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Zhang X, Li S, Zhang K. Cryo-EM: A window into the dynamic world of RNA molecules. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2024; 88:102916. [PMID: 39232250 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2024.102916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 08/10/2024] [Accepted: 08/10/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024]
Abstract
RNAs are critical for complex cellular functions, characterized by their structural versatility and ability to undergo conformational transitions in response to cellular cues. The elusive structures of RNAs are being unraveled with unprecedented clarity, thanks to the technological advancements in structural biology, including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray crystallography, cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) etc. This review focuses on examining the revolutionary impact of cryo-EM on our comprehension of RNA structural dynamics, underscoring the technique's contributions to structural biology and envisioning the future trajectory of this rapidly evolving field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojing Zhang
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Shanshan Li
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Kaiming Zhang
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China.
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2
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Giengkam S, Kullapanich C, Wongsantichon J, Adcox HE, Gillespie JJ, Salje J. Orientia tsutsugamushi: comprehensive analysis of the mobilome of a highly fragmented and repetitive genome reveals the capacity for ongoing lateral gene transfer in an obligate intracellular bacterium. mSphere 2023; 8:e0026823. [PMID: 37850800 PMCID: PMC10732058 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00268-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Obligate intracellular bacteria, or those only capable of growth inside other living cells, have limited opportunities for horizontal gene transfer with other microbes due to their isolated replicative niche. The human pathogen Ot, an obligate intracellular bacterium causing scrub typhus, encodes an unusually high copy number of a ~40 gene mobile genetic element that typically facilitates genetic transfer across microbes. This proliferated element is heavily degraded in Ot and previously assumed to be inactive. Here, we conducted a detailed analysis of this element in eight Ot strains and discovered two strains with at least one intact copy. This implies that the element is still capable of moving across Ot populations and suggests that the genome of this bacterium may be even more dynamic than previously appreciated. Our work raises questions about intracellular microbial evolution and sounds an alarm for gene-based efforts focused on diagnosing and combatting scrub typhus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suparat Giengkam
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chitrasak Kullapanich
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jantana Wongsantichon
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Haley E. Adcox
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Joseph J. Gillespie
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jeanne Salje
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Nakano Y, Gamper H, McGuigan H, Maharjan S, Sun Z, Krishnan K, Yigit E, Li NS, Piccirilli JA, Kleiner R, Nichols N, Hou YM. Genome-Wide Profiling of tRNA Using an Unexplored Reverse Transcriptase with High Processivity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.09.569604. [PMID: 38106225 PMCID: PMC10723452 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.09.569604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring the dynamic changes of cellular tRNA pools is challenging, due to the extensive post-transcriptional modifications of individual species. The most critical component in tRNAseq is a processive reverse transcriptase (RT) that can read through each modification with high efficiency. Here we show that the recently developed group-II intron RT Induro has the processivity and efficiency necessary to profile tRNA dynamics. Using our Induro-tRNAseq, simpler and more comprehensive than the best methods to date, we show that Induro progressively increases readthrough of tRNA over time and that the mechanism of increase is selective removal of RT stops, without altering the misincorporation frequency. We provide a parallel dataset of the misincorporation profile of Induro relative to the related TGIRT RT to facilitate the prediction of non-annotated modifications. We report an unexpected modification profile among human proline isoacceptors, absent from mouse and lower eukaryotes, that indicates new biology of decoding proline codons.
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Xu L, Liu T, Chung K, Pyle AM. Structural insights into intron catalysis and dynamics during splicing. Nature 2023; 624:682-688. [PMID: 37993708 PMCID: PMC10733145 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06746-6] [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: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
The group II intron ribonucleoprotein is an archetypal splicing system with numerous mechanistic parallels to the spliceosome, including excision of lariat introns1,2. Despite the importance of branching in RNA metabolism, structural understanding of this process has remained elusive. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of three single-particle cryogenic electron microscopy structures captured along the splicing pathway. They reveal the network of molecular interactions that specifies the branchpoint adenosine and positions key functional groups to catalyse lariat formation and coordinate exon ligation. The structures also reveal conformational rearrangements of the branch helix and the mechanism of splice site exchange that facilitate the transition from branching to ligation. These findings shed light on the evolution of splicing and highlight the conservation of structural components, catalytic mechanism and dynamical strategies retained through time in premessenger RNA splicing machines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Xu
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Tianshuo Liu
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Kevin Chung
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Anna Marie Pyle
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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5
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Mukhopadhyay J, Wai A, Hausner G. The mitogenomes of Leptographium aureum, Leptographium sp., and Grosmannia fruticeta: expansion by introns. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1240407. [PMID: 37637121 PMCID: PMC10448965 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1240407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Many members of the Ophiostomatales are of economic importance as they are bark-beetle associates and causative agents for blue stain on timber and in some instances contribute towards tree mortality. The taxonomy of these fungi has been challenging due to the convergent evolution of many traits associated with insect dispersal and a limited number of morphological characters that happen to be highly pleomorphic. This study examines the mitochondrial genomes for three members of Leptographium sensu lato [Leptographium aureum (also known as Grosmannia aurea), Grosmannia fruticeta (also known as Leptographium fruticetum), and Leptographium sp. WIN(M)1376)]. Methods Illumina sequencing combined with gene and intron annotations and phylogenetic analysis were performed. Results Sequence analysis showed that gene content and gene synteny are conserved but mitochondrial genome sizes were variable: G. fruticeta at 63,821 bp, Leptographium sp. WIN(M)1376 at 81,823 bp and L. aureum at 104,547 bp. The variation in size is due to the number of introns and intron-associated open reading frames. Phylogenetic analysis of currently available mitochondrial genomes for members of the Ophiostomatales supports currently accepted generic arrangements within this order and specifically supports the separation of members with Leptographium-like conidiophores into two genera, with L. aureum grouping with Leptographium and G. fruticeta aligning with Grosmannia. Discussion Mitochondrial genomes are promising sequences for resolving evolutionary relationships within the Ophiostomatales.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Georg Hausner
- Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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Wylie D, Wang X, Yao J, Xu H, Ferrick-Kiddie EA, Iwase T, Krishnamurthy S, Ueno NT, Lambowitz AM. Inflammatory breast cancer biomarker identification by simultaneous TGIRT-seq profiling of coding and non-coding RNAs in tumors and blood. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.05.26.23290469. [PMID: 37398275 PMCID: PMC10312853 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.26.23290469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is the most aggressive and lethal breast cancer subtype, but lags in biomarker identification. Here, we used an improved Thermostable Group II Intron Reverse Transcriptase RNA sequencing (TGIRT-seq) method to simultaneously profile coding and non-coding RNAs from tumors, PBMCs, and plasma of IBC and non-IBC patients and healthy donors. Besides RNAs from known IBC-relevant genes, we identified hundreds of other overexpressed coding and non-coding RNAs (p≤0.001) in IBC tumors and PBMCs, including higher proportions with elevated intron-exon depth ratios (IDRs), likely reflecting enhanced transcription resulting in accumulation of intronic RNAs. As a consequence, differentially represented protein-coding gene RNAs in IBC plasma were largely intron RNA fragments, whereas those in healthy donor and non-IBC plasma were largely fragmented mRNAs. Potential IBC biomarkers in plasma included T-cell receptor pre-mRNA fragments traced to IBC tumors and PBMCs; intron RNA fragments correlated with high IDR genes; and LINE-1 and other retroelement RNAs that we found globally up-regulated in IBC and preferentially enriched in plasma. Our findings provide new insights into IBC and demonstrate advantages of broadly analyzing transcriptomes for biomarker identification. The RNA-seq and data analysis methods developed for this study may be broadly applicable to other diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Wylie
- Departments of Molecular Biosciences and Oncology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Xiaoping Wang
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030
- Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Jun Yao
- Departments of Molecular Biosciences and Oncology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Hengyi Xu
- Departments of Molecular Biosciences and Oncology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | | | - Toshiaki Iwase
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030
- Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030
- University of Hawai'i Cancer Center, Honolulu, HI 96813
| | - Savitri Krishnamurthy
- Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Naoto T Ueno
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030
- Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030
- University of Hawai'i Cancer Center, Honolulu, HI 96813
| | - Alan M Lambowitz
- Departments of Molecular Biosciences and Oncology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
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Giengkam S, Kullapanich C, Wongsantichon J, Adcox HE, Gillespie JJ, Salje J. Orientia tsutsugamushi: analysis of the mobilome of a highly fragmented and repetitive genome reveals ongoing lateral gene transfer in an obligate intracellular bacterium. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.11.540415. [PMID: 37215039 PMCID: PMC10197636 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.11.540415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The rickettsial human pathogen Orientia tsutsugamushi (Ot) is an obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacterium with one of the most highly fragmented and repetitive genomes of any organism. Around 50% of its ~2.3 Mb genome is comprised of repetitive DNA that is derived from the highly proliferated Rickettsiales amplified genetic element (RAGE). RAGE is an integrative and conjugative element (ICE) that is present in a single Ot genome in up to 92 copies, most of which are partially or heavily degraded. In this report, we analysed RAGEs in eight fully sequenced Ot genomes and manually curated and reannotated all RAGE-associated genes, including those encoding DNA mobilisation proteins, P-type (vir) and F-type (tra) type IV secretion system (T4SS) components, Ankyrin repeat- and tetratricopeptide repeat-containing effectors, and other piggybacking cargo. Originally, the heavily degraded Ot RAGEs led to speculation that they are remnants of historical ICEs that are no longer active. Our analysis, however, identified two Ot genomes harbouring one or more intact RAGEs with complete F-T4SS genes essential for mediating ICE DNA transfer. As similar ICEs have been identified in unrelated rickettsial species, we assert that RAGEs play an ongoing role in lateral gene transfer within the Rickettsiales. Remarkably, we also identified in several Ot genomes remnants of prophages with no similarity to other rickettsial prophages. Together these findings indicate that, despite their obligate intracellular lifestyle and host range restricted to mites, rodents and humans, Ot genomes are highly dynamic and shaped through ongoing invasions by mobile genetic elements and viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suparat Giengkam
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chitrasak Kullapanich
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jantana Wongsantichon
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Haley E. Adcox
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Joseph J. Gillespie
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Jeanne Salje
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Pathology, Department of Biochemistry, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, UK
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Cui G, Hua D, Zhao X, Zhou J, Yang Y, Huang T, Wang X, Zhao Y, Zhang T, Liao J, Guan Z, Luo P, Chen Z, Qi X, Hong W. A New EBS2b-IBS2b Base Paring (A -8/T -8) Improved the Gene-Targeting Efficiency of Thermotargetron in Escherichia coli. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0315922. [PMID: 36809044 PMCID: PMC10100991 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03159-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Thermophilic group II intron is one type of retrotransposon composed of intron RNA and intron-encoded protein (IEP), which can be utilized in gene targeting by harnessing their novel ribozyme-based DNA integration mechanism termed "retrohoming." It is mediated by a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex that contains the excised intron lariat RNA and an IEP with reverse transcriptase (RT) activity. The RNP recognizes targeting sites by exon-binding sequences 2 (EBS2)/intron-binding sequences 2 (IBS2), EBS1/IBS1, and EBS3/IBS3 bases pairing. Previously, we developed the TeI3c/4c intron as a thermophilic gene targeting system-Thermotargetron (TMT). However, we found that the targeting efficiency of TMT varies significantly at different targeting sites, which leads to a relatively low success rate. To further improve the success rate and gene-targeting efficiency of TMT, we constructed a Random Gene-targeting Plasmids Pool (RGPP) to analyze the sequence recognition preference of TMT. A new base pairing, located at the -8 site between EBS2/IBS2 and EBS1/IBS1 (named EBS2b-IBS2b), increased the success rate (2.45- to 5.07-fold) and significantly improved gene-targeting efficiency of TMT. A computer algorithm (TMT 1.0), based on the newly discovered sequence recognition roles, was also developed to facilitate the design of TMT gene-targeting primers. The present work could essentially expand the practicalities of TMT in the genome engineering of heat-tolerance mesophilic and thermophilic bacteria. IMPORTANCE The randomized base pairing in the interval of IBS2 and IBS1 of Tel3c/4c intron (-8 and -7 sites) in Thermotargetron (TMT) results in a low success rate and gene-targeting efficiency in bacteria. In the present work, we constructed a randomized gene-targeting plasmids pool (RGPP) to study whether there is a base preference in target sequences. Among all the successful "retrohoming" targets, we found that a new EBS2b-IBS2b base paring (A-8/T-8) significantly increased TMT's gene-targeting efficiency, and the concept is also applicable to other gene targets in redesigned gene-targeting plasmids pool in E. coli. The improved TMT is a promising tool for the genetic engineering of bacteria and could promote metabolic engineering and synthetic biology research in valuable microbes that recalcitrance for genetic manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guzhen Cui
