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Zhang G, Zheng C, Ding YH, Mello C. Casein kinase II promotes piRNA production through direct phosphorylation of USTC component TOFU-4. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2727. [PMID: 38548791 PMCID: PMC10978872 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46882-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are genomically encoded small RNAs that engage Piwi Argonaute proteins to direct mRNA surveillance and transposon silencing. Despite advances in understanding piRNA pathways and functions, how the production of piRNA is regulated remains elusive. Here, using a genetic screen, we identify casein kinase II (CK2) as a factor required for piRNA pathway function. We show that CK2 is required for the localization of PRG-1 and for the proper localization of several factors that comprise the 'upstream sequence transcription complex' (USTC), which is required for piRNA transcription. Loss of CK2 impairs piRNA levels suggesting that CK2 promotes USTC function. We identify the USTC component twenty-one-U fouled-up 4 (TOFU-4) as a direct substrate for CK2. Our findings suggest that phosphorylation of TOFU-4 by CK2 promotes the assembly of USTC and piRNA transcription. Notably, during the aging process, CK2 activity declines, resulting in the disassembly of USTC, decreased piRNA production, and defects in piRNA-mediated gene silencing, including transposons silencing. These findings highlight the significance of posttranslational modification in regulating piRNA biogenesis and its implications for the aging process. Overall, our study provides compelling evidence for the involvement of a posttranslational modification mechanism in the regulation of piRNA biogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gangming Zhang
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Chunwei Zheng
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Yue-He Ding
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Craig Mello
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA.
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del Dedo JE, Segundo RLS, Vázquez-Bolado A, Sun J, García-Blanco N, Suárez MB, García P, Tricquet P, Chen JS, Dedon PC, Gould KL, Hidalgo E, Hermand D, Moreno S. The Greatwall-Endosulfine-PP2A/B55 pathway controls entry into quiescence by promoting translation of Elongator-tuneable transcripts. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3616701. [PMID: 38105947 PMCID: PMC10723533 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3616701/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Quiescent cells require a continuous supply of proteins to maintain protein homeostasis. In fission yeast, entry into quiescence is triggered by nitrogen stress, leading to the inactivation of TORC1 and the activation of TORC2. Here, we report that the Greatwall-Endosulfine-PPA/B55 pathway connects the downregulation of TORC1 with the upregulation of TORC2, resulting in the activation of Elongator-dependent tRNA modifications essential for sustaining the translation programme during entry into quiescence. This process promotes U34 and A37 tRNA modifications at the anticodon stem loop, enhancing translation efficiency and fidelity of mRNAs enriched for AAA versus AAG lysine codons. Notably, some of these mRNAs encode inhibitors of TORC1, activators of TORC2, tRNA modifiers, and proteins necessary for telomeric and subtelomeric functions. Therefore, we propose a novel mechanism by which cells respond to nitrogen stress at the level of translation, involving a coordinated interplay between the tRNA epitranscriptome and biased codon usage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Encinar del Dedo
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica, CSIC, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Rafael López-San Segundo
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica, CSIC, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Alicia Vázquez-Bolado
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica, CSIC, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Jingjing Sun
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Natalia García-Blanco
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica, CSIC, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - M. Belén Suárez
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica, University of Salamanca, CSIC, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Patricia García
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica, University of Salamanca, CSIC, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Pauline Tricquet
- URPHYM-GEMO, University of Namur, rue de Bruxelles, 61, Namur 5000, Belgium
| | - Jun-Song Chen
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, United States
| | - Peter C. Dedon
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biological Engineering and Center for Environmental Health Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Kathleen L. Gould
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, United States
| | - Elena Hidalgo
- Oxidative Stress and Cell Cycle Group, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Damien Hermand
- URPHYM-GEMO, University of Namur, rue de Bruxelles, 61, Namur 5000, Belgium
| | - Sergio Moreno
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica, CSIC, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Lead contact
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Zhang G, Zheng C, Ding YH, Mello C. Casein kinase II promotes piRNA production through direct phosphorylation of USTC component TOFU-4. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.09.552615. [PMID: 37609319 PMCID: PMC10441431 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.09.552615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are genomically encoded small RNAs that engage Piwi Argonaute proteins to direct mRNA surveillance and transposon silencing. Despite advances in understanding piRNA pathways and functions, how the production of piRNA is regulated remains elusive. Here, using a genetic screen, we identify casein kinase II (CK2) as a factor required for piRNA pathway function. We show that CK2 is required for the localization of PRG-1 and for the proper localization of several factors that comprise the 'upstream sequence transcription complex' (USTC), which is required for piRNA transcription. Loss of CK2 impairs piRNA levels suggesting that CK2 promotes USTC function. We identify the USTC component twenty-one-U fouled-up 4 (TOFU-4) as a direct substrate for CK2. Our findings suggest that phosphorylation of TOFU-4 by CK2 promotes the assembly of USTC and piRNA transcription. Notably, during the aging process, CK2 activity declines, resulting in the disassembly of USTC, decreased piRNA production, and defects in piRNA-mediated gene silencing, including transposons silencing. These findings highlight the significance of posttranslational modification in regulating piRNA biogenesis and its implications for the aging process. Overall, our study provides compelling evidence for the involvement of a posttranslational modification mechanism in the regulation of piRNA biogenesis.
