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Herbert C, Valesyan S, Kist J, Limbach PA. Analysis of RNA and Its Modifications. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY (PALO ALTO, CALIF.) 2024; 17:47-68. [PMID: 38594935 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-anchem-061622-125954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Ribonucleic acids (RNAs) are key biomolecules responsible for the transmission of genetic information, the synthesis of proteins, and modulation of many biochemical processes. They are also often the key components of viruses. Synthetic RNAs or oligoribonucleotides are becoming more widely used as therapeutics. In many cases, RNAs will be chemically modified, either naturally via enzymatic systems within a cell or intentionally during their synthesis. Analytical methods to detect, sequence, identify, and quantify RNA and its modifications have demands that far exceed requirements found in the DNA realm. Two complementary platforms have demonstrated their value and utility for the characterization of RNA and its modifications: mass spectrometry and next-generation sequencing. This review highlights recent advances in both platforms, examines their relative strengths and weaknesses, and explores some alternative approaches that lie at the horizon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra Herbert
- Rieveschl Laboratories for Mass Spectrometry, Department of Chemistry, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA;
| | - Satenik Valesyan
- Rieveschl Laboratories for Mass Spectrometry, Department of Chemistry, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA;
| | - Jennifer Kist
- Rieveschl Laboratories for Mass Spectrometry, Department of Chemistry, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA;
| | - Patrick A Limbach
- Rieveschl Laboratories for Mass Spectrometry, Department of Chemistry, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA;
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2
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Fabyanic EB, Hu P, Qiu Q, Berríos KN, Connolly DR, Wang T, Flournoy J, Zhou Z, Kohli RM, Wu H. Joint single-cell profiling resolves 5mC and 5hmC and reveals their distinct gene regulatory effects. Nat Biotechnol 2024; 42:960-974. [PMID: 37640946 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-01909-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Oxidative modification of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) by ten-eleven translocation (TET) DNA dioxygenases generates 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), the most abundant form of oxidized 5mC. Existing single-cell bisulfite sequencing methods cannot resolve 5mC and 5hmC, leaving the cell-type-specific regulatory mechanisms of TET and 5hmC largely unknown. Here, we present joint single-nucleus (hydroxy)methylcytosine sequencing (Joint-snhmC-seq), a scalable and quantitative approach that simultaneously profiles 5hmC and true 5mC in single cells by harnessing differential deaminase activity of APOBEC3A toward 5mC and chemically protected 5hmC. Joint-snhmC-seq profiling of single nuclei from mouse brains reveals an unprecedented level of epigenetic heterogeneity of both 5hmC and true 5mC at single-cell resolution. We show that cell-type-specific profiles of 5hmC or true 5mC improve multimodal single-cell data integration, enable accurate identification of neuronal subtypes and uncover context-specific regulatory effects on cell-type-specific genes by TET enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily B Fabyanic
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Penn Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Peng Hu
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Penn Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- International Research Center for Marine Biosciences, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qi Qiu
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Penn Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kiara N Berríos
- Penn Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Daniel R Connolly
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Penn Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Tong Wang
- Penn Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jennifer Flournoy
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Penn Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Zhaolan Zhou
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Penn Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Rahul M Kohli
- Penn Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Hao Wu
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Penn Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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3
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Wang Z, Zhang YX, Shi JZ, Yan Y, Zhao LL, Kou JJ, He YY, Xie XM, Zhang SJ, Pang XB. RNA m6A methylation and regulatory proteins in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Hypertens Res 2024; 47:1273-1287. [PMID: 38438725 DOI: 10.1038/s41440-024-01607-9] [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: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
m6A (N6‑methyladenosine) is the most common and abundant apparent modification in mRNA of eukaryotes. The modification of m6A is regulated dynamically and reversibly by methyltransferase (writer), demethylase (eraser), and binding protein (reader). It plays a significant role in various processes of mRNA metabolism, including regulation of transcription, maturation, translation, degradation, and stability. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a malignant cardiopulmonary vascular disease characterized by abnormal proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells. Despite the existence of several effective and targeted therapies, there is currently no cure for PAH and the prognosis remains poor. Recent studies have highlighted the crucial role of m6A modification in cardiovascular diseases. Investigating the role of RNA m6A methylation in PAH could provide valuable insights for drug development. This review aims to explore the mechanism and function of m6A in the pathogenesis of PAH and discuss the potential targeting of RNA m6A methylation modification as a treatment for PAH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Henan University, Henan, China
| | - Yi-Xuan Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Henan, China
| | - Jun-Zhuo Shi
- School of Pharmacy, Henan University, Henan, China
| | - Yi Yan
- Heart Center and Shanghai Institute of Pediatric Congenital Heart Disease, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lu-Ling Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Henan University, Henan, China
| | - Jie-Jian Kou
- Department of Pharmacy, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Henan, China
| | - Yang-Yang He
- School of Pharmacy, Henan University, Henan, China
| | - Xin-Mei Xie
- School of Pharmacy, Henan University, Henan, China.
| | - Si-Jin Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
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Luna Santamaría M, Andersson D, Parris TZ, Helou K, Österlund T, Ståhlberg A. Digital RNA sequencing using unique molecular identifiers enables ultrasensitive RNA mutation analysis. Commun Biol 2024; 7:249. [PMID: 38429519 PMCID: PMC10907754 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05955-7] [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: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Mutation analysis is typically performed at the DNA level since most technical approaches are developed for DNA analysis. However, some applications, like transcriptional mutagenesis, RNA editing and gene expression analysis, require RNA analysis. Here, we combine reverse transcription and digital DNA sequencing to enable low error digital RNA sequencing. We evaluate yield, reproducibility, dynamic range and error correction rate for seven different reverse transcription conditions using multiplexed assays. The yield, reproducibility and error rate vary substantially between the specific conditions, where the yield differs 9.9-fold between the best and worst performing condition. Next, we show that error rates similar to DNA sequencing can be achieved for RNA using appropriate reverse transcription conditions, enabling detection of mutant allele frequencies <0.1% at RNA level. We also detect mutations at both DNA and RNA levels in tumor tissue using a breast cancer panel. Finally, we demonstrate that digital RNA sequencing can be applied to liquid biopsies, analyzing cell-free gene transcripts. In conclusion, we demonstrate that digital RNA sequencing is suitable for ultrasensitive RNA mutation analysis, enabling several basic research and clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Luna Santamaría
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Daniel Andersson
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Toshima Z Parris
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Department of Oncology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Khalil Helou
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Department of Oncology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Tobias Österlund
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Department of Clinical Genetics and Genomics, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anders Ståhlberg
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
- Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Department of Clinical Genetics and Genomics, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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Zhang X, Van Treeck B, Horton CA, McIntyre JJR, Palm SM, Shumate JL, Collins K. Harnessing eukaryotic retroelement proteins for transgene insertion into human safe-harbor loci. Nat Biotechnol 2024:10.1038/s41587-024-02137-y. [PMID: 38379101 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-024-02137-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Current approaches for inserting autonomous transgenes into the genome, such as CRISPR-Cas9 or virus-based strategies, have limitations including low efficiency and high risk of untargeted genome mutagenesis. Here, we describe precise RNA-mediated insertion of transgenes (PRINT), an approach for site-specifically primed reverse transcription that directs transgene synthesis directly into the genome at a multicopy safe-harbor locus. PRINT uses delivery of two in vitro transcribed RNAs: messenger RNA encoding avian R2 retroelement-protein and template RNA encoding a transgene of length validated up to 4 kb. The R2 protein coordinately recognizes the target site, nicks one strand at a precise location and primes complementary DNA synthesis for stable transgene insertion. With a cultured human primary cell line, over 50% of cells can gain several 2 kb transgenes, of which more than 50% are full-length. PRINT advantages include no extragenomic DNA, limiting risk of deleterious mutagenesis and innate immune responses, and the relatively low cost, rapid production and scalability of RNA-only delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaozhu Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Briana Van Treeck
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Connor A Horton
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jeremy J R McIntyre
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Sarah M Palm
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Justin L Shumate
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Kathleen Collins
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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Li L. "Goldilocks Modifications" for mRNA Therapeutics Won the Nobel Prize. Nucleic Acid Ther 2024; 34:1-3. [PMID: 38285523 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2023.0062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Li Li
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
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Gao S, Guan H, Bloomer H, Wich D, Song D, Khirallah J, Ye Z, Zhao Y, Chen M, Xu C, Liu L, Xu Q. Harnessing non-Watson-Crick's base pairing to enhance CRISPR effectors cleavage activities and enable gene editing in mammalian cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2308415120. [PMID: 38150477 PMCID: PMC10786293 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2308415120] [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: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Genomic DNA of the cyanophage S-2L virus is composed of 2-aminoadenine (Z), thymine (T), guanine (G), and cytosine (C), forming the genetic alphabet ZTGC, which violates Watson-Crick base pairing rules. The Z-base has an extra amino group on the two position that allows the formation of a third hydrogen bond with thymine in DNA strands. Here, we explored and expanded applications of this non-Watson-Crick base pairing in protein expression and gene editing. Both ZTGC-DNA (Z-DNA) and ZUGC-RNA (Z-RNA) produced in vitro show detectable compatibility and can be decoded in mammalian cells, including Homo sapiens cells. Z-crRNA can guide CRISPR-effectors SpCas9 and LbCas12a to cleave specific DNA through non-Watson-Crick base pairing and boost cleavage activities compared to A-crRNA. Z-crRNA can also allow for efficient gene and base editing in human cells. Together, our results help pave the way for potential strategies for optimizing DNA or RNA payloads for gene editing therapeutics and give insights to understanding the natural Z-DNA genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuliang Gao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA02155
| | - Huiwen Guan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA02155
| | - Hanan Bloomer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA02155
| | - Douglas Wich
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA02155
| | - Donghui Song
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA02155
| | - Jennifer Khirallah
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA02155
| | - Zhongfeng Ye
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA02155
| | - Yu Zhao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA02155
| | - Mengting Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA02155
| | - Chutian Xu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA02155