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province & Key Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology of Education Department of Guizhou, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
- Joint Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori and Intestinal Microecology of Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University
| | - Dengxiong Hua
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province & Key Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology of Education Department of Guizhou, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
- Joint Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori and Intestinal Microecology of Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University
| | - Xingxing Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province & Key Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology of Education Department of Guizhou, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Jia Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province & Key Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology of Education Department of Guizhou, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Ying Yang
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province & Key Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology of Education Department of Guizhou, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Tingyu Huang
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province & Key Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology of Education Department of Guizhou, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Xinxin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province & Key Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology of Education Department of Guizhou, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
- Joint Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori and Intestinal Microecology of Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University
| | - Yan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province & Key Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology of Education Department of Guizhou, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Ting Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province & Key Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology of Education Department of Guizhou, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Jian Liao
- School/Hospital of Stomatology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Zhizhong Guan
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province & Key Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology of Education Department of Guizhou, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Peng Luo
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Endemic and Ethnic Regional Diseases Co-constructed by the Province and Ministry
| | - Zhenghong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province & Key Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology of Education Department of Guizhou, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Endemic and Ethnic Regional Diseases Co-constructed by the Province and Ministry
- Joint Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori and Intestinal Microecology of Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University
| | - Xiaolan Qi
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province & Key Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology of Education Department of Guizhou, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Endemic and Ethnic Regional Diseases Co-constructed by the Province and Ministry
- Joint Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori and Intestinal Microecology of Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University
| | - Wei Hong
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province & Key Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology of Education Department of Guizhou, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Endemic and Ethnic Regional Diseases Co-constructed by the Province and Ministry
- Joint Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori and Intestinal Microecology of Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University
- School/Hospital of Stomatology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
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9
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Maxeiner S, Krasteva-Christ G, Althaus M. Pitfalls of using sequence databases for heterologous expression studies - a technical review. J Physiol 2023; 601:1611-1623. [PMID: 36762618 DOI: 10.1113/jp284066] [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: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthesis of DNA fragments based on gene sequences that are available in public resources has become an efficient and affordable method that has gradually replaced traditional cloning efforts such as PCR cloning from cDNA. However, database entries based on genome sequencing results are prone to errors which can lead to false sequence information and, ultimately, errors in functional characterisation of proteins such as ion channels and transporters in heterologous expression systems. We have identified five common problems that repeatedly appear in public resources: (1) Not every gene has yet been annotated; (2) not all gene annotations are necessarily correct; (3) transcripts may contain automated corrections; (4) there are mismatches between gene, mRNA and protein sequences; and (5) splicing patterns often lack experimental validation. This technical review highlights and provides a strategy to bypass these issues in order to avoid critical mistakes that could impact future studies of any gene/protein of interest in heterologous expression systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Maxeiner
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | | | - Mike Althaus
- Department of Natural Sciences, Institute for Functional Gene Analytics, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, Rheinbach, Germany
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10
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Li Q, Li L, Zhang T, Xiang P, Wu Q, Tu W, Bao Z, Zou L, Chen C. The first two mitochondrial genomes for the genus Ramaria reveal mitochondrial genome evolution of Ramaria and phylogeny of Basidiomycota. IMA Fungus 2022; 13:16. [PMID: 36100951 PMCID: PMC9469536 DOI: 10.1186/s43008-022-00100-7] [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: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present study, we assembled and analyzed the mitogenomes of two Ramaria species. The assembled mitogenomes of Ramaria cfr. rubripermanens and R. rubella were circularized, with sizes of 126,497 bp and 143,271 bp, respectively. Comparative mitogenome analysis showed that intron region contributed the most (contribution rate, 43.74%) to the size variations of Ramaria mitogenomes. The genetic contents, gene length, tRNAs, and codon usages of the two Ramaria mitogenomes varied greatly. In addition, the evolutionary rates of different core protein coding genes (PCGs) in Phallomycetidae mitogenomes varied. We detected large-scale gene rearrangements between Phallomycetidae mitogenomes, including gene displacement and tRNA doubling. A total of 4499 bp and 7746 bp aligned fragments were detected between the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes of R. cfr. rubripermanens and R. rubella, respectively, indicating possible gene transferring events. We further found frequent intron loss/gain and potential intron transfer events in Phallomycetidae mitogenomes during the evolution, and the mitogenomes of R. rubella contained a novel intron P44. Phylogenetic analyses using both Bayesian inference (BI) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) methods based on a combined mitochondrial gene dataset obtained an identical and well-supported phylogenetic tree for Basidiomycota, wherein R. cfr. rubripermanens and Turbinellus floccosus are sister species. This study served as the first report on mitogenomes from the genus Ramaria, which provides a basis for understanding the evolution, genetics, and taxonomy of this important fungal group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Li
