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Jiao Y, Palli SR. RNA modifications in insects. FRONTIERS IN INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 4:1448766. [PMID: 39253349 PMCID: PMC11381373 DOI: 10.3389/finsc.2024.1448766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 09/11/2024]
Abstract
More than 100 RNA chemical modifications to cellular RNA have been identified. N 6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent modification of mRNA. RNA modifications have recently attracted significant attention due to their critical role in regulating mRNA processing and metabolism. tRNA and rRNA rank among the most heavily modified RNAs, and their modifications are essential for maintaining their structure and function. With our advanced understanding of RNA modifications, increasing evidence suggests RNA modifications are important in regulating various aspects of insect life. In this review, we will summarize recent studies investigating the impact of RNA modifications in insects, particularly highlighting the role of m6A in insect development, reproduction, and adaptation to the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaoyu Jiao
- Department of Entomology, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Subba Reddy Palli
- Department of Entomology, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
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2
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Huang X, Li Q, Xu Y, Li A, Wang S, Chen Y, Zhang C, Zhang X, Wang H, Lv C, Sun B, Li S, Kang L, Chen B. A neural m 6A pathway regulates behavioral aggregation in migratory locusts. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2024; 67:1242-1254. [PMID: 38478296 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-023-2476-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A), as the most abundant modification of messenger RNA, can modulate insect behaviors, but its specific roles in aggregation behaviors remain unexplored. Here, we conducted a comprehensive molecular and physiological characterization of the individual components of the methyltransferase and demethylase in the migratory locust Locusta migratoria. Our results demonstrated that METTL3, METTL14 and ALKBH5 were dominantly expressed in the brain and exhibited remarkable responses to crowding or isolation. The individual knockdown of methyltransferases (i.e., METTL3 and METTL14) promoted locust movement and conspecific attraction, whereas ALKBH5 knockdown induced a behavioral shift toward the solitary phase. Furthermore, global transcriptome profiles revealed that m6A modification could regulate the orchestration of gene expression to fine tune the behavioral aggregation of locusts. In summary, our in vivo characterization of the m6A functions in migratory locusts clearly demonstrated the crucial roles of the m6A pathway in effectively modulating aggregation behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianliang Huang
- School of Life Science, Institutes of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China
| | - Qing Li
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yanan Xu
- Institute of Health Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Ang Li
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Shanzheng Wang
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yusheng Chen
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Chunrui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Xia Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Hailin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Cong Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Baofa Sun
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Shaoqin Li
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Le Kang
- School of Life Science, Institutes of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Bing Chen
- School of Life Science, Institutes of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China.
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Perlegos AE, Byrns CN, Bonini NM. Cell type-specific regulation of m 6 A modified RNAs in the aging Drosophila brain. Aging Cell 2024; 23:e14076. [PMID: 38205931 PMCID: PMC10928574 DOI: 10.1111/acel.14076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The aging brain is highly vulnerable to cellular stress, and neurons employ numerous mechanisms to combat neurotoxic proteins and promote healthy brain aging. The RNA modification m6 A is highly enriched in the Drosophila brain and is critical for the acute heat stress response of the brain. Here we examine m6 A in the fly brain with the chronic stresses of aging and degenerative disease. m6 A levels dynamically increased with both age and disease in the brain, marking integral neuronal identity and signaling pathway transcripts that decline in level with age and disease. Unexpectedly, there is opposing impact of m6 A transcripts in neurons versus glia, which conferred different outcomes on animal health span upon Mettl3 knockdown to reduce m6 A: whereas Mettl3 function is normally beneficial to neurons, it is deleterious to glia. Moreover, knockdown of Mettl3 in glial tauopathy reduced tau pathology and increased animal survival. These findings provide mechanistic insight into regulation of m6 A modified transcripts with age and disease, highlighting an overall beneficial function of Mettl3 in neurons in response to chronic stresses, versus a deleterious impact in glia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra E. Perlegos
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, Perelman School of MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of BiologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - China N. Byrns
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, Perelman School of MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Perelman School of MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Nancy M. Bonini
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, Perelman School of MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of BiologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
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4
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Sun L, Chen X, Zhu S, Wang J, Diao S, Liu J, Xu J, Li X, Sun Y, Huang C, Meng X, Lv X, Li J. Decoding m 6A mRNA methylation by reader proteins in liver diseases. Genes Dis 2024; 11:711-726. [PMID: 37692496 PMCID: PMC10491919 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2023.02.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is a dynamic and reversible epigenetic regulation. As the most prevalent internal post-transcriptional modification in eukaryotic RNA, it participates in the regulation of gene expression through various mechanisms, such as mRNA splicing, nuclear export, localization, translation efficiency, mRNA stability, and structural transformation. The involvement of m6A in the regulation of gene expression depends on the specific recognition of m6A-modified RNA by reader proteins. In the pathogenesis and treatment of liver disease, studies have found that the expression levels of key genes that promote or inhibit the development of liver disease are regulated by m6A modification, in which abnormal expression of reader proteins determines the fate of these gene transcripts. In this review, we introduce m6A readers, summarize the recognition and regulatory mechanisms of m6A readers on mRNA, and focus on the biological functions and mechanisms of m6A readers in liver cancer, viral hepatitis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), hepatic fibrosis (HF), acute liver injury (ALI), and other liver diseases. This information is expected to be of high value to researchers deciphering the links between m6A readers and human liver diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijiao Sun
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
- The Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory and Immune Medicines, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
- Institute for Liver Diseases of Anhui Medical University, ILD-AMU, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
| | - Xin Chen
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
- The Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory and Immune Medicines, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
- Institute for Liver Diseases of Anhui Medical University, ILD-AMU, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
| | - Sai Zhu
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
- Department of Nephropathy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
| | - Jianan Wang
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
- The Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory and Immune Medicines, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
| | - Shaoxi Diao
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
- The Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory and Immune Medicines, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
- Institute for Liver Diseases of Anhui Medical University, ILD-AMU, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
| | - Jinyu Liu
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
- The Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory and Immune Medicines, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
- Institute for Liver Diseases of Anhui Medical University, ILD-AMU, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
| | - Jinjin Xu
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
- The Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory and Immune Medicines, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
- Institute for Liver Diseases of Anhui Medical University, ILD-AMU, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
| | - Xiaofeng Li
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
- The Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory and Immune Medicines, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
| | - Yingyin Sun
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
| | - Cheng Huang
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
- The Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory and Immune Medicines, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
- Institute for Liver Diseases of Anhui Medical University, ILD-AMU, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
| | - Xiaoming Meng
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
- The Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory and Immune Medicines, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
| | - Xiongwen Lv
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
- The Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory and Immune Medicines, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
- Institute for Liver Diseases of Anhui Medical University, ILD-AMU, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
| | - Jun Li
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
- The Key Laboratory of Anti-inflammatory and Immune Medicines, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
- Institute for Liver Diseases of Anhui Medical University, ILD-AMU, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
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Atrian F, Ramirez P, De Mange J, Marquez M, Gonzalez EM, Minaya M, Karch CM, Frost B. m6A-dependent circular RNA formation mediates tau-induced neurotoxicity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.25.577211. [PMID: 38328044 PMCID: PMC10849734 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.25.577211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs), covalently closed RNA molecules that form due to back-splicing of RNA transcripts, have recently been implicated in Alzheimer's disease and related tauopathies. circRNAs are regulated by N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation, can serve as "sponges" for proteins and RNAs, and can be translated into protein via a cap-independent mechanism. Mechanisms underlying circRNA dysregulation in tauopathies and causal relationships between circRNA and neurodegeneration are currently unknown. In the current study, we aimed to determine whether pathogenic forms of tau drive circRNA dysregulation and whether such dysregulation causally mediates neurodegeneration. We identify circRNAs that are differentially expressed in the brain of a Drosophila model of tauopathy and in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons carrying a tau mutation associated with autosomal dominant tauopathy. We leverage Drosophila to discover that depletion of circular forms of muscleblind (circMbl), a circRNA that is particularly abundant in brains of tau transgenic Drosophila, significantly suppresses tau neurotoxicity, suggesting that tau-induced circMbl elevation is neurotoxic. We detect a general elevation of m6A RNA methylation and circRNA methylation in tau transgenic Drosophila and find that tau-induced m6A methylation is a mechanistic driver of circMbl formation. Interestingly, we find that circRNA and m6A RNA accumulate within nuclear envelope invaginations of tau transgenic Drosophila and in iPSC-derived cerebral organoid models of tauopathy. Taken together, our studies add critical new insight into the mechanisms underlying circRNA dysregulation in tauopathy and identify m6A-modified circRNA as a causal factor contributing to neurodegeneration. These findings add to a growing literature implicating pathogenic forms of tau as drivers of altered RNA metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzaneh Atrian
- Sam & Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, San Antonio, TX
- Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Antonio, TX
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, San Antonio, TX
- University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Paulino Ramirez
- Sam & Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, San Antonio, TX
- Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Antonio, TX
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, San Antonio, TX
- University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Jasmine De Mange
- Sam & Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, San Antonio, TX
- Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Antonio, TX
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, San Antonio, TX
- University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Marissa Marquez
- Sam & Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, San Antonio, TX
- Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Antonio, TX
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, San Antonio, TX
- University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Elias M. Gonzalez
- Sam & Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, San Antonio, TX
- Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Antonio, TX
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, San Antonio, TX
- University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Miguel Minaya
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University, St Louis, MO
| | | | - Bess Frost
- Sam & Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, San Antonio, TX
- Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Antonio, TX
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, San Antonio, TX
- University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
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6
