1
|
Shine M, Gordon J, Schärfen L, Zigackova D, Herzel L, Neugebauer KM. Co-transcriptional gene regulation in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2024; 25:534-554. [PMID: 38509203 PMCID: PMC11199108 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-024-00706-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Many steps of RNA processing occur during transcription by RNA polymerases. Co-transcriptional activities are deemed commonplace in prokaryotes, in which the lack of membrane barriers allows mixing of all gene expression steps, from transcription to translation. In the past decade, an extraordinary level of coordination between transcription and RNA processing has emerged in eukaryotes. In this Review, we discuss recent developments in our understanding of co-transcriptional gene regulation in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes, comparing methodologies and mechanisms, and highlight striking parallels in how RNA polymerases interact with the machineries that act on nascent RNA. The development of RNA sequencing and imaging techniques that detect transient transcription and RNA processing intermediates has facilitated discoveries of transcription coordination with splicing, 3'-end cleavage and dynamic RNA folding and revealed physical contacts between processing machineries and RNA polymerases. Such studies indicate that intron retention in a given nascent transcript can prevent 3'-end cleavage and cause transcriptional readthrough, which is a hallmark of eukaryotic cellular stress responses. We also discuss how coordination between nascent RNA biogenesis and transcription drives fundamental aspects of gene expression in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Morgan Shine
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jackson Gordon
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Leonard Schärfen
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Dagmar Zigackova
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lydia Herzel
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Karla M Neugebauer
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Coté A, O'Farrell A, Dardani I, Dunagin M, Coté C, Wan Y, Bayatpour S, Drexler HL, Alexander KA, Chen F, Wassie AT, Patel R, Pham K, Boyden ES, Berger S, Phillips-Cremins J, Churchman LS, Raj A. Post-transcriptional splicing can occur in a slow-moving zone around the gene. eLife 2024; 12:RP91357. [PMID: 38577979 PMCID: PMC10997330 DOI: 10.7554/elife.91357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Splicing is the stepwise molecular process by which introns are removed from pre-mRNA and exons are joined together to form mature mRNA sequences. The ordering and spatial distribution of these steps remain controversial, with opposing models suggesting splicing occurs either during or after transcription. We used single-molecule RNA FISH, expansion microscopy, and live-cell imaging to reveal the spatiotemporal distribution of nascent transcripts in mammalian cells. At super-resolution levels, we found that pre-mRNA formed clouds around the transcription site. These clouds indicate the existence of a transcription-site-proximal zone through which RNA move more slowly than in the nucleoplasm. Full-length pre-mRNA undergo continuous splicing as they move through this zone following transcription, suggesting a model in which splicing can occur post-transcriptionally but still within the proximity of the transcription site, thus seeming co-transcriptional by most assays. These results may unify conflicting reports of co-transcriptional versus post-transcriptional splicing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Allison Coté
- Department of Bioengineering, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Aoife O'Farrell
- Department of Bioengineering, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Ian Dardani
- Department of Bioengineering, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Margaret Dunagin
- Department of Bioengineering, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Chris Coté
- Department of Bioengineering, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Yihan Wan
- School of Life Sciences, Westlake UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Sareh Bayatpour
- Department of Bioengineering, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Heather L Drexler
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Katherine A Alexander
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Penn Institute of Epigenetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Fei Chen
- Broad Institute of MIT and HarvardCambridgeUnited States
| | - Asmamaw T Wassie
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Rohan Patel
- Department of Bioengineering, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Kenneth Pham
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Edward S Boyden
- Departments of Biological Engineering and Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Media Lab and McGovern Institute, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Shelly Berger
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Penn Institute of Epigenetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | | | - L Stirling Churchman
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Arjun Raj
- Department of Bioengineering, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Unruh BA, Weidemann DE, Miao L, Kojima S. Coordination of rhythmic RNA synthesis and degradation orchestrates 24- and 12-h RNA expression patterns in mouse fibroblasts. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2314690121. [PMID: 38315868 PMCID: PMC10873638 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2314690121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Circadian RNA expression is essential to ultimately regulate a plethora of downstream rhythmic biochemical, physiological, and behavioral processes. Both transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms are considered important to drive rhythmic RNA expression; however, the extent to which each regulatory process contributes to the rhythmic RNA expression remains controversial. To systematically address this, we monitored RNA dynamics using metabolic RNA labeling technology during a circadian cycle in mouse fibroblasts. We find that rhythmic RNA synthesis is the primary contributor of 24-h RNA rhythms, while rhythmic degradation is more important for 12-h RNA rhythms. These rhythms were predominantly regulated by Bmal1 and/or the core clock mechanism, and the interplay between rhythmic synthesis and degradation has a significant impact in shaping rhythmic RNA expression patterns. Interestingly, core clock RNAs are regulated by multiple rhythmic processes and have the highest amplitude of synthesis and degradation, presumably critical to sustain robust rhythmicity of cell-autonomous circadian rhythms. Our study yields invaluable insights into the temporal dynamics of both 24- and 12-h RNA rhythms in mouse fibroblasts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin A. Unruh
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA24061
| | - Douglas E. Weidemann
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA24061
| | - Lin Miao
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA24061
| | - Shihoko Kojima
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA24061
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Vock IW, Simon MD. bakR: uncovering differential RNA synthesis and degradation kinetics transcriptome-wide with Bayesian hierarchical modeling. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2023; 29:958-976. [PMID: 37028916 DOI: 10.1261/rna.079451.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Differential expression analysis of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data can identify changes in cellular RNA levels, but provides limited information about the kinetic mechanisms underlying such changes. Nucleotide recoding RNA-seq methods (NR-seq; e.g., TimeLapse-seq, SLAM-seq, etc.) address this shortcoming and are widely used approaches to identify changes in RNA synthesis and degradation kinetics. While advanced statistical models implemented in user-friendly software (e.g., DESeq2) have ensured the statistical rigor of differential expression analyses, no such tools that facilitate differential kinetic analysis with NR-seq exist. Here, we report the development of Bayesian analysis of the kinetics of RNA (bakR; https:// github.com/simonlabcode/bakR), an R package to address this need. bakR relies on Bayesian hierarchical modeling of NR-seq data to increase statistical power by sharing information across transcripts. Analyses of simulated data confirmed that bakR implementations of the hierarchical model outperform attempts to analyze differential kinetics with existing models. bakR also uncovers biological signals in real NR-seq data sets and provides improved analyses of existing data sets. This work establishes bakR as an important tool for identifying differential RNA synthesis and degradation kinetics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isaac W Vock
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06536, USA
- Institute of Biomolecular Design and Discovery, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut 06477, USA
| | - Matthew D Simon
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06536, USA
- Institute of Biomolecular Design and Discovery, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut 06477, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Rummel T, Sakellaridi L, Erhard F. grandR: a comprehensive package for nucleotide conversion RNA-seq data analysis. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3559. [PMID: 37321987 PMCID: PMC10272207 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39163-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabolic labeling of RNA is a powerful technique for studying the temporal dynamics of gene expression. Nucleotide conversion approaches greatly facilitate the generation of data but introduce challenges for their analysis. Here we present grandR, a comprehensive package for quality control, differential gene expression analysis, kinetic modeling, and visualization of such data. We compare several existing methods for inference of RNA synthesis rates and half-lives using progressive labeling time courses. We demonstrate the need for recalibration of effective labeling times and introduce a Bayesian approach to study the temporal dynamics of RNA using snapshot experiments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Rummel
- Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, University of Würzburg, Versbacher Str. 7, 97078, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Lygeri Sakellaridi
- Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, University of Würzburg, Versbacher Str. 7, 97078, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Florian Erhard
- Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, University of Würzburg, Versbacher Str. 7, 97078, Würzburg, Germany.
- Faculty for Informatics and Data Science, University of Regensburg, Bajuwarenstr. 4, 93053, Regensburg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Bhat P, Chow A, Emert B, Ettlin O, Quinodoz SA, Takei Y, Huang W, Blanco MR, Guttman M. 3D genome organization around nuclear speckles drives mRNA splicing efficiency. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.04.522632. [PMID: 36711853 PMCID: PMC9881923 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.04.522632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The nucleus is highly organized such that factors involved in transcription and processing of distinct classes of RNA are organized within specific nuclear bodies. One such nuclear body is the nuclear speckle, which is defined by high concentrations of protein and non-coding RNA regulators of pre-mRNA splicing. What functional role, if any, speckles might play in the process of mRNA splicing remains unknown. Here we show that genes localized near nuclear speckles display higher spliceosome concentrations, increased spliceosome binding to their pre-mRNAs, and higher co-transcriptional splicing levels relative to genes that are located farther from nuclear speckles. We show that directed recruitment of a pre-mRNA to nuclear speckles is sufficient to drive increased mRNA splicing levels. Finally, we show that gene organization around nuclear speckles is highly dynamic with differential localization between cell types corresponding to differences in Pol II occupancy. Together, our results integrate the longstanding observations of nuclear speckles with the biochemistry of mRNA splicing and demonstrate a critical role for dynamic 3D spatial organization of genomic DNA in driving spliceosome concentrations and controlling the efficiency of mRNA splicing.
