NRDE-2, the human homolog of fission yeast Nrl1, prevents DNA damage accumulation in human cells

NRDE2 deficiency impairs homologous recombination repair and sensitizes hepatocellular carcinoma to PARP inhibitors

To identify novel susceptibility genes for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), we performed a rare-variant association study in Chinese populations consisting of 2,750 cases and 4,153 controls. We identified four HCC-associated genes, including NRDE2, RANBP17, RTEL1, and STEAP3. Using NRDE2 (index rs199890497 [p.N377I], p = 1.19 × 10-9) as an exemplary candidate, we demonstrated that it promotes homologous recombination (HR) repair and suppresses HCC. Mechanistically, NRDE2 binds to the subunits of casein kinase 2 (CK2) and facilitates the assembly and activity of the CK2 holoenzyme. This NRDE2-mediated enhancement of CK2 activity increases the phosphorylation of MDC1 and then facilitates the HR repair. These functions are eliminated almost completely by the NRDE2-p.N377I variant, which sensitizes the HCC cells to poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, especially when combined with chemotherapy. Collectively, our findings highlight the relevance of the rare variants to genetic susceptibility to HCC, which would be helpful for the precise treatment of this malignancy.

Mouse nuclear RNAi-defective 2 promotes splicing of weak 5' splice sites

Removal of introns during pre-mRNA splicing, which is central to gene expression, initiates by base pairing of U1 snRNA with a 5' splice site (5'SS). In mammals, many introns contain weak 5'SSs that are not efficiently recognized by the canonical U1 snRNP, suggesting alternative mechanisms exist. Here, we develop a cross-linking immunoprecipitation coupled to a high-throughput sequencing method, BCLIP-seq, to identify NRDE2 (nuclear RNAi-defective 2), and CCDC174 (coiled-coil domain-containing 174) as novel RNA-binding proteins in mouse ES cells that associate with U1 snRNA and 5'SSs. Both proteins bind directly to U1 snRNA independently of canonical U1 snRNP-specific proteins, and they are required for the selection and effective processing of weak 5'SSs. Our results reveal that mammalian cells use noncanonical splicing factors bound directly to U1 snRNA to effectively select suboptimal 5'SS sequences in hundreds of genes, promoting proper splice site choice, and accurate pre-mRNA splicing.

Baseline gene expression profiling determines long-term benefit to programmed cell death protein 1 axis blockade

Treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors has altered the course of malignant melanoma, with approximately half of the patients with advanced disease surviving for more than 5 years after diagnosis. Currently, there are no biomarker methods for predicting outcome from immunotherapy. Here, we obtained transcriptomic information from a total of 105 baseline tumor samples comprising two cohorts of patients with advanced melanoma treated with programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)-based immunotherapies. Gene expression profiles were correlated with progression-free survival (PFS) within consecutive clinical benefit intervals (i.e., 6, 12, 18, and 24 months). Elastic net binomial regression models with cross validation were utilized to compare the predictive value of distinct genes across time. Lasso regression was used to generate a signature predicting long-term benefit (LTB), defined as patients who remain alive and free of disease progression at 24 months post treatment initiation. We show that baseline gene expression profiles were consistently able to predict long-term immunotherapy outcomes with high accuracy. The predictive value of different genes fluctuated across consecutive clinical benefit intervals, with a distinct set of genes defining benefit at 24 months compared to earlier outcomes. A 12-gene signature was able to predict LTB following anti-PD-1 therapy with an area under the curve (AUC) equal to 0.92 and 0.74 in the training and validation set, respectively. Evaluation of LTB, via a unique signature may complement objective response classification and characterize the logistics of sustained antitumor immune responses.

Telomeric replication stress: the beginning and the end for alternative lengthening of telomeres cancers

Telomeres are nucleoprotein structures that cap the ends of linear chromosomes. Telomeric DNA comprises terminal tracts of G-rich tandem repeats, which are inherently difficult for the replication machinery to navigate. Structural aberrations that promote activation of the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) pathway of telomere maintenance exacerbate replication stress at ALT telomeres, driving fork stalling and fork collapse. This form of telomeric DNA damage perpetuates recombination-mediated repair pathways and break-induced telomere synthesis. The relationship between replication stress and DNA repair is tightly coordinated for the purpose of regulating telomere length in ALT cells, but has been shown to be experimentally manipulatable. This raises the intriguing possibility that induction of replication stress can be used as a means to cause toxic levels of DNA damage at ALT telomeres, thereby selectively disrupting the viability of ALT cancers.

Nuclear RNA Exosome and Pervasive Transcription: Dual Sculptors of Genome Function

The genome is pervasively transcribed across various species, yielding numerous non-coding RNAs. As a counterbalance for pervasive transcription, various organisms have a nuclear RNA exosome complex, whose structure is well conserved between yeast and mammalian cells. The RNA exosome not only regulates the processing of stable RNA species, such as rRNAs, tRNAs, small nucleolar RNAs, and small nuclear RNAs, but also plays a central role in RNA surveillance by degrading many unstable RNAs and misprocessed pre-mRNAs. In addition, associated cofactors of RNA exosome direct the exosome to distinct classes of RNA substrates, suggesting divergent and/or multi-layer control of RNA quality in the cell. While the RNA exosome is essential for cell viability and influences various cellular processes, mutations and alterations in the RNA exosome components are linked to the collection of rare diseases and various diseases including cancer, respectively. The present review summarizes the relationships between pervasive transcription and RNA exosome, including evolutionary crosstalk, mechanisms of RNA exosome-mediated RNA surveillance, and physiopathological effects of perturbation of RNA exosome.