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Perlegos AE, Quan X, Donnelly KM, Shen H, Shields EJ, Elashal H, Fange Liu K, Bonini NM. dTrmt10A impacts Hsp70 chaperone m 6A levels and the stress response in the Drosophila brain. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22999. [PMID: 38155219 PMCID: PMC10754819 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50272-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic cellular stress has a profound impact on the brain, leading to degeneration and accelerated aging. Recent work has revealed the vital role of RNA modifications, and the proteins responsible for regulating them, in the stress response. In our study, we defined the role of CG14618/dTrmt10A, the Drosophila counterpart of human TRMT10A a N1-methylguanosine methyltransferase, on m6A regulation and heat stress resilience in the Drosophila brain. By m6A-IP RNA sequencing on Drosophila head tissue, we demonstrated that manipulating dTrmt10A levels indirectly regulates m6A levels on polyA + RNA. dTrmt10A exerted its influence on m6A levels on transcripts enriched for neuronal signaling and heat stress pathways, similar to the m6A methyltransferase Mettl3. Intriguingly, its impact primarily targeted 3' UTR m6A, setting it apart from the majority of Drosophila m6A-modified transcripts which display 5' UTR enrichment. Upregulation of dTrmt10A led to increased resilience to acute heat stress, decreased m6A modification on heat shock chaperones, and coincided with decreased decay of chaperone transcripts and increased translation of chaperone proteins. Overall, these findings establish a potential mechanism by which dTrmt10A regulates the acute brain stress response through m6A modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra E Perlegos
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Xiuming Quan
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Kirby M Donnelly
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Hui Shen
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Emily J Shields
- Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Heidi Elashal
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Graduate Group in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Kathy Fange Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Graduate Group in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Nancy M Bonini
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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Zhao Y, Meng J, Song X, An Q. m 6A mRNA Methylation Analysis Provides Novel Insights into Pigmentation in Sheep Skin. Epigenetics 2023; 18:2230662. [PMID: 37389979 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2023.2230662] [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: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023] Open
Abstract
N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most universal post-transcriptional modification of mRNA which may play important roles in verious species. However, the potential roles of m6A in the pigmentation of skin are not completely understood. To explore the role of m6A modification in pigmentation of sheep skin, we used MeRIP-seq and RNA-seq to profile the skin transcriptome in black and white coat color (n=3). Our results showed that an average of 7701 m6A peaks were obtained for all samples and the average length was 305.89 bp. The GGACUU sequence was the most enrichment motif and shared in black skin and white skin. The m6A peaks were mainly enriched in the CDS, 3'UTR and 5'UTR, especially in CDS region near the stop codon of the transcript. 235 significantly differential peaks were found in black skin vs. white skin. The KEGG signaling pathways of downregulated and upregulated m6A peaks were mainly enriched in AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, Viral carcinogenesis, Transcriptional misregulation in cancer, ABC transporters, Basal transcription factors and Thyroid hormone synthesis (P value <0.05). For RNA-seq, 71 differently expressed genes (DEGs) were scanned in black skin vs. white skin. DEGs were significantly enriched in tyrosine metabolism, melanogenesis, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway (P value <0.05). Combined m6A-seq and RNA-seq analysis showed that the hyper-up genes and hypo-up genes were both enriched in ErbB signaling pathway (P value <0.05). In conclusion, it provide a basis for further research into the functions of m6A methylation modifications in pigmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Zhao
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Conservation and Utilization in the Fanjing Mountain Region, Tongren University, Tongren, Guizhou, P. R. China
| | - Jinzhu Meng
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Conservation and Utilization in the Fanjing Mountain Region, Tongren University, Tongren, Guizhou, P. R. China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan, P.R. China
| | - Xingchao Song
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Conservation and Utilization in the Fanjing Mountain Region, Tongren University, Tongren, Guizhou, P. R. China
| | - Qingming An
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Conservation and Utilization in the Fanjing Mountain Region, Tongren University, Tongren, Guizhou, P. R. China
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Huang J, Zhou F, Zhou H, Zheng X, Huo Z, Yang M, Xu Z, Liu R, Wang L, Wang X. Systematic assessment of transcriptomic and metabolic reprogramming by blue light exposure coupled with aging. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad390. [PMID: 38059264 PMCID: PMC10697416 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
The prevalent use of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has caused revolutionary changes in modern life, but the potential hazards to health of blue light are poorly understood. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent posttranscriptional modification in eukaryotes and can modulate diverse physiological processes by regulating mRNA fate. Here, to understand the effects and molecular mechanisms of daily low-intensity blue light exposure (BLE) and ascertain whether m6A methylation plays a role in BLE-induced phenotypes, we constructed a series of Drosophila models under different durations of daily low-intensity BLE and obtained multiomics profiles. Our results revealed that BLE could induce transcriptomic, m6A epitranscriptomic, and metabolomic reprogramming in Drosophila along with aging process. Importantly, the m6A methylation sites enriched in the 5' untranslated regions (UTRs) of Drosophila transcripts showed strong age specificity and could be altered by BLE. We experimentally validated that aging-related gene Tor and circadian rhythm-related gene per were regulated by 5' UTR-enriched m6A methylation. Overall, our study provides a systematic assessment of m6A RNA methylome reprogramming by BLE and aging in Drosophila model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Huang
- Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Fan Zhou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Huanchan Zhou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Xiaoqi Zheng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Zhengyi Huo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Meng Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Zihe Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Runzhou Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Luoluo Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Xiaoyun Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
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9
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Liang S, Zhao Y, Jin J, Qiao J, Wang D, Wang Y, Wei L. Rm-LR: A long-range-based deep learning model for predicting multiple types of RNA modifications. Comput Biol Med 2023; 164:107238. [PMID: 37515874 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.107238] [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: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
Recent research has highlighted the pivotal role of RNA post-transcriptional modifications in the regulation of RNA expression and function. Accurate identification of RNA modification sites is important for understanding RNA function. In this study, we propose a novel RNA modification prediction method, namely Rm-LR, which leverages a long-range-based deep learning approach to accurately predict multiple types of RNA modifications using RNA sequences only. Rm-LR incorporates two large-scale RNA language pre-trained models to capture discriminative sequential information and learn local important features, which are subsequently integrated through a bilinear attention network. Rm-LR supports a total of ten RNA modification types (m6A, m1A, m5C, m5U, m6Am, Ψ, Am, Cm, Gm, and Um) and significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art methods in terms of predictive capability on benchmark datasets. Experimental results show the effectiveness and superiority of Rm-LR in prediction of various RNA modifications, demonstrating the strong adaptability and robustness of our proposed model. We demonstrate that RNA language pretrained models enable to learn dense biological sequential representations from large-scale long-range RNA corpus, and meanwhile enhance the interpretability of the models. This work contributes to the development of accurate and reliable computational models for RNA modification prediction, providing insights into the complex landscape of RNA modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sirui Liang
- School of Software, Shandong University, Jinan, 250101, China; Joint SDU-NTU Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research (C-FAIR), Shandong University, Jinan, 250101, China
| | - Yanxi Zhao
- School of Software, Shandong University, Jinan, 250101, China; Joint SDU-NTU Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research (C-FAIR), Shandong University, Jinan, 250101, China
| | - Junru Jin
- School of Software, Shandong University, Jinan, 250101, China; Joint SDU-NTU Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research (C-FAIR), Shandong University, Jinan, 250101, China
| | - Jianbo Qiao
- School of Software, Shandong University, Jinan, 250101, China; Joint SDU-NTU Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research (C-FAIR), Shandong University, Jinan, 250101, China
| | - Ding Wang
- School of Software, Shandong University, Jinan, 250101, China; Joint SDU-NTU Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research (C-FAIR), Shandong University, Jinan, 250101, China
| | - Yu Wang
- School of Software, Shandong University, Jinan, 250101, China; Joint SDU-NTU Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research (C-FAIR), Shandong University, Jinan, 250101, China
| | - Leyi Wei
- School of Software, Shandong University, Jinan, 250101, China; Joint SDU-NTU Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research (C-FAIR), Shandong University, Jinan, 250101, China.
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10
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Wilinski D, Dus M. N 6-adenosine methylation controls the translation of insulin mRNA. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2023; 30:1260-1264. [PMID: 37488356 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-023-01048-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Control of insulin mRNA translation is crucial for energy homeostasis, but the mechanisms remain largely unknown. We discovered that insulin mRNAs across invertebrates, vertebrates and mammals feature the modified base N6-methyladenosine (m6A). In flies, this RNA modification enhances insulin mRNA translation by promoting the association of the transcript with polysomes. Depleting m6A in Drosophila melanogaster insulin 2 mRNA (dilp2) directly through specific 3' untranslated region (UTR) mutations, or indirectly by mutating the m6A writer Mettl3, decreases dilp2 protein production, leading to aberrant energy homeostasis and diabetic-like phenotypes. Together, our findings reveal adenosine mRNA methylation as a key regulator of insulin protein synthesis with notable implications for energy balance and metabolic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Wilinski
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Monica Dus
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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11
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Wang G, Ni X, Wang J, Dai M. METTL3-mediated m 6A methylation of PYGB facilitates pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma progression through the activation of NF-κB signaling. Pathol Res Pract 2023; 248:154645. [PMID: 37422970 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2023.154645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Brain Type Glycogen Phosphorylase (PYGB) has been revealed to participate in the progression of multiple human cancers. Nevertheless, the clinical significance and biological function of PYGB in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PAAD) remains unclarified. This study first analyzed the expression pattern, diagnostic value, and prognostic significance of PYGB in PAAD using the TCGA database. Subsequently, western blot assessed the protein expression of genes in PAAD cells. The viability, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of PAAD cells were assessed by CCK-8, TUNEL, and Transwell assays. Finally, in vivo experiment evaluated the effect of PYGB on PAAD tumor growth and metastasis. Through our investigation, it was revealed that PYGB had extremely high expression in PAAD and predicted a worse prognosis in patients with PAAD. Besides, the aggressiveness of PAAD cells could be suppressed or enhanced by depleting or supplementing PYGB. In addition, we demonstrated that METTL3 enhanced the translation of PYGB mRNA in an m6A-YTHDF1-dependent manner. Moreover, PYGB was revealed to regulate the malignant behaviors of PAAD cells by the mediation of the NF-κB signaling. Finally, PYGB depletion suppressed the growth and distant metastasis of PAAD in vivo. To conclude, our results indicated that METTL3-mediated m6A modification of PYGB exerted the tumor-promotive effect on PAAD through NF-κB signaling, suggesting PYGB is a potential therapeutic target in PAAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoying Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Liyang People's Hospital, Liyang City, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xin Ni
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Jintian Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Liyang People's Hospital, Liyang City, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ming Dai
- Department of Gastroenterology, Liyang People's Hospital, Liyang City, Jiangsu, China.
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12
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Jiao Y, Palli SR. N 6-adenosine (m 6A) mRNA methylation is required for Tribolium castaneum development and reproduction. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 159:103985. [PMID: 37422274 PMCID: PMC10528953 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2023.103985] [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: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
Gene expression is regulated at various levels, including post-transcriptional mRNA modifications, where m6A methylation is the most common modification of mRNA. The m6A methylation regulates multiple stages of mRNA processing, including splicing, export, decay, and translation. How m6A modification is involved in insect development is not well known. We used the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, as a model insect to identify the role of m6A modification in insect development. RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated knockdown of genes coding for m6A writers (m6A methyltransferase complex, depositing m6A to mRNA) and readers (YTH-domain proteins, recognizing and executing the function of m6A) was conducted. Knockdown of most writers during the larval stage caused a failure of ecdysis during eclosion. The loss of m6A machinery sterilized both females and males by interfering with the functioning of reproductive systems. Females treated with dsMettl3, the main m6A methyltransferase, laid significantly fewer and reduced-size eggs than the control insects. In addition, the embryonic development in eggs laid by dsMettl3 injected females was terminated in the early stages. Knockdown studies also showed that the cytosol m6A reader, YTHDF, is likely responsible for executing the function of m6A modifications during insect development. These data suggest that m6A modifications are critical for T. castaneum development and reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaoyu Jiao
- Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA
| | - Subba Reddy Palli
- Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA.