- Key Laboratory of Coarse Cereal Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Lijiao Li
- Key Laboratory of Coarse Cereal Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Ting Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Coarse Cereal Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng Xiang
- Key Laboratory of Coarse Cereal Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian Wu
- Key Laboratory of Coarse Cereal Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenying Tu
- Key Laboratory of Coarse Cereal Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhijie Bao
- Key Laboratory of Coarse Cereal Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Liang Zou
- Key Laboratory of Coarse Cereal Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Cheng Chen
- Institute of Plant Protection, Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Southwest, Ministry of Agriculture, 20 # Jingjusi Rd, Chengdu, 610066, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
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11
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Su Z, Monshaugen I, Klungland A, Ougland R, Dutta A. Characterization of novel small non-coding RNAs and their modifications in bladder cancer using an updated small RNA-seq workflow. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:887686. [PMID: 35923465 PMCID: PMC9340255 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.887686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Bladder cancer (BLCA) is one of the most common cancer types worldwide. The disease is responsible for about 200,000 deaths annually, thus improved diagnostics and therapy is needed. A large body of evidence reveal that small RNAs of less than 40 nucleotides may act as tumor suppressors, oncogenes, and disease biomarkers, with a major focus on microRNAs. However, the role of other families of small RNAs is not yet deciphered. Recent results suggest that small RNAs and their modification status, play a role in BLCA development and are promising biomarkers due to their high abundance in the exomes and body fluids (including urine). Moreover, free modified nucleosides have been detected at elevated levels from the urine of BLCA patients. A genome-wide view of small RNAs, and their modifications, will help pinpoint the molecules that could be used as biomarker or has important biology in BLCA development. Methods: BLCA tumor tissue specimens were obtained from 12 patients undergoing transurethral resection of non-muscle invasive papillary urothelial carcinomas. Genome-wide profiling of small RNAs less than 40 bases long was performed by a modified protocol with TGIRT (thermostable group II reverse transcriptase) to identify novel small RNAs and their modification status. Results: Comprehensive analysis identified not only microRNAs. Intriguingly, 57 ± 15% (mean ± S.D.) of sequencing reads mapped to non-microRNA-small RNAs including tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs), ribosomal RNA-derived fragments (rRFs) and YRNA-derived fragments (YRFs). Misincorporation (mismatch) sites identified potential base modification positions on the small RNAs, especially on tRFs, corresponding to m1A (N1-methyladenosine), m1G (N1-methylguanosine) and m2 2G (N2, N2-dimethylguanosine). We also detected mismatch sites on rRFs corresponding to known modifications on 28 and 18S rRNA. Conclusion: We found abundant non-microRNA-small RNAs in BLCA tumor samples. Small RNAs, especially tRFs and rRFs, contain modifications that can be captured as mismatch by TGIRT sequencing. Both the modifications and the non-microRNA-small RNAs should be explored as a biomarker for BLCA detection or follow-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhangli Su
- Department of Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Ida Monshaugen
- Department of Microbiology, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Surgery, Baerum Hospital Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Gjettum, Norway
| | - Arne Klungland
- Department of Microbiology, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Rune Ougland
- Department of Microbiology, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Surgery, Baerum Hospital Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Gjettum, Norway
| | - Anindya Dutta
- Department of Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
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12
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Molina-Sánchez MD, García-Rodríguez FM, Andrés-León E, Toro N. Identification of Group II Intron RmInt1 Binding Sites in a Bacterial Genome. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:834020. [PMID: 35281263 PMCID: PMC8914252 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.834020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
RmInt1 is a group II intron encoding a reverse transcriptase protein (IEP) lacking the C-terminal endonuclease domain. RmInt1 is an efficient mobile retroelement that predominantly reverse splices into the transient single-stranded DNA at the template for lagging strand DNA synthesis during host replication, a process facilitated by the interaction of the RmInt1 IEP with DnaN at the replication fork. It has been suggested that group II intron ribonucleoprotein particles bind DNA nonspecifically, and then scan for their correct target site. In this study, we investigated RmInt1 binding sites throughout the Sinorhizobium meliloti genome, by chromatin-immunoprecipitation coupled with next-generation sequencing. We found that RmInt1 binding sites cluster around the bidirectional replication origin of each of the three replicons comprising the S. meliloti genome. Our results provide new evidence linking group II intron mobility to host DNA replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Dolores Molina-Sánchez
- Structure, Dynamics and Function of Rhizobacterial Genomes, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Department of Soil Microbiology and Symbiotic Systems, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Fernando Manuel García-Rodríguez
- Structure, Dynamics and Function of Rhizobacterial Genomes, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Department of Soil Microbiology and Symbiotic Systems, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Eduardo Andrés-León
- Bioinformatics Unit, Institute of Parasitology and Biomedicine “López-Neyra” (IPBLN), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Nicolás Toro
- Structure, Dynamics and Function of Rhizobacterial Genomes, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Department of Soil Microbiology and Symbiotic Systems, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Granada, Spain
- *Correspondence: Nicolás Toro,
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13
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Xu H, Nottingham RM, Lambowitz AM. TGIRT-seq Protocol for the Comprehensive Profiling of Coding and Non-coding RNA Biotypes in Cellular, Extracellular Vesicle, and Plasma RNAs. Bio Protoc 2021; 11:e4239. [PMID: 35005084 PMCID: PMC8678547 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.4239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