Antisense ribosomal siRNAs inhibit RNA polymerase I-directed transcription in C. elegans

Eukaryotic cells express a wide variety of endogenous small regulatory RNAs that function in the nucleus. We previously found that erroneous rRNAs induce the generation of antisense ribosomal siRNAs (risiRNAs) which silence the expression of rRNAs via the nuclear RNAi defective (Nrde) pathway. To further understand the biological roles and mechanisms of this class of small regulatory RNAs, we conducted forward genetic screening to identify factors involved in risiRNA generation in Caenorhabditis elegans. We found that risiRNAs accumulated in the RNA exosome mutants. risiRNAs directed the association of NRDE proteins with pre-rRNAs and the silencing of pre-rRNAs. In the presence of risiRNAs, NRDE-2 accumulated in the nucleolus and colocalized with RNA polymerase I. risiRNAs inhibited the transcription elongation of RNA polymerase I by decreasing RNAP I occupancy downstream of the RNAi-targeted site. Meanwhile, exosomes mislocalized from the nucleolus to nucleoplasm in suppressor of siRNA (susi) mutants, in which erroneous rRNAs accumulated. These results established a novel model of rRNA surveillance by combining ribonuclease-mediated RNA degradation with small RNA-directed nucleolar RNAi system.

Identification of Nrl1 Domains Responsible for Interactions with RNA-Processing Factors and Regulation of Nrl1 Function by Phosphorylation

Pre-mRNA splicing is a key process in the regulation of gene expression. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Nrl1 regulates splicing and expression of several genes and non-coding RNAs, and also suppresses the accumulation of R-loops. Here, we report analysis of interactions between Nrl1 and selected RNA-processing proteins and regulation of Nrl1 function by phosphorylation. Bacterial two-hybrid system (BACTH) assays revealed that the N-terminal region of Nrl1 is important for the interaction with ATP-dependent RNA helicase Mtl1 while the C-terminal region of Nrl1 is important for interactions with spliceosome components Ctr1, Ntr2, and Syf3. Consistent with this result, tandem affinity purification showed that Mtl1, but not Ctr1, Ntr2, or Syf3, co-purifies with the N-terminal region of Nrl1. Interestingly, mass-spectrometry analysis revealed that in addition to previously identified phosphorylation sites, Nrl1 is also phosphorylated on serines 86 and 112, and that Nrl1-TAP co-purifies with Cka1, the catalytic subunit of casein kinase 2. In vitro assay showed that Cka1 can phosphorylate bacterially expressed Nrl1 fragments. An analysis of non-phosphorylatable nrl1 mutants revealed defects in gene expression and splicing consistent with the notion that phosphorylation is an important regulator of Nrl1 function. Taken together, our results provide insights into two mechanisms that are involved in the regulation of the spliceosome-associated factor Nrl1, namely domain-specific interactions between Nrl1 and RNA-processing proteins and post-translational modification of Nrl1 by phosphorylation.

A Conserved NRDE-2/MTR-4 Complex Mediates Nuclear RNAi in Caenorhabditis elegans

Small regulatory RNAs, such as small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and PIWI-interacting RNAs, regulate splicing, transcription, and genome integrity in many eukaryotes. In Caenorhabditis elegans, siRNAs bind nuclear Argonautes (AGOs), which interact with homologous premessenger RNAs to recruit downstream silencing effectors, such as NRDE-2, to direct cotranscriptional gene silencing [or nuclear RNA interference (RNAi)]. To further our understanding of the mechanism of nuclear RNAi, we conducted immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry on C. elegans NRDE-2 The major NRDE-2 interacting protein identified was the RNA helicase MTR-4 Co-immunoprecipitation analyses confirmed a physical association between NRDE-2 and MTR-4 MTR-4 colocalizes with NRDE-2 within the nuclei of most/all C. elegans somatic and germline cells. MTR-4 is required for nuclear RNAi, and interestingly, MTR-4 is recruited to premessenger RNAs undergoing nuclear RNAi via a process requiring nuclear siRNAs, the nuclear AGO HRDE-1, and NRDE-2, indicating that MTR-4 is a component of the C. elegans nuclear RNAi machinery. Finally, we confirm previous reports showing that human (Hs)NRDE2 and HsMTR4 also physically interact. Our data show that the NRDE-2/MTR-4 interactions are evolutionarily conserved, and that, in C. elegans, the NRDE-2/MTR-4 complex contributes to siRNA-directed cotranscriptional gene silencing.