Collapse
|
7
|
Friedel CC. Computational Integration of HSV-1 Multi-omics Data. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2610:31-48. [PMID: 36534279 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2895-9_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Functional genomics techniques based on next-generation sequencing provide new avenues for studying host responses to viral infections at multiple levels, including transcriptional and translational processes and chromatin organization. This chapter provides an overview on the computational integration of multiple types of "omics" data on lytic herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infection. It summarizes methods developed and applied in two publications that combined 4sU-seq for studying de novo transcription, ribosome profiling for investigating active translation, RNA-seq of subcellular RNA fractions for determining subcellular location of transcripts, and ATAC-seq for profiling chromatin accessibility genome-wide. These studies revealed an unprecedented disruption of transcription termination in HSV-1 infection resulting in widespread read-through transcription beyond poly(A) sites for most but not all host genes. This impacts chromatin architecture by increasing chromatin accessibility selectively in downstream regions of affected genes. In this way, computational integration of multi-omics data identified novel and unsuspected mechanisms at play in lytic HSV-1 infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline C Friedel
- Institute of Informatics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Sertznig H, Roesmann F, Wilhelm A, Heininger D, Bleekmann B, Elsner C, Santiago M, Schuhenn J, Karakoese Z, Benatzy Y, Snodgrass R, Esser S, Sutter K, Dittmer U, Widera M. SRSF1 acts as an IFN-I-regulated cellular dependency factor decisively affecting HIV-1 post-integration steps. Front Immunol 2022; 13:935800. [PMID: 36458014 PMCID: PMC9706209 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.935800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Efficient HIV-1 replication depends on balanced levels of host cell components including cellular splicing factors as the family of serine/arginine-rich splicing factors (SRSF, 1-10). Type I interferons (IFN-I) play a crucial role in the innate immunity against HIV-1 by inducing the expression of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) including potent host restriction factors. The less well known IFN-repressed genes (IRepGs) might additionally affect viral replication by downregulating host dependency factors that are essential for the viral life cycle; however, so far, the knowledge about IRepGs involved in HIV-1 infection is very limited. In this work, we could demonstrate that HIV-1 infection and the associated ISG induction correlated with low SRSF1 levels in intestinal lamina propria mononuclear cells (LPMCs) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) during acute and chronic HIV-1 infection. In HIV-1-susceptible cell lines as well as primary monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs), expression levels of SRSF1 were transiently repressed upon treatment with specific IFNα subtypes in vitro. Mechanically, 4sU labeling of newly transcribed mRNAs revealed that IFN-mediated SRSF1 repression is regulated on early RNA level. SRSF1 knockdown led to an increase in total viral RNA levels, but the relative proportion of the HIV-1 viral infectivity factor (Vif) coding transcripts, which is essential to counteract APOBEC3G-mediated host restriction, was significantly reduced. In the presence of high APOBEC3G levels, however, increased LTR activity upon SRSF1 knockdown facilitated the overall replication, despite decreased vif mRNA levels. In contrast, SRSF1 overexpression significantly impaired HIV-1 post-integration steps including LTR transcription, alternative splice site usage, and virus particle production. Since balanced SRSF1 levels are crucial for efficient viral replication, our data highlight the so far undescribed role of SRSF1 acting as an IFN-modulated cellular dependency factor decisively regulating HIV-1 post-integration steps.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Helene Sertznig
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Fabian Roesmann
- Institute for Medical Virology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Alexander Wilhelm
- Institute for Medical Virology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Delia Heininger
- Institute for Medical Virology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Barbara Bleekmann
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Carina Elsner
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Mario Santiago
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Jonas Schuhenn
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Zehra Karakoese
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Yvonne Benatzy
- Institute of Biochemistry I, Faculty of Medicine, Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Ryan Snodgrass
- Institute of Biochemistry I, Faculty of Medicine, Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Stefan Esser
- Clinic of Dermatology, University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Kathrin Sutter
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Ulf Dittmer
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Marek Widera
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- Institute for Medical Virology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Santos F, Capela AM, Mateus F, Nóbrega-Pereira S, Bernardes de Jesus B. Non-coding antisense transcripts: fine regulation of gene expression in cancer. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:5652-5660. [PMID: 36284703 PMCID: PMC9579725 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural antisense transcripts (NATs) are coding or non-coding RNA sequences transcribed on the opposite direction from the same genomic locus. NATs are widely distributed throughout the human genome and seem to play crucial roles in physiological and pathological processes, through newly described and targeted mechanisms. NATs represent the intricate complexity of the genome organization and constitute another layer of potential targets in disease. Here, we focus on the interesting and unique role of non-coding NATs in cancer, paying particular attention to those acting as miRNA sponges.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Bruno Bernardes de Jesus
- Corresponding author at: Department of Medical Sciences and Institute of Biomedicine – iBiMED, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Gildea MA, Dwyer ZW, Pleiss JA. Transcript-specific determinants of pre-mRNA splicing revealed through in vivo kinetic analyses of the 1 st and 2 nd chemical steps. Mol Cell 2022; 82:2967-2981.e6. [PMID: 35830855 PMCID: PMC9391291 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.06.020] [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: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
We generate high-precision measurements of the in vivo rates of both chemical steps of pre-mRNA splicing across the genome-wide complement of substrates in yeast by coupling metabolic labeling, multiplexed primer-extension sequencing, and kinetic modeling. We demonstrate that the rates of intron removal vary widely, splice-site sequences are primary determinants of 1st step but have little apparent impact on 2nd step rates, and the 2nd step is generally faster than the 1st step. Ribosomal protein genes (RPGs) are spliced faster than non-RPGs at each step, and RPGs share evolutionarily conserved properties that may contribute to their faster splicing. A genetic variant defective in the 1st step of the pathway reveals a genome-wide defect in the 1st step but an unexpected, transcript-specific change in the 2nd step. Our work demonstrates that extended co-transcriptional association is an important determinant of splicing rate, a conclusion at odds with recent claims of ultra-fast splicing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Gildea
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Zachary W Dwyer
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Pleiss
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Hersch M, Biasini A, Marques AC, Bergmann S. Estimating RNA dynamics using one time point for one sample in a single-pulse metabolic labeling experiment. BMC Bioinformatics 2022; 23:147. [PMID: 35459101 PMCID: PMC9034570 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-022-04672-4] [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: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Over the past decade, experimental procedures such as metabolic labeling for determining RNA turnover rates at the transcriptome-wide scale have been widely adopted and are now turning to single cell measurements. Several computational methods to estimate RNA synthesis, processing and degradation rates from such experiments have been suggested, but they all require several RNA sequencing samples. Here we present a method that can estimate those three rates from a single sample. Methods Our method relies on the analytical solution to the Zeisel model of RNA dynamics. It was validated on metabolic labeling experiments performed on mouse embryonic stem cells. Resulting degradation rates were compared both to previously published rates on the same system and to a state-of-the-art method applied to the same data. Results Our method is computationally efficient and outputs rates that correlate well with previously published data sets. Using it on a single sample, we were able to reproduce the observation that dynamic biological processes tend to involve genes with higher metabolic rates, while stable processes involve genes with lower rates. This supports the hypothesis that cells control not only the mRNA steady-state abundance, but also its responsiveness, i.e., how fast steady state is reached. Moreover, degradation rates obtained with our method compare favourably with the other tested method. Conclusions In addition to saving experimental work and computational time, estimating rates for a single sample has several advantages. It does not require an error-prone normalization across samples and enables the use of replicates to estimate uncertainty and assess sample quality. Finally the method and theoretical results described here are general enough to be useful in other contexts such as nucleotide conversion methods and single cell metabolic labeling experiments. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12859-022-04672-4.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Micha Hersch
- Department of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. .,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015, Lausanne, CH, Switzerland.
| | - Adriano Biasini
- Department of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Ana C Marques
- Department of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sven Bergmann
- Department of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015, Lausanne, CH, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Co-transcriptional splicing efficiency is a gene-specific feature that can be regulated by TGFβ. Commun Biol 2022; 5:277. [PMID: 35347226 PMCID: PMC8960766 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03224-z] [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: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Differential splicing efficiency of specific introns is a mechanism that dramatically increases protein diversity, based on selection of alternative exons for the final mature mRNA. However, it is unclear whether splicing efficiency of introns within the same gene is coordinated and eventually regulated as a mechanism to control mature mRNA levels. Based on nascent chromatin-associated RNA-sequencing data, we now find that co-transcriptional splicing (CTS) efficiency tends to be similar between the different introns of a gene. We establish that two well-differentiated strategies for CTS efficiency exist, at the extremes of a gradient: short genes that produce high levels of pre-mRNA undergo inefficient splicing, while long genes with relatively low levels of pre-mRNA have an efficient splicing. Notably, we observe that genes with efficient CTS display a higher level of mature mRNA relative to their pre-mRNA levels. Further, we show that the TGFβ signal transduction pathway regulates the general CTS efficiency, causing changes in mature mRNA levels. Taken together, our data indicate that CTS efficiency is a gene-specific characteristic that can be regulated to control gene expression. Co-transcriptional splicing efficiency is a gene-specific characteristic that can be regulated by TGFβ to modulate gene expression.