| | - Lihan Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA02155
| | - Qiaobing Xu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA02155
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Oscorbin IP, Filipenko ML. A Novel Thermostable and Processive Reverse Transcriptase from a Group II Intron of Anoxybacillus flavithermus. Biomolecules 2023; 14:49. [PMID: 38254649 PMCID: PMC10813441 DOI: 10.3390/biom14010049] [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: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Reverse transcriptases (RTs) are a family of enzymes that synthesize DNA using an RNA template and are involved in retrovirus propagation and telomere lengthening. In vitro, RTs are widely applied in various methods, including RNA-seq, RT-PCR, and RT-LAMP. Thermostable RTs from bacterial group II introns are promising tools for biotechnology due to their higher thermostability, fidelity, and processivity compared to commonly used M-MuLV RT and its mutants. However, the diversity of group II intron-encoded RTs is still understudied. In this work, we biochemically characterized a novel RT from a thermophilic bacterium, Anoxybacillus flavithermus, which was isolated from a hot spring in New Zealand and has an optimal growth temperature of around 60 °C. The cloned RT, named Afl RT, retained approximately 40% of the specific activity after a 45 min incubation at 50 °C. The optimal pH was 8.5, the optimal temperature was between 45 and 50 °C, and Mn2+ ions were found to be an optimal cofactor. The processivity analysis with MS2 phage gRNA (3569 b) demonstrated that Afl RT elongated fully up to 36% of the template molecules. In reverse transcription and RT-qLAMP, the enzyme allowed up to 10 copies of MS2 phage genomic RNA to be detected per reaction. Thus, Afl RT holds great potential for a variety of practical applications that require the use of thermostable and processive RTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor P. Oscorbin
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ICBFM SB RAS), 8 Lavrentiev Avenue, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia;
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Xie Y, Chan LY, Cheung MY, Li MW, Lam HM. Current technical advancements in plant epitranscriptomic studies. THE PLANT GENOME 2023; 16:e20316. [PMID: 36890704 DOI: 10.1002/tpg2.20316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The growth and development of plants are the result of the interplay between the internal developmental programming and plant-environment interactions. Gene expression regulations in plants are made up of multi-level networks. In the past few years, many studies were carried out on co- and post-transcriptional RNA modifications, which, together with the RNA community, are collectively known as the "epitranscriptome." The epitranscriptomic machineries were identified and their functional impacts characterized in a broad range of physiological processes in diverse plant species. There is mounting evidence to suggest that the epitranscriptome provides an additional layer in the gene regulatory network for plant development and stress responses. In the present review, we summarized the epitranscriptomic modifications found so far in plants, including chemical modifications, RNA editing, and transcript isoforms. The various approaches to RNA modification detection were described, with special emphasis on the recent development and application potential of third-generation sequencing. The roles of epitranscriptomic changes in gene regulation during plant-environment interactions were discussed in case studies. This review aims to highlight the importance of epitranscriptomics in the study of gene regulatory networks in plants and to encourage multi-omics investigations using the recent technical advancements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yichun Xie
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Long-Yiu Chan
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ming-Yan Cheung
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Man-Wah Li
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Araujo Tavares RDC, Mahadeshwar G, Wan H, Pyle AM. MRT-ModSeq - Rapid Detection of RNA Modifications with MarathonRT. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:168299. [PMID: 37802215 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168299] [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: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
Chemical modifications are essential regulatory elements that modulate the behavior and function of cellular RNAs. Despite recent advances in sequencing-based RNA modification mapping, methods combining accuracy and speed are still lacking. Here, we introduce MRT-ModSeq for rapid, simultaneous detection of multiple RNA modifications using MarathonRT. MRT-ModSeq employs distinct divalent cofactors to generate 2-D mutational profiles that are highly dependent on nucleotide identity and modification type. As a proof of concept, we use the MRT fingerprints of well-studied rRNAs to implement a general workflow for detecting RNA modifications. MRT-ModSeq rapidly detects positions of diverse modifications across a RNA transcript, enabling assignment of m1acp3Y, m1A, m3U, m7G and 2'-OMe locations through mutation-rate filtering and machine learning. m1A sites in sparsely modified targets, such as MALAT1 and PRUNE1 could also be detected. MRT-ModSeq can be trained on natural and synthetic transcripts to expedite detection of diverse RNA modification subtypes across targets of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gandhar Mahadeshwar
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA. https://twitter.com/gandzmakerdance
| | - Han Wan
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA. https://twitter.com/HanWan19744358
| | - Anna Marie Pyle
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.
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Fleming AM, Zhu J, Done VK, Burrows CJ. Advantages and challenges associated with bisulfite-assisted nanopore direct RNA sequencing for modifications. RSC Chem Biol 2023; 4:952-964. [PMID: 37920399 PMCID: PMC10619145 DOI: 10.1039/d3cb00081h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Nanopore direct RNA sequencing is a technology that allows sequencing for epitranscriptomic modifications with the possibility of a quantitative assessment. In the present work, pseudouridine (Ψ) was sequenced with the nanopore before and after the pH 7 bisulfite reaction that yields stable ribose adducts at C1' of Ψ. The adducted sites produced greater base call errors in the form of deletion signatures compared to Ψ. Sequencing studies on E. coli rRNA and tmRNA before and after the pH 7 bisulfite reaction demonstrated that using chemically-assisted nanopore sequencing has distinct advantages for minimization of false positives and false negatives in the data. The rRNA from E. coli has 19 known U/C sequence variations that give similar base call signatures as Ψ, and therefore, are false positives when inspecting base call data; however, these sites are refractory to reacting with bisulfite as is easily observed in nanopore data. The E. coli tmRNA has a low occupancy Ψ in a pyrimidine-rich sequence context that is called a U representing a false negative; partial occupancy by Ψ is revealed after the bisulfite reaction. In a final study, 5-methylcytidine (m5C) in RNA can readily be observed after the pH 5 bisulfite reaction in which the parent C deaminates to U and the modified site does not react. This locates m5C when using bisulfite-assisted nanopore direct RNA sequencing, which is otherwise challenging to observe. The advantages and challenges of the overall approach are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron M Fleming
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah 315 S. 1400 East Salt Lake City UT 84112-0850 USA
| | - Judy Zhu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah 315 S. 1400 East Salt Lake City UT 84112-0850 USA
| | - Vilhelmina K Done
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah 315 S. 1400 East Salt Lake City UT 84112-0850 USA
| | - Cynthia J Burrows
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah 315 S. 1400 East Salt Lake City UT 84112-0850 USA
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Burrows CJ, Fleming AM. Bisulfite and Nanopore Sequencing for Pseudouridine in RNA. Acc Chem Res 2023; 56:2740-2751. [PMID: 37700703 PMCID: PMC10911771 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.3c00458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Nucleophilic addition of bisulfite to pyrimidine bases has been known for a half century, and the reaction has been in use for at least a quarter of a century for identifying 5-methylcytidine in DNA. This account focuses on the chemistry of bisulfite with pseudouridine, an isomer of the RNA nucleoside uridine in which the uracil base is connected to C1' of ribose via C5 instead of N1. Pseudouridine, Ψ, is the most common nucleotide modification found in cellular RNA overall, in part due to its abundance in rRNAs and tRNAs. It has a stabilizing influence on RNA structure because N1 is now available for additional hydrogen bonding and because the heterocycle is slightly better at π stacking. The isomerization of U to Ψ in RNA strands is catalyzed by 13 different enzymes in humans and 11 in E. coli; some of these enzymes are implicated in disease states which is testament to the biological importance of pseudouridine in cells. Recently, pseudouridine came into the limelight as the key modification that, after N1 methylation, enables mRNA vaccines to be delivered efficiently into human tissue with minimal generation of a deleterious immunogenic response. Here we describe the bisulfite reaction with pseudouridine which gives rise to a chemical sequencing method to map the modified base in the epitranscriptome. Unlike the reaction with cytidine, the addition of bisulfite to Ψ leads irreversibly to form an adduct that is bypassed during cDNA synthesis by reverse transcriptases yielding a characteristic deletion signature. Although there were hints to the structure of the bisulfite adduct(s) 30 to 50 years ago, it took modern spectroscopic and computational methods to solve the mystery. Raman spectroscopy along with extensive NMR, ECD, and computational work led to the assignment of the major product as the (R) diastereomer of an oxygen adduct at C1' of a ring-opened pseudouridine. Mechanistically, this arose from a succession of conjugate addition, E2 elimination, and a [2,3] sigmatropic rearrangement, all of which are stereodefined reactions. A minor reaction with excess bisulfite led to the (S) isomer of a S-adducted SO3- group. Understanding structure and mechanism aided the design of a Ψ-specific sequencing reaction and guided attempts to improve the utility and specificity of the method. Separately, we have been investigating the use of nanopore direct RNA sequencing, a single-molecule method that directly analyzes RNA strands isolated from cells after end-ligation of adaptor sequences. By combining the electrical current and base-calling data from the nanopore with dwell-time analysis from the helicase employed to deliver RNA to the nanopore, we were able to map Ψ sites in nearly all sequence contexts. This analysis was employed to find Ψ residues in the SARS-CoV-2 vRNA, to analyze the sequence context effects of mRNA vaccine synthesis via in vitro transcription, and to evaluate the impact of stress on chemical modifications in the E. coli ribosome. Most recently, we found that bisulfite treatment of RNA leading to Ψ adducts could modulate the nanopore signal to help in mapping modifications of low occupancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia J Burrows
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 S. 1400 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0850, United States
| | - Aaron M Fleming
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 S. 1400 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0850, United States
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Daga KR, Feray Çoşar M, Lowenkron A, Hao J, Rouillard J. Environmental Stability and Its Importance for the Emergence of Darwinian Evolution. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1960. [PMID: 37895342 PMCID: PMC10608181 DOI: 10.3390/life13101960] [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: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of Darwinian evolution represents a central point in the history of life as we know it. However, it is generally assumed that the environments in which life appeared were hydrothermal environments, with highly variable conditions in terms of pH, temperature or redox levels. Are evolutionary processes favored to appear in such settings, where the target of biological adaptation changes over time? How would the first evolving populations compete with non-evolving populations? Using a numerical model, we explore the effect of environmental variation on the outcome of the competition between evolving and non-evolving populations of protocells. Our study found that, while evolving protocells consistently outcompete non-evolving populations in stable environments, they are outcompeted in variable environments when environmental variations occur on a timescale similar to the average duration of a generation. This is due to the energetic burden represented by adaptation to the wrong environmental conditions. Since the timescale of temperature variation in natural hydrothermal settings overlaps with the average prokaryote generation time, the current work indicates that a solution must have been found by early life to overcome this threshold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khushi R. Daga
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA 98104, USA; (K.R.D.); (M.F.Ç.); (A.L.)
| | - Mensura Feray Çoşar
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA 98104, USA; (K.R.D.); (M.F.Ç.); (A.L.)
| | - Abigail Lowenkron
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA 98104, USA; (K.R.D.); (M.F.Ç.); (A.L.)
| | - Jihua Hao
- Deep Space Exploration Laboratory/CAS Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and Environments, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Joti Rouillard
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA 98104, USA; (K.R.D.); (M.F.Ç.); (A.L.)