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Kanoh J. Roles of Specialized Chromatin and DNA Structures at Subtelomeres in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13050810. [PMID: 37238680 DOI: 10.3390/biom13050810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotes have linear chromosomes with domains called telomeres at both ends. The telomere DNA consists of a simple tandem repeat sequence, and multiple telomere-binding proteins including the shelterin complex maintain chromosome-end structures and regulate various biological reactions, such as protection of chromosome ends and control of telomere DNA length. On the other hand, subtelomeres, which are located adjacent to telomeres, contain a complex mosaic of multiple common segmental sequences and a variety of gene sequences. This review focused on roles of the subtelomeric chromatin and DNA structures in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. The fission yeast subtelomeres form three distinct chromatin structures; one is the shelterin complex, which is localized not only at the telomeres but also at the telomere-proximal regions of subtelomeres to form transcriptionally repressive chromatin structures. The others are heterochromatin and knob, which have repressive effects in gene expression, but the subtelomeres are equipped with a mechanism that prevents these condensed chromatin structures from invading adjacent euchromatin regions. On the other hand, recombination reactions within or near subtelomeric sequences allow chromosomes to be circularized, enabling cells to survive in telomere shortening. Furthermore, DNA structures of the subtelomeres are more variable than other chromosomal regions, which may have contributed to biological diversity and evolution while changing gene expression and chromatin structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junko Kanoh
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
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Shi S, Zhou Y, Lu Y, Sun H, Xue J, Wu Z, Lei M. Ccq1-Raf2 interaction mediates CLRC recruitment to establish heterochromatin at telomeres. Life Sci Alliance 2021; 4:4/11/e202101106. [PMID: 34493579 PMCID: PMC8424379 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202101106] [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: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
This study unveils a role of Ccq1–Raf2 interaction in CLRC recruitment to establish heterochromatin at telomeres, providing a positive feedback mechanism between shelterin and CLRC for subtelomeric heterochromatin assembly. Telomeres, highly ordered DNA-protein complexes at eukaryotic linear chromosome ends, are specialized heterochromatin loci conserved among eukaryotes. In Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the shelterin complex is important for subtelomeric heterochromatin establishment. Despite shelterin has been demonstrated to mediate the recruitment of the Snf2/histone deacetylase–containing repressor complex (SHREC) and the Clr4 methyltransferase complex (CLRC) to telomeres, the mechanism involved in telomeric heterochromatin assembly remains elusive due to the multiple functions of the shelterin complex. Here, we found that CLRC plays a dominant role in heterochromatin establishment at telomeres. In addition, we identified a series of amino acids in the shelterin subunit Ccq1 that are important for the specific interaction between Ccq1 and the CLRC subunit Raf2. Finally, we demonstrated that the Ccq1–Raf2 interaction is essential for the recruitment of CLRC to telomeres, that contributes to histone H3 lysine 9 methylation, nucleosome stability and the shelterin-chromatin association, promoting a positive feedback mechanism for the nucleation and spreading of heterochromatin at subtelomeres. Together, our findings provide a mechanistic understanding of subtelomeric heterochromatin assembly by shelterin-dependent CLRC recruitment to chromosomal ends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaohua Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Institute of Precision Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuanze Zhou
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yanjia Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Institute of Precision Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhenfang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China .,Shanghai Institute of Precision Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ming Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China .,Shanghai Institute of Precision Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Elevating CDCA3 levels in non-small cell lung cancer enhances sensitivity to platinum-based chemotherapy. Commun Biol 2021; 4:638. [PMID: 34050247 PMCID: PMC8163776 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02136-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Platinum-based chemotherapy remains the cornerstone of treatment for most non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases either as maintenance therapy or in combination with immunotherapy. However, resistance remains a primary issue. Our findings point to the possibility of exploiting levels of cell division cycle associated protein-3 (CDCA3) to improve response of NSCLC tumours to therapy. We demonstrate that in patients and in vitro analyses, CDCA3 levels correlate with measures of genome instability and platinum sensitivity, whereby CDCA3high tumours are sensitive to cisplatin and carboplatin. In NSCLC, CDCA3 protein levels are regulated by the ubiquitin ligase APC/C and cofactor Cdh1. Here, we identified that the degradation of CDCA3 is modulated by activity of casein kinase 2 (CK2) which promotes an interaction between CDCA3 and Cdh1. Supporting this, pharmacological inhibition of CK2 with CX-4945 disrupts CDCA3 degradation, elevating CDCA3 levels and increasing sensitivity to platinum agents. We propose that combining CK2 inhibitors with platinum-based chemotherapy could enhance platinum efficacy in CDCA3low NSCLC tumours and benefit patients. Kildey et al find that high levels of mitotic regulator CDCA3 correlates with sensitivity to platinum agents in non-small cell lung cancer patients and cell lines. They show that interfering with CDCA3 degradation through CK2 inhibition enhances CDCA3 levels and increases sensitivity to platinum agents suggesting a therapeutic route.
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