High-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has extraordinarily advanced our understanding of gene expression and disease etiology, and is a powerful tool for the identification of biomarkers in a wide range of organisms. However, most RNA-seq methods rely on retroviral reverse transcriptases (RTs), enzymes that have inherently low fidelity and processivity, to convert RNAs into cDNAs for sequencing. Here, we describe an RNA-seq protocol using Thermostable Group II Intron Reverse Transcriptases (TGIRTs), which have high fidelity, processivity, and strand-displacement activity, as well as a proficient template-switching activity that enables efficient and seamless RNA-seq adapter addition. By combining these activities, TGIRT-seq enables the simultaneous profiling of all RNA biotypes from small amounts of starting material, with superior RNA-seq metrics, and unprecedented ability to sequence structured RNAs. The TGIRT-seq protocol for Illumina sequencing consists of three steps: (i) addition of a 3' RNA-seq adapter, coupled to the initiation of cDNA synthesis at the 3' end of a target RNA, via template switching from a synthetic adapter RNA/DNA starter duplex; (ii) addition of a 5' RNA-seq adapter, by using thermostable 5' App DNA/RNA ligase to ligate an adapter oligonucleotide to the 3' end of the completed cDNA; (iii) minimal PCR amplification, to add capture sites and indices for Illumina sequencing. TGIRT-seq for the Illumina sequencing platform has been used for comprehensive profiling of coding and non-coding RNAs in ribodepleted, chemically fragmented cellular RNAs, and for the analysis of intact (non-chemically fragmented) cellular, extracellular vesicle (EV), and plasma RNAs, where it yields continuous full-length end-to-end sequences of structured small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs), including tRNAs, snoRNAs, snRNAs, pre-miRNAs, and full-length excised linear intron (FLEXI) RNAs. Graphic abstract: Figure 1.Overview of the TGIRT-seq protocol for Illumina sequencing.Major steps are: (1) Template switching from a synthetic R2 RNA/R2R DNA starter duplex with a 1-nt 3' DNA overhang (a mixture of A, C, G, and T residues, denoted N) that base pairs to the 3' nucleotide of a target RNA, and upon initiating reverse transcription by adding dNTPs, seamlessly links an R2R adapter to the 5' end of the resulting cDNA; (2) Ligation of an R1R adapter to the 3' end of the completed cDNA; and (3) Minimal PCR amplification with primers that add Illumina capture sites (P5 and P7) and barcode sequences (indices 5 and 7). The index 7 barcode is required, while the index 5 barcode is optional, to provide unique dual indices (UDIs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hengyi Xu
- Departments of Molecular Biosciences and Oncology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
| | - Ryan M. Nottingham
- Departments of Molecular Biosciences and Oncology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
| | - Alan M. Lambowitz
- Departments of Molecular Biosciences and Oncology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
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14
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Monachello D, Lauraine M, Gillot S, Michel F, Costa M. A new RNA-DNA interaction required for integration of group II intron retrotransposons into DNA targets. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:12394-12410. [PMID: 34791436 PMCID: PMC8643678 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab1031] [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: 08/14/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mobile group II introns are site-specific retrotransposable elements abundant in bacterial and organellar genomes. They are composed of a large and highly structured ribozyme and an intron-encoded reverse transcriptase that binds tightly to its intron to yield a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) particle. During the first stage of the mobility pathway, the intron RNA catalyses its own insertion directly into the DNA target site. Recognition of the proper target rests primarily on multiple base-pairing interactions between the intron RNA and the target DNA, while the protein makes contacts with only a few target positions by yet-unidentified mechanisms. Using a combination of comparative sequence analyses and in vivo mobility assays we demonstrate the existence of a new base-pairing interaction named EBS2a–IBS2a between the intron RNA and its DNA target site. This pairing adopts a Watson–Crick geometry and is essential for intron mobility, most probably by driving unwinding of the DNA duplex. Importantly, formation of EBS2a–IBS2a also requires the reverse transcriptase enzyme which stabilizes the pairing in a non-sequence-specific manner. In addition to bringing to light a new structural device that allows subgroup IIB1 and IIB2 introns to invade their targets with high efficiency and specificity our work has important implications for the biotechnological applications of group II introns in bacterial gene targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Monachello
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Marc Lauraine
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Sandra Gillot
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - François Michel
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Maria Costa
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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15
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González-Delgado A, Mestre MR, Martínez-Abarca F, Toro N. Prokaryotic reverse transcriptases: from retroelements to specialized defense systems. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 45:fuab025. [PMID: 33983378 PMCID: PMC8632793 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuab025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Reverse transcriptases (RTs) catalyze the polymerization of DNA from an RNA template. These enzymes were first discovered in RNA tumor viruses in 1970, but it was not until 1989 that they were found in prokaryotes as a key component of retrons. Apart from RTs encoded by the 'selfish' mobile retroelements known as group II introns, prokaryotic RTs are extraordinarily diverse, but their function has remained elusive. However, recent studies have revealed that different lineages of prokaryotic RTs, including retrons, those associated with CRISPR-Cas systems, Abi-like RTs and other yet uncharacterized RTs, are key components of different lines of defense against phages and other mobile genetic elements. Prokaryotic RTs participate in various antiviral strategies, including abortive infection (Abi), in which the infected cell is induced to commit suicide to protect the host population, adaptive immunity, in which a memory of previous infection is used to build an efficient defense, and other as yet unidentified mechanisms. These prokaryotic enzymes are attracting considerable attention, both for use in cutting-edge technologies, such as genome editing, and as an emerging research topic. In this review, we discuss what is known about prokaryotic RTs, and the exciting evidence for their domestication from retroelements to create specialized defense systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro González-Delgado
- Department of Soil Microbiology and Symbiotic Systems, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Structure, Dynamics and Function of Rhizobacterial Genomes, Grupo de Ecología Genética de la Rizosfera, C/ Profesor Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
| | - Mario Rodríguez Mestre
- Department of Soil Microbiology and Symbiotic Systems, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Structure, Dynamics and Function of Rhizobacterial Genomes, Grupo de Ecología Genética de la Rizosfera, C/ Profesor Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas “Alberto Sols”, CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Martínez-Abarca
- Department of Soil Microbiology and Symbiotic Systems, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Structure, Dynamics and Function of Rhizobacterial Genomes, Grupo de Ecología Genética de la Rizosfera, C/ Profesor Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
| | - Nicolás Toro
- Department of Soil Microbiology and Symbiotic Systems, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Structure, Dynamics and Function of Rhizobacterial Genomes, Grupo de Ecología Genética de la Rizosfera, C/ Profesor Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