SETX (senataxin), the helicase mutated in AOA2 and ALS4, functions in autophagy regulation

SETX (senataxin) is an RNA/DNA helicase that has been implicated in transcriptional regulation and the DNA damage response through resolution of R-loop structures. Mutations in SETX result in either of two distinct neurodegenerative disorders. SETX dominant mutations result in a juvenile form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) called ALS4, whereas recessive mutations are responsible for ataxia called ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 2 (AOA2). How mutations in the same protein can lead to different phenotypes is still unclear. To elucidate AOA2 disease mechanisms, we first examined gene expression changes following SETX depletion. We observed the effects on both transcription and RNA processing, but surprisingly observed decreased R-loop accumulation in SETX-depleted cells. Importantly, we discovered a strong connection between SETX and the macroautophagy/autophagy pathway, reflecting a direct effect on transcription of autophagy genes. We show that SETX depletion inhibits the progression of autophagy, leading to an accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins, decreased ability to clear protein aggregates, as well as mitochondrial defects. Analysis of AOA2 patient fibroblasts also revealed a perturbation of the autophagy pathway. Our work has thus identified a novel function for SETX in the regulation of autophagy, whose modulation may have a therapeutic impact for AOA2.Abbreviations: 3'READS: 3' region extraction and deep sequencing; ACTB: actin beta; ALS4: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis type 4; AOA2: ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 2; APA: alternative polyadenylation; AS: alternative splicing; ATG7: autophagy-related 7; ATP6V0D2: ATPase H+ transporting V0 subunit D2; BAF: bafilomycin A₁; BECN1: beclin 1; ChIP: chromatin IP; Chloro: chloroquine; CPT: camptothecin; DDR: DNA damage response; DNMT1: DNA methyltransferase 1; DRIP: DNA/RNA IP; DSBs: double strand breaks; EBs: embryoid bodies; FTD: frontotemporal dementia; GABARAP: GABA type A receptor-associated protein; GO: gene ontology; HR: homologous recombination; HTT: huntingtin; IF: immunofluorescence; IP: immunoprecipitation; iPSCs: induced pluripotent stem cells; KD: knockdown; MAP1LC3/LC3: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3; MN: motor neuron; MTORC1: mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase complex 1; PASS: PolyA Site Supporting; PFA: paraformaldehyde; RNAPII: RNA polymerase II; SCA: spinocerebellar ataxia; SETX: senataxin; SMA: spinal muscular atrophy; SMN1: survival of motor neuron 1, telomeric; SQSTM1/p62: sequestosome 1; TFEB: transcription factor EB; TSS: transcription start site; TTS: transcription termination site; ULK1: unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1; WB: western blot; WIPI2: WD repeat domain, phosphoinositide interacting 2; XRN2: 5'-3' exoribonuclease 2.

NRDE2 negatively regulates exosome functions by inhibiting MTR4 recruitment and exosome interaction

The exosome functions in the degradation of diverse RNA species, yet how it is negatively regulated remains largely unknown. Here, we show that NRDE2 forms a 1:1 complex with MTR4, a nuclear exosome cofactor critical for exosome recruitment, via a conserved MTR4-interacting domain (MID). Unexpectedly, NRDE2 mainly localizes in nuclear speckles, where it inhibits MTR4 recruitment and RNA degradation, and thereby ensures efficient mRNA nuclear export. Structural and biochemical data revealed that NRDE2 interacts with MTR4's key residues, locks MTR4 in a closed conformation, and inhibits MTR4 interaction with the exosome as well as proteins important for MTR4 recruitment, such as the cap-binding complex (CBC) and ZFC3H1. Functionally, MID deletion results in the loss of self-renewal of mouse embryonic stem cells. Together, our data pinpoint NRDE2 as a nuclear exosome negative regulator that ensures mRNA stability and nuclear export.

Human nuclear RNAi-defective 2 (NRDE2) is an essential RNA splicing factor

The accurate inheritance of genetic material is a basic necessity in all domains of life and an unexpectedly large number of RNA processing factors are required for mitotic progression and genome stability. NRDE2 (nuclear RNAi defective-2) is an evolutionarily conserved protein originally discovered for its role in nuclear RNA interference (RNAi) and heritable gene silencing in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). The function of the human NRDE2 gene remains poorly understood. Here we show that human NRDE2 is an essential protein required for suppressing intron retention in a subset of pre-mRNAs containing short, GC-rich introns with relatively weak 5' and 3' splice sites. NRDE2 preferentially interacts with components of the U5 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP), the exon junction complex, and the RNA exosome. Interestingly, NRDE2-depleted cells exhibit greatly increased levels of genomic instability and DNA damage, as well as defects in centrosome maturation and mitotic progression. We identify the essential centriolar satellite protein, CEP131, as a direct NRDE2-regulated target. NRDE2 specifically binds to and promotes the efficient splicing of CEP131 pre-mRNA, and depleting NRDE2 dramatically reduces CEP131 protein expression, contributing to impaired recruitment of critical centrosomal proteins (e.g., γ-tubulin and Aurora Kinase A) to the spindle poles during mitosis. Our work establishes a conserved role for human NRDE2 in RNA splicing, characterizes the severe genomic instability phenotypes observed upon loss of NRDE2, and highlights the direct regulation of CEP131 splicing as one of multiple mechanisms through which such phenotypes might be explained.