- Deep Space Exploration Laboratory/CAS Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and Environments, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
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14
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Oscorbin I, Filipenko M. Bst polymerase - a humble relative of Taq polymerase. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:4519-4535. [PMID: 37767105 PMCID: PMC10520511 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA polymerases are a superfamily of enzymes synthesizing DNA using DNA as a template. They are essential for nucleic acid metabolism and for DNA replication and repair. Modern biotechnology and molecular diagnostics rely heavily on DNA polymerases in analyzing nucleic acids. Among a variety of discovered DNA polymerases, Bst polymerase, a large fragment of DNA polymerase I from Geobacillus stearothermophilus, is one of the most commonly used but is not as well studied as Taq polymerase. The ability of Bst polymerase to displace an upstream DNA strand during synthesis, coupled with its moderate thermal stability, has provided the basis for several isothermal DNA amplification methods, including LAMP, WGA, RCA, and many others. Bst polymerase is one of the key components defining the robustness and analytical characteristics of diagnostic test systems based on isothermal amplification. Here, we present an overview of the biochemical and structural features of Bst polymerase and provide information on its mutated analogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Oscorbin
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics, Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ICBFM SB RAS), 8 Lavrentiev Avenue, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Maxim Filipenko
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics, Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ICBFM SB RAS), 8 Lavrentiev Avenue, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
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15
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van Dijk EL, Naquin D, Gorrichon K, Jaszczyszyn Y, Ouazahrou R, Thermes C, Hernandez C. Genomics in the long-read sequencing era. Trends Genet 2023; 39:649-671. [PMID: 37230864 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2023.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Long-read sequencing (LRS) technologies have provided extremely powerful tools to explore genomes. While in the early years these methods suffered technical limitations, they have recently made significant progress in terms of read length, throughput, and accuracy and bioinformatics tools have strongly improved. Here, we aim to review the current status of LRS technologies, the development of novel methods, and the impact on genomics research. We will explore the most impactful recent findings made possible by these technologies focusing on high-resolution sequencing of genomes and transcriptomes and the direct detection of DNA and RNA modifications. We will also discuss how LRS methods promise a more comprehensive understanding of human genetic variation, transcriptomics, and epigenetics for the coming years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erwin L van Dijk
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Delphine Naquin
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Kévin Gorrichon
- National Center of Human Genomics Research (CNRGH), 91000 Évry-Courcouronnes, France
| | - Yan Jaszczyszyn
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Rania Ouazahrou
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Claude Thermes
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Céline Hernandez
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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16
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Li J, Yue S, Gao Z, Hu W, Liu Z, Xu G, Wu Z, Zhang X, Zhang G, Qian F, Jiang J, Yang S. Novel Approach to Enriching Glycosylated RNAs: Specific Capture of GlycoRNAs via Solid-Phase Chemistry. Anal Chem 2023; 95:11969-11977. [PMID: 37524653 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c01630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Ribonuclease (RNA) modifications can alter cellular function and lead to differential immune responses by acting as discriminators between RNAs from different phyla. RNA glycosylation has recently been observed at the cell surface, and its dysregulation in disease may change RNA functions. However, determining which RNA substrates can be glycosylated remains to be explored. Here, we develop a solid-phase chemoenzymatic method (SPCgRNA) for targeting glycosylated RNAs, by which glycosylated RNA substrates can be specifically recognized. We found the differential N-glycosylation of small RNAs in hTERT-HPNE and MIA PaCa-2 cancer cells using SPCgRNA. RNA-Seq showed that the changes in glyco-miRNAs prepared from SPCgRNA were consistent with those of traditional methods. The KEGG signaling pathway analysis revealed that differential miRNA glycosylation can affect tumor cell proliferation and survival. Further studies found that NGI-1 significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration, and circulation of MIA PaCa-2 and promoted cell apoptosis. In addition, β-1,4-galactosyltransferase 1 (B4GALT1) not only affected the expression level of glycosylated miRNAs hsa-miR-21-5p but also promoted cell apoptosis and inhibited the cell cycle possibly through the p53 signaling pathway, while B4GALT1 and p53 were also affected following the hsa-miR-21-5p increase. These results suggest that B4GALT1 may catalyze miRNAs glycosylation, which further promotes cancer cell progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Li
- Center for Clinical Mass Spectrometry, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Shuang Yue
- Center for Clinical Mass Spectrometry, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Ziyuan Gao
- Center for Clinical Mass Spectrometry, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Jiangsu 215123, China
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
| | - Wenhua Hu
- Center for Clinical Mass Spectrometry, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Zhaoliang Liu
- Center for Clinical Mass Spectrometry, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Guoqiang Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Zhen Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Xumin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Guolin Zhang
- Suzhou Institute for Drug Control, Suzhou 215104, China
| | - Fuliang Qian
- Center for Systems Biology, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Junhong Jiang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Dushu Lake Hospital, Affiliated to Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China
| | - Shuang Yang
- Center for Clinical Mass Spectrometry, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Jiangsu 215123, China
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17
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Kang DD, Li H, Dong Y. Advancements of in vitro transcribed mRNA (IVT mRNA) to enable translation into the clinics. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2023; 199:114961. [PMID: 37321375 PMCID: PMC10264168 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2023.114961] [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: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The accelerated progress and approval of two mRNA-based vaccines to address the SARS-CoV-2 virus were unprecedented. This record-setting feat was made possible through the solid foundation of research on in vitro transcribed mRNA (IVT mRNA) which could be utilized as a therapeutic modality. Through decades of thorough research to overcome barriers to implementation, mRNA-based vaccines or therapeutics offer many advantages to rapidly address a broad range of applications including infectious diseases, cancers, and gene editing. Here, we describe the advances that have supported the adoption of IVT mRNA in the clinics, including optimization of the IVT mRNA structural components, synthesis, and lastly concluding with different classes of IVT RNA. Continuing interest in driving IVT mRNA technology will enable a safer and more efficacious therapeutic modality to address emerging and existing diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana D Kang
- Division of Pharmaceutics & Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States; Genomics Institute, Precision Immunology Institute, Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Haoyuan Li
- Genomics Institute, Precision Immunology Institute, Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Yizhou Dong
- Division of Pharmaceutics & Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Center for Clinical and Translational Science, The Comprehensive Cancer Center; Dorothy M. Davis Heart & Lung Research Institute, Department of Radiation Oncology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States; Genomics Institute, Precision Immunology Institute, Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States.
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18
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Yeter-Alat H, Belgareh-Touzé N, Huvelle E, Banroques J, Tanner NK. The DEAD-Box RNA Helicase Ded1 Is Associated with Translating Ribosomes. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1566. [PMID: 37628617 PMCID: PMC10454743 DOI: 10.3390/genes14081566] [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: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
DEAD-box RNA helicases are ATP-dependent RNA binding proteins and RNA-dependent ATPases that possess weak, nonprocessive unwinding activity in vitro, but they can form long-lived complexes on RNAs when the ATPase activity is inhibited. Ded1 is a yeast DEAD-box protein, the functional ortholog of mammalian DDX3, that is considered important for the scanning efficiency of the 48S pre-initiation complex ribosomes to the AUG start codon. We used a modified PAR-CLIP technique, which we call quicktime PAR-CLIP (qtPAR-CLIP), to crosslink Ded1 to 4-thiouridine-incorporated RNAs in vivo using UV light centered at 365 nm. The irradiation conditions are largely benign to the yeast cells and to Ded1, and we are able to obtain a high efficiency of crosslinking under physiological conditions. We find that Ded1 forms crosslinks on the open reading frames of many different mRNAs, but it forms the most extensive interactions on relatively few mRNAs, and particularly on mRNAs encoding certain ribosomal proteins and translation factors. Under glucose-depletion conditions, the crosslinking pattern shifts to mRNAs encoding metabolic and stress-related proteins, which reflects the altered translation. These data are consistent with Ded1 functioning in the regulation of translation elongation, perhaps by pausing or stabilizing the ribosomes through its ATP-dependent binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilal Yeter-Alat
- Expression Génétique Microbienne, Université de Paris Cité & CNRS, IBPC, 13 Rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France; (H.Y.-A.); (E.H.); (J.B.)
- Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris Sciences et Lettres University, CNRS UMR8261, EGM, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Naïma Belgareh-Touzé
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire des Eucaryotes, UMR8226 CNRS, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Sorbonne Université, 13 Rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France;
| | - Emmeline Huvelle
- Expression Génétique Microbienne, Université de Paris Cité & CNRS, IBPC, 13 Rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France; (H.Y.-A.); (E.H.); (J.B.)
- Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris Sciences et Lettres University, CNRS UMR8261, EGM, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Josette Banroques
- Expression Génétique Microbienne, Université de Paris Cité & CNRS, IBPC, 13 Rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France; (H.Y.-A.); (E.H.); (J.B.)
- Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris Sciences et Lettres University, CNRS UMR8261, EGM, 75005 Paris, France
| | - N. Kyle Tanner
- Expression Génétique Microbienne, Université de Paris Cité & CNRS, IBPC, 13 Rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France; (H.Y.-A.); (E.H.); (J.B.)
- Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris Sciences et Lettres University, CNRS UMR8261, EGM, 75005 Paris, France
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19
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Macias LA, Garcia SP, Back KM, Wu Y, Johnson GH, Kathiresan S, Bellinger AM, Rohde E, Freitas MA, Madsen JA. Spacer Fidelity Assessments of Guide RNA by Top-Down Mass Spectrometry. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2023; 9:1437-1452. [PMID: 37521788 PMCID: PMC10375574 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.3c00289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
The advancement of CRISPR-based gene editing tools into biotherapeutics offers the potential for cures to genetic disorders and for new treatment paradigms for even common diseases. Arguably, the most important component of a CRISPR-based medicine is the guide RNA, which is generally large (>100-mer) synthetic RNA composed of a "tracr" and "spacer" region, the latter of which dictates the on-target editing site as well as potential undesired off-target edits. Aiming to advance contemporary capabilities for gRNA characterization to ensure the spacer region is of high fidelity, top-down mass spectrometry was herein implemented to provide direct and quantitative assessments of highly modified gRNA. In addition to sequencing the spacer region and pinpointing modifications, top-down mass spectra were utilized to quantify single-base spacer substitution impurities down to <1% and to decipher highly dissimilar spacers. To accomplish these results in an automated fashion, we devised custom software capable of sequencing and quantifying impurities in gRNA spacers. Notably, we developed automated tools that enabled the quantification of single-base substitutions, including advanced isotopic pattern matching for C > U and U > C substitutions, and created a de novo sequencing strategy to facilitate the identification and quantification of gRNA impurities with highly dissimilar spacer regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis A. Macias
- Verve
Therapeutics, 201 Brookline Avenue, Suite 601, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Sara P. Garcia
- Verve
Therapeutics, 201 Brookline Avenue, Suite 601, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Kayla M. Back
- Verve
Therapeutics, 201 Brookline Avenue, Suite 601, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Yue Wu
- Verve
Therapeutics, 201 Brookline Avenue, Suite 601, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - G. Hall Johnson
- MassMatrix,
Inc., 600 Teteridge Road, Columbus, Ohio 43214, United States
| | - Sekar Kathiresan
- Verve
Therapeutics, 201 Brookline Avenue, Suite 601, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Andrew M. Bellinger
- Verve
Therapeutics, 201 Brookline Avenue, Suite 601, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Ellen Rohde
- Verve
Therapeutics, 201 Brookline Avenue, Suite 601, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Michael A. Freitas
- MassMatrix,
Inc., 600 Teteridge Road, Columbus, Ohio 43214, United States
- The
Ohio State University, 281 West Lane Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - James A. Madsen
- Verve
Therapeutics, 201 Brookline Avenue, Suite 601, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
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20
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Verwilt J, Mestdagh P, Vandesompele J. Artifacts and biases of the reverse transcription reaction in RNA sequencing. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2023; 29:889-897. [PMID: 36990512 DOI: 10.1261/rna.079623.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
RNA sequencing has spurred a significant number of research areas in recent years. Most protocols rely on synthesizing a more stable complementary DNA (cDNA) copy of the RNA molecule during the reverse transcription reaction. The resulting cDNA pool is often wrongfully assumed to be quantitatively and molecularly similar to the original RNA input. Sadly, biases and artifacts confound the resulting cDNA mixture. These issues are often overlooked or ignored in the literature by those that rely on the reverse transcription process. In this review, we confront the reader with intra- and intersample biases and artifacts caused by the reverse transcription reaction during RNA sequencing experiments. To fight the reader's despair, we also provide solutions to most issues and inform on good RNA sequencing practices. We hope the reader can use this review to their advantage, thereby contributing to scientifically sound RNA studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasper Verwilt
- OncoRNALab, Cancer Research Institute Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Pieter Mestdagh
- OncoRNALab, Cancer Research Institute Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jo Vandesompele
- OncoRNALab, Cancer Research Institute Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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21
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Tavares RDCA, Mahadeshwar G, Wan H, Pyle AM. MRT-ModSeq - Rapid detection of RNA modifications with MarathonRT. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.25.542276. [PMID: 37292902 PMCID: PMC10245971 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.25.542276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Chemical modifications are essential regulatory elements that modulate the behavior and function of cellular RNAs. Despite recent advances in sequencing-based RNA modification mapping, methods combining accuracy and speed are still lacking. Here, we introduce MRT- ModSeq for rapid, simultaneous detection of multiple RNA modifications using MarathonRT. MRT-ModSeq employs distinct divalent cofactors to generate 2-D mutational profiles that are highly dependent on nucleotide identity and modification type. As a proof of concept, we use the MRT fingerprints of well-studied rRNAs to implement a general workflow for detecting RNA modifications. MRT-ModSeq rapidly detects positions of diverse modifications across a RNA transcript, enabling assignment of m1acp3Y, m1A, m3U, m7G and 2'-OMe locations through mutation-rate filtering and machine learning. m1A sites in sparsely modified targets, such as MALAT1 and PRUNE1 could also be detected. MRT-ModSeq can be trained on natural and synthetic transcripts to expedite detection of diverse RNA modification subtypes across targets of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gandhar Mahadeshwar
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Han Wan
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Anna Marie Pyle
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
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22
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Apostle A, Yin Y, Chillar K, Eriyagama AMDN, Arneson R, Burke E, Fang S, Yuan Y. Effects of Epitranscriptomic RNA Modifications on the Catalytic Activity of the SARS-CoV-2 Replication Complex. Chembiochem 2023; 24:e202300095. [PMID: 36752976 PMCID: PMC10121919 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300095] [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: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 causes individualized symptoms. Many reasons have been given. We propose that an individual's epitranscriptomic system could be responsible as well. The viral RNA genome can be subject to epitranscriptomic modifications, which can be different for different individuals, and thus epitranscriptomics can affect many events including RNA replication differently. In this context, we studied the effects of modifications including pseudouridine (Ψ), 5-methylcytosine (m5 C), N6-methyladenosine (m6 A), N1-methyladenosine (m1 A) and N3-methylcytosine (m3 C) on the activity of SARS-CoV-2 replication complex (SC2RC). We found that Ψ, m5 C, m6 A and m3 C had little effect, whereas m1 A inhibited the enzyme. Both m1 A and m3 C disrupt canonical base pairing, but they had different effects. The fact that m1 A inhibits SC2RC implies that the modification can be difficult to detect. This fact also implies that individuals with upregulated m1 A including cancer, obesity and diabetes patients might have milder symptoms. However, this contradicts clinical observations. Relevant discussions are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Apostle
- Department of Chemistry and Health Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI, 49931, USA
| | - Yipeng Yin
- Department of Chemistry and Health Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI, 49931, USA
| | - Komal Chillar
- Department of Chemistry and Health Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI, 49931, USA
| | - Adikari M D N Eriyagama
- Department of Chemistry and Health Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI, 49931, USA
| | - Reed Arneson
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI, 49931, USA
| | - Emma Burke
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI, 49931, USA
| | - Shiyue Fang
- Department of Chemistry and Health Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI, 49931, USA
| | - Yinan Yuan
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI, 49931, USA
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23
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Spangenberg J, Zu Siederdissen CH, Žarković M, Triebel S, Rose R, Christophersen CM, Paltzow L, Hegab MM, Wansorra A, Srivastava A, Krumbholz A, Marz M. Magnipore: Prediction of differential single nucleotide changes in the Oxford Nanopore Technologies sequencing signal of SARS-CoV-2 samples. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.17.533105. [PMID: 36993667 PMCID: PMC10055291 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.17.533105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) allows direct sequencing of ribonucleic acids (RNA) and, in addition, detection of possible RNA modifications due to deviations from the expected ONT signal. The software available so far for this purpose can only detect a small number of modifications. Alternatively, two samples can be compared for different RNA modifications. We present Magnipore, a novel tool to search for significant signal shifts between samples of Oxford Nanopore data from similar or related species. Magnipore classifies them into mutations and potential modifications. We use Magnipore to compare SARS-CoV-2 samples. Included were representatives of the early 2020s Pango lineages (n=6), samples from Pango lineages B.1.1.7 (n=2, Alpha), B.1.617.2 (n=1, Delta), and B.1.529 (n=7, Omicron). Magnipore utilizes position-wise Gaussian distribution models and a comprehensible significance threshold to find differential signals. In the case of Alpha and Delta, Magnipore identifies 55 detected mutations and 15 sites that hint at differential modifications. We predicted potential virus-variant and variant-group-specific differential modifications. Magnipore contributes to advancing RNA modification analysis in the context of viruses and virus variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jannes Spangenberg
- RNA Bioinformatics and High-Throughput Analysis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Leutragraben 1, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | | | - Milena Žarković
- RNA Bioinformatics and High-Throughput Analysis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Leutragraben 1, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Sandra Triebel
- RNA Bioinformatics and High-Throughput Analysis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Leutragraben 1, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Ruben Rose
- Institute for Infection Medicine, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Brunswiker Straße 4, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Lea Paltzow
- Labor Dr. Krause und Kollegen MVZ GmbH, Steenbeker Weg 23, 24106 Kiel, Germany
| | - Mohsen M Hegab
- Labor Dr. Krause und Kollegen MVZ GmbH, Steenbeker Weg 23, 24106 Kiel, Germany
| | - Anna Wansorra
- Labor Dr. Krause und Kollegen MVZ GmbH, Steenbeker Weg 23, 24106 Kiel, Germany
| | - Akash Srivastava
- RNA Bioinformatics and High-Throughput Analysis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Leutragraben 1, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Andi Krumbholz
- Institute for Infection Medicine, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Brunswiker Straße 4, 24105 Kiel, Germany
- Labor Dr. Krause und Kollegen MVZ GmbH, Steenbeker Weg 23, 24106 Kiel, Germany
| | - Manja Marz
- RNA Bioinformatics and High-Throughput Analysis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Leutragraben 1, 07743 Jena, Germany
- European Virus Bioinformatics Center 2, Leutragraben 1, 07743 Jena, Germany
- FLI Leibniz Institute for Age Research, Beutenbergstraße 11, 07745 Jena, Germany
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24
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Downregulation of miR-671-5p promotes IL-10 mRNA increase in porcine moDCs stimulated with the probiotic BB12. Mol Biol Rep 2023; 50:919-925. [PMID: 36334231 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-08040-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous work showed that the microRNA (miRNA) miR-671-5p was upregulated in monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDCs) stimulated with Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB12 (BB12) with no increase in IL-10 after six hours of stimulation. In this work, we performed an in silico prediction of genes targeted by miR-671-5p and which are the terms and pathways involved with it. Also, miR-671-5p was transiently downregulated to assess its effect on IL-10 regulation. METHODS AND RESULTS First, we performed a Gene Ontology enrichment analysis to predict immune response terms and pathways involved with miR-671-5p. Some of the terms and pathways found were related to the immune response promoted by the probiotic, as the terms "negative regulation of the inflammatory response to an antigenic stimulus" and "cancer" were highlighted. Then, to assess the role of miR-671-5p in IL-10 regulation, moDCs were derived from porcine peripheral blood and later transfected with miR-671-5p antisense oligonucleotide (ASO). Flow cytometry was employed to evaluate the transfection efficiency. Then, the moDCs were stimulated with BB12, and the expression of IL-10 was assessed by RT-qPCR and ELISA. An increase in IL-10 transcript in miR-671-5p-ASO-transfected moDCs stimulated with BB12 was observed compared with moDCs stimulated with BB12 but not transfected. These results suggest the participation of miR-671-5p as a negative regulator of IL-10. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that miR-671-5p participates in the downregulation of IL-10, as previously predicted in silico by our work group. miR-671-5p could play an essential role in the immunomodulation promoted by the probiotic BB12.