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16
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Mukhopadhyay J, Hausner G. Organellar Introns in Fungi, Algae, and Plants. Cells 2021; 10:cells10082001. [PMID: 34440770 PMCID: PMC8393795 DOI: 10.3390/cells10082001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Introns are ubiquitous in eukaryotic genomes and have long been considered as ‘junk RNA’ but the huge energy expenditure in their transcription, removal, and degradation indicate that they may have functional significance and can offer evolutionary advantages. In fungi, plants and algae introns make a significant contribution to the size of the organellar genomes. Organellar introns are classified as catalytic self-splicing introns that can be categorized as either Group I or Group II introns. There are some biases, with Group I introns being more frequently encountered in fungal mitochondrial genomes, whereas among plants Group II introns dominate within the mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes. Organellar introns can encode a variety of proteins, such as maturases, homing endonucleases, reverse transcriptases, and, in some cases, ribosomal proteins, along with other novel open reading frames. Although organellar introns are viewed to be ribozymes, they do interact with various intron- or nuclear genome-encoded protein factors that assist in the intron RNA to fold into competent splicing structures, or facilitate the turn-over of intron RNAs to prevent reverse splicing. Organellar introns are also known to be involved in non-canonical splicing, such as backsplicing and trans-splicing which can result in novel splicing products or, in some instances, compensate for the fragmentation of genes by recombination events. In organellar genomes, Group I and II introns may exist in nested intronic arrangements, such as introns within introns, referred to as twintrons, where splicing of the external intron may be dependent on splicing of the internal intron. These nested or complex introns, with two or three-component intron modules, are being explored as platforms for alternative splicing and their possible function as molecular switches for modulating gene expression which could be potentially applied towards heterologous gene expression. This review explores recent findings on organellar Group I and II introns, focusing on splicing and mobility mechanisms aided by associated intron/nuclear encoded proteins and their potential roles in organellar gene expression and cross talk between nuclear and organellar genomes. Potential application for these types of elements in biotechnology are also discussed.
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MESH Headings
- Evolution, Molecular
- Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal
- Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
- Genome, Fungal
- Genome, Plant
- Introns
- Organelles/genetics
- Organelles/metabolism
- RNA Splicing
- RNA Stability
- RNA, Algal/genetics
- RNA, Algal/metabolism
- RNA, Fungal/genetics
- RNA, Fungal/metabolism
- RNA, Plant/genetics
- RNA, Plant/metabolism
- RNA, Untranslated/genetics
- RNA, Untranslated/metabolism
- Transcription, Genetic
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17
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Waldern J, Schiraldi NJ, Belfort M, Novikova O. Bacterial Group II Intron Genomic Neighborhoods Reflect Survival Strategies: Hiding and Hijacking. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 37:1942-1948. [PMID: 32134458 PMCID: PMC7306698 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Group II (gII) introns are mobile retroelements that can spread to new DNA sites through retrotransposition, which can be influenced by a variety of host factors. To determine if these host factors bear any relationship to the genomic location of gII introns, we developed a bioinformatic pipeline wherein we focused on the genomic neighborhoods of bacterial gII introns within their native contexts and sought to determine global relationships between introns and their surrounding genes. We found that, although gII introns inhabit diverse regions, these neighborhoods are often functionally enriched for genes that could promote gII intron retention or proliferation. On one hand, we observe that gII introns are frequently found hiding in mobile elements or after transcription terminators. On the other hand, gII introns are enriched in locations in which they could hijack host functions for their movement, potentially timing expression of the intron with genes that produce favorable conditions for retrotransposition. Thus, we propose that gII intron distributions have been shaped by relationships with their surrounding genomic neighbors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Waldern
- Department of Biological Sciences and RNA Institute, University at Albany, Albany, NY
| | - Nicholas J Schiraldi
- Academic and Research Computing Center, Information Technology Services, University at Albany, Albany, NY
| | - Marlene Belfort
- Department of Biological Sciences and RNA Institute, University at Albany, Albany, NY
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, Albany, NY
| | - Olga Novikova
- Department of Biological Sciences and RNA Institute, University at Albany, Albany, NY
- Corresponding author: E-mail:
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18
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Waldern JM, Smith D, Piazza CL, Bailey EJ, Schiraldi NJ, Nemati R, Fabris D, Belfort M, Novikova O. Methylation of rRNA as a host defense against rampant group II intron retrotransposition. Mob DNA 2021; 12:9. [PMID: 33678171 PMCID: PMC7938551 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-021-00237-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Group II introns are mobile retroelements, capable of invading new sites in DNA. They are self-splicing ribozymes that complex with an intron-encoded protein to form a ribonucleoprotein that targets DNA after splicing. These molecules can invade DNA site-specifically, through a process known as retrohoming, or can invade ectopic sites through retrotransposition. Retrotransposition, in particular, can be strongly influenced by both environmental and cellular factors. RESULTS To investigate host factors that influence retrotransposition, we performed random insertional mutagenesis using the ISS1 transposon to generate a library of over 1000 mutants in Lactococcus lactis, the native host of the Ll.LtrB group II intron. By screening this library, we identified 92 mutants with increased retrotransposition frequencies (RTP-ups). We found that mutations in amino acid transport and metabolism tended to have increased retrotransposition frequencies. We further explored a subset of these RTP-up mutants, the most striking of which is a mutant in the ribosomal RNA methyltransferase rlmH, which exhibited a reproducible 20-fold increase in retrotransposition frequency. In vitro and in vivo experiments revealed that ribosomes in the rlmH mutant were defective in the m3Ψ modification and exhibited reduced binding to the intron RNA. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, our results reinforce the importance of the native host organism in regulating group II intron retrotransposition. In particular, the evidence from the rlmH mutant suggests a role for ribosome modification in limiting rampant retrotransposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin M. Waldern
- Department of Biological Sciences and RNA Institute, University at Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222 USA
- Current address: Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, 270 Bell Tower Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 USA
| | - Dorie Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences and RNA Institute, University at Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222 USA
| | - Carol Lyn Piazza
- Department of Biological Sciences and RNA Institute, University at Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222 USA
| | - E. Jake Bailey
- Department of Biological Sciences and RNA Institute, University at Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222 USA