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13
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Li L, Chen J, Li YQ. The Downregulation of Opioid Receptors and Neuropathic Pain. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065981. [PMID: 36983055 PMCID: PMC10053236 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuropathic pain (NP) refers to pain caused by primary or secondary damage or dysfunction of the peripheral or central nervous system, which seriously affects the physical and mental health of 7-10% of the general population. The etiology and pathogenesis of NP are complex; as such, NP has been a hot topic in clinical medicine and basic research for a long time, with researchers aiming to find a cure by studying it. Opioids are the most commonly used painkillers in clinical practice but are regarded as third-line drugs for NP in various guidelines due to the low efficacy caused by the imbalance of opioid receptor internalization and their possible side effects. Therefore, this literature review aims to evaluate the role of the downregulation of opioid receptors in the development of NP from the perspective of dorsal root ganglion, spinal cord, and supraspinal regions. We also discuss the reasons for the poor efficacy of opioids, given the commonness of opioid tolerance caused by NP and/or repeated opioid treatments, an angle that has received little attention to date; in-depth understanding might provide a new method for the treatment of NP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Li
- Institute of Medical Research, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, No. 169, West Changle Road, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, No. 169, West Changle Road, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Yun-Qing Li
- Institute of Medical Research, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, No. 169, West Changle Road, Xi'an 710032, China
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14
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Bose D, Lin X, Gao L, Wei Z, Pei Y, Robertson ES. Attenuation of IFN signaling due to m 6A modification of the host epitranscriptome promotes EBV lytic reactivation. J Biomed Sci 2023; 30:18. [PMID: 36918845 PMCID: PMC10012557 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-023-00911-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reactivation of Epstein Barr virus (EBV) leads to modulation of the viral and cellular epitranscriptome. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is a type of RNA modification that regulates metabolism of mRNAs. Previous reports demonstrated that m6A modification affects the stability and metabolism of EBV encoded mRNAs. However, the effect of reactivation on reprograming of the cellular mRNAs, and how this contributes to successful induction of lytic reactivation is not known. METHODS Methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq), transcriptomic RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and RNA pull-down PCR were used to screen and validate differentially methylated targets. Western blotting, quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) and immunocytochemistry were used to investigate the expression and localization of different proteins. RNA stability and polysome analysis assays were used to detect the half-lives and translation efficiencies of downstream genes. Insertion of point mutation to disrupt the m6A methylation sites was used to verify the effect of m6A methylation on its stability and expression levels. RESULTS We report that during EBV reactivation the m6A eraser ALKBH5 is significantly downregulated leading to enhanced methylation of the cellular transcripts DTX4 and TYK2, that results in degradation of TYK2 mRNAs and higher efficiency of translation of DTX4 mRNAs. This resulted in attenuation of IFN signaling that promoted progression of viral lytic replication. Furthermore, inhibition of m6A methylation of these transcripts led to increased production of IFN, and a substantial reduction in viral copy number, which suggests abrogation of lytic viral replication. CONCLUSION Our findings illuminate the significance of m6A modification in overcoming the innate immune response during EBV reactivation. We now report that during lytic reactivation EBV targets the RNA methylation system of the host to attenuate the innate immune response by suppressing the interferon signaling which facilitates successful lytic replication of the virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipayan Bose
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and Tumor Virology Program, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 19104, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Xiang Lin
- Department of Computer Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, 07102, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Le Gao
- Department of Computer Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, 07102, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Zhi Wei
- Department of Computer Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, 07102, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Yonggang Pei
- School of Public Health and Emergency Management, Southern University of Science and Technology, 518055, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Erle S Robertson
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and Tumor Virology Program, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 19104, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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15
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Zhang Y, Zhou Y, Kan D, Yang Y, Shen J, Han C, Liu X, Yang J. m6A-mediated nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway regulates senescence in Brachionus plicatilis (Rotifera). Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2023; 111:104994. [PMID: 36963346 DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2023.104994] [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: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications play an important role in the regulation of senescence. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant modification of mRNA. However, the impact of m6A on senescence remains largely unknown at the animal individual level. Standard model organisms Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster lack many gene homologs of vertebrate m6A system that are present in other invertebrates. In this study, we employed a small aquatic invertebrate Brachionus plicatilis which has been used in aging studies for nearly 100 years to study how m6A affects aging. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that rotifers' m6A pathway has a conserved methyltransferase complex but no demethylases and the m6A reading system was more akin to that of vertebrates than that of D. melanogaster. m6A methyltransferases are highly expressed during development but reduces dramatically during aging. Knockdown of METTL3 results in decreased fecundity and premature senescence of rotifers. Furthermore, RT-qPCR analysis indicates a role for m6A in the nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) repair. Altogether, our work reveals a senescence regulatory model for the rotifer METTL3-m6A-NHEJ pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, No. 2 Xuelin Rd, Nanjing 210023, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Zhou
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, No. 2 Xuelin Rd, Nanjing 210023, People's Republic of China
| | - Dongqi Kan
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, No. 2 Xuelin Rd, Nanjing 210023, People's Republic of China
| | - Yunhong Yang
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, No. 2 Xuelin Rd, Nanjing 210023, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Shen
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, No. 2 Xuelin Rd, Nanjing 210023, People's Republic of China
| | - Cui Han
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, No. 2 Xuelin Rd, Nanjing 210023, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaojie Liu
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, No. 2 Xuelin Rd, Nanjing 210023, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiaxin Yang
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, No. 2 Xuelin Rd, Nanjing 210023, People's Republic of China.
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16
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Appel LM, Benedum J, Engl M, Platzer S, Schleiffer A, Strobl X, Slade D. SPOC domain proteins in health and disease. Genes Dev 2023; 37:140-170. [PMID: 36927757 PMCID: PMC10111866 DOI: 10.1101/gad.350314.122] [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] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Since it was first described >20 yr ago, the SPOC domain (Spen paralog and ortholog C-terminal domain) has been identified in many proteins all across eukaryotic species. SPOC-containing proteins regulate gene expression on various levels ranging from transcription to RNA processing, modification, export, and stability, as well as X-chromosome inactivation. Their manifold roles in controlling transcriptional output implicate them in a plethora of developmental processes, and their misregulation is often associated with cancer. Here, we provide an overview of the biophysical properties of the SPOC domain and its interaction with phosphorylated binding partners, the phylogenetic origin of SPOC domain proteins, the diverse functions of mammalian SPOC proteins and their homologs, the mechanisms by which they regulate differentiation and development, and their roles in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa-Marie Appel
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Vienna, Max Perutz Laboratories, Vienna Biocenter, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Johannes Benedum
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Vienna, Max Perutz Laboratories, Vienna Biocenter, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Biocenter PhD Program, a Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Magdalena Engl
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Vienna, Max Perutz Laboratories, Vienna Biocenter, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Biocenter PhD Program, a Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebastian Platzer
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Vienna, Max Perutz Laboratories, Vienna Biocenter, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander Schleiffer
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Xué Strobl
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Vienna, Max Perutz Laboratories, Vienna Biocenter, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Biocenter PhD Program, a Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Dea Slade
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Vienna, Max Perutz Laboratories, Vienna Biocenter, 1030 Vienna, Austria
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17
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Anreiter I, Tian YW, Soller M. The cap epitranscriptome: Early directions to a complex life as mRNA. Bioessays 2023; 45:e2200198. [PMID: 36529693 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202200198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Animal, protist and viral messenger RNAs (mRNAs) are most prominently modified at the beginning by methylation of cap-adjacent nucleotides at the 2'-O-position of the ribose (cOMe) by dedicated cap methyltransferases (CMTrs). If the first nucleotide of an mRNA is an adenosine, PCIF1 can methylate at the N6 -position (m6 A), while internally the Mettl3/14 writer complex can methylate. These modifications are introduced co-transcriptionally to affect many aspects of gene expression including localisation to synapses and local translation. Of particular interest, transcription start sites of many genes are heterogeneous leading to sequence diversity at the beginning of mRNAs, which together with cOMe and m6 Am could constitute an extensive novel layer of gene expression control. Given the role of cOMe and m6 A in local gene expression at synapses and higher brain functions including learning and memory, such code could be implemented at the transcriptional level for lasting memories through local gene expression at synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ina Anreiter
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Canada
| | - Yuan W Tian
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.,School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Matthias Soller
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.,School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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18
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Khyzha N, Henikoff S, Ahmad K. Profiling RNA at chromatin targets in situ by antibody-targeted tagmentation. Nat Methods 2022; 19:1383-1392. [PMID: 36192462 PMCID: PMC9636022 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-022-01618-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Whereas techniques to map chromatin-bound proteins are well developed, mapping chromatin-associated RNAs remains a challenge. Here, we describe Reverse Transcribe and Tagment (RT&Tag), in which RNAs associated with a chromatin epitope are targeted by an antibody followed by a protein A-Tn5 transposome. Localized reverse transcription generates RNA/cDNA hybrids that are subsequently tagmented by Tn5 transposases for downstream sequencing. We demonstrate the utility of RT&Tag in Drosophila cells for capturing the noncoding RNA roX2 with the dosage compensation complex and maturing transcripts associated with silencing histone modifications. We also show that RT&Tag can detect N6-methyladenosine-modified mRNAs, and show that genes producing methylated transcripts are characterized by extensive promoter pausing of RNA polymerase II. The high efficiency of in situ antibody tethering and tagmentation makes RT&Tag especially suitable for rapid low-cost profiling of chromatin-associated RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadiya Khyzha
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Steven Henikoff
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.