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25
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Athanasopoulou K, Daneva GN, Boti MA, Dimitroulis G, Adamopoulos PG, Scorilas A. The Transition from Cancer "omics" to "epi-omics" through Next- and Third-Generation Sequencing. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:life12122010. [PMID: 36556377 PMCID: PMC9785810 DOI: 10.3390/life12122010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Deciphering cancer etiopathogenesis has proven to be an especially challenging task since the mechanisms that drive tumor development and progression are far from simple. An astonishing amount of research has revealed a wide spectrum of defects, including genomic abnormalities, epigenomic alterations, disturbance of gene transcription, as well as post-translational protein modifications, which cooperatively promote carcinogenesis. These findings suggest that the adoption of a multidimensional approach can provide a much more precise and comprehensive picture of the tumor landscape, hence serving as a powerful tool in cancer research and precision oncology. The introduction of next- and third-generation sequencing technologies paved the way for the decoding of genetic information and the elucidation of cancer-related cellular compounds and mechanisms. In the present review, we discuss the current and emerging applications of both generations of sequencing technologies, also referred to as massive parallel sequencing (MPS), in the fields of cancer genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics, as well as in the progressing realms of epi-omics. Finally, we provide a brief insight into the expanding scope of sequencing applications in personalized cancer medicine and pharmacogenomics.
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26
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Nagaraj S, Stankiewicz-Drogon A, Darzynkiewicz E, Grzela R. RNA sensor response in HeLa cells for transfected mRNAs prepared in vitro by SP6 and HiT7 RNA polymerases: A comparative study. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:1017934. [PMID: 36406230 PMCID: PMC9669293 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.1017934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
In vitro transcribed (IVT) synthetic mRNAs are in high demand due to their attractive bench to clinic translational processes. Mainly, the procedure to make IVT mRNA using bacteriophage RNA polymerases (RNAP) is relatively uncomplicated and scalable to produce large quantities in a short time period. However, IVT mRNA preparations are accompanied by contaminants such as double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) as by-products that elicit undesired cellular immune responses upon transfections. Therefore, removing dsRNA contaminants is critical in IVT mRNA preparations for therapeutic applications. One such method to minimize dsRNA contaminants is to use genetically modified thermostable bacteriophage polymerase, HiT7 RNAP that performs IVT reaction at a higher temperature than typically used. However, the cellular RNA sensor response for IVT mRNA preparations by HiT7 RNAP is not characterized. Here, we compared the cellular RNA sensor response for mRNAs prepared by HiT7 RNAP (at 50°C) and SP6 RNAP (at 37°C) in HeLa cells. We show that IVT mRNA preparations by HiT7 RNAP reduced the dsRNA levels and dsRNA specific RNA sensor response (retinoic acid-inducible gene I, RIG-I and melanoma differentiation-associated 5, MDA5) compared to the IVT mRNA preparations by SP6 RNAP. Similarly, the incorporation of pseudouridine nucleotides instead of uridine nucleotides reduced dsRNA sensor response and increased the mRNA translation. Overall, the least dsRNA mediated RNA sensor response is observed when mRNA is synthesized by HiT7 RNAP and incorporated with pseudouridine nucleotides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siranjeevi Nagaraj
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Centre of New Technologies, University of WarsawWarsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Stankiewicz-Drogon
- Division of Biophysics, Institute of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of WarsawWarsaw, Poland
| | - Edward Darzynkiewicz
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Centre of New Technologies, University of WarsawWarsaw, Poland
- Division of Biophysics, Institute of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of WarsawWarsaw, Poland
| | - Renata Grzela
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Centre of New Technologies, University of WarsawWarsaw, Poland
- Division of Biophysics, Institute of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of WarsawWarsaw, Poland
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27
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Begik O, Mattick JS, Novoa EM. Exploring the epitranscriptome by native RNA sequencing. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2022; 28:1430-1439. [PMID: 36104106 PMCID: PMC9745831 DOI: 10.1261/rna.079404.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Chemical RNA modifications, collectively referred to as the "epitranscriptome," are essential players in fine-tuning gene expression. Our ability to analyze RNA modifications has improved rapidly in recent years, largely due to the advent of high-throughput sequencing methodologies, which typically consist of coupling modification-specific reagents, such as antibodies or enzymes, to next-generation sequencing. Recently, it also became possible to map RNA modifications directly by sequencing native RNAs using nanopore technologies, which has been applied for the detection of a number of RNA modifications, such as N6-methyladenosine (m6A), pseudouridine (Ψ), and inosine (I). However, the signal modulations caused by most RNA modifications are yet to be determined. A global effort is needed to determine the signatures of the full range of RNA modifications to avoid the technical biases that have so far limited our understanding of the epitranscriptome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oguzhan Begik
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - John S Mattick
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Eva Maria Novoa
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona 08003, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona 08002, Spain
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28
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Engineered helicase replaces thermocycler in DNA amplification while retaining desired PCR characteristics. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6312. [PMID: 36274095 PMCID: PMC9588791 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34076-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is an essential method in molecular diagnostics and life sciences. PCR requires thermal cycling for heating the DNA for strand separation and cooling it for replication. The process uses a specialized hardware and exposes biomolecules to temperatures above 95 °C. Here, we engineer a PcrA M6 helicase with enhanced speed and processivity to replace the heating step by enzymatic DNA unwinding while retaining desired PCR characteristics. We name this isothermal amplification method SHARP (SSB-Helicase Assisted Rapid PCR) because it uses the engineered helicase and single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB) in addition to standard PCR reagents. SHARP can generate amplicons with lengths of up to 6000 base pairs. SHARP can produce functional DNA, a plasmid that imparts cells with antibiotic resistance, and can amplify specific fragments from genomic DNA of human cells. We further use SHARP to assess the outcome of CRISPR-Cas9 editing at endogenous genomic sites.
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29
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George S, Rafi M, Aldarmaki M, ElSiddig M, Al Nuaimi M, Amiri KMA. tRNA derived small RNAs—Small players with big roles. Front Genet 2022; 13:997780. [PMID: 36199575 PMCID: PMC9527309 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.997780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past 2 decades, small non-coding RNAs derived from tRNA (tsRNAs or tRNA derived fragments; tRFs) have emerged as new powerful players in the field of small RNA mediated regulation of gene expression, translation, and epigenetic control. tRFs have been identified from evolutionarily divergent organisms from Archaea, the higher plants, to humans. Recent studies have confirmed their roles in cancers and other metabolic disorders in humans and experimental models. They have been implicated in biotic and abiotic stress responses in plants as well. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on tRFs including types of tRFs, their biogenesis, and mechanisms of action. The review also highlights recent studies involving differential expression profiling of tRFs and elucidation of specific functions of individual tRFs from various species. We also discuss potential considerations while designing experiments involving tRFs identification and characterization and list the available bioinformatics tools for this purpose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suja George
- Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohammed Rafi
- Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Maitha Aldarmaki
- Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohamed ElSiddig
- Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mariam Al Nuaimi
- Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Khaled M. A. Amiri
- Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
- *Correspondence: Khaled M. A. Amiri,
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Kim KQ, Burgute BD, Tzeng SC, Jing C, Jungers C, Zhang J, Yan LL, Vierstra RD, Djuranovic S, Evans BS, Zaher HS. N1-methylpseudouridine found within COVID-19 mRNA vaccines produces faithful protein products. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111300. [PMID: 35988540 PMCID: PMC9376333 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthetic mRNA technology is a promising avenue for treating and preventing disease. Key to the technology is the incorporation of modified nucleotides such as N1-methylpseudouridine (m1Ψ) to decrease immunogenicity of the RNA. However, relatively few studies have addressed the effects of modified nucleotides on the decoding process. Here, we investigate the effect of m1Ψ and the related modification pseudouridine (Ψ) on translation. In a reconstituted system, we find that m1Ψ does not significantly alter decoding accuracy. More importantly, we do not detect an increase in miscoded peptides when mRNA containing m1Ψ is translated in cell culture, compared with unmodified mRNA. We also find that m1Ψ does not stabilize mismatched RNA-duplex formation and only marginally promotes errors during reverse transcription. Overall, our results suggest that m1Ψ does not significantly impact translational fidelity, a welcome sign for future RNA therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyusik Q. Kim
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | | | | | - Crystal Jing
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Courtney Jungers
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Junya Zhang
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Liewei L. Yan
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Richard D. Vierstra
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Sergej Djuranovic
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | | | - Hani S. Zaher
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA,Corresponding author
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31
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RNA-Binding Proteins in the Regulation of Adipogenesis and Adipose Function. Cells 2022; 11:cells11152357. [PMID: 35954201 PMCID: PMC9367552 DOI: 10.3390/cells11152357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The obesity epidemic represents a critical public health issue worldwide, as it is a vital risk factor for many diseases, including type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease. Obesity is a complex disease involving excessive fat accumulation. Proper adipose tissue accumulation and function are highly transcriptional and regulated by many genes. Recent studies have discovered that post-transcriptional regulation, mainly mediated by RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), also plays a crucial role. In the lifetime of RNA, it is bound by various RBPs that determine every step of RNA metabolism, from RNA processing to alternative splicing, nucleus export, rate of translation, and finally decay. In humans, it is predicted that RBPs account for more than 10% of proteins based on the presence of RNA-binding domains. However, only very few RBPs have been studied in adipose tissue. The primary aim of this paper is to provide an overview of RBPs in adipogenesis and adipose function. Specifically, the following best-characterized RBPs will be discussed, including HuR, PSPC1, Sam68, RBM4, Ybx1, Ybx2, IGF2BP2, and KSRP. Characterization of these proteins will increase our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of RBPs in adipogenesis and provide clues for the etiology and pathology of adipose-tissue-related diseases.