Collapse
|
13
|
Prudêncio P, Savisaar R, Rebelo K, Martinho RG, Carmo-Fonseca M. Transcription and splicing dynamics during early Drosophila development. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2022; 28:139-161. [PMID: 34667107 PMCID: PMC8906543 DOI: 10.1261/rna.078933.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Widespread cotranscriptional splicing has been demonstrated from yeast to human. However, most studies to date addressing the kinetics of splicing relative to transcription used either Saccharomyces cerevisiae or metazoan cultured cell lines. Here, we adapted native elongating transcript sequencing technology (NET-seq) to measure cotranscriptional splicing dynamics during the early developmental stages of Drosophila melanogaster embryos. Our results reveal the position of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) when both canonical and recursive splicing occur. We found heterogeneity in splicing dynamics, with some RNAs spliced immediately after intron transcription, whereas for other transcripts no splicing was observed over the first 100 nt of the downstream exon. Introns that show splicing completion before Pol II has reached the end of the downstream exon are necessarily intron-defined. We studied the splicing dynamics of both nascent pre-mRNAs transcribed in the early embryo, which have few and short introns, as well as pre-mRNAs transcribed later in embryonic development, which contain multiple long introns. As expected, we found a relationship between the proportion of spliced reads and intron size. However, intron definition was observed at all intron sizes. We further observed that genes transcribed in the early embryo tend to be isolated in the genome whereas genes transcribed later are often overlapped by a neighboring convergent gene. In isolated genes, transcription termination occurred soon after the polyadenylation site, while in overlapped genes, Pol II persisted associated with the DNA template after cleavage and polyadenylation of the nascent transcript. Taken together, our data unravel novel dynamic features of Pol II transcription and splicing in the developing Drosophila embryo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Prudêncio
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Rosina Savisaar
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Kenny Rebelo
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Rui Gonçalo Martinho
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute (ABC-RI), Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Department of Medical Sciences and Institute for Biomedicine (iBiMED), Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Maria Carmo-Fonseca
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Nojima T, Proudfoot NJ. Mechanisms of lncRNA biogenesis as revealed by nascent transcriptomics. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2022; 23:389-406. [DOI: 10.1038/s41580-021-00447-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
|
15
|
Shang J, He L, Wang J, Tong A, Xiang Y. In Situ Visualizing Nascent RNA by Exploring DNA-Templated Oxidative Amination of 4-Thiouridine. Bioconjug Chem 2021; 33:164-171. [PMID: 34910465 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.1c00524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Tracking and mapping the nascent RNA molecules in cells is essential for deciphering embryonic development and neuronal differentiation. Here, we utilized 4-thiouridine (s4U) as a metabolic tag to label nascent RNA and developed a fluorescence imaging method based on the DNA-templated oxidative amination (DTOA) reaction of s4U. The DTOA reaction occurred between amine-modified DNA and s4U-containing RNA with high sequence specificity and chemical selectivity. Target nascent mRNAs in HeLa cells, including those encoding green fluorescent proteins (GFPs) and endogenous BAG-1, were thus lit up selectively by DTOA-based fluorescence in situ hybridization (DTOA FISH). We believe the DTOA conjugation chemistry shown in this study could be generally applied to investigate the spatial distribution of nascent transcription dynamics in cellular processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiachen Shang
- Department of Chemistry, Beijing Key Laboratory for Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Luo He
- Department of Chemistry, Beijing Key Laboratory for Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jingyi Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Beijing Key Laboratory for Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Aijun Tong
- Department of Chemistry, Beijing Key Laboratory for Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yu Xiang
- Department of Chemistry, Beijing Key Laboratory for Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Boileau E, Altmüller J, Naarmann-de Vries IS, Dieterich C. A comparison of metabolic labeling and statistical methods to infer genome-wide dynamics of RNA turnover. Brief Bioinform 2021; 22:6315814. [PMID: 34228787 PMCID: PMC8574959 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbab219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolic labeling of newly transcribed RNAs coupled with RNA-seq is being increasingly used for genome-wide analysis of RNA dynamics. Methods including standard biochemical enrichment and recent nucleotide conversion protocols each require special experimental and computational treatment. Despite their immediate relevance, these technologies have not yet been assessed and benchmarked, and no data are currently available to advance reproducible research and the development of better inference tools. Here, we present a systematic evaluation and comparison of four RNA labeling protocols: 4sU-tagging biochemical enrichment, including spike-in RNA controls, SLAM-seq, TimeLapse-seq and TUC-seq. All protocols are evaluated based on practical considerations, conversion efficiency and wet lab requirements to handle hazardous substances. We also compute decay rate estimates and confidence intervals for each protocol using two alternative statistical frameworks, pulseR and GRAND-SLAM, for over 11 600 human genes and evaluate the underlying computational workflows for their robustness and ease of use. Overall, we demonstrate a high inter-method reliability across eight use case scenarios. Our results and data will facilitate reproducible research and serve as a resource contributing to a fuller understanding of RNA biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Etienne Boileau
- Section of Bioinformatics and Systems Cardiology, Klaus Tschira Institute for Integrative Computational Cardiology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 669, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Internal Medicine III (Cardiology, Angiology, and Pneumology), University Hospital Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 669, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.,DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research) Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim
| | - Janine Altmüller
- Cologne Center for Genomics (CCG), University of Cologne, Weyertal 115b, 50931, Kön, Germany.,Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Core Facility Genomics, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.,Max Delbrük Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | - Isabel S Naarmann-de Vries
- Section of Bioinformatics and Systems Cardiology, Klaus Tschira Institute for Integrative Computational Cardiology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 669, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Internal Medicine III (Cardiology, Angiology, and Pneumology), University Hospital Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 669, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Christoph Dieterich
- Section of Bioinformatics and Systems Cardiology, Klaus Tschira Institute for Integrative Computational Cardiology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 669, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Internal Medicine III (Cardiology, Angiology, and Pneumology), University Hospital Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 669, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.,DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research) Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Bedi K, Magnuson BR, Narayanan I, Paulsen M, Wilson TE, Ljungman M. Co-transcriptional splicing efficiencies differ within genes and between cell types. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2021; 27:rna.078662.120. [PMID: 33975916 PMCID: PMC8208053 DOI: 10.1261/rna.078662.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Pre-mRNA splicing is carried out by the spliceosome and involves splice site recognition, removal of introns, and ligation of exons. Components of the spliceosome have been shown to interact with the elongating RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) which is thought to allow splicing to occur concurrently with transcription. However, little is known about the regulation and efficiency of co-transcriptional splicing in human cells. In this study, we used Bru-seq and BruChase-seq to determine the co-transcriptional splicing efficiencies of 17,000 introns expressed across 6 human cell lines. We found that less than half of all introns across these 6 cell lines were co-transcriptionally spliced. Splicing efficiencies for individual introns showed variations across cell lines, suggesting that splicing may be regulated in a cell-type specific manner. Moreover, the splicing efficiency of introns varied within genes. The efficiency of co-transcriptional splicing did not correlate with gene length, intron position, splice site strengths, or the intron/neighboring exons GC content. However, we identified binding signals from multiple RNA binding proteins (RBPs) that correlated with splicing efficiency, including core spliceosomal machinery components-such as SF3B4, U2AF1 and U2AF2 showing higher binding signals in poorly spliced introns. In addition, multiple RBPs, such as BUD13, PUM1 and SND1, showed preferential binding in exons that flank introns with high splicing efficiencies. The nascent RNA splicing patterns presented here across multiple cell types add to our understanding of the complexity in RNA splicing, wherein RNA-binding proteins may play important roles in determining splicing outcomes in a cell type- and intron-specific manner.