| | - Kami Ahmad
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
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19
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Perlegos AE, Shields EJ, Shen H, Liu KF, Bonini NM. Mettl3-dependent m 6A modification attenuates the brain stress response in Drosophila. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5387. [PMID: 36104353 PMCID: PMC9474545 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33085-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
N6-methyladenosine (m6A), the most prevalent internal modification on eukaryotic mRNA, plays an essential role in various stress responses. The brain is uniquely vulnerable to cellular stress, thus defining how m6A sculpts the brain's susceptibility may provide insight to brain aging and disease-related stress. Here we investigate the impact of m6A mRNA methylation in the adult Drosophila brain with stress. We show that m6A is enriched in the adult brain and increases with heat stress. Through m6A-immunoprecipitation sequencing, we show 5'UTR Mettl3-dependent m6A is enriched in transcripts of neuronal processes and signaling pathways that increase upon stress. Mettl3 knockdown results in increased levels of m6A targets and confers resilience to stress. We find loss of Mettl3 results in decreased levels of nuclear m6A reader Ythdc1, and knockdown of Ythdc1 also leads to stress resilience. Overall, our data suggest that m6A modification in Drosophila dampens the brain's biological response to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra E Perlegos
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Emily J Shields
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Epigenetics Institute and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Urology and Institute of Neuropathology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Hui Shen
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Kathy Fange Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Graduate Group in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Nancy M Bonini
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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20
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Dagan Y, Yesharim Y, Bonneau AR, Frankovits T, Schwartz S, Reddien PW, Wurtzel O. m6A is required for resolving progenitor identity during planarian stem cell differentiation. EMBO J 2022; 41:e109895. [PMID: 35971838 PMCID: PMC9627665 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2021109895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Regeneration and tissue homeostasis require accurate production of missing cell lineages. Cell production is driven by changes to gene expression, which is shaped by multiple layers of regulation. Here, we find that the ubiquitous mRNA base-modification, m6A, is required for proper cell fate choice and cellular maturation in planarian stem cells (neoblasts). We mapped m6A-enriched regions in 7,600 planarian genes and found that perturbation of the m6A pathway resulted in progressive deterioration of tissues and death. Using single-cell RNA sequencing of >20,000 cells following perturbation of the m6A pathway, we identified an increase in expression of noncanonical histone variants, and that inhibition of the pathway resulted in accumulation of undifferentiated cells throughout the animal in an abnormal transcriptional state. Analysis of >1,000 planarian gene expression datasets revealed that the inhibition of the chromatin modifying complex NuRD had almost indistinguishable consequences, unraveling an unappreciated link between m6A and chromatin modifications. Our findings reveal that m6A is critical for planarian stem cell homeostasis and gene regulation in tissue maintenance and regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yael Dagan
- The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry, and Biophysics, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yarden Yesharim
- The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry, and Biophysics, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ashley R Bonneau
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Tamar Frankovits
- The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry, and Biophysics, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Schraga Schwartz
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Peter W Reddien
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Omri Wurtzel
- The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry, and Biophysics, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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21
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Zheng Y, Li Y, Ran X, Wang D, Zheng X, Zhang M, Yu B, Sun Y, Wu J. Mettl14 mediates the inflammatory response of macrophages in atherosclerosis through the NF-κB/IL-6 signaling pathway. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:311. [PMID: 35598196 PMCID: PMC9124663 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04331-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The inflammatory response of macrophages has been reported to play a critical role in atherosclerosis. The inflammatory state of macrophages is modified by epigenetic reprogramming. m6A RNA methylation is an epigenetic modification of RNAs. However, little is known about the potential roles and underlying mechanisms of m6A modification in macrophage inflammation. Herein, we showed that the expression of the m6A modification “writer” Mettl14 was increased in coronary heart disease and LPS-stimulated THP-1 cells. Knockdown of Mettl14 promoted M2 polarization of macrophages, inhibited foam cell formation and decreased migration. Mechanistically, the expression of Myd88 and IL-6 was decreased in Mettl14 knockdown cells. Through m6A modification, Mettl14 regulated the stability of Myd88 mRNA. Furthermore, Myd88 affected the transcription of IL-6 via the distribution of p65 in nuclei rather than directly regulating the expression of IL-6 through m6A modification. In vivo, Mettl14 gene knockout significantly reduced the inflammatory response of macrophages and the development of atherosclerotic plaques. Taken together, our data demonstrate that Mettl14 plays a vital role in macrophage inflammation in atherosclerosis via the NF-κB/IL-6 signaling pathway, suggesting that Mettl14 may be a promising therapeutic target for the clinical treatment of atherosclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zheng
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- The Key Laboratory of Myocardial Ischemia, Chinese Ministry of Education, Harbin, China
| | - Yunqi Li
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- The Key Laboratory of Myocardial Ischemia, Chinese Ministry of Education, Harbin, China
| | - Xianwen Ran
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- The Key Laboratory of Myocardial Ischemia, Chinese Ministry of Education, Harbin, China
| | - Di Wang
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- The Key Laboratory of Myocardial Ischemia, Chinese Ministry of Education, Harbin, China
| | - Xianghui Zheng
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- The Key Laboratory of Myocardial Ischemia, Chinese Ministry of Education, Harbin, China
| | - Maomao Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- The Key Laboratory of Myocardial Ischemia, Chinese Ministry of Education, Harbin, China
| | - Bo Yu
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- The Key Laboratory of Myocardial Ischemia, Chinese Ministry of Education, Harbin, China
| | - Yong Sun
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
- The Key Laboratory of Myocardial Ischemia, Chinese Ministry of Education, Harbin, China.
| | - Jian Wu
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
- The Key Laboratory of Myocardial Ischemia, Chinese Ministry of Education, Harbin, China.
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Liu C, Cao J, Zhang H, Wu J, Yin J. Profiling of Transcriptome-Wide N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) Modifications and Identifying m6A Associated Regulation in Sperm Tail Formation in Anopheles sinensis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23094630. [PMID: 35563020 PMCID: PMC9101273 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23094630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent discoveries of reversible N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation on messenger RNA (mRNA) and mapping of m6A methylomes in many species have revealed potential regulatory functions of this RNA modification by m6A players—writers, readers, and erasers. Here, we first profile transcriptome-wide m6A in female and male Anopheles sinensis and reveal that m6A is also a highly conserved modification of mRNA in mosquitoes. Distinct from mammals and yeast but similar to Arabidopsis thaliana, m6A in An. sinensis is enriched not only around the stop codon and within 3′-untranslated regions but also around the start codon and 5′-UTR. Gene ontology analysis indicates the unique distribution pattern of m6A in An. sinensis is associated with mosquito sex-specific pathways such as tRNA wobble uridine modification and phospholipid-binding in females, and peptidoglycan catabolic process, exosome and signal recognition particle, endoplasmic reticulum targeting, and RNA helicase activity in males. The positive correlation between m6A deposition and mRNA abundance indicates that m6A can play a role in regulating gene expression in mosquitoes. Furthermore, many spermatogenesis-associated genes, especially those related to mature sperm flagellum formation, are positively modulated by m6A methylation. A transcriptional regulatory network of m6A in An. sinensis is first profiled in the present study, especially in spermatogenesis, which may provide a new clue for the control of this disease-transmitting vector.
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Evolutionary History of RNA Modifications at N6-Adenosine Originating from the R-M System in Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11020214. [PMID: 35205080 PMCID: PMC8868631 DOI: 10.3390/biology11020214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary The m6A is the most abundant and well-studied modification of mRNA, and plays an important role in transcription and translation. It is known to be evolutionarily conserved machinery present in the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA). The writers and erasers responsible for adding or removing m6A belong to specific protein families, respectively, suggesting that these members are evolutionarily related. However, only some of these mRNA m6A modification-associated proteins have been studied from an evolutionary perspective, while there has been no comprehensive and systematic analysis of the distributions and evolutionary history of N6mA-associated proteins in the three kingdoms of life. In this study, we identified orthologues of all the reported N6mA-associated proteins in 88 organisms from three kingdoms of life and comprehensively reconstructed the evolutionary history of the RNA N6mA modification machinery. The results demonstrate that RNA N6mA-MTases are derived from at least two different types of prokaryotic DNA MTases (class α and β MTases). As the m6A reader, YTH proteins may be acquired by LECA from an individual prokaryotic YTH-domain protein that evolved from the N-terminals of an R-M system endonuclease. In addition, the origin of eukaryotic ALKBH family proteins is inferred to be driven by at least two occasions of independent HTG from the bacterial ALKB family. Abstract Methylation at the N6-position of adenosine (N6mA) on mRNA (m6A) is one of the most widespread, highly selective and dynamically regulated RNA modifications and plays an important role in transcription and translation. In the present study, a comprehensive analysis of phylogenetic relationships, conserved domain sequence characteristics and protein structure comparisons were employed to explore the distribution of RNA N6mA modification (m6A, m6,6A, m6Am, m6, 6Am and m6t6A)-associated proteins (writers, readers and erasers) in three kingdoms of life and reveal the evolutionary history of these modifications. These findings further confirmed that the restriction-modification (R-M) system is the origin of DNA and RNA N6mA modifications. Among them, the existing mRNA m6A modification system derived from the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA) is the evolutionary product of elements from the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) or driven by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from bacterial elements. The subsequent massive gene gains and losses contribute to the development of unique and diverse functions in distinct species. Particularly, RNA methyltransferases (MTases) as the writer responsible for adding N6mA marks on mRNA and ncRNAs may have evolved from class α and β prokaryotic “orphan” MTases originating from the R-M system. The reader, YTH proteins that specifically recognize the m6A deposit, may be acquired by LECA from an individual prokaryotic YTH-domain protein that evolved from N-terminals of an R-M system endonuclease. The eraser, which emerged from the ALKB family (ALKBH5 and FTO) in eukaryotes, may be driven by independent HTG from bacterial ALKB proteins. The evolutionary history of RNA N6mA modifications was inferred in the present study, which will deepen our understanding of these modifications in different species.
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Suo L, Liu C, Zhang QY, Yao MD, Ma Y, Yao J, Jiang Q, Yan B. METTL3-mediated N 6-methyladenosine modification governs pericyte dysfunction during diabetes-induced retinal vascular complication. Am J Cancer Res 2022; 12:277-289. [PMID: 34987645 PMCID: PMC8690932 DOI: 10.7150/thno.63441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Microvascular complication is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among the patients with diabetes. Pericyte dysfunction is the predominant pathological manifestation of microvascular complication. N 6-methyladenosine (m6A) serves as the most prevalent modification in eukaryotic mRNAs. However, the role of m6A RNA modification in pericyte dysfunction is still unclear. Methods: Quantitative polymerase chain reactions and western blots were conducted to detect the change of m6A RNA modification in pericytes and mouse retinas following diabetic stress. MTT assay, transwell migration assay, caspase 3/7 activity assay, calcein-AM/propidium iodide (PI) staining, and TUNEL staining were conducted to determine the role of METTL3 in pericyte biology in vitro. Retinal trypsin digestion, vascular permeability assay, and IB4-NG2 double immunofluorescent staining were conducted to determine the role of METTL3 in retinal pericyte dysfunction and vascular complication. RNA sequencing, RNA pull-down assays and immunoblots were conducted to clarify the mechanism of METTL3-mediated pericyte dysfunction and vascular complication. Results: The levels of m6A RNA methylation were significantly up-regulated in pericytes and mouse retinas following diabetic stress, which were caused by increased expression of METTL3. METTL3 regulated the viability, proliferation, and differentiation of pericytes in vitro. Specific depletion of METTL3 in pericytes suppressed diabetes-induced pericyte dysfunction and vascular complication in vivo. METTL3 overexpression impaired pericyte function by repressing PKC-η, FAT4, and PDGFRA expression, which was mediated by YTHDF2-dependent mRNA decay. Conclusion: METTL3-mediated m6A methylation epigenetically regulates diabetes-induced pericyte dysfunction. METTL3-YTHDF2-PKC-η/FAT4/PDGFRA signaling axis could be therapeutically targeted for treating microvascular complications.