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32
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Chen TH, Potapov V, Dai N, Ong JL, Roy B. N 1-methyl-pseudouridine is incorporated with higher fidelity than pseudouridine in synthetic RNAs. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13017. [PMID: 35906281 PMCID: PMC9335462 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17249-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In vitro transcribed synthetic messenger RNAs (mRNAs) represent a novel therapeutic modality. To overcome the inherent immunogenicity, as well as to increase the therapeutic efficacy of the molecules, uridine analogs-such as pseudouridine (Ψ) and N1-methyl-pseudouridine (m1Ψ), are incorporated in the synthetic mRNA. To decipher the fidelity with which these modifications are incorporated during the in vitro transcription (IVT) process, we compared the incorporation fidelity of uridine analogs with different RNA polymerases. We demonstrate that m1Ψ is incorporated with higher fidelity than Ψ. The fidelity of nucleotide incorporation differs between RNA polymerases; however, the spectrum of mutations observed between the RNAPs is similar. We also show that the array of nucleotide misincorporation is not dependent on the template DNA sequence context and that the distribution of these misincorporated nucleotides is not localized to any specific region along the length of the RNA. Based on our findings, we introduce a novel method to improve uridine analog incorporation fidelity during IVT. Our proof-of-concept experiments for higher-fidelity incorporation of uridine analogs during IVT provide guidelines when choosing RNAPs for the generation of modified uridine-containing mRNAs in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tien-Hao Chen
- RNA and Genome Editing, New England Biolabs Inc., Beverly, MA, 01915, USA
| | - Vladimir Potapov
- RNA and Genome Editing, New England Biolabs Inc., Beverly, MA, 01915, USA
| | - Nan Dai
- RNA and Genome Editing, New England Biolabs Inc., Beverly, MA, 01915, USA
| | - Jennifer L Ong
- RNA and Genome Editing, New England Biolabs Inc., Beverly, MA, 01915, USA
| | - Bijoyita Roy
- RNA and Genome Editing, New England Biolabs Inc., Beverly, MA, 01915, USA.
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Domazet-Lošo T. mRNA Vaccines: Why Is the Biology of Retroposition Ignored? Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:719. [PMID: 35627104 PMCID: PMC9141755 DOI: 10.3390/genes13050719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The major advantage of mRNA vaccines over more conventional approaches is their potential for rapid development and large-scale deployment in pandemic situations. In the current COVID-19 crisis, two mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have been conditionally approved and broadly applied, while others are still in clinical trials. However, there is no previous experience with the use of mRNA vaccines on a large scale in the general population. This warrants a careful evaluation of mRNA vaccine safety properties by considering all available knowledge about mRNA molecular biology and evolution. Here, I discuss the pervasive claim that mRNA-based vaccines cannot alter genomes. Surprisingly, this notion is widely stated in the mRNA vaccine literature but never supported by referencing any primary scientific papers that would specifically address this question. This discrepancy becomes even more puzzling if one considers previous work on the molecular and evolutionary aspects of retroposition in murine and human populations that clearly documents the frequent integration of mRNA molecules into genomes, including clinical contexts. By performing basic comparisons, I show that the sequence features of mRNA vaccines meet all known requirements for retroposition using L1 elements-the most abundant autonomously active retrotransposons in the human genome. In fact, many factors associated with mRNA vaccines increase the possibility of their L1-mediated retroposition. I conclude that is unfounded to a priori assume that mRNA-based therapeutics do not impact genomes and that the route to genome integration of vaccine mRNAs via endogenous L1 retroelements is easily conceivable. This implies that we urgently need experimental studies that would rigorously test for the potential retroposition of vaccine mRNAs. At present, the insertional mutagenesis safety of mRNA-based vaccines should be considered unresolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomislav Domazet-Lošo
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička Cesta 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
- School of Medicine, Catholic University of Croatia, Ilica 242, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
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Towards SINEUP-based therapeutics: Design of an in vitro synthesized SINEUP RNA. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2022; 27:1092-1102. [PMID: 35228902 PMCID: PMC8857549 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2022.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
SINEUPs are a novel class of natural and synthetic non-coding antisense RNA molecules able to increase the translation of a target mRNA. They present a modular organization comprising an unstructured antisense target-specific domain, which sets the specificity of each individual SINEUP, and a structured effector domain, which is responsible for the translation enhancement. In order to design a fully functional in vitro transcribed SINEUP for therapeutics applications, SINEUP RNAs were synthesized in vitro with a variety of chemical modifications and screened for their activity on endogenous target mRNA upon transfection. Three combinations of modified ribonucleotides-2'O methyl-ATP (Am), N6 methyl-ATP (m6A), and pseudo-UTP (ψ)-conferred SINEUP activity to naked RNA. The best combination tested in this study was fully modified with m6A and ψ. Aside from functionality, this combination conferred improved stability upon transfection and higher thermal stability. Common structural determinants of activity were identified by circular dichroisms, defining a core functional structure that is achieved with different combinations of modifications.
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35
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Fontenla S, Langleib M, de la Torre-Escudero E, Domínguez MF, Robinson MW, Tort J. Role of Fasciola hepatica Small RNAs in the Interaction With the Mammalian Host. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 11:812141. [PMID: 35155272 PMCID: PMC8824774 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.812141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression being involved in many different biological processes and play a key role in developmental timing. Additionally, recent studies have shown that miRNAs released from parasites are capable of regulating the expression of host genes. In the present work, we studied the expression patterns of ncRNAs of various intra-mammalian life-cycle stages of the liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica, as well as those packaged into extracellular vesicles and shed by the adult fluke. The miRNA expression profile of the intra-mammalian stages shows important variations, despite a set of predominant miRNAs that are highly expressed across all stages. No substantial variations in miRNA expression between dormant and activated metacercariae were detected, suggesting that they might not be central players in regulating fluke gene expression during this crucial step in the invasion of the definitive host. We generated a curated pipeline for the prediction of putative target genes that reports only sites conserved between three different prediction approaches. This pipeline was tested against an iso-seq curated database of the 3’ UTR regions of F. hepatica genes to detect miRNA regulation networks within liver fluke. Several functions related to the host immune response or modulation were enriched among the targets of the most highly expressed parasite miRNAs, stressing that they might be key players during the establishment and maintenance of infection. Additionally, we detected fragments derived from the processing of tRNAs, in all developmental stages analyzed, and documented the presence of novel long tRNA fragments enriched in vesicles. We confirmed the presence of at least 5 putative vault RNAs (vtRNAs), that are expressed across different stages and enriched in vesicles. The presence of tRNA fragments and vtRNAs in vesicles raise the possibility that they could be involved in the host-parasite interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Fontenla
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República (UdelaR), Montevideo, Uruguay
- *Correspondence: Santiago Fontenla, ; José Tort,
| | - Mauricio Langleib
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República (UdelaR), Montevideo, Uruguay
- Departamento de Desarrollo Biotecnológico, Instituto de Higiene, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República (UdelaR), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | | | - Maria Fernanda Domínguez
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República (UdelaR), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Mark W. Robinson
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland
| | - José Tort
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República (UdelaR), Montevideo, Uruguay
- *Correspondence: Santiago Fontenla, ; José Tort,
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36
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Minshall N, Chernukhin I, Carroll JS, Git A. ncRNAseq: simple modifications to RNA-seq library preparation allow recovery and analysis of mid-sized non-coding RNAs. Biotechniques 2022; 72:21-28. [PMID: 34841883 DOI: 10.2144/btn-2021-0035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite their abundance, mid-sized RNAs (30-300 nt) have not been extensively studied by high-throughput sequencing, mostly due to selective loss in library preparation. The authors propose simple and inexpensive modifications to the Illumina TruSeq protocol (ncRNAseq), allowing the capture and sequencing of mid-sized non-coding RNAs without detriment to the coverage of coding mRNAs. This protocol is coupled with a two-step alignment: a pre-alignment to a curated non-coding genome, passing only the non-mapping reads to a standard genomic alignment. ncRNAseq correctly assigns the highest read-numbers to established abundant non-coding RNAs and correctly identifies cytosolic and nuclear enrichment of known non-coding RNAs in two cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Minshall
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Igor Chernukhin
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jason S Carroll
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Anna Git
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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37
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Oscorbin IP, Filipenko ML. M-MuLV reverse transcriptase: Selected properties and improved mutants. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:6315-6327. [PMID: 34900141 PMCID: PMC8640165 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.11.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Reverse transcriptases (RTs) are enzymes synthesizing DNA using RNA as the template and serving as the standard tools in modern biotechnology and molecular diagnostics. To date, the most commonly used reverse transcriptase is the enzyme from Moloney murine leukemia virus, M-MuLV RT. Since its discovery, M-MuLV RT has become indispensable for modern RNA studies; the range of M-MuLV RT applications is vast, from scientific tasks to clinical testing of human pathogens. This review will give a brief description of the structure, thermal stability, processivity, and fidelity, focusing on improving M-MuLV RT for practical usage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor P Oscorbin
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine SB RAS, 8 Lavrentiev Avenue, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Maxim L Filipenko
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine SB RAS, 8 Lavrentiev Avenue, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
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38
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Jiang Z, Wang C, Wu Z, Chen K, Yang W, Deng H, Song H, Zhou X. Enzymatic deamination of the epigenetic nucleoside N6-methyladenosine regulates gene expression. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:12048-12068. [PMID: 34850126 PMCID: PMC8643624 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab1124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is the most extensively studied epigenetic modification due to its crucial role in regulating an array of biological processes. Herein, Bsu06560, formerly annotated as an adenine deaminase derived from Bacillus subtilis 168, was recognized as the first enzyme capable of metabolizing the epigenetic nucleoside N6-methyladenosine. A model of Bsu06560 was constructed, and several critical residues were putatively identified via mutational screening. Two mutants, F91L and Q150W, provided a superiorly enhanced conversion ratio of adenosine and N6-methyladenosine. The CRISPR-Cas9 system generated Bsu06560-knockout, F91L, and Q150W mutations from the B. subtilis 168 genome. Transcriptional profiling revealed a higher global gene expression level in BS-F91L and BS-Q150W strains with enhanced N6-methyladenosine deaminase activity. The differentially expressed genes were categorized using GO, COG, KEGG and verified through RT-qPCR. This study assessed the crucial roles of Bsu06560 in regulating adenosine and N6-methyladenosine metabolism, which influence a myriad of biological processes. This is the first systematic research to identify and functionally annotate an enzyme capable of metabolizing N6-methyladenosine and highlight its significant roles in regulation of bacterial metabolism. Besides, this study provides a novel method for controlling gene expression through the mutations of critical residues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuoran Jiang
- The Institute of Advanced Studies, and Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers-Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, 40072 Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Chao Wang
- The Institute of Advanced Studies, and Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers-Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, 40072 Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Zixin Wu
- The Institute of Advanced Studies, and Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers-Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, 40072 Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Kun Chen
- The Institute of Advanced Studies, and Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers-Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, 40072 Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Wei Yang
- The Institute of Advanced Studies, and Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers-Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, 40072 Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Hexiang Deng
- The Institute of Advanced Studies, and Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers-Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, 40072 Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Heng Song
- The Institute of Advanced Studies, and Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers-Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, 40072 Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Xiang Zhou
- The Institute of Advanced Studies, and Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers-Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, 40072 Wuhan, P.R. China
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39
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Pu Q, Yu H, Zhou X, Li J, Yang Y, Wang T, Li F, Sheng S, Xie G. Xeno nucleic acid probes mediated methylation-specific PCR for single-base resolution analysis of N 6-methyladenosine in RNAs. Analyst 2021; 146:6306-6314. [PMID: 34550117 DOI: 10.1039/d1an01291f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Reliable and cost-effective quantification of RNA modifications at a specific gene locus is essential to elucidate the pathogenic mechanism encoded by RNA epigenetics. Current methods to quantify N6-methyladenosine (m6A) at specific sites can hardly satisfy the requirement of clinical application because epigenetic information is easily lost through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay or other isothermal amplification methods unless tedious pretreatment is applied. Herein, we propose a simple xeno nucleic acid (XNA) as a blocker probe to mediate the methylation specific reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (MsRT-qPCR) assay to directly magnify the minor differences between epigenetic bases and unmodified bases in RNA. Strand displacement reactions selectively initiated between the reverse transcription primer (RT-primer) and the XNA probe at the m6A template given the affinity differences between the blocker probes and the m6A-modified RNA (m6A-RNA) and unmodified RNA (A-RNA). Thus, preferential amplification of m6A-RNA was allowed. Integration of a well-established oligo-modified Fe3O4@UiO-66-NH4 allowed purification of mRNA and lncRNA from cellular total RNA samples and greatly reduced the non-specific interference of m6A detection in real samples. Multiple specific sites of m6A in mRNA and lncRNA samples are also successfully quantified. The XNA probe-based m6A assay required only common and available lab equipment and materials, which can be applied in m6A-related fundamental studies and clinical diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinli Pu
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (Chinese Ministry of Education), College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical Laboratory Microfluidics and SPRi Engineering Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China. .,Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, PR China
| | - Hongyan Yu
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (Chinese Ministry of Education), College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical Laboratory Microfluidics and SPRi Engineering Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China.