Collapse
|
18
|
Wan Y, Anastasakis DG, Rodriguez J, Palangat M, Gudla P, Zaki G, Tandon M, Pegoraro G, Chow CC, Hafner M, Larson DR. Dynamic imaging of nascent RNA reveals general principles of transcription dynamics and stochastic splice site selection. Cell 2021; 184:2878-2895.e20. [PMID: 33979654 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The activities of RNA polymerase and the spliceosome are responsible for the heterogeneity in the abundance and isoform composition of mRNA in human cells. However, the dynamics of these megadalton enzymatic complexes working in concert on endogenous genes have not been described. Here, we establish a quasi-genome-scale platform for observing synthesis and processing kinetics of single nascent RNA molecules in real time. We find that all observed genes show transcriptional bursting. We also observe large kinetic variation in intron removal for single introns in single cells, which is inconsistent with deterministic splice site selection. Transcriptome-wide footprinting of the U2AF complex, nascent RNA profiling, long-read sequencing, and lariat sequencing further reveal widespread stochastic recursive splicing within introns. We propose and validate a unified theoretical model to explain the general features of transcription and pervasive stochastic splice site selection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yihan Wan
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Dimitrios G Anastasakis
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | | - Murali Palangat
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Prabhakar Gudla
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - George Zaki
- Biomedical Informatics and Data Science Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Mayank Tandon
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Advanced Biomedical Computational Science, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Gianluca Pegoraro
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Carson C Chow
- Laboratory of Biological Modeling, NIDDK, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Markus Hafner
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Daniel R Larson
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Yeom KH, Pan Z, Lin CH, Lim HY, Xiao W, Xing Y, Black DL. Tracking pre-mRNA maturation across subcellular compartments identifies developmental gene regulation through intron retention and nuclear anchoring. Genome Res 2021; 31:1106-1119. [PMID: 33832989 PMCID: PMC8168582 DOI: 10.1101/gr.273904.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Steps of mRNA maturation are important gene regulatory events that occur in distinct cellular locations. However, transcriptomic analyses often lose information on the subcellular distribution of processed and unprocessed transcripts. We generated extensive RNA-seq data sets to track mRNA maturation across subcellular locations in mouse embryonic stem cells, neuronal progenitor cells, and postmitotic neurons. We find disparate patterns of RNA enrichment between the cytoplasmic, nucleoplasmic, and chromatin fractions, with some genes maintaining more polyadenylated RNA in chromatin than in the cytoplasm. We bioinformatically defined four regulatory groups for intron retention, including complete cotranscriptional splicing, complete intron retention in the cytoplasmic RNA, and two intron groups present in nuclear and chromatin transcripts but fully excised in cytoplasm. We found that introns switch their regulatory group between cell types, including neuronally excised introns repressed by polypyrimidine track binding protein 1 (PTBP1). Transcripts for the neuronal gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) B receptor, 1 (Gabbr1) are highly expressed in mESCs but are absent from the cytoplasm. Instead, incompletely spliced Gabbr1 RNA remains sequestered on chromatin, where it is bound by PTBP1, similar to certain long noncoding RNAs. Upon neuronal differentiation, Gabbr1 RNA becomes fully processed and exported for translation. Thus, splicing repression and chromatin anchoring of RNA combine to allow posttranscriptional regulation of Gabbr1 over development. For this and other genes, polyadenylated RNA abundance does not indicate functional gene expression. Our data sets provide a rich resource for analyzing many other aspects of mRNA maturation in subcellular locations and across development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyu-Hyeon Yeom
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Zhicheng Pan
- Bioinformatics Interdepartmental Graduate Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA.,Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Chia-Ho Lin
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Han Young Lim
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA.,Molecular Biology Interdepartmental Doctoral Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Wen Xiao
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Yi Xing
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Douglas L Black
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Gehring NH, Roignant JY. Anything but Ordinary – Emerging Splicing Mechanisms in Eukaryotic Gene Regulation. Trends Genet 2021; 37:355-372. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2020.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
|
21
|
Sousa-Luís R, Dujardin G, Zukher I, Kimura H, Weldon C, Carmo-Fonseca M, Proudfoot NJ, Nojima T. POINT technology illuminates the processing of polymerase-associated intact nascent transcripts. Mol Cell 2021; 81:1935-1950.e6. [PMID: 33735606 PMCID: PMC8122139 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.02.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian chromatin is the site of both RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcription and coupled RNA processing. However, molecular details of such co-transcriptional mechanisms remain obscure, partly because of technical limitations in purifying authentic nascent transcripts. We present a new approach to characterize nascent RNA, called polymerase intact nascent transcript (POINT) technology. This three-pronged methodology maps nascent RNA 5′ ends (POINT-5), establishes the kinetics of co-transcriptional splicing patterns (POINT-nano), and profiles whole transcription units (POINT-seq). In particular, we show by depletion of the nuclear exonuclease Xrn2 that this activity acts selectively on cleaved 5′ P-RNA at polyadenylation sites. Furthermore, POINT-nano reveals that co-transcriptional splicing either occurs immediately after splice site transcription or is delayed until Pol II transcribes downstream sequences. Finally, we connect RNA cleavage and splicing with either premature or full-length transcript termination. We anticipate that POINT technology will afford full dissection of the complexity of co-transcriptional RNA processing. POINT methodology dissects intact nascent RNA processing Specificity of Xrn2 exonuclease in co-transcriptional RNA degradation Splicing suppresses Xrn2-dependent premature termination Different kinetic classes of co-transcriptional splicing in human genes
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rui Sousa-Luís
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Professor Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Gwendal Dujardin
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Inna Zukher
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Hiroshi Kimura
- Cell Biology Centre, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226-8503, Japan
| | - Carika Weldon
- Wellcome Trust Center for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Maria Carmo-Fonseca
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Professor Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Nick J Proudfoot
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK.
| | - Takayuki Nojima
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK; Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Drexler HL, Choquet K, Merens HE, Tang PS, Simpson JT, Churchman LS. Revealing nascent RNA processing dynamics with nano-COP. Nat Protoc 2021; 16:1343-1375. [PMID: 33514943 PMCID: PMC8713461 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-020-00469-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
During maturation, eukaryotic precursor RNAs undergo processing events including intron splicing, 3'-end cleavage, and polyadenylation. Here we describe nanopore analysis of co-transcriptional processing (nano-COP), a method for probing the timing and patterns of RNA processing. An extension of native elongating transcript sequencing, which quantifies transcription genome-wide through short-read sequencing of nascent RNA 3' ends, nano-COP uses long-read nascent RNA sequencing to observe global patterns of RNA processing. First, nascent RNA is stringently purified through a combination of 4-thiouridine metabolic labeling and cellular fractionation. In contrast to cDNA or short-read-based approaches relying on reverse transcription or amplification, the sample is sequenced directly through nanopores to reveal the native context of nascent RNA. nano-COP identifies both active transcription sites and splice isoforms of single RNA molecules during synthesis, providing insight into patterns of intron removal and the physical coupling between transcription and splicing. The nano-COP protocol yields data within 3 d.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heather L. Drexler
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Karine Choquet
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Hope E. Merens
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Paul S. Tang
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jared T. Simpson
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research and Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Blumberg A, Zhao Y, Huang YF, Dukler N, Rice EJ, Chivu AG, Krumholz K, Danko CG, Siepel A. Characterizing RNA stability genome-wide through combined analysis of PRO-seq and RNA-seq data. BMC Biol 2021; 19:30. [PMID: 33588838 PMCID: PMC7885420 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-00949-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The concentrations of distinct types of RNA in cells result from a dynamic equilibrium between RNA synthesis and decay. Despite the critical importance of RNA decay rates, current approaches for measuring them are generally labor-intensive, limited in sensitivity, and/or disruptive to normal cellular processes. Here, we introduce a simple method for estimating relative RNA half-lives that is based on two standard and widely available high-throughput assays: Precision Run-On sequencing (PRO-seq) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). RESULTS Our method treats PRO-seq as a measure of transcription rate and RNA-seq as a measure of RNA concentration, and estimates the rate of RNA decay required for a steady-state equilibrium. We show that this approach can be used to assay relative RNA half-lives genome-wide, with good accuracy and sensitivity for both coding and noncoding transcription units. Using a structural equation model (SEM), we test several features of transcription units, nearby DNA sequences, and nearby epigenomic marks for associations with RNA stability after controlling for their effects on transcription. We find that RNA splicing-related features are positively correlated with RNA stability, whereas features related to miRNA binding and DNA methylation are negatively correlated with RNA stability. Furthermore, we find that a measure based on U1 binding and polyadenylation sites distinguishes between unstable noncoding and stable coding transcripts but is not predictive of relative stability within the mRNA or lincRNA classes. We also identify several histone modifications that are associated with RNA stability. CONCLUSION We introduce an approach for estimating the relative half-lives of individual RNAs. Together, our estimation method and systematic analysis shed light on the pervasive impacts of RNA stability on cellular RNA concentrations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amit Blumberg
- Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
| | - Yixin Zhao
- Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
| | - Yi-Fei Huang
- Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
- Present Address: Department of Biology and Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Noah Dukler
- Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
| | - Edward J Rice
- Baker Institute for Animal Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Alexandra G Chivu
- Baker Institute for Animal Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Katie Krumholz
- Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
| | - Charles G Danko
- Baker Institute for Animal Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Adam Siepel
- Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Kawata K, Wakida H, Yamada T, Taniue K, Han H, Seki M, Suzuki Y, Akimitsu N. Metabolic labeling of RNA using multiple ribonucleoside analogs enables the simultaneous evaluation of RNA synthesis and degradation rates. Genome Res 2020; 30:1481-1491. [PMID: 32843354 PMCID: PMC7605267 DOI: 10.1101/gr.264408.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Gene expression is determined by a balance between RNA synthesis and RNA degradation. To elucidate the underlying regulatory mechanisms and principles of this, simultaneous measurements of RNA synthesis and degradation are required. Here, we report the development of “Dyrec-seq,” which uses 4-thiouridine and 5-bromouridine to simultaneously quantify RNA synthesis and degradation rates. Dyrec-seq enabled the quantification of RNA synthesis and degradation rates of 4702 genes in HeLa cells. Functional enrichment analysis showed that the RNA synthesis and degradation rates of genes are actually determined by the genes’ biological functions. A comparison of theoretical and experimental analyses revealed that the amount of RNA is determined by the ratio of RNA synthesis to degradation rates, whereas the rapidity of responses to external stimuli is determined only by the degradation rate. This study emphasizes that not only RNA synthesis but also RNA degradation is important in shaping gene expression patterns.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kentaro Kawata
- Isotope Science Center, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Hiroyasu Wakida
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Toshimichi Yamada
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Meiji Pharmaceutical University, Tokyo 204-0004, Japan
| | - Kenzui Taniue
- Isotope Science Center, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Han Han
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Masahide Seki
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8562, Japan
| | - Yutaka Suzuki
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8562, Japan
| | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Drexler HL, Choquet K, Churchman LS. Splicing Kinetics and Coordination Revealed by Direct Nascent RNA Sequencing through Nanopores. Mol Cell 2020; 77:985-998.e8. [PMID: 31839405 PMCID: PMC7060811 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2019.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how splicing events are coordinated across numerous introns in metazoan RNA transcripts requires quantitative analyses of transient RNA processing events in living cells. We developed nanopore analysis of co-transcriptional processing (nano-COP), in which nascent RNAs are directly sequenced through nanopores, exposing the dynamics and patterns of RNA splicing without biases introduced by amplification. Long nano-COP reads reveal that, in human and Drosophila cells, splicing occurs after RNA polymerase II transcribes several kilobases of pre-mRNA, suggesting that metazoan splicing transpires distally from the transcription machinery. Inhibition of the branch-site recognition complex SF3B rapidly diminished global co-transcriptional splicing. We found that splicing order does not strictly follow the order of transcription and is associated with cis-acting elements, alternative splicing, and RNA-binding factors. Further, neighboring introns in human cells tend to be spliced concurrently, implying that splicing of these introns occurs cooperatively. Thus, nano-COP unveils the organizational complexity of RNA processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heather L Drexler
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Karine Choquet
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - L Stirling Churchman
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Asenjo HG, Gallardo A, López-Onieva L, Tejada I, Martorell-Marugán J, Carmona-Sáez P, Landeira D. Polycomb regulation is coupled to cell cycle transition in pluripotent stem cells. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaay4768. [PMID: 32181346 PMCID: PMC7056320 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aay4768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
When self-renewing pluripotent cells receive a differentiation signal, ongoing cell duplication needs to be coordinated with entry into a differentiation program. Accordingly, transcriptional activation of lineage specifier genes and cell differentiation is confined to the G1 phase of the cell cycle by unknown mechanisms. We found that Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) subunits are differentially recruited to lineage specifier gene promoters across cell cycle in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). Jarid2 and the catalytic subunit Ezh2 are markedly accumulated at target promoters during S and G2 phases, while the transcriptionally activating subunits EPOP and EloB are enriched during G1 phase. Fluctuations in the recruitment of PRC2 subunits promote changes in RNA synthesis and RNA polymerase II binding that are compromised in Jarid2 -/- mESCs. Overall, we show that differential recruitment of PRC2 subunits across cell cycle enables the establishment of a chromatin state that facilitates the induction of cell differentiation in G1 phase.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Helena G. Asenjo
- Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Avenue de la Ilustración 114, 18016 Granada, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain
| | - Amador Gallardo
- Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Avenue de la Ilustración 114, 18016 Granada, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain
| | - Lourdes López-Onieva
- Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Avenue de la Ilustración 114, 18016 Granada, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Irene Tejada
- Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Avenue de la Ilustración 114, 18016 Granada, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain
| | - Jordi Martorell-Marugán
- Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Avenue de la Ilustración 114, 18016 Granada, Spain
- Atrys Health S.A., Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pedro Carmona-Sáez
- Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Avenue de la Ilustración 114, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - David Landeira
- Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Avenue de la Ilustración 114, 18016 Granada, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Gregersen LH, Mitter R, Svejstrup JQ. Using TT chem-seq for profiling nascent transcription and measuring transcript elongation. Nat Protoc 2020; 15:604-627. [PMID: 31915390 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-019-0262-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The dynamics of transcription can be studied genome wide by high-throughput sequencing of nascent and newly synthesized RNA. 4-thiouridine (4SU) labeling in vivo enables the specific capture of such new transcripts, with 4SU residues being tagged by biotin linkers and captured using streptavidin beads before library production and high-throughput sequencing. To achieve high-resolution profiles of transcribed regions, an RNA fragmentation step before biotin tagging was introduced, in an approach known as transient transcriptome sequencing (TT-seq). We recently introduced a chemical approach for RNA fragmentation that we refer to as TTchem-seq. We describe how TTchem-seq can be used in combination with transient inhibition of early elongation using the reversible CDK9 inhibitor, 5,6-dichlorobenzimidazole 1-β-D-ribofuranoside (DRB), to measure RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) elongation rates in vivo, a technique we call DRB/TTchem-seq. Here, we provide detailed protocols for carrying out TTchem-seq and DRB/TTchem-seq, including computational analysis. Experiments and data analysis can be performed over a period of 10-13 d and require molecular biology and bioinformatics skills.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lea H Gregersen
- Mechanisms of Transcription Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Richard Mitter
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Jesper Q Svejstrup
- Mechanisms of Transcription Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Abstract
Summary Global quantification of total RNA is used to investigate steady state levels of gene expression. However, being able to differentiate pre-existing RNA (that has been synthesized prior to a defined point in time) and newly transcribed RNA can provide invaluable information e.g. to estimate RNA half-lives or identify fast and complex regulatory processes. Recently, new techniques based on metabolic labeling and RNA-seq have emerged that allow to quantify new and old RNA: Nucleoside analogs are incorporated into newly transcribed RNA and are made detectable as point mutations in mapped reads. However, relatively infrequent incorporation events and significant sequencing error rates make the differentiation between old and new RNA a highly challenging task. We developed a statistical approach termed GRAND-SLAM that, for the first time, allows to estimate the proportion of old and new RNA in such an experiment. Uncertainty in the estimates is quantified in a Bayesian framework. Simulation experiments show our approach to be unbiased and highly accurate. Furthermore, we analyze how uncertainty in the proportion translates into uncertainty in estimating RNA half-lives and give guidelines for planning experiments. Finally, we demonstrate that our estimates of RNA half-lives compare favorably to other experimental approaches and that biological processes affecting RNA half-lives can be investigated with greater power than offered by any other method. GRAND-SLAM is freely available for non-commercial use at http://software.erhard-lab.de; R scripts to generate all figures are available at zenodo (doi: 10.5281/zenodo.1162340).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Jürges
- Institut für Virologie und Immunbiologie, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Lars Dölken
- Institut für Virologie und Immunbiologie, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Florian Erhard
- Institut für Virologie und Immunbiologie, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Neugebauer KM. Nascent RNA and the Coordination of Splicing with Transcription. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2019; 11:11/8/a032227. [PMID: 31371351 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a032227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
At each active protein-encoding gene, nascent RNA is tethered to the DNA axis by elongating RNA polymerase II (Pol II) and is continuously altered by splicing and other processing events during its synthesis. This review discusses the development of three major methods that enable us to track the conversion of precursor messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) to messenger RNA (mRNA) products in vivo: live-cell imaging, metabolic labeling of RNA, and RNA-seq of purified nascent RNA. These approaches are complementary, addressing distinct issues of transcription rates and intron lifetimes alongside spatial information regarding the gene position of Pol II at which spliceosomes act. The findings will be placed in the context of active transcription units, each of which-because of the presence of nascent RNA, Pol II, and features of the chromatin environment-will recruit a potentially gene-specific constellation of RNA binding proteins and processing machineries.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karla M Neugebauer
- Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Ilsley MD, Huang S, Magor GW, Landsberg MJ, Gillinder KR, Perkins AC. Corrupted DNA-binding specificity and ectopic transcription underpin dominant neomorphic mutations in KLF/SP transcription factors. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:417. [PMID: 31126231 PMCID: PMC6534859 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5805-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Mutations in the transcription factor, KLF1, are common within certain populations of the world. Heterozygous missense mutations in KLF1 mostly lead to benign phenotypes, but a heterozygous mutation in a DNA-binding residue (E325K in human) results in severe Congenital Dyserythropoietic Anemia type IV (CDA IV); i.e. an autosomal-dominant disorder characterized by neonatal hemolysis. Results To investigate the biochemical and genetic mechanism of CDA IV, we generated murine erythroid cell lines that harbor tamoxifen-inducible (ER™) versions of wild type and mutant KLF1 on a Klf1−/− genetic background. Nuclear translocation of wild type KLF1 results in terminal erythroid differentiation, whereas mutant KLF1 results in hemolysis without differentiation. The E to K variant binds poorly to the canonical 9 bp recognition motif (NGG-GYG-KGG) genome-wide but binds at high affinity to a corrupted motif (NGG-GRG-KGG). We confirmed altered DNA-binding specificity by quantitative in vitro binding assays of recombinant zinc-finger domains. Our results are consistent with previously reported structural data of KLF-DNA interactions. We employed 4sU-RNA-seq to show that a corrupted transcriptome is a direct consequence of aberrant DNA binding. Conclusions Since all KLF/SP family proteins bind DNA in an identical fashion, these results are likely to be generally applicable to mutations in all family members. Importantly, they explain how certain mutations in the DNA-binding domain of transcription factors can generate neomorphic functions that result in autosomal dominant disease. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-019-5805-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa D Ilsley
- Mater Research, Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Stephen Huang
- Mater Research, Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Graham W Magor
- Mater Research, Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Michael J Landsberg
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Kevin R Gillinder
- Mater Research, Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. .,Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| | - Andrew C Perkins
- Mater Research, Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Viphakone N, Sudbery I, Griffith L, Heath CG, Sims D, Wilson SA. Co-transcriptional Loading of RNA Export Factors Shapes the Human Transcriptome. Mol Cell 2019; 75:310-323.e8. [PMID: 31104896 PMCID: PMC6675937 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2019.04.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Revised: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
During gene expression, RNA export factors are mainly known for driving nucleo-cytoplasmic transport. While early studies suggested that the exon junction complex (EJC) provides a binding platform for them, subsequent work proposed that they are only recruited by the cap binding complex to the 5′ end of RNAs, as part of TREX. Using iCLIP, we show that the export receptor Nxf1 and two TREX subunits, Alyref and Chtop, are recruited to the whole mRNA co-transcriptionally via splicing but before 3′ end processing. Consequently, Alyref alters splicing decisions and Chtop regulates alternative polyadenylation. Alyref is recruited to the 5′ end of RNAs by CBC, and our data reveal subsequent binding to RNAs near EJCs. We demonstrate that eIF4A3 stimulates Alyref deposition not only on spliced RNAs close to EJC sites but also on single-exon transcripts. Our study reveals mechanistic insights into the co-transcriptional recruitment of mRNA export factors and how this shapes the human transcriptome. 5′ cap binding complex CBC acts as a transient landing pad for Alyref Alyref is deposited upstream of the exon-exon junction next to the EJC Alyref can be deposited on introns and regulate splicing Chtop is mainly deposited on 3′ UTRs and influences poly(A) site choices
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Viphakone
- Sheffield Institute For Nucleic Acids (SInFoNiA) and Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
| | - Ian Sudbery
- Sheffield Institute For Nucleic Acids (SInFoNiA) and Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Llywelyn Griffith
- Sheffield Institute For Nucleic Acids (SInFoNiA) and Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Catherine G Heath
- Sheffield Institute For Nucleic Acids (SInFoNiA) and Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - David Sims
- MRC Computational Genomics Analysis and Training Programme (CGAT), MRC Centre for Computational Biology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford, OX3 9DS UK
| | - Stuart A Wilson
- Sheffield Institute For Nucleic Acids (SInFoNiA) and Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Baptista MAP, Dölken L. RNA dynamics revealed by metabolic RNA labeling and biochemical nucleoside conversions. Nat Methods 2019; 15:171-172. [PMID: 29489745 DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.4608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marisa A P Baptista
- Institute of Virology and Immunobiology, Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Lars Dölken
- Institute of Virology and Immunobiology, Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Wachutka L, Caizzi L, Gagneur J, Cramer P. Global donor and acceptor splicing site kinetics in human cells. eLife 2019; 8:45056. [PMID: 31025937 PMCID: PMC6548502 DOI: 10.7554/elife.45056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA splicing is an essential part of eukaryotic gene expression. Although the mechanism of splicing has been extensively studied in vitro, in vivo kinetics for the two-step splicing reaction remain poorly understood. Here, we combine transient transcriptome sequencing (TT-seq) and mathematical modeling to quantify RNA metabolic rates at donor and acceptor splice sites across the human genome. Splicing occurs in the range of minutes and is limited by the speed of RNA polymerase elongation. Splicing kinetics strongly depends on the position and nature of nucleotides flanking splice sites, and on structural interactions between unspliced RNA and small nuclear RNAs in spliceosomal intermediates. Finally, we introduce the 'yield' of splicing as the efficiency of converting unspliced to spliced RNA and show that it is highest for mRNAs and independent of splicing kinetics. These results lead to quantitative models describing how splicing rates and yield are encoded in the human genome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leonhard Wachutka
- Department of Informatics, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Livia Caizzi
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Julien Gagneur
- Department of Informatics, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Patrick Cramer
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Peck SA, Hughes KD, Victorino JF, Mosley AL. Writing a wrong: Coupled RNA polymerase II transcription and RNA quality control. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-RNA 2019; 10:e1529. [PMID: 30848101 PMCID: PMC6570551 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Revised: 12/27/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Processing and maturation of precursor RNA species is coupled to RNA polymerase II transcription. Co-transcriptional RNA processing helps to ensure efficient and proper capping, splicing, and 3' end processing of different RNA species to help ensure quality control of the transcriptome. Many improperly processed transcripts are not exported from the nucleus, are restricted to the site of transcription, and are in some cases degraded, which helps to limit any possibility of aberrant RNA causing harm to cellular health. These critical quality control pathways are regulated by the highly dynamic protein-protein interaction network at the site of transcription. Recent work has further revealed the extent to which the processes of transcription and RNA processing and quality control are integrated, and how critically their coupling relies upon the dynamic protein interactions that take place co-transcriptionally. This review focuses specifically on the intricate balance between 3' end processing and RNA decay during transcription termination. This article is categorized under: RNA Turnover and Surveillance > Turnover/Surveillance Mechanisms RNA Processing > 3' End Processing RNA Processing > Splicing Mechanisms RNA Processing > Capping and 5' End Modifications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Peck
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Katlyn D Hughes
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Jose F Victorino
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Amber L Mosley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Carrocci TJ, Neugebauer KM. Pre-mRNA Splicing in the Nuclear Landscape. COLD SPRING HARBOR SYMPOSIA ON QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY 2019; 84:11-20. [PMID: 32493763 PMCID: PMC7384967 DOI: 10.1101/sqb.2019.84.040402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Eukaryotic gene expression requires the cumulative activity of multiple molecular machines to synthesize and process newly transcribed pre-messenger RNA. Introns, the noncoding regions in pre-mRNA, must be removed by the spliceosome, which assembles on the pre-mRNA as it is transcribed by RNA polymerase II (Pol II). The assembly and activity of the spliceosome can be modulated by features including the speed of transcription elongation, chromatin, post-translational modifications of Pol II and histone tails, and other RNA processing events like 5'-end capping. Here, we review recent work that has revealed cooperation and coordination among co-transcriptional processing events and speculate on new avenues of research. We anticipate new mechanistic insights capable of unraveling the relative contribution of coupled processing to gene expression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tucker J Carrocci
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
| | - Karla M Neugebauer
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Sequences encoding C2H2 zinc fingers inhibit polyadenylation and mRNA export in human cells. Sci Rep 2018; 8:16995. [PMID: 30451889 PMCID: PMC6242934 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35138-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The large C2H2-Zinc Finger (C2H2-ZNF) gene family has rapidly expanded in primates through gene duplication. There is consequently considerable sequence homology between family members at both the nucleotide and amino acid level, allowing for coordinated regulation and shared functions. Here we show that multiple C2H2-ZNF mRNAs experience differential polyadenylation resulting in populations with short and long poly(A) tails. Furthermore, a significant proportion of C2H2-ZNF mRNAs are retained in the nucleus. Intriguingly, both short poly(A) tails and nuclear retention can be specified by the repeated elements that encode zinc finger motifs. These Zinc finger Coding Regions (ZCRs) appear to restrict polyadenylation of nascent RNAs and at the same time impede their export. However, the polyadenylation process is not necessary for nuclear retention of ZNF mRNAs. We propose that inefficient polyadenylation and export may allow C2H2-ZNF mRNAs to moonlight as non-coding RNAs or to be stored for later use.