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Chang M, Wang Z, Gao J, Yang C, Feng M, Niu Y, Tong WM, Bao X, Wang R. METTL3-mediated RNA m6A Hypermethylation Promotes Tumorigenesis and GH Secretion of Pituitary Somatotroph Adenomas. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2022; 107:136-149. [PMID: 34491359 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgab652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Pituitary growth hormone-secreting (GH) pituitary adenomas (PAs) cause mass effects and dysregulated hypersecretion of GH. However, somatic mutation burden is low in PAs. While progress has been made in identifying the epigenetic changes involved in GH-PA initiation, the precise details of its tumorigenesis in GH-PA patients remains to be elucidated. As N6-methyladenosine (m6A) has been shown to often play a critical role in various tumors, it represents a possible initiation point for the tumorigenesis of pituitary adenomas. However, the role of RNA methylation in GH adenomas remains unclear. METHODS Protein expression of m6A regulators was measured by immunohistochemistry. Global levels and distribution of m6A methylation were separately analyzed by m6A enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and m6A sequencing (m6A-seq). RNA interference and lentivirus knockdown system were used to investigate the role of methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) and its m6A- dependent regulatory mechanism in tumor progression and GH secretion. RESULTS We show that both METTL3 messenger RNA and protein expression are elevated in GH-PA samples when compared with both normal pituitary tissue specimens and nonsecreting pituitary adenomas. Levels of m6A modification increased in GH-PAs, and hypermethylated RNAs are involved in hormone secretion and cell development. Knockdown of METTL3 in GH3 cell line resulted in decreased cell growth and GH secretion. Importantly, we found that GNAS and GADD45γ act as the downstream targets in this process. CONCLUSION Our findings strongly suggest that m6A methyltransferase METTL3 promotes tumor growth and hormone secretion by increasing expression of GNAS and GADD45γ in a m6A-dependent manner. Thus, METTL3 and the methylated RNAs constitute suitable targets for clinical treatment of GH-PAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengqi Chang
- Department of Neurosurgery, China Pituitary Disease Registry Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zihao Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, China Pituitary Disease Registry Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Gao
- Department of Neurosurgery, China Pituitary Disease Registry Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chengxian Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, China Pituitary Disease Registry Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ming Feng
- Department of Neurosurgery, China Pituitary Disease Registry Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yamei Niu
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei-Min Tong
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xinjie Bao
- Department of Neurosurgery, China Pituitary Disease Registry Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Renzhi Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, China Pituitary Disease Registry Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
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Motorin Y, Helm M. RNA nucleotide methylation: 2021 update. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2022; 13:e1691. [PMID: 34913259 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Among RNA modifications, transfer of methylgroups from the typical cofactor S-adenosyl-l-methionine by methyltransferases (MTases) to RNA is by far the most common reaction. Since our last review about a decade ago, the field has witnessed the re-emergence of mRNA methylation as an important mechanism in gene regulation. Attention has then spread to many other RNA species; all being included into the newly coined concept of the "epitranscriptome." The focus moved from prokaryotes and single cell eukaryotes as model organisms to higher eukaryotes, in particular to mammals. The perception of the field has dramatically changed over the past decade. A previous lack of phenotypes in knockouts in single cell organisms has been replaced by the apparition of MTases in numerous disease models and clinical investigations. Major driving forces of the field include methylation mapping techniques, as well as the characterization of the various MTases, termed "writers." The latter term has spilled over from DNA modification in the neighboring epigenetics field, along with the designations "readers," applied to mediators of biological effects upon specific binding to a methylated RNA. Furthermore "eraser" enzymes effect the newly discovered oxidative removal of methylgroups. A sense of reversibility and dynamics has replaced the older perception of RNA modification as a concrete-cast, irreversible part of RNA maturation. A related concept concerns incompletely methylated residues, which, through permutation of each site, lead to inhomogeneous populations of numerous modivariants. This review recapitulates the major developments of the past decade outlined above, and attempts a prediction of upcoming trends. This article is categorized under: RNA Processing > RNA Editing and Modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri Motorin
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, INSERM, UMS2008/US40 IBSLor, EpiRNA-Seq Core Facility, Nancy, France.,Université de Lorraine, CNRS, UMR7365 IMoPA, Nancy, France
| | - Mark Helm
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, Germany
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Kao SY, Nikonova E, Chaabane S, Sabani A, Martitz A, Wittner A, Heemken J, Straub T, Spletter ML. A Candidate RNAi Screen Reveals Diverse RNA-Binding Protein Phenotypes in Drosophila Flight Muscle. Cells 2021; 10:2505. [PMID: 34685485 PMCID: PMC8534295 DOI: 10.3390/cells10102505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The proper regulation of RNA processing is critical for muscle development and the fine-tuning of contractile ability among muscle fiber-types. RNA binding proteins (RBPs) regulate the diverse steps in RNA processing, including alternative splicing, which generates fiber-type specific isoforms of structural proteins that confer contractile sarcomeres with distinct biomechanical properties. Alternative splicing is disrupted in muscle diseases such as myotonic dystrophy and dilated cardiomyopathy and is altered after intense exercise as well as with aging. It is therefore important to understand splicing and RBP function, but currently, only a small fraction of the hundreds of annotated RBPs expressed in muscle have been characterized. Here, we demonstrate the utility of Drosophila as a genetic model system to investigate basic developmental mechanisms of RBP function in myogenesis. We find that RBPs exhibit dynamic temporal and fiber-type specific expression patterns in mRNA-Seq data and display muscle-specific phenotypes. We performed knockdown with 105 RNAi hairpins targeting 35 RBPs and report associated lethality, flight, myofiber and sarcomere defects, including flight muscle phenotypes for Doa, Rm62, mub, mbl, sbr, and clu. Knockdown phenotypes of spliceosome components, as highlighted by phenotypes for A-complex components SF1 and Hrb87F (hnRNPA1), revealed level- and temporal-dependent myofibril defects. We further show that splicing mediated by SF1 and Hrb87F is necessary for Z-disc stability and proper myofibril development, and strong knockdown of either gene results in impaired localization of kettin to the Z-disc. Our results expand the number of RBPs with a described phenotype in muscle and underscore the diversity in myofibril and transcriptomic phenotypes associated with splicing defects. Drosophila is thus a powerful model to gain disease-relevant insight into cellular and molecular phenotypes observed when expression levels of splicing factors, spliceosome components and splicing dynamics are altered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao-Yen Kao
- Biomedical Center, Department of Physiological Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Str. 9, 82152 Martinsried-Planegg, Germany; (S.-Y.K.); (E.N.); (S.C.); (A.W.); (J.H.)
| | - Elena Nikonova
- Biomedical Center, Department of Physiological Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Str. 9, 82152 Martinsried-Planegg, Germany; (S.-Y.K.); (E.N.); (S.C.); (A.W.); (J.H.)
| | - Sabrina Chaabane
- Biomedical Center, Department of Physiological Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Str. 9, 82152 Martinsried-Planegg, Germany; (S.-Y.K.); (E.N.); (S.C.); (A.W.); (J.H.)
| | - Albiona Sabani
- Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin at Madison, 1117 W. Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, USA;
| | - Alexandra Martitz
- Molecular Nutrition Medicine, Else Kröner-Fresenius Center, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany;
| | - Anja Wittner
- Biomedical Center, Department of Physiological Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Str. 9, 82152 Martinsried-Planegg, Germany; (S.-Y.K.); (E.N.); (S.C.); (A.W.); (J.H.)
| | - Jakob Heemken
- Biomedical Center, Department of Physiological Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Str. 9, 82152 Martinsried-Planegg, Germany; (S.-Y.K.); (E.N.); (S.C.); (A.W.); (J.H.)
| | - Tobias Straub
- Biomedical Center, Bioinformatics Core Facility, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Str. 9, 82152 Martinsried-Planegg, Germany;
| | - Maria L. Spletter
- Biomedical Center, Department of Physiological Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Str. 9, 82152 Martinsried-Planegg, Germany; (S.-Y.K.); (E.N.); (S.C.); (A.W.); (J.H.)
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Oerum S, Meynier V, Catala M, Tisné C. A comprehensive review of m6A/m6Am RNA methyltransferase structures. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:7239-7255. [PMID: 34023900 PMCID: PMC8287941 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 210] [Impact Index Per Article: 70.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene expression is regulated at many levels including co- or post-transcriptionally, where chemical modifications are added to RNA on riboses and bases. Expression control via RNA modifications has been termed 'epitranscriptomics' to keep with the related 'epigenomics' for DNA modification. One such RNA modification is the N6-methylation found on adenosine (m6A) and 2'-O-methyladenosine (m6Am) in most types of RNA. The N6-methylation can affect the fold, stability, degradation and cellular interaction(s) of the modified RNA, implicating it in processes such as splicing, translation, export and decay. The multiple roles played by this modification explains why m6A misregulation is connected to multiple human cancers. The m6A/m6Am writer enzymes are RNA methyltransferases (MTases). Structures are available for functionally characterized m6A RNA MTases from human (m6A mRNA, m6A snRNA, m6A rRNA and m6Am mRNA MTases), zebrafish (m6Am mRNA MTase) and bacteria (m6A rRNA MTase). For each of these MTases, we describe their overall domain organization, the active site architecture and the substrate binding. We identify areas that remain to be investigated, propose yet unexplored routes for structural characterization of MTase:substrate complexes, and highlight common structural elements that should be described for future m6A/m6Am RNA MTase structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Oerum
- Expression Génétique Microbienne, UMR 8261, CNRS, Université de Paris, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique (IBPC), 75005 Paris, France
| | - Vincent Meynier
- Expression Génétique Microbienne, UMR 8261, CNRS, Université de Paris, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique (IBPC), 75005 Paris, France
| | - Marjorie Catala
- Expression Génétique Microbienne, UMR 8261, CNRS, Université de Paris, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique (IBPC), 75005 Paris, France
| | - Carine Tisné
- Expression Génétique Microbienne, UMR 8261, CNRS, Université de Paris, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique (IBPC), 75005 Paris, France
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29
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Novikov DA, Beletsky AP, Kolosov PM. The Putative Role of m6A-RNA Methylation in Memory Consolidation. NEUROCHEM J+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s1819712421020112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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30
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Shen Z, Hinson A, Miller RA, Garcia GG. Cap-independent translation: A shared mechanism for lifespan extension by rapamycin, acarbose, and 17α-estradiol. Aging Cell 2021; 20:e13345. [PMID: 33742521 PMCID: PMC8135077 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
We hypothesized that rapamycin (Rapa), acarbose (ACA), which both increase mouse lifespan, and 17α-estradiol, which increases lifespan in males (17aE2) all share common intracellular signaling pathways with long-lived Snell dwarf, PAPPA-KO, and Ghr-/- mice. The long-lived mutant mice exhibit reduction in mTORC1 activity, declines in cap-dependent mRNA translation, and increases in cap-independent translation (CIT). Here, we report that Rapa and ACA prevent age-related declines in CIT target proteins in both sexes, while 17aE2 has the same effect only in males, suggesting increases in CIT. mTORC1 activity showed the reciprocal pattern, with age-related increases blocked by Rapa, ACA, and 17aE2 (in males only). METTL3, required for addition of 6-methyl-adenosine to mRNA and thus a trigger for CIT, also showed an age-dependent increase blunted by Rapa, ACA, and 17aE2 (in males). Diminution of mTORC1 activity and increases in CIT-dependent proteins may represent a shared pathway for both long-lived-mutant mice and drug-induced lifespan extension in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziqian Shen
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental BiologyUniversity of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the ArtsAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Abby Hinson
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental BiologyUniversity of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the ArtsAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Richard A. Miller
- Department of PathologyUniversity of Michigan School of MedicineAnn ArborMichiganUSA,University of Michigan Geriatrics CenterAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Gonzalo G. Garcia
- Department of PathologyUniversity of Michigan School of MedicineAnn ArborMichiganUSA
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31
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Tang HW, Weng JH, Lee WX, Hu Y, Gu L, Cho S, Lee G, Binari R, Li C, Cheng ME, Kim AR, Xu J, Shen Z, Xu C, Asara JM, Blenis J, Perrimon N. mTORC1-chaperonin CCT signaling regulates m 6A RNA methylation to suppress autophagy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2021945118. [PMID: 33649236 PMCID: PMC7958400 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2021945118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 (mTORC1) is a central regulator of cell growth and metabolism that senses and integrates nutritional and environmental cues with cellular responses. Recent studies have revealed critical roles of mTORC1 in RNA biogenesis and processing. Here, we find that the m6A methyltransferase complex (MTC) is a downstream effector of mTORC1 during autophagy in Drosophila and human cells. Furthermore, we show that the Chaperonin Containing Tailless complex polypeptide 1 (CCT) complex, which facilitates protein folding, acts as a link between mTORC1 and MTC. The mTORC1 activates the chaperonin CCT complex to stabilize MTC, thereby increasing m6A levels on the messenger RNAs encoding autophagy-related genes, leading to their degradation and suppression of autophagy. Altogether, our study reveals an evolutionarily conserved mechanism linking mTORC1 signaling with m6A RNA methylation and demonstrates their roles in suppressing autophagy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Wen Tang