| | - Nicholas J. Schiraldi
- Academic and Research Computing Center, Information Technology Services, University at Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222 USA
| | - Reza Nemati
- Department of Chemistry, University at Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222 USA
- Current address: Biogen, 125 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02142 USA
| | - Dan Fabris
- Department of Biological Sciences and RNA Institute, University at Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222 USA
- Department of Chemistry, University at Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222 USA
- Current address: Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, 55 N. Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT 06268 USA
| | - Marlene Belfort
- Department of Biological Sciences and RNA Institute, University at Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222 USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222 USA
| | - Olga Novikova
- Department of Biological Sciences and RNA Institute, University at Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222 USA
- Current address: Biology Department, SUNY Buffalo State College, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222 USA
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19
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Wai A, Hausner G. The mitochondrial genome of Ophiostoma himal-ulmi and comparison with other fungi causing Dutch elm disease. Can J Microbiol 2021; 67:584-598. [PMID: 33566742 DOI: 10.1139/cjm-2020-0589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The mitochondrial genome of Ophiostoma himal-ulmi, a species endemic to the Western Himalayas and one of the fungi that cause Dutch elm disease, has been sequenced and characterized. The mitochondrial genome was compared with other available genomes for members of the Ophiostomatales, including other agents of Dutch elm disease (Ophiostoma ulmi, Ophiostoma novo-ulmi subspecies novo-ulmi, and Ophiostoma novo-ulmi subspecies americana), and it was observed that gene synteny is highly conserved, and variability among members of the fungi that cause Dutch-elm disease is primarily due to the number of intron insertions. Among the fungi that cause Dutch elm disease that we examined, O. himal-ulmi has the largest mitochondrial genomes (ranging from 94 934 to 111 712 bp), owing to the expansion of the number of introns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvan Wai
- Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.,Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Georg Hausner
- Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.,Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
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20
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Zubaer A, Wai A, Patel N, Perillo J, Hausner G. The Mitogenomes of Ophiostoma minus and Ophiostoma piliferum and Comparisons With Other Members of the Ophiostomatales. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:618649. [PMID: 33643245 PMCID: PMC7902536 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.618649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungi assigned to the Ophiostomatales are of economic concern as many are blue-stain fungi and some are plant pathogens. The mitogenomes of two blue-stain fungi, Ophiostoma minus and Ophiostoma piliferum, were sequenced and compared with currently available mitogenomes for other members of the Ophiostomatales. Species representing various genera within the Ophiostomatales have been examined for gene content, gene order, phylogenetic relationships, and the distribution of mobile elements. Gene synteny is conserved among the Ophiostomatales but some members were missing the atp9 gene. A genome wide intron landscape has been prepared to demonstrate the distribution of the mobile genetic elements (group I and II introns and homing endonucleases) and to provide insight into the evolutionary dynamics of introns among members of this group of fungi. Examples of complex introns or nested introns composed of two or three intron modules have been observed in some species. The size variation among the mitogenomes (from 23.7 kb to about 150 kb) is mostly due to the presence and absence of introns. Members of the genus Sporothrix sensu stricto appear to have the smallest mitogenomes due to loss of introns. The taxonomy of the Ophiostomatales has recently undergone considerable revisions; however, some lineages remain unresolved. The data showed that genera such as Raffaelea appear to be polyphyletic and the separation of Sporothrix sensu stricto from Ophiostoma is justified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah Zubaer
- Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Alvan Wai
- Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Nikita Patel
- Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Jordan Perillo
- Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Georg Hausner
- Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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21
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Liu N, Dong X, Hu C, Zeng J, Wang J, Wang J, Wang HW, Belfort M. Exon and protein positioning in a pre-catalytic group II intron RNP primed for splicing. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:11185-11198. [PMID: 33021674 PMCID: PMC7641739 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Group II introns are the putative progenitors of nuclear spliceosomal introns and use the same two-step splicing pathway. In the cell, the intron RNA forms a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex with the intron-encoded protein (IEP), which is essential for splicing. Although structures of spliced group II intron RNAs and RNP complexes have been characterized, structural insights into the splicing process remain enigmatic due to lack of pre-catalytic structural models. Here, we report two cryo-EM structures of endogenously produced group II intron RNPs trapped in their pre-catalytic state. Comparison of the catalytically activated precursor RNP to its previously reported spliced counterpart allowed identification of key structural rearrangements accompanying splicing, including a remodeled active site and engagement of the exons. Importantly, altered RNA-protein interactions were observed upon splicing among the RNP complexes. Furthermore, analysis of the catalytically inert precursor RNP demonstrated the structural impact of the formation of the active site on RNP architecture. Taken together, our results not only fill a gap in understanding the structural basis of IEP-assisted group II intron splicing, but also provide parallels to evolutionarily related spliceosomal splicing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Liu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xiaolong Dong
- Department of Biological Sciences and RNA Institute, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Cuixia Hu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jianwei Zeng
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jiawei Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jia Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Hong-Wei Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Marlene Belfort
- Department of Biological Sciences and RNA Institute, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, USA
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22