| | - Xi Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (Chinese Ministry of Education), College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical Laboratory Microfluidics and SPRi Engineering Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China.
| | - Junjie Li
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (Chinese Ministry of Education), College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical Laboratory Microfluidics and SPRi Engineering Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China.
| | - Yujun Yang
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (Chinese Ministry of Education), College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical Laboratory Microfluidics and SPRi Engineering Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China.
| | - Ting Wang
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (Chinese Ministry of Education), College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical Laboratory Microfluidics and SPRi Engineering Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China.
| | - Fugang Li
- Shanghai Upper Biotech Pharma Co, Ltd., Shanghai 201201, P. R. China
| | - Shangchun Sheng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Affiliated Hospital & Clinical Medical College of Chengdu University, Sichuan 610081, P.R China.
| | - Guoming Xie
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (Chinese Ministry of Education), College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical Laboratory Microfluidics and SPRi Engineering Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China.
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40
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MultiEditR: The first tool for the detection and quantification of RNA editing from Sanger sequencing demonstrates comparable fidelity to RNA-seq. MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS 2021; 25:515-523. [PMID: 34589274 PMCID: PMC8463291 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2021.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
We present MultiEditR (Multiple Edit Deconvolution by Inference of Traces in R), the first algorithm specifically designed to detect and quantify RNA editing from Sanger sequencing (z.umn.edu/multieditr). Although RNA editing is routinely evaluated by measuring the heights of peaks from Sanger sequencing traces, the accuracy and precision of this approach has yet to be evaluated against gold standard next-generation sequencing methods. Through a comprehensive comparison to RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and amplicon-based deep sequencing, we show that MultiEditR is accurate, precise, and reliable for detecting endogenous and programmable RNA editing.
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41
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Alfonzo JD, Brown JA, Byers PH, Cheung VG, Maraia RJ, Ross RL. A call for direct sequencing of full-length RNAs to identify all modifications. Nat Genet 2021; 53:1113-1116. [PMID: 34267373 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-021-00903-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Juan D Alfonzo
- Department of Microbiology; Center for RNA Biology and Ohio State Biochemistry Program, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jessica A Brown
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Peter H Byers
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Medicine (Medical Genetics), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Vivian G Cheung
- Department of Pediatrics, Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Richard J Maraia
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Robert L Ross
- Department of Cancer and Cell Biology, Metabolomics Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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42
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Zeng Y, Huang T, Zuo W, Wang D, Xie Y, Wang X, Xiao Z, Chen Z, Liu Q, Liu N, Xiao Y. Integrated analysis of m 6A mRNA methylation in rats with monocrotaline-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:18238-18256. [PMID: 34310344 PMCID: PMC8351682 DOI: 10.18632/aging.203230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Background: N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is one of the most common chemical modifications of eukaryotic mRNAs, which play an important role in tumors and cardiovascular disease through regulating mRNA stability, splicing and translation. However, the changes of m6A mRNA and m6A-related enzymes in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) remain largely unexplored. Methods: MeRIP-seq was used to identify m6A methylation in lung tissues from control and MCT-PAH rats. Western blot and immunofluorescence were used to evaluate expression of m6A-related enzymes. Results: Compared with control group, m6A methylation was mainly increased in lung tissues from MCT-PAH rats. The up-methylated coding genes in MCT-PAH rats were primarily enriched in processes associated with inflammation, glycolysis, ECM-receptor interaction and PDGF signal pathway, while genes with down-methylation were enriched in processes associated with TGF-β family receptor members. The expression of FTO and ALKBH5 downregulated, METTL3 and YTHDF1 increased and other methylation modification-related proteins was not significantly changed in MCT-PAH rats lung tissues. Immunofluorescence indicated that expression of FTO decreased and YTHDF1 increased in small pulmonary arteries of MCT-PAH rats. Conclusion: m6A levels and the expression of methylation-related enzymes were altered in PAH rats, in which FTO and YTHDF1 may play a crucial role in m6A modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunhong Zeng
- Academy of Pediatrics, University of South China, Changsha 410007, China.,Department of Cardiology, Hunan Children's Hospital, Changsha 410007, China
| | - Ting Huang
- Academy of Pediatrics, University of South China, Changsha 410007, China.,Department of Utrasound, Hunan Children's Hospital, Changsha 410007, China
| | - Wanyun Zuo
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Dan Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Hunan Children's Hospital, Changsha 410007, China
| | - Yonghui Xie
- Academy of Pediatrics, University of South China, Changsha 410007, China.,Department of Cardiology, Hunan Children's Hospital, Changsha 410007, China
| | - Xun Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Hunan Children's Hospital, Changsha 410007, China
| | - Zhenghui Xiao
- Department of Intensive Care Unit, Hunan Children's Hospital, Changsha 410007, China
| | - Zhi Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Hunan Children's Hospital, Changsha 410007, China
| | - Qiming Liu
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Na Liu
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Yunbin Xiao
- Department of Cardiology, Hunan Children's Hospital, Changsha 410007, China
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43
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Manigrasso J, De Vivo M, Palermo G. Controlled Trafficking of Multiple and Diverse Cations Prompts Nucleic Acid Hydrolysis. ACS Catal 2021; 11:8786-8797. [PMID: 35145762 DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.1c01825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Recent in crystallo reaction intermediates have detailed how nucleic acid hydrolysis occurs in the RNA ribonuclease H1 (RNase H1), a fundamental metalloenzyme involved in maintaining the human genome. At odds with the previous characterization, these in crystallo structures unexpectedly captured multiple metal ions (K+ and Mg2+) transiently bound in the vicinity of the two-metal-ion active site. Using multi-microsecond all-atom molecular dynamics and free-energy simulations, we investigated the functional implications of the dynamic exchange of multiple K+ and Mg2+ ions at the RNase H1 reaction center. We found that such ions are timely positioned at non-overlapping locations near the active site, at different stages of catalysis, being crucial for both reactants' alignment and leaving group departure. We also found that this cation trafficking is tightly regulated by variations of the solution's ionic strength and is aided by two conserved second-shell residues, E188 and K196, suggesting a mechanism for the cations' recruitment during catalysis. These results indicate that controlled trafficking of multi-cation dynamics, opportunely prompted by second-shell residues, is functionally essential to the complex enzymatic machinery of the RNase H1. These findings revise the current knowledge on the RNase H1 catalysis and open new catalytic possibilities for other similar metalloenzymes including, but not limited to, CRISPR-Cas9, group II intron ribozyme and the human spliceosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Manigrasso
- Laboratory of Molecular Modelling & Drug Discovery, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, 16163, Italy.,Department of Bioengineering, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 52512, United States
| | - Marco De Vivo
- Laboratory of Molecular Modelling & Drug Discovery, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, 16163, Italy
| | - Giulia Palermo
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 52512, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 52512, United States
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44
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Donovan PD, McHale NM, Venø MT, Prehn JHM. tsRNAsearch: A pipeline for the identification of tRNA and ncRNA fragments from small RNA-sequencing data. Bioinformatics 2021; 37:4424-4430. [PMID: 34255836 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btab515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION tRNAs were originally considered uni-functional RNA molecules involved in the delivery of amino acids to growing peptide chains on the ribosome. More recently, the liberation of tRNA fragments from tRNAs via specific enzyme cleavage has been characterized. Detection of tRNA fragments in sequencing data is difficult due to tRNA sequence redundancy and the short length of both tRNAs and their fragments. RESULTS Here we introduce tsRNAsearch, a Nextflow pipeline for the identification of differentially abundant tRNA fragments and other non-coding RNAs from small RNA-sequencing data. tsRNAsearch is intended for use when comparing two groups of datasets, such as control and treatment groups. tsRNAsearch comparatively searches for tRNAs and ncRNAs with irregular read distribution profiles (a proxy for RNA cleavage) using a combined score made up of four novel methods and a differential expression analysis, and reports the top ranked results in simple PDF and TEXT files. In this study, we used publicly available small RNA-seq data to replicate the identification of tsRNAs from chronic hepatitis-infected liver tissue data. In addition, we applied tsRNAsearch to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and matched healthy pancreatic tissue small RNA-sequencing data. Our results support the identification of miR135b from the original study as a potential biomarker of PDAC and identify other potentially stronger miRNA biomarkers of PDAC. AVAILABILITY https://github.com/GiantSpaceRobot/tsRNAsearch. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul D Donovan
- Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, Centre for Systems Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, St Stephen's Green, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Natalie M McHale
- Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, Centre for Systems Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, St Stephen's Green, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Jochen H M Prehn
- Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, Centre for Systems Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, St Stephen's Green, Dublin, Ireland
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45
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Yang H, Eremeeva E, Abramov M, Herdewijn P. The Network of Replication, Transcription, and Reverse Transcription of a Synthetic Genetic Cassette. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202011887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hui Yang
- Medicinal Chemistry Rega Institute for Medical Research KU Leuven Herestraat 49, Box-1041 3000 Leuven Belgium
| | - Elena Eremeeva
- Medicinal Chemistry Rega Institute for Medical Research KU Leuven Herestraat 49, Box-1041 3000 Leuven Belgium
| | - Mikhail Abramov
- Medicinal Chemistry Rega Institute for Medical Research KU Leuven Herestraat 49, Box-1041 3000 Leuven Belgium
| | - Piet Herdewijn
- Medicinal Chemistry Rega Institute for Medical Research KU Leuven Herestraat 49, Box-1041 3000 Leuven Belgium
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46
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Wang H, Chen S, Wei J, Song G, Zhao Y. A-to-I RNA Editing in Cancer: From Evaluating the Editing Level to Exploring the Editing Effects. Front Oncol 2021; 10:632187. [PMID: 33643923 PMCID: PMC7905090 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.632187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
