-type intron recognition, the biochemical effects of these mutations on the 65K protein have not been characterized. Here, we show that a proline-to-threonine missense mutation (P474T) and a nonsense mutation (R502X) in the C-terminal RNA recognition motif (C-RRM) of the 65K protein impair the binding of 65K to U12 and U6atac snRNAs. We further show that the nonsense allele is targeted to the nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) pathway, but in an isoform-specific manner, with the nuclear-retained 65K long-3'UTR isoform escaping the NMD pathway. In contrast, the missense P474T mutation leads, in addition to the RNA-binding defect, to a partial defect in the folding of the C-RRM and reduced stability of the full-length protein, thus reducing the formation of U11/U12 di-snRNP complexes. We propose that both the C-RRM folding defect and NMD-mediated decrease in the levels of the U11/U12-65K protein reduce formation of the U12-type intron recognition complex and missplicing of a subset of minor introns leading to pituitary hypoplasia and a subsequent defect in growth hormone secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antto J Norppa
- Institute of Biotechnology, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tuuli M Kauppala
- Institute of Biotechnology, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Harri A Heikkinen
- Institute of Biotechnology, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Bhupendra Verma
- Institute of Biotechnology, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hideo Iwaï
- Institute of Biotechnology, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mikko J Frilander
- Institute of Biotechnology, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
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