Collapse
|
37
|
Duffy EE, Schofield JA, Simon MD. Gaining insight into transcriptome-wide RNA population dynamics through the chemistry of 4-thiouridine. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-RNA 2018; 10:e1513. [PMID: 30370679 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Revised: 09/26/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cellular RNA levels are the result of a juggling act between RNA transcription, processing, and degradation. By tuning one or more of these parameters, cells can rapidly alter the available pool of transcripts in response to stimuli. While RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) is a vital method to quantify RNA levels genome-wide, it is unable to capture the dynamics of different RNA populations at steady-state or distinguish between different mechanisms that induce changes to the steady-state (i.e., altered rate of transcription vs. degradation). The dynamics of different RNA populations can be studied by targeted incorporation of noncanonical nucleosides. 4-Thiouridine (s4 U) is a commonly used and versatile RNA metabolic label that allows the study of many properties of RNA metabolism from synthesis to degradation. Numerous experimental strategies have been developed that leverage the power of s4 U to label newly transcribed RNA in whole cells, followed by enrichment with activated disulfides or chemistry to induce C mutations at sites of s4 U during sequencing. This review presents existing methods to study RNA population dynamics genome-wide using s4 U metabolic labeling, as well as a discussion of considerations and challenges when designing s4 U metabolic labeling experiments. This article is categorized under: RNA Methods > RNA Analyses in Cells RNA Turnover and Surveillance > Regulation of RNA Stability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erin E Duffy
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.,Chemical Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut
| | - Jeremy A Schofield
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.,Chemical Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut
| | - Matthew D Simon
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.,Chemical Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Martinez NM, Gilbert WV. Pre-mRNA modifications and their role in nuclear processing. QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY 2018; 6:210-227. [PMID: 30533247 DOI: 10.1007/s40484-018-0147-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Background Cellular non-coding RNAs are extensively modified post-transcriptionally, with more than 100 chemically distinct nucleotides identified to date. In the past five years, new sequencing based methods have revealed widespread decoration of eukaryotic messenger RNA with diverse RNA modifications whose functions in mRNA metabolism are only beginning to be known. Results Since most of the identified mRNA modifying enzymes are present in the nucleus, these modifications have the potential to function in nuclear pre-mRNA processing including alternative splicing. Here we review recent progress towards illuminating the role of pre-mRNA modifications in splicing and highlight key areas for future investigation in this rapidly growing field. Conclusions Future studies to identify which modifications are added to nascent pre-mRNA and to interrogate the direct effects of individual modifications are likely to reveal new mechanisms by which nuclear pre-mRNA processing is regulated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Martinez
- Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Wendy V Gilbert
- Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Numerous recursive sites contribute to accuracy of splicing in long introns in flies. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007588. [PMID: 30148878 PMCID: PMC6110457 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Recursive splicing, a process by which a single intron is removed from pre-mRNA transcripts in multiple distinct segments, has been observed in a small subset of Drosophila melanogaster introns. However, detection of recursive splicing requires observation of splicing intermediates that are inherently unstable, making it difficult to study. Here we developed new computational approaches to identify recursively spliced introns and applied them, in combination with existing methods, to nascent RNA sequencing data from Drosophila S2 cells. These approaches identified hundreds of novel sites of recursive splicing, expanding the catalog of recursively spliced fly introns by 4-fold. A subset of recursive sites were validated by RT-PCR and sequencing. Recursive sites occur in most very long (> 40 kb) fly introns, including many genes involved in morphogenesis and development, and tend to occur near the midpoints of introns. Suggesting a possible function for recursive splicing, we observe that fly introns with recursive sites are spliced more accurately than comparably sized non-recursive introns. The splicing of RNA transcripts is an essential step in the production of mature mRNA molecules, involving removal of intron sequences and joining of flanking exon sequences. Introns are usually removed as a single unit in a two-step catalytic reaction. However, a small subset of introns in flies are removed via splicing of multiple distinct consecutive segments in a process known as recursive splicing. This pathway was thought to be quite rare since intermediates of recursive splicing are seldom detected. In this study, we developed three new computational approaches to identify sequence reads, read pairs and patterns of read accumulation indicative of recursive splicing in Drosophila melanogaster cells using data from sequencing of nascent RNA captured within minutes after transcription. We used these methods to identify hundreds of previously unknown sites of recursive splicing, occurring commonly in fly introns longer than 40kb and often in genes involved in morphogenesis and development. We observed that recursive splicing is associated with increased splicing accuracy of long introns, which are otherwise often spliced inaccurately, potentially explaining its widespread occurrence in long fly introns.
Collapse
|
40
|
Duffy EE, Canzio D, Maniatis T, Simon MD. Solid phase chemistry to covalently and reversibly capture thiolated RNA. Nucleic Acids Res 2018; 46:6996-7005. [PMID: 29986098 PMCID: PMC6101502 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Revised: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we describe an approach to enrich newly transcribed RNAs from primary mouse neurons using 4-thiouridine (s4U) metabolic labeling and solid phase chemistry. This one-step enrichment procedure captures s4U-RNA by using highly efficient methane thiosulfonate (MTS) chemistry in an immobilized format. Like solution-based methods, this solid-phase enrichment can distinguish mature RNAs (mRNA) with differential stability, and can be used to reveal transient RNAs such as enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) and primary microRNAs (pri-miRNAs) from short metabolic labeling. Most importantly, the efficiency of this solid-phase chemistry made possible the first large scale measurements of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) elongation rates in mouse cortical neurons. Thus, our approach provides the means to study regulation of RNA metabolism in specific tissue contexts as a means to better understand gene expression in vivo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erin E Duffy
- Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Chemical Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
| | - Daniele Canzio
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Tom Maniatis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Matthew D Simon
- Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Chemical Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Freimer JW, Hu TJ, Blelloch R. Decoupling the impact of microRNAs on translational repression versus RNA degradation in embryonic stem cells. eLife 2018; 7:38014. [PMID: 30044225 PMCID: PMC6086665 DOI: 10.7554/elife.38014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Translation and mRNA degradation are intimately connected, yet the mechanisms that link them are not fully understood. Here, we studied these mechanisms in embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Transcripts showed a wide range of stabilities, which correlated with their relative translation levels and that did not change during early ESC differentiation. The protein DHH1 links translation to mRNA stability in yeast; however, loss of the mammalian homolog, DDX6, in ESCs did not disrupt the correlation across transcripts. Instead, the loss of DDX6 led to upregulated translation of microRNA targets, without concurrent changes in mRNA stability. The Ddx6 knockout cells were phenotypically and molecularly similar to cells lacking all microRNAs (Dgcr8 knockout ESCs). These data show that the loss of DDX6 can separate the two canonical functions of microRNAs: translational repression and transcript destabilization. Furthermore, these data uncover a central role for translational repression independent of transcript destabilization in defining the downstream consequences of microRNA loss.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob W Freimer
- The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Center for Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States.,Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - T J Hu
- The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Center for Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States.,Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Robert Blelloch
- The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Center for Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States.,Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Painter HJ, Chung NC, Sebastian A, Albert I, Storey JD, Llinás M. Genome-wide real-time in vivo transcriptional dynamics during Plasmodium falciparum blood-stage development. Nat Commun 2018; 9:2656. [PMID: 29985403 PMCID: PMC6037754 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04966-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide analysis of transcription in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum has revealed robust variation in steady-state mRNA abundance throughout the 48-h intraerythrocytic developmental cycle (IDC), suggesting that this process is highly dynamic and tightly regulated. Here, we utilize rapid 4-thiouracil (4-TU) incorporation via pyrimidine salvage to specifically label, capture, and quantify newly-synthesized RNA transcripts at every hour throughout the IDC. This high-resolution global analysis of the transcriptome captures the timing and rate of transcription for each newly synthesized mRNA in vivo, revealing active transcription throughout all IDC stages. Using a statistical model to predict the mRNA dynamics contributing to the total mRNA abundance at each timepoint, we find varying degrees of transcription and stabilization for each mRNA corresponding to developmental transitions. Finally, our results provide new insight into co-regulation of mRNAs throughout the IDC through regulatory DNA sequence motifs, thereby expanding our understanding of P. falciparum mRNA dynamics. Transcriptomic analysis often doesn’t differentiate between newly synthesized and stabilized mRNAs. Using rapid 4-thiouracil incorporation, Painter et al. here define genome-wide active transcription throughout Plasmodium blood-stage developmental stages and identify associated regulatory DNA sequence motifs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heather J Painter
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.,Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Neo Christopher Chung
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics and Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA.,Institute of Informatics, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics, and Mechanics, University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Aswathy Sebastian
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Istvan Albert
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - John D Storey
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics and Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA.,Center for Statistics and Machine Learning, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Manuel Llinás
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA. .,Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA. .,Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
