1
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Nourse J, Spada S, Danckwardt S. Emerging Roles of RNA 3'-end Cleavage and Polyadenylation in Pathogenesis, Diagnosis and Therapy of Human Disorders. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10060915. [PMID: 32560344 PMCID: PMC7356254 DOI: 10.3390/biom10060915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A crucial feature of gene expression involves RNA processing to produce 3′ ends through a process termed 3′ end cleavage and polyadenylation (CPA). This ensures the nascent RNA molecule can exit the nucleus and be translated to ultimately give rise to a protein which can execute a function. Further, alternative polyadenylation (APA) can produce distinct transcript isoforms, profoundly expanding the complexity of the transcriptome. CPA is carried out by multi-component protein complexes interacting with multiple RNA motifs and is tightly coupled to transcription, other steps of RNA processing, and even epigenetic modifications. CPA and APA contribute to the maintenance of a multitude of diverse physiological processes. It is therefore not surprising that disruptions of CPA and APA can lead to devastating disorders. Here, we review potential CPA and APA mechanisms involving both loss and gain of function that can have tremendous impacts on health and disease. Ultimately we highlight the emerging diagnostic and therapeutic potential CPA and APA offer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Nourse
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany; (J.N.); (S.S.)
- Center for Thrombosis and Hemostasis (CTH), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Stefano Spada
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany; (J.N.); (S.S.)
- Center for Thrombosis and Hemostasis (CTH), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Sven Danckwardt
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany; (J.N.); (S.S.)
- Center for Thrombosis and Hemostasis (CTH), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Rhine-Main, Germany
- Correspondence:
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2
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Gregersen LH, Mitter R, Ugalde AP, Nojima T, Proudfoot NJ, Agami R, Stewart A, Svejstrup JQ. SCAF4 and SCAF8, mRNA Anti-Terminator Proteins. Cell 2019; 177:1797-1813.e18. [PMID: 31104839 PMCID: PMC6579486 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.04.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Accurate regulation of mRNA termination is required for correct gene expression. Here, we describe a role for SCAF4 and SCAF8 as anti-terminators, suppressing the use of early, alternative polyadenylation (polyA) sites. The SCAF4/8 proteins bind the hyper-phosphorylated RNAPII C-terminal repeat domain (CTD) phosphorylated on both Ser2 and Ser5 and are detected at early, alternative polyA sites. Concomitant knockout of human SCAF4 and SCAF8 results in altered polyA selection and subsequent early termination, leading to expression of truncated mRNAs and proteins lacking functional domains and is cell lethal. While SCAF4 and SCAF8 work redundantly to suppress early mRNA termination, they also have independent, non-essential functions. SCAF8 is an RNAPII elongation factor, whereas SCAF4 is required for correct termination at canonical, distal transcription termination sites in the presence of SCAF8. Together, SCAF4 and SCAF8 coordinate the transition between elongation and termination, ensuring correct polyA site selection and RNAPII transcriptional termination in human cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea H Gregersen
- Mechanisms of Transcription Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Richard Mitter
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Alejandro P Ugalde
- The Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI-AVL), Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Takayuki Nojima
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, OX1 3RE Oxford, UK
| | - Nicholas J Proudfoot
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, OX1 3RE Oxford, UK
| | - Reuven Agami
- The Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI-AVL), Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Aengus Stewart
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Jesper Q Svejstrup
- Mechanisms of Transcription Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK.
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3
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Liu Y, Huang X, Timani KA, Broxmeyer HE, He JJ. Regulation of Constitutive Tip110 Expression in Human Cord Blood CD34 + Cells Through Selective Usage of the Proximal and Distal Polyadenylation Sites Within the 3'Untranslated Region. Stem Cells Dev 2018; 27:566-576. [PMID: 29583087 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2017.0197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tip110 plays important roles for stem cell pluripotency and hematopoiesis. However, little is known about the regulatory mechanisms of Tip110 expression in this process. In this study, we first showed that constitutive Tip110 expression was cell proliferation and differentiation dependent and self-regulated in both human cord blood CD34+ cells. Using a series of molecular techniques, we found that ectopic Tip110 expression led to increased constitutive Tip110 expression through its 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR), specifically through preferential usage of proximal polyadenylation sites within its 3'UTR in cells, including human cord blood CD34+ cells, which indeed led to an increased number of CD34+ cells during differentiation of those cells. Lastly, we showed that Tip110 protein interacted with cleavage stimulation factor 64 (CstF64) protein and that more CstF64 was recruited to the promixal polyadenylation site than the distal polyadenylation site within its 3'UTR. These finding together demonstrates that constitutive Tip110 expression is regulated, at least in part, through its interaction with CstF64, recruitment of CstF64 to, and selective usage of those two polyadenylation sites within its 3'UTR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Liu
- 1 Department of Cell Biology and Immunology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Texas Health Science Center , Fort Worth, Texas
| | - Xinxin Huang
- 2 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University , Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Khalid A Timani
- 1 Department of Cell Biology and Immunology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Texas Health Science Center , Fort Worth, Texas
| | - Hal E Broxmeyer
- 2 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University , Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Johnny J He
- 1 Department of Cell Biology and Immunology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Texas Health Science Center , Fort Worth, Texas
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4
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Blair LP, Liu Z, Labitigan RLD, Wu L, Zheng D, Xia Z, Pearson EL, Nazeer FI, Cao J, Lang SM, Rines RJ, Mackintosh SG, Moore CL, Li W, Tian B, Tackett AJ, Yan Q. KDM5 lysine demethylases are involved in maintenance of 3'UTR length. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2016; 2:e1501662. [PMID: 28138513 PMCID: PMC5262454 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1501662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 10/20/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The complexity by which cells regulate gene and protein expression is multifaceted and intricate. Regulation of 3' untranslated region (UTR) processing of mRNA has been shown to play a critical role in development and disease. However, the process by which cells select alternative mRNA forms is not well understood. We discovered that the Saccharomyces cerevisiae lysine demethylase, Jhd2 (also known as KDM5), recruits 3'UTR processing machinery and promotes alteration of 3'UTR length for some genes in a demethylase-dependent manner. Interaction of Jhd2 with both chromatin and RNA suggests that Jhd2 affects selection of polyadenylation sites through a transcription-coupled mechanism. Furthermore, its mammalian homolog KDM5B (also known as JARID1B or PLU1), but not KDM5A (also known as JARID1A or RBP2), promotes shortening of CCND1 transcript in breast cancer cells. Consistent with these results, KDM5B expression correlates with shortened CCND1 in human breast tumor tissues. In contrast, both KDM5A and KDM5B are involved in the lengthening of DICER1. Our findings suggest both a novel role for this family of demethylases and a novel targetable mechanism for 3'UTR processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren P. Blair
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Zongzhi Liu
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | | | - Lizhen Wu
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Dinghai Zheng
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
| | - Zheng Xia
- Division of Biostatistics, Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Erica L. Pearson
- Department of Developmental, Molecular, and Chemical Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | - Fathima I. Nazeer
- Department of Developmental, Molecular, and Chemical Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | - Jian Cao
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Sabine M. Lang
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Rachel J. Rines
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