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Zumkeller S, Gerke P, Knoop V. A functional twintron, 'zombie' twintrons and a hypermobile group II intron invading itself in plant mitochondria. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:2661-2675. [PMID: 31915815 PMCID: PMC7049729 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz1194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The occurrence of group II introns in plant mitochondrial genomes is strikingly different between the six major land plant clades, contrasting their highly conserved counterparts in chloroplast DNA. Their present distribution likely reflects numerous ancient intron gains and losses during early plant evolution before the emergence of seed plants. As a novelty for plant organelles, we here report on five cases of twintrons, introns-within-introns, in the mitogenomes of lycophytes and hornworts. An internal group II intron interrupts an intron-borne maturase of an atp9 intron in Lycopodiaceae, whose splicing precedes splicing of the external intron. An invasive, hypermobile group II intron in cox1, has conquered nine further locations including a previously overlooked sdh3 intron and, most surprisingly, also itself. In those cases, splicing of the external introns does not depend on splicing of the internal introns. Similar cases are identified in the mtDNAs of hornworts. Although disrupting a group I intron-encoded protein in one case, we could not detect splicing of the internal group II intron in this ‘mixed’ group I/II twintron. We suggest the name ‘zombie’ twintrons (half-dead, half-alive) for such cases where splicing of external introns does not depend any more on prior splicing of fossilized internal introns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Zumkeller
- IZMB - Institut für Zelluläre und Molekulare Botanik, Abteilung Molekulare Evolution, Universität Bonn, Kirschallee 1, D-53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Philipp Gerke
- IZMB - Institut für Zelluläre und Molekulare Botanik, Abteilung Molekulare Evolution, Universität Bonn, Kirschallee 1, D-53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Volker Knoop
- IZMB - Institut für Zelluläre und Molekulare Botanik, Abteilung Molekulare Evolution, Universität Bonn, Kirschallee 1, D-53115 Bonn, Germany
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23
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Kim DN, Thiel BC, Mrozowich T, Hennelly SP, Hofacker IL, Patel TR, Sanbonmatsu KY. Zinc-finger protein CNBP alters the 3-D structure of lncRNA Braveheart in solution. Nat Commun 2020; 11:148. [PMID: 31919376 PMCID: PMC6952434 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13942-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) constitute a significant fraction of the transcriptome, playing important roles in development and disease. However, our understanding of structure-function relationships for this emerging class of RNAs has been limited to secondary structures. Here, we report the 3-D atomistic structural study of epigenetic lncRNA, Braveheart (Bvht), and its complex with CNBP (Cellular Nucleic acid Binding Protein). Using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), we elucidate the ensemble of Bvht RNA conformations in solution, revealing that Bvht lncRNA has a well-defined, albeit flexible 3-D structure that is remodeled upon CNBP binding. Our study suggests that CNBP binding requires multiple domains of Bvht and the RHT/AGIL RNA motif. We show that RHT/AGIL, previously shown to interact with CNBP, contains a highly flexible loop surrounded by more ordered helices. As one of the largest RNA-only 3-D studies, the work lays the foundation for future structural studies of lncRNA-protein complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doo Nam Kim
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA
| | - Bernhard C Thiel
- Department of Theoretical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Tyler Mrozowich
- Alberta RNA Research & Training Institute, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Scott P Hennelly
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA
- New Mexico Consortium, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA
| | - Ivo L Hofacker
- Department of Theoretical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Faculty of Computer Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Trushar R Patel
- Alberta RNA Research & Training Institute, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
| | - Karissa Y Sanbonmatsu
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA.
- New Mexico Consortium, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA.
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24
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Plangger R, Juen MA, Hoernes TP, Nußbaumer F, Kremser J, Strebitzer E, Klingler D, Erharter K, Tollinger M, Erlacher MD, Kreutz C. Branch site bulge conformations in domain 6 determine functional sugar puckers in group II intron splicing. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:11430-11440. [PMID: 31665419 PMCID: PMC6868427 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Although group II intron ribozymes are intensively studied the question how structural dynamics affects splicing catalysis has remained elusive. We report for the first time that the group II intron domain 6 exists in a secondary structure equilibrium between a single- and a two-nucleotide bulge conformation, which is directly linked to a switch between sugar puckers of the branch site adenosine. Our study determined a functional sugar pucker equilibrium between the transesterification active C2'-endo conformation of the branch site adenosine in the 1nt bulge and an inactive C3'-endo state in the 2nt bulge fold, allowing the group II intron to switch its activity from the branching to the exon ligation step. Our detailed NMR spectroscopic investigation identified magnesium (II) ions and the branching reaction as regulators of the equilibrium populations. The tuneable secondary structure/sugar pucker equilibrium supports a conformational selection mechanism to up- and downregulate catalytically active and inactive states of the branch site adenosine to orchestrate the multi-step splicing process. The conformational dynamics of group II intron domain 6 is also proposed to be a key aspect for the directionality selection in reversible splicing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphael Plangger
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Michael Andreas Juen
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Thomas Philipp Hoernes
- Institute of Genomics and RNomics, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Felix Nußbaumer
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Johannes Kremser
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Elisabeth Strebitzer
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - David Klingler
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Kevin Erharter
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Martin Tollinger
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Matthias David Erlacher
- Institute of Genomics and RNomics, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Christoph Kreutz
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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25
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Improved TGIRT-seq methods for comprehensive transcriptome profiling with decreased adapter dimer formation and bias correction. Sci Rep 2019; 9:7953. [PMID: 31138886 PMCID: PMC6538698 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-44457-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Thermostable group II intron reverse transcriptases (TGIRTs) with high fidelity and processivity have been used for a variety of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) applications, including comprehensive profiling of whole-cell, exosomal, and human plasma RNAs; quantitative tRNA-seq based on the ability of TGIRT enzymes to give full-length reads of tRNAs and other structured small ncRNAs; high-throughput mapping of post-transcriptional modifications; and RNA structure mapping. Here, we improved TGIRT-seq methods for comprehensive transcriptome profiling by rationally designing RNA-seq adapters that minimize adapter dimer formation. Additionally, we developed biochemical and computational methods for remediating 5′- and 3′-end biases, the latter based on a random forest regression model that provides insight into the contribution of different factors to these biases. These improvements, some of which may be applicable to other RNA-seq methods, increase the efficiency of TGIRT-seq library construction and improve coverage of very small RNAs, such as miRNAs. Our findings provide insight into the biochemical basis of 5′- and 3′-end biases in RNA-seq and suggest general approaches for remediating biases and decreasing adapter dimer formation.
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