As an important regulatory mechanism at the posttranscriptional level in metazoans, adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR)-induced A-to-I RNA editing modification of double-stranded RNA has been widely detected and reported. Editing may lead to non-synonymous amino acid mutations, RNA secondary structure alterations, pre-mRNA processing changes, and microRNA-mRNA redirection, thereby affecting multiple cellular processes and functions. In recent years, researchers have successfully developed several bioinformatics software tools and pipelines to identify RNA editing sites. However, there are still no widely accepted editing site standards due to the variety of parallel optimization and RNA high-seq protocols and programs. It is also challenging to identify RNA editing by normal protocols in tumor samples due to the high DNA mutation rate. Numerous RNA editing sites have been reported to be located in non-coding regions and can affect the biosynthesis of ncRNAs, including miRNAs and circular RNAs. Predicting the function of RNA editing sites located in non-coding regions and ncRNAs is significantly difficult. In this review, we aim to provide a better understanding of bioinformatics strategies for human cancer A-to-I RNA editing identification and briefly discuss recent advances in related areas, such as the oncogenic and tumor suppressive effects of RNA editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heming Wang
- Clinical Medical College, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Liver Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Sinuo Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Liver Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiayi Wei
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Liver Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Guangqi Song
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Liver Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Yicheng Zhao
- Clinical Medical College, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
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47
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Jenjaroenpun P, Wongsurawat T, Wadley TD, Wassenaar TM, Liu J, Dai Q, Wanchai V, Akel NS, Jamshidi-Parsian A, Franco AT, Boysen G, Jennings ML, Ussery DW, He C, Nookaew I. Decoding the epitranscriptional landscape from native RNA sequences. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:e7. [PMID: 32710622 PMCID: PMC7826254 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Traditional epitranscriptomics relies on capturing a single RNA modification by antibody or chemical treatment, combined with short-read sequencing to identify its transcriptomic location. This approach is labor-intensive and may introduce experimental artifacts. Direct sequencing of native RNA using Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) can allow for directly detecting the RNA base modifications, although these modifications might appear as sequencing errors. The percent Error of Specific Bases (%ESB) was higher for native RNA than unmodified RNA, which enabled the detection of ribonucleotide modification sites. Based on the %ESB differences, we developed a bioinformatic tool, epitranscriptional landscape inferring from glitches of ONT signals (ELIGOS), that is based on various types of synthetic modified RNA and applied to rRNA and mRNA. ELIGOS is able to accurately predict known classes of RNA methylation sites (AUC > 0.93) in rRNAs from Escherichiacoli, yeast, and human cells, using either unmodified in vitro transcription RNA or a background error model, which mimics the systematic error of direct RNA sequencing as the reference. The well-known DRACH/RRACH motif was localized and identified, consistent with previous studies, using differential analysis of ELIGOS to study the impact of RNA m6A methyltransferase by comparing wild type and knockouts in yeast and mouse cells. Lastly, the DRACH motif could also be identified in the mRNA of three human cell lines. The mRNA modification identified by ELIGOS is at the level of individual base resolution. In summary, we have developed a bioinformatic software package to uncover native RNA modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piroon Jenjaroenpun
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Thidathip Wongsurawat
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Taylor D Wadley
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Trudy M Wassenaar
- Molecular Microbiology and Genomics Consultants, Zotzenheim, Germany
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Qing Dai
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Visanu Wanchai
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Nisreen S Akel
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, College of Medicine, The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Azemat Jamshidi-Parsian
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Aime T Franco
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, College of Medicine, The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Gunnar Boysen
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Michael L Jennings
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, College of Medicine, The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - David W Ussery
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Chuan He
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Intawat Nookaew
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, College of Medicine, The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
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48
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Jenjaroenpun P, Wongsurawat T, Wadley TD, Wassenaar TM, Liu J, Dai Q, Wanchai V, Akel NS, Jamshidi-Parsian A, Franco AT, Boysen G, Jennings ML, Ussery DW, He C, Nookaew I. Decoding the epitranscriptional landscape from native RNA sequences. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:e7. [PMID: 32710622 DOI: 10.1101/487819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Traditional epitranscriptomics relies on capturing a single RNA modification by antibody or chemical treatment, combined with short-read sequencing to identify its transcriptomic location. This approach is labor-intensive and may introduce experimental artifacts. Direct sequencing of native RNA using Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) can allow for directly detecting the RNA base modifications, although these modifications might appear as sequencing errors. The percent Error of Specific Bases (%ESB) was higher for native RNA than unmodified RNA, which enabled the detection of ribonucleotide modification sites. Based on the %ESB differences, we developed a bioinformatic tool, epitranscriptional landscape inferring from glitches of ONT signals (ELIGOS), that is based on various types of synthetic modified RNA and applied to rRNA and mRNA. ELIGOS is able to accurately predict known classes of RNA methylation sites (AUC > 0.93) in rRNAs from Escherichiacoli, yeast, and human cells, using either unmodified in vitro transcription RNA or a background error model, which mimics the systematic error of direct RNA sequencing as the reference. The well-known DRACH/RRACH motif was localized and identified, consistent with previous studies, using differential analysis of ELIGOS to study the impact of RNA m6A methyltransferase by comparing wild type and knockouts in yeast and mouse cells. Lastly, the DRACH motif could also be identified in the mRNA of three human cell lines. The mRNA modification identified by ELIGOS is at the level of individual base resolution. In summary, we have developed a bioinformatic software package to uncover native RNA modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piroon Jenjaroenpun
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Thidathip Wongsurawat
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Taylor D Wadley
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Trudy M Wassenaar
- Molecular Microbiology and Genomics Consultants, Zotzenheim, Germany
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Qing Dai
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Visanu Wanchai
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Nisreen S Akel
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, College of Medicine, The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Azemat Jamshidi-Parsian
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Aime T Franco
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, College of Medicine, The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Gunnar Boysen
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Michael L Jennings
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, College of Medicine, The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - David W Ussery
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Chuan He
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Intawat Nookaew
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, College of Medicine, The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
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Mao S, Haruehanroengra P, Ranganathan SV, Shen F, Begley TJ, Sheng J. Base Pairing and Functional Insights into N3-Methylcytidine (m 3C) in RNA. ACS Chem Biol 2021; 16:76-85. [PMID: 33332971 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
N3-methylcytidine (m3C) is present in both eukaryotic tRNA and mRNA and plays critical roles in many biological processes. We report the synthesis of the m3C phosphoramidite building block and its containing RNA oligonucleotides. The base-pairing stability and specificity studies show that the m3C modification significantly disrupts the stability of the Watson-Crick C:G pair. Further m3C decreases the base pairing discrimination between C:G and the other mismatched C:A, C:U, and C:C pairs. Our molecular dynamic simulation study further reveals the detailed structural insights into the m3C:G base pairing pattern in an RNA duplex. More importantly, the biochemical investigation of m3C using reverse transcription in vitro shows that N3-methylation specifies the C:A pair and induces a G to A change using HIV-1-RT, MMLV-RT, and MutiScribe-RT enzymes, all with relatively low replication fidelity. For other reverse transcriptases with higher fidelity like AMV-RT, the methylation could completely shut down DNA synthesis. Our work provides detailed insights into the thermostability of m3C in RNA and a foundation for developing new molecular tools for mapping m3C in different RNA contexts and exploring the biochemical and biomedical potentials of m3C in the design and development of RNA based therapeutics.
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50
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Warren JM, Salinas-Giegé T, Hummel G, Coots NL, Svendsen JM, Brown KC, Drouard L, Sloan DB. Combining tRNA sequencing methods to characterize plant tRNA expression and post-transcriptional modification. RNA Biol 2021; 18:64-78. [PMID: 32715941 PMCID: PMC7834048 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2020.1792089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Differences in tRNA expression have been implicated in a remarkable number of biological processes. There is growing evidence that tRNA genes can play dramatically different roles depending on both expression and post-transcriptional modification, yet sequencing tRNAs to measure abundance and detect modifications remains challenging. Their secondary structure and extensive post-transcriptional modifications interfere with RNA-seq library preparation methods and have limited the utility of high-throughput sequencing technologies. Here, we combine two modifications to standard RNA-seq methods by treating with the demethylating enzyme AlkB and ligating with tRNA-specific adapters in order to sequence tRNAs from four species of flowering plants, a group that has been shown to have some of the most extensive rates of post-transcriptional tRNA modifications. This protocol has the advantage of detecting full-length tRNAs and sequence variants that can be used to infer many post-transcriptional modifications. We used the resulting data to produce a modification index of almost all unique reference tRNAs in Arabidopsis thaliana, which exhibited many anciently conserved similarities with humans but also positions that appear to be 'hot spots' for modifications in angiosperm tRNAs. We also found evidence based on northern blot analysis and droplet digital PCR that, even after demethylation treatment, tRNA-seq can produce highly biased estimates of absolute expression levels most likely due to biased reverse transcription. Nevertheless, the generation of full-length tRNA sequences with modification data is still promising for assessing differences in relative tRNA expression across treatments, tissues or subcellular fractions and help elucidate the functional roles of tRNA modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M. Warren
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Thalia Salinas-Giegé
- Institut De Biologie Moléculaire Des plantes-CNRS, Université De Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Guillaume Hummel
- Institut De Biologie Moléculaire Des plantes-CNRS, Université De Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Nicole L. Coots
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | - Kristen C. Brown
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Laurence Drouard
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Institut De Biologie Moléculaire Des plantes-CNRS, Université De Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Daniel B. Sloan
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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