- Program in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore;
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Jui-Hsia Weng
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Wen Xing Lee
- Program in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Yanhui Hu
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Lei Gu
- Division of Newborn Medicine and Epigenetics Program, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Sungyun Cho
- Department of Pharmacology, Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
| | - Gina Lee
- Department of Pharmacology, Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Richard Binari
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Cathleen Li
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Min En Cheng
- Program in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Ah-Ram Kim
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Jun Xu
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Zhangfei Shen
- Division of Newborn Medicine and Epigenetics Program, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Chiwei Xu
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - John M Asara
- Division of Signal Transduction, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - John Blenis
- Department of Pharmacology, Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
| | - Norbert Perrimon
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115;
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
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32
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Werner S, Galliot A, Pichot F, Kemmer T, Marchand V, Sednev MV, Lence T, Roignant JY, König J, Höbartner C, Motorin Y, Hildebrandt A, Helm M. NOseq: amplicon sequencing evaluation method for RNA m6A sites after chemical deamination. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:e23. [PMID: 33313868 PMCID: PMC7913672 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa1173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Methods for the detection of m6A by RNA-Seq technologies are increasingly sought after. We here present NOseq, a method to detect m6A residues in defined amplicons by virtue of their resistance to chemical deamination, effected by nitrous acid. Partial deamination in NOseq affects all exocyclic amino groups present in nucleobases and thus also changes sequence information. The method uses a mapping algorithm specifically adapted to the sequence degeneration caused by deamination events. Thus, m6A sites with partial modification levels of ∼50% were detected in defined amplicons, and this threshold can be lowered to ∼10% by combination with m6A immunoprecipitation. NOseq faithfully detected known m6A sites in human rRNA, and the long non-coding RNA MALAT1, and positively validated several m6A candidate sites, drawn from miCLIP data with an m6A antibody, in the transcriptome of Drosophila melanogaster. Conceptually related to bisulfite sequencing, NOseq presents a novel amplicon-based sequencing approach for the validation of m6A sites in defined sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Werner
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Aurellia Galliot
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Florian Pichot
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Thomas Kemmer
- Institute of Computer Science, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Staudingerweg 9, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Virginie Marchand
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, INSERM, Epitranscriptomics and Sequencing (EpiRNA-Seq) Core Facility, UMS2008/US40 IBSLor, Biopôle UL, F-54000 Nancy, France
| | - Maksim V Sednev
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Julius Maximilian University Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Tina Lence
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Ackermannweg 4, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Jean-Yves Roignant
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, 55128 Mainz, Germany.,Institute of Molecular Biology, Ackermannweg 4, 55128 Mainz, Germany.,Génopode - Center for Integrative Genomics, Université de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Julian König
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Ackermannweg 4, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Claudia Höbartner
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Julius Maximilian University Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Yuri Motorin
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, UMR7365 IMoPA, Biopôle UL, F-54000 Nancy, France
| | - Andreas Hildebrandt
- Institute of Computer Science, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Staudingerweg 9, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Mark Helm
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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33
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Worpenberg L, Paolantoni C, Longhi S, Mulorz MM, Lence T, Wessels HH, Dassi E, Aiello G, Sutandy FXR, Scheibe M, Edupuganti RR, Busch A, Möckel MM, Vermeulen M, Butter F, König J, Notarangelo M, Ohler U, Dieterich C, Quattrone A, Soldano A, Roignant JY. Ythdf is a N6-methyladenosine reader that modulates Fmr1 target mRNA selection and restricts axonal growth in Drosophila. EMBO J 2021; 40:e104975. [PMID: 33428246 PMCID: PMC7883056 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2020104975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) regulates a variety of physiological processes through modulation of RNA metabolism. This modification is particularly enriched in the nervous system of several species, and its dysregulation has been associated with neurodevelopmental defects and neural dysfunctions. In Drosophila, loss of m6A alters fly behavior, albeit the underlying molecular mechanism and the role of m6A during nervous system development have remained elusive. Here we find that impairment of the m6A pathway leads to axonal overgrowth and misguidance at larval neuromuscular junctions as well as in the adult mushroom bodies. We identify Ythdf as the main m6A reader in the nervous system, being required to limit axonal growth. Mechanistically, we show that the m6A reader Ythdf directly interacts with Fmr1, the fly homolog of Fragile X mental retardation RNA binding protein (FMRP), to inhibit the translation of key transcripts involved in axonal growth regulation. Altogether, this study demonstrates that the m6A pathway controls development of the nervous system and modulates Fmr1 target transcript selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Worpenberg
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Génopode Building, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Chiara Paolantoni
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Génopode Building, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sara Longhi
- Laboratory of Translational Genomics, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | | | - Tina Lence
- Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), Mainz, Germany
| | - Hans-Hermann Wessels
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Berlin, Germany.,Department of Biology, Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Erik Dassi
- Laboratory of RNA Regulatory Networks, Department CIBIO, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Aiello
- Armenise-Harvard Laboratory of Brain Disorders and Cancer, Department CIBIO, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | | | | | - Raghu R Edupuganti
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Oncode Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Anke Busch
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, IMB, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Michiel Vermeulen
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Oncode Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Falk Butter
- Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), Mainz, Germany
| | - Julian König
- Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), Mainz, Germany
| | - Michela Notarangelo
- Laboratory of Translational Genomics, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Uwe Ohler
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Berlin, Germany.,Department of Biology, Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christoph Dieterich
- Klaus Tschira Institute for Integrative Computational Cardiology and Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner site Heidelberg-Mannheim, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alessandro Quattrone
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Génopode Building, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Laboratory of Translational Genomics, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Alessia Soldano
- Laboratory of Translational Genomics, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Jean-Yves Roignant
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Génopode Building, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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34
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Zheng BX, Malik A, Xiong M, Bekker A, Tao YX. Nerve trauma-caused downregulation of opioid receptors in primary afferent neurons: Molecular mechanisms and potential managements. Exp Neurol 2020; 337:113572. [PMID: 33340498 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2020.113572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 12/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Neuropathic pain is the most common clinical disorder destroying the quality of patient life and leading to a marked economic and social burden. Opioids are still last option for pharmacological treatment of this disorder, but their antinociceptive effects are limited in part due to the downregulation of opioid receptors in the primary afferent neurons after peripheral nerve trauma. How this downregulation occurs is not completely understood, but recent studies have demonstrated that peripheral nerve trauma drives the alterations in epigenetic modifications (including DNA methylation, histone methylation and mciroRNAs), expression of transcription factors, post-transcriptional modifications (e.g., RNA methylation) and protein translation initiation in the neurons of nerve trauma-related dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and that these alternations may be associated with nerve trauma-caused downregulation of DRG opioid receptors. This review presents how opioid receptors are downregulated in the DRG after peripheral nerve trauma, specifically focusing on distinct molecular mechanisms underlying transcriptional and translational processes. This review also discusses how this downregulation contributes to the induction and maintenance of neuropathic pain. A deeper understanding of these molecular mechanisms likely provides a novel avenue for prevention and/or treatment of neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bi-Xin Zheng
- Department of Anesthesiology, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
| | - Ayma Malik
- Rutgers Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
| | - Ming Xiong
- Department of Anesthesiology, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
| | - Alex Bekker
- Department of Anesthesiology, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
| | - Yuan-Xiang Tao
- Department of Anesthesiology, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ 07103, USA; Department of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ 07103, USA; Department of Cell Biology & Molecular Medicine, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ 07103, USA.
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35
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Tsurumi A, Li WX. Aging mechanisms-A perspective mostly from Drosophila. ADVANCED GENETICS (HOBOKEN, N.J.) 2020; 1:e10026. [PMID: 36619249 PMCID: PMC9744567 DOI: 10.1002/ggn2.10026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 04/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
A mechanistic understanding of the natural aging process, which is distinct from aging-related disease mechanisms, is essential for developing interventions to extend lifespan or healthspan. Here, we discuss current trends in aging research and address conceptual and experimental challenges in the field. We examine various molecular markers implicated in aging with an emphasis on the role of heterochromatin and epigenetic changes. Studies in model organisms have been advantageous in elucidating conserved genetic and epigenetic mechanisms and assessing interventions that affect aging. We highlight the use of Drosophila, which allows controlled studies for evaluating genetic and environmental contributors to aging conveniently. Finally, we propose the use of novel methodologies and future strategies using Drosophila in aging research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Tsurumi
- Department of SurgeryMassachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Shriners Hospitals for Children‐Boston®BostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Willis X. Li
- Department of MedicineUniversity of California at San DiegoLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
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36
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Rockwell AL, Hongay CF. Dm Ime4 depletion affects permeability barrier and Chic function in Drosophila spermatogenesis. Mech Dev 2020; 164:103650. [PMID: 33038528 DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2020.103650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Adenosine methylation of messenger RNA at the N6 position (m6A) is a non-editing modification that can affect several aspects of mRNA metabolism. Dm Ime4, also known as METTL3, MTA, and MTA-70 in other organisms, is the catalytic subunit of the methyltransferase complex that adds this modification. Dm ime4 is evolutionarily conserved and essential for development in metazoans and plants. Because of its pleiotropic effects, it has been difficult to establish the main reason why embryonic arrest occurs in plants, mice, and zebrafish. Using a strategy that depletes Dm Ime4 specifically in the somatic cyst cells of Drosophila testes without affecting essential functions in development, our lab has found that Dm Ime4 may potentially regulate splicing of profilin (chic) mRNA, the message for an essential and evolutionarily conserved protein mainly known for its function in actin polymerization. One of the lesser known roles for Chic is its requirement for establishment and maintenance of the somatic cyst-cell permeability barrier in Drosophila spermatogenesis. Chic and Dm Ime4 colocalize and are abundant in somatic cyst cells throughout spermatogenesis. Upon selective depletion of Dm Ime4, we observe significant reduction of Chic protein levels and malfunction of the permeability barrier. We have found that chic mRNA contains intronic Dm Ime4 binding sites that can form the hairpin structures required for recognition by the methyltransferase complex. Our data show that the reduced levels of Chic protein observed in Dm ime4 somatic cyst-cell knockdowns could be the result of aberrant splicing of its mRNA. In turn, low levels of Chic are known to affect the function of the somatic permeability barrier, leading to germline death and the reduced fertility observed in Dm ime4 knockdown males. We propose that Dm Ime4 may regulate chic in other developmental contexts and in other organisms, including mice and humans. Chic is an essential protein that is evolutionarily conserved, and establishment and maintenance of cell barriers and domains are important strategies used in metazoan development. Taken together, our findings define a framework to investigate specific functions of Dm Ime4 and its homologs in multicellular organisms by bypassing its pleiotropic requirement in early developmental stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio L Rockwell
- Susquehanna University, Department of Biology, 514 University Avenue, Selinsgrove, PA 17870, USA.
| | - Cintia F Hongay
- Susquehanna University, Department of Biology, 514 University Avenue, Selinsgrove, PA 17870, USA.