van Velthoven CTJ, de Morree A, Egner IM, Brett JO, Rando TA. Transcriptional Profiling of Quiescent Muscle Stem Cells In Vivo. Cell Rep 2018; 21:1994-2004. [PMID: 29141228 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.10.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Revised: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 10/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Muscle stem cells (MuSCs) persist in a quiescent state and activate in response to specific stimuli. The quiescent state is both actively maintained and dynamically regulated. However, analyses of quiescence have come primarily from cells removed from their niche. Although these cells are still quiescent, biochemical changes certainly occur during the isolation process. Here, we analyze the transcriptome of MuSCs in vivo utilizing MuSC-specific labeling of RNA. Notably, labeling transcripts during the isolation procedure revealed very active transcription of specific subsets of genes. However, using the transcription inhibitor α-amanitin, we show that the ex vivo transcriptome remains largely reflective of the in vivo transcriptome. Together, these data provide perspective on the molecular regulation of the quiescent state at the transcriptional level, demonstrate the utility of these tools for probing transcriptional dynamics in vivo, and provide an invaluable resource for understanding stem cell state transitions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cindy T J van Velthoven
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Antoine de Morree
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ingrid M Egner
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindern, Oslo 0316, Norway
| | - Jamie O Brett
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Thomas A Rando
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Center for Tissue Regeneration, Repair and Restoration, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Park SK, Zhou X, Pendleton KE, Hunter OV, Kohler JJ, O'Donnell KA, Conrad NK. A Conserved Splicing Silencer Dynamically Regulates O-GlcNAc Transferase Intron Retention and O-GlcNAc Homeostasis. Cell Rep 2018; 20:1088-1099. [PMID: 28768194 PMCID: PMC5588854 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Revised: 06/11/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Modification of nucleocytoplasmic proteins with O-GlcNAc regulates a wide variety of cellular processes and has been linked to human diseases. The enzymes O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and O-GlcNAcase (OGA) add and remove O-GlcNAc, but the mechanisms regulating their expression remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that retention of the fourth intron of OGT is regulated in response to O-GlcNAc levels. We further define a conserved intronic splicing silencer (ISS) that is necessary for OGT intron retention. Deletion of the ISS in colon cancer cells leads to increases in OGT, but O-GlcNAc homeostasis is maintained by concomitant increases in OGA protein. However, the ISS-deleted cells are hypersensitive to OGA inhibition in culture and in soft agar. Moreover, growth of xenograft tumors from ISS-deleted cells is compromised in mice treated with an OGA inhibitor. Thus, ISS-mediated regulation of OGT intron retention is a key component in OGT expression and maintaining O-GlcNAc homeostasis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sung-Kyun Park
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Xiaorong Zhou
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Kathryn E Pendleton
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Olga V Hunter
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Jennifer J Kohler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Kathryn A O'Donnell
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Nicholas K Conrad
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Suess B, Kemmerer K, Weigand JE. Splicing and Alternative Splicing Impact on Gene Design. Synth Biol (Oxf) 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/9783527688104.ch7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Beatrix Suess
- Department of Biology; Technische Universität Darmstadt; Schnittspahnstraße 10 64287 Darmstadt Germany
| | - Katrin Kemmerer
- Department of Biology; Technische Universität Darmstadt; Schnittspahnstraße 10 64287 Darmstadt Germany
| | - Julia E. Weigand
- Department of Biology; Technische Universität Darmstadt; Schnittspahnstraße 10 64287 Darmstadt Germany
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Davari K, Lichti J, Friedel CC, Glasmacher E. Real-time Analysis of Transcription Factor Binding, Transcription, Translation, and Turnover to Display Global Events During Cellular Activation. J Vis Exp 2018. [PMID: 29578509 PMCID: PMC5931490 DOI: 10.3791/56752] [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] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Upon activation, cells rapidly change their functional programs and, thereby, their gene expression profile. Massive changes in gene expression occur, for example, during cellular differentiation, morphogenesis, and functional stimulation (such as activation of immune cells), or after exposure to drugs and other factors from the local environment. Depending on the stimulus and cell type, these changes occur rapidly and at any possible level of gene regulation. Displaying all molecular processes of a responding cell to a certain type of stimulus/drug is one of the hardest tasks in molecular biology. Here, we describe a protocol that enables the simultaneous analysis of multiple layers of gene regulation. We compare, in particular, transcription factor binding (Chromatin-immunoprecipitation-sequencing (ChIP-seq)), de novo transcription (4-thiouridine-sequencing (4sU-seq)), mRNA processing, and turnover as well as translation (ribosome profiling). By combining these methods, it is possible to display a detailed and genome-wide course of action. Sequencing newly transcribed RNA is especially recommended when analyzing rapidly adapting or changing systems, since this depicts the transcriptional activity of all genes during the time of 4sU exposure (irrespective of whether they are up- or downregulated). The combinatorial use of total RNA-seq and ribosome profiling additionally allows the calculation of RNA turnover and translation rates. Bioinformatic analysis of high-throughput sequencing results allows for many means for analysis and interpretation of the data. The generated data also enables tracking co-transcriptional and alternative splicing, just to mention a few possible outcomes. The combined approach described here can be applied for different model organisms or cell types, including primary cells. Furthermore, we provide detailed protocols for each method used, including quality controls, and discuss potential problems and pitfalls.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Davari
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity (IDO), German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Helmholtz Zentrum München
| | - Johannes Lichti
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity (IDO), German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Helmholtz Zentrum München
| | | | - Elke Glasmacher
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity (IDO), German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Helmholtz Zentrum München; Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Large Molecule Research, Roche Innovation Center Penzberg;
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
|
48
|
Sun W, Chen W. Metabolic Labeling of Newly Synthesized RNA with 4sU to in Parallel Assess RNA Transcription and Decay. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1720:25-34. [PMID: 29236249 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7540-2_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The development of genome-wide RNA profiling technologies greatly facilitates the global analysis of gene expression. However, such technologies alone could not distinguish the contribution to cellular RNA abundance by transcription versus decay. To overcome such limitation, metabolic labeling of newly synthesized RNA with 4-thiouridine (4sU) combined with genome-wide RNA profiling was used to in parallel measure RNA transcription and decay. Here, we describe the detailed protocol for using metabolic labeling with 4sU to separate newly synthesized RNA from the preexisting RNA in mammalian cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Sun
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen City, Nanshan District, China
- Laboratory for Functional and Medical Genomics, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen City, Nanshan District, China.
- Medi-X Institute, SUSTech Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen City, Nanshan District, China.
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Yamada T, Imamachi N, Onoguchi-Mizutani R, Imamura K, Suzuki Y, Akimitsu N. 5'-Bromouridine IP Chase (BRIC)-Seq to Determine RNA Half-Lives. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1720:1-13. [PMID: 29236247 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7540-2_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Analysis of RNA stability at genome-wide level is an advanced method in RNA biology that examines the half-life of each transcript. In particular, a pulse-labeling method using uridine analogs enables the determination of half-life of each transcript under physiologically undisturbed conditions. The technique involves pulse labeling of endogenous RNAs in mammalian cells with 5'-bromouridine (BrU), followed by measuring the chronological decrease of BrU-labeled RNAs using deep sequencing (BRIC-seq). Here, we describe a detailed protocol and technical tips for BRIC-seq.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Naoto Imamachi
- Isotope Science Center, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Katsutoshi Imamura
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yutaka Suzuki
- Department of Medical Genome Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan.,Department of Computational Biology, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Pai AA, Henriques T, McCue K, Burkholder A, Adelman K, Burge CB. The kinetics of pre-mRNA splicing in the Drosophila genome and the influence of gene architecture. eLife 2017; 6:32537. [PMID: 29280736 PMCID: PMC5762160 DOI: 10.7554/elife.32537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Accepted: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Production of most eukaryotic mRNAs requires splicing of introns from pre-mRNA. The splicing reaction requires definition of splice sites, which are initially recognized in either intron-spanning (‘intron definition’) or exon-spanning (‘exon definition’) pairs. To understand how exon and intron length and splice site recognition mode impact splicing, we measured splicing rates genome-wide in Drosophila, using metabolic labeling/RNA sequencing and new mathematical models to estimate rates. We found that the modal intron length range of 60–70 nt represents a local maximum of splicing rates, but that much longer exon-defined introns are spliced even faster and more accurately. We observed unexpectedly low variation in splicing rates across introns in the same gene, suggesting the presence of gene-level influences, and we identified multiple gene level variables associated with splicing rate. Together our data suggest that developmental and stress response genes may have preferentially evolved exon definition in order to enhance the rate or accuracy of splicing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Athma A Pai
- Departments of Biology and Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Telmo Henriques
- Epigenetics and Stem Cell Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle, United States.,Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Kayla McCue
- Program in Computational and Systems Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Adam Burkholder
- Center for Integrative Bioinformatics, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle, United States
| | - Karen Adelman
- Epigenetics and Stem Cell Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle, United States.,Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Christopher B Burge
- Departments of Biology and Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States.,Program in Computational and Systems Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| |
Collapse
|