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37
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Le Franc L, Bernay B, Petton B, Since M, Favrel P, Rivière G. A functional m 6 A-RNA methylation pathway in the oyster Crassostrea gigas assumes epitranscriptomic regulation of lophotrochozoan development. FEBS J 2020; 288:1696-1711. [PMID: 32743927 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
N6 -methyladenosine (m6 A) is a prevalent epitranscriptomic mark in eukaryotic RNA, with crucial roles for mammalian and ecdysozoan development. Indeed, m6 A-RNA and the related protein machinery are important for splicing, translation, maternal-to-zygotic transition and cell differentiation. However, to date, the presence of an m6 A-RNA pathway remains unknown in more distant animals, questioning the evolution and significance of the epitranscriptomic regulation. Therefore, we investigated the m6 A-RNA pathway in the oyster Crassostrea gigas, a lophotrochozoan model whose development was demonstrated under strong epigenetic influence. Using mass spectrometry and dot blot assays, we demonstrated that m6 A-RNA is actually present in the oyster and displays variations throughout early oyster development, with the lowest levels at the end of cleavage. In parallel, by in silico analyses, we were able to characterize at the molecular level a complete and conserved putative m6 A machinery. The expression levels of the identified putative m6 A writers, erasers and readers were strongly regulated across oyster development. Finally, RNA pull-down coupled to LC-MS/MS allowed us to prove the actual presence of readers able to bind m6 A-RNA and exhibiting specific developmental patterns. Altogether, our results demonstrate the conservation of a complete m6 A-RNA pathway in the oyster and strongly suggest its implication in early developmental processes including MZT. This first demonstration and characterization of an epitranscriptomic regulation in a lophotrochozoan model, potentially involved in the embryogenesis, bring new insights into our understanding of developmental epigenetic processes and their evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorane Le Franc
- UNICAEN, CNRS, BOREA, Normandie Univ, Caen, France.,Laboratoire Biologie des organismes et Ecosystèmes aquatiques (BOREA), Muséum d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, IRD, Sorbonne Université, Université de Caen Normandie, Université des Antilles, Caen, France
| | - Benoit Bernay
- UNICAEN, ICORE, PROTEOGEN Core Facility, Caen, SF, France
| | - Bruno Petton
- Ifremer, Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Environnement Marin, UMR 6539 CNRS/UBO/IRD/Ifremer, Centre Bretagne, Normandie Univ, Plouzané, France
| | - Marc Since
- UNICAEN, Comprehensive Cancer Center F. Baclesse, SF ICORE, PRISMM Core Facility, Normandie Univ, Caen, France
| | - Pascal Favrel
- UNICAEN, CNRS, BOREA, Normandie Univ, Caen, France.,Laboratoire Biologie des organismes et Ecosystèmes aquatiques (BOREA), Muséum d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, IRD, Sorbonne Université, Université de Caen Normandie, Université des Antilles, Caen, France
| | - Guillaume Rivière
- UNICAEN, CNRS, BOREA, Normandie Univ, Caen, France.,Laboratoire Biologie des organismes et Ecosystèmes aquatiques (BOREA), Muséum d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, IRD, Sorbonne Université, Université de Caen Normandie, Université des Antilles, Caen, France
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38
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Leismann J, Spagnuolo M, Pradhan M, Wacheul L, Vu MA, Musheev M, Mier P, Andrade-Navarro MA, Graille M, Niehrs C, Lafontaine DL, Roignant JY. The 18S ribosomal RNA m 6 A methyltransferase Mettl5 is required for normal walking behavior in Drosophila. EMBO Rep 2020; 21:e49443. [PMID: 32350990 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201949443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA modifications have recently emerged as an important layer of gene regulation. N6-methyladenosine (m6 A) is the most prominent modification on eukaryotic messenger RNA and has also been found on noncoding RNA, including ribosomal and small nuclear RNA. Recently, several m6 A methyltransferases were identified, uncovering the specificity of m6 A deposition by structurally distinct enzymes. In order to discover additional m6 A enzymes, we performed an RNAi screen to deplete annotated orthologs of human methyltransferase-like proteins (METTLs) in Drosophila cells and identified CG9666, the ortholog of human METTL5. We show that CG9666 is required for specific deposition of m6 A on 18S ribosomal RNA via direct interaction with the Drosophila ortholog of human TRMT112, CG12975. Depletion of CG9666 yields a subsequent loss of the 18S rRNA m6 A modification, which lies in the vicinity of the ribosome decoding center; however, this does not compromise rRNA maturation. Instead, a loss of CG9666-mediated m6 A impacts fly behavior, providing an underlying molecular mechanism for the reported human phenotype in intellectual disability. Thus, our work expands the repertoire of m6 A methyltransferases, demonstrates the specialization of these enzymes, and further addresses the significance of ribosomal RNA modifications in gene expression and animal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ludivine Wacheul
- RNA Molecular Biology, ULB Cancer Research Center (U-CRC), Centre for Microscopy and Molecular Imaging (CMMI), Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (F.R.S.-FNRS), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Charleroi-Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Minh Anh Vu
- Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Pablo Mier
- Faculty of Biology, Johannes-Gutenberg Universität Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Marc Graille
- BIOC, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, IP Paris, Palaiseau, France
| | - Christof Niehrs
- Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), Mainz, Germany.,Division of Molecular Embryology, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Denis Lj Lafontaine
- RNA Molecular Biology, ULB Cancer Research Center (U-CRC), Centre for Microscopy and Molecular Imaging (CMMI), Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (F.R.S.-FNRS), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Charleroi-Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Jean-Yves Roignant
- Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), Mainz, Germany.,Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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39
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Rockwell AL, Hongay CF. The m 6A Dynamics of Profilin in Neurogenesis. Front Genet 2019; 10:987. [PMID: 31798620 PMCID: PMC6862867 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of the biological role of N6-methyladenosine (m6A), a ubiquitous non-editing RNA modification, has increased greatly since 2011. More recently, work from several labs revealed that m6A methylation regulates several aspects of mRNA metabolism. The “writer” protein METTL3, known as MT-A70 in humans, DmIme4 in flies, and MTA in plants, has the catalytic site of the METTL3/14/16 subunit of the methyltransferase complex that includes many other proteins. METTL3 is evolutionarily conserved and essential for development in multicellular organisms. However, until recently, no study has been able to provide a mechanism that explains the essentiality of METTL3. The addition of m6A to gene transcripts has been compared with the epigenetic code of histone modifications because of its effects on gene expression and its reversibility, giving birth to the field of epitranscriptomics, the study of the biological role of this and similar RNA modifications. Here, we focus on METTL3 and its likely conserved role in profilin regulation in neurogenesis. However, this and many other subunits of the methyltransferase complex are starting to be identified in several developmental processes and diseases. A recent plethora of studies about the biological role of METTL3 and other components of the methyltransferase complex that erase (FTO) or recognize (YTH proteins) this modification on transcripts revealed that this RNA modification plays a variety of roles in many biological processes like neurogenesis. Our work in Drosophila shows that the ancient and evolutionarily conserved gene profilin (chic in Drosophila) is a target of the m6A writer. Here, we discuss the implications of our study in Drosophila and how it unveils a conserved mechanism in support of the essential function of METTL3 in metazoan development. Profilin (chic) is an essential gene of ancient evolutionary origins, present in sponges (Porifera), the oldest still extant metazoan phylum of the common metazoan ancestor Urmetazoa. We propose that the relationship between profilin and METTL3 is conserved in metazoans and it provides insights into possible regulatory roles of m6A modification of profilin transcripts in processes such as neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cintia F Hongay
- Department of Biology, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY, United States
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40
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Heck AM, Wilusz CJ. Small changes, big implications: The impact of m 6A RNA methylation on gene expression in pluripotency and development. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2019; 1862:194402. [PMID: 31325527 PMCID: PMC6742438 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2019.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In order to maintain a state of self-renewal, yet retain the ability to rapidly differentiate in response to external signals, pluripotent cells exert tight control over gene expression at many levels. Recent studies have suggested that N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation, one of the most abundant post-transcriptional modifications, is important for both pluripotency and differentiation. In this review, we summarize the current state of the m6A field, with emphasis on the impact of writers, erasers and readers of m6A on RNA metabolism and stem cell biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam M Heck
- Program in Cell & Molecular Biology, and Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80525, United States of America
| | - Carol J Wilusz
- Program in Cell & Molecular Biology, and Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80525, United States of America.
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41
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METTL3 promotes experimental osteoarthritis development by regulating inflammatory response and apoptosis in chondrocyte. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2019; 516:22-27. [PMID: 31186141 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.05.168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study was to investigate the functional role of RNA methyltransferase METTL3, an enzyme catalyzes the formation of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) on the target mRNA, in the development of osteoarthritis (OA) and the underlying mechanism. METHODS Cytokine IL-1β was used to stimulate the chondroprogenitor cell line ATDC5 cells to mimic the inflammatory condition in vitro. The level of METTL3 mRNA and m6A as well as inflammatory cytokines were detected by qRT-PCR. Cell activity was detected by CCK-8. The rate of apoptotic cell was measured by flow cytometry. Western blot was used to detect the levels of NF-κB signaling molecules and collagen in cells. Methylation inhibitor cycloleucine and methyl donor betaine were used to treat collagenase-induced OA mice. RESULTS In IL-1β-treated ATDC5 cells, the METTL3 mRNA levels and the percentage of m6A methylated mRNA of total mRNA were increased in a dose-dependent manner. Silencing of METTL3 by shRNA reduced the percentage of IL-1β-induced apoptosis, suppressed IL-1β-induced increased inflammatory cytokines levels and activation of NF-κB signaling in chondrocytes. Moreover, silencing of METTL3 promotes degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM) by reducing the expression of MMP-13 and Coll X, elevating the expression of Aggrecan and Coll II. In a OA mouse model induced by collagenase, injection of methylation inhibitor cycloleucine or methyl donor betaine does not affects METTL3 mRNA expression, but significantly inhibits or promotes the total level of m6A as well as inflammatory condition and ECM degradation, respectively. CONCLUSION METTL3 has a functional role in mediates osteoarthritis progression by regulating NF-κB signaling and ECM synthesis in chondrocytes that shed insight on developing preventive and curative strategies for OA by focusing on METTL3 and mRNA methylation.
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Abstract
m6A is the most abundant internal modification on mRNA. Recent improvements of high-throughput sequencing techniques enables its detection at the transcriptome level, even at the nucleotide resolution. However most current techniques require large amounts of starting material to detect the modification. Here, we describe a complementary technique of standard meRIP-seq/miCLIP-seq approaches to identify methylated RNA using a low amount of material. We believe this approach can be applied in vivo to identify methylated targets in specific tissues or subpopulations of cells.
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Abstract
The central dogma of molecular biology introduced by Crick describes a linear flow of information from DNA to mRNA to protein. Since then it has become evident that RNA undergoes several maturation steps such as capping, splicing, 3'-end processing, and editing. Likewise, nucleotide modifications are common in mRNA and are present in all organisms impacting on the regulation of gene expression. The most abundant modification found in mRNA is N6-methyladenosine (m6A). Deposition of m6A is a nuclear process and is performed by a megadalton writer complex primarily on mRNAs, but also on microRNAs and lncRNAs. The m6A methylosome is composed of the enzymatic core components METTL3 and METTL14, and several auxiliary proteins necessary for its correct positioning and functioning, which are WTAP, VIRMA, FLACC, RBM15, and HAKAI. The m6A epimark is decoded by YTH domain-containing reader proteins YTHDC and YTHDF, but METTLs can act as "readers" as well. Eraser proteins, such as FTO and ALKBH5, can remove the methyl group. Here we review recent progress on the role of m6A in regulating gene expression in light of Crick's central dogma of molecular biology. In particular, we address the complexity of the writer complex from an evolutionary perspective to obtain insights into the mechanism of ancient m6A methylation and its regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario L Balacco
- School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences , University of Birmingham , Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT , United Kingdom
| | - Matthias Soller
- School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences , University of Birmingham , Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT , United Kingdom
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44
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Palumbo CM, Beal PA. Nucleoside analogs in the study of the epitranscriptome. Methods 2018; 156:46-52. [PMID: 30827466 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2018.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2018] [Revised: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Over 150 unique RNA modifications are now known including several nonstandard nucleotides present in the body of messenger RNAs. These modifications can alter a transcript's function and are collectively referred to as the epitrancriptome. Chemically modified nucleoside analogs are poised to play an important role in the study of these epitranscriptomic marks. Introduced chemical features on nucleic acid strands provide unique structures or reactivity that can be used for downstream detection or quantification. Three methods are used in the field to synthesize RNA containing chemically modified nucleoside analogs. Nucleoside analogs can be introduced by metabolic labeling, via polymerases with modified nucleotide triphosphates or via phosphoramidite-based chemical synthesis. In this review, these methods for incorporation of nucleoside analogs will be discussed with specific recently published examples pertaining to the study of the epitranscriptome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody M Palumbo
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Peter A Beal
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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45
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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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46
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Sánchez-Vásquez E, Alata Jimenez N, Vázquez NA, Strobl-Mazzulla PH. Emerging role of dynamic RNA modifications during animal development. Mech Dev 2018; 154:24-32. [PMID: 29654887 DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2018.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Revised: 04/07/2018] [Accepted: 04/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The central dogma of molecular biology statically says that the information flows from DNA to messenger RNA to protein. But the recent advances in mass spectrometry and high throughput technology have helped the scientists to view RNA as little more than a courier of genetic information encoded in the DNA. The dynamics of RNA modifications in coding and non-coding RNAs are just emerging as a carrier of non-genetic information, uncovering a new layer of complexity in the regulation of gene expression and protein translation. In this review, we summarize about the current knowledge of N6-methyladenosine (m6A), N1-methyladenosine (m1A), 5-methylcytosine (m5C) and pseudouridine (Ψ) modifications in RNA, and described how these RNA modifications are implicated in early animal development and in several human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estefanía Sánchez-Vásquez
- Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas- Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (CONICET-UNSAM), Int. Marino 8200, Chascomús 7130, Argentina
| | - Nagif Alata Jimenez
- Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas- Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (CONICET-UNSAM), Int. Marino 8200, Chascomús 7130, Argentina
| | - Nicolás A Vázquez
- Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas- Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (CONICET-UNSAM), Int. Marino 8200, Chascomús 7130, Argentina
| | - Pablo H Strobl-Mazzulla
- Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas- Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (CONICET-UNSAM), Int. Marino 8200, Chascomús 7130, Argentina.
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47
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Knuckles P, Lence T, Haussmann IU, Jacob D, Kreim N, Carl SH, Masiello I, Hares T, Villaseñor R, Hess D, Andrade-Navarro MA, Biggiogera M, Helm M, Soller M, Bühler M, Roignant JY. Zc3h13/Flacc is required for adenosine methylation by bridging the mRNA-binding factor Rbm15/Spenito to the m 6A machinery component Wtap/Fl(2)d. Genes Dev 2018. [PMID: 29535189 PMCID: PMC5900714 DOI: 10.1101/gad.309146.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 399] [Impact Index Per Article: 66.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
In this study, Knuckles et al. identified Flacc/Zc3h13 as a novel interactor of m6A methyltransferase complex components in Drosophila and mice. They show that Flacc promotes the recruitment of the methyltransferase to mRNA by bridging Fl(2)d to the mRNA-binding factor Nito, providing novel insights into the conservation and regulation of the m6A machinery. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant mRNA modification in eukaryotes, playing crucial roles in multiple biological processes. m6A is catalyzed by the activity of methyltransferase-like 3 (Mettl3), which depends on additional proteins whose precise functions remain poorly understood. Here we identified Zc3h13 (zinc finger CCCH domain-containing protein 13)/Flacc [Fl(2)d-associated complex component] as a novel interactor of m6A methyltransferase complex components in Drosophila and mice. Like other components of this complex, Flacc controls m6A levels and is involved in sex determination in Drosophila. We demonstrate that Flacc promotes m6A deposition by bridging Fl(2)d to the mRNA-binding factor Nito. Altogether, our work advances the molecular understanding of conservation and regulation of the m6A machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Knuckles
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel 4002, Switzerland
| | - Tina Lence
- Institute of Molecular Biology, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Irmgard U Haussmann
- School of Life Science, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Coventry University, Coventry CV1 5FB, United Kingdom.,School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Dominik Jacob
- Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Nastasja Kreim
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, Institute of Molecular Biology, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Sarah H Carl
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Basel 4058, Switzerland
| | - Irene Masiello
- Institute of Molecular Biology, 55128 Mainz, Germany.,Laboratory of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Department of Animal Biology, University of Pavia, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - Tina Hares
- Institute of Molecular Biology, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Rodrigo Villaseñor
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel 4002, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Hess
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Miguel A Andrade-Navarro
- Institute of Molecular Biology, 55128 Mainz, Germany.,Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Marco Biggiogera
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Department of Animal Biology, University of Pavia, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - Mark Helm
- Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Matthias Soller
- School of Life Science, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Coventry University, Coventry CV1 5FB, United Kingdom
| | - Marc Bühler
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel 4002, Switzerland
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48
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Jung Y, Goldman D. Role of RNA modifications in brain and behavior. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2018; 17:e12444. [PMID: 29244246 PMCID: PMC6233296 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Much progress in our understanding of RNA metabolism has been made since the first RNA nucleoside modification was identified in 1957. Many of these modifications are found in noncoding RNAs but recent interest has focused on coding RNAs. Here, we summarize current knowledge of cellular consequences of RNA modifications, with a special emphasis on neuropsychiatric disorders. We present evidence for the existence of an "RNA code," similar to the histone code, that fine-tunes gene expression in the nervous system by using combinations of different RNA modifications. Unlike the relatively stable genetic code, this combinatorial RNA epigenetic code, or epitranscriptome, may be dynamically reprogrammed as a cause or consequence of psychiatric disorders. We discuss potential mechanisms linking disregulation of the epitranscriptome with brain disorders and identify potential new avenues of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y. Jung
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland
| | - D. Goldman
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland
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49
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Knuckles P, Lence T, Haussmann IU, Jacob D, Kreim N, Carl SH, Masiello I, Hares T, Villaseñor R, Hess D, Andrade-Navarro MA, Biggiogera M, Helm M, Soller M, Bühler M, Roignant JY. Zc3h13/Flacc is required for adenosine methylation by bridging the mRNA-binding factor Rbm15/Spenito to the m 6A machinery component Wtap/Fl(2)d. Genes Dev 2018. [PMID: 29535189 DOI: 10.1101/gad.309146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant mRNA modification in eukaryotes, playing crucial roles in multiple biological processes. m6A is catalyzed by the activity of methyltransferase-like 3 (Mettl3), which depends on additional proteins whose precise functions remain poorly understood. Here we identified Zc3h13 (zinc finger CCCH domain-containing protein 13)/Flacc [Fl(2)d-associated complex component] as a novel interactor of m6A methyltransferase complex components in Drosophila and mice. Like other components of this complex, Flacc controls m6A levels and is involved in sex determination in Drosophila We demonstrate that Flacc promotes m6A deposition by bridging Fl(2)d to the mRNA-binding factor Nito. Altogether, our work advances the molecular understanding of conservation and regulation of the m6A machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Knuckles
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel 4002, Switzerland
| | - Tina Lence
- Institute of Molecular Biology, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Irmgard U Haussmann
- School of Life Science, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Coventry University, Coventry CV1 5FB, United Kingdom
- School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Dominik Jacob
- Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Nastasja Kreim
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, Institute of Molecular Biology, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Sarah H Carl
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Basel 4058, Switzerland
| | - Irene Masiello
- Institute of Molecular Biology, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Department of Animal Biology, University of Pavia, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - Tina Hares
- Institute of Molecular Biology, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Rodrigo Villaseñor
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel 4002, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Hess
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Miguel A Andrade-Navarro
- Institute of Molecular Biology, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Marco Biggiogera
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Department of Animal Biology, University of Pavia, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - Mark Helm
- Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Matthias Soller
- School of Life Science, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Coventry University, Coventry CV1 5FB, United Kingdom
| | - Marc Bühler
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel 4002, Switzerland
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50
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Helm M. Editorial: RNA modifications - what to read first? RNA Biol 2017; 14:1087-1088. [PMID: 28795877 PMCID: PMC5699551 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2017.1358346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mark Helm
- a Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz , Mainz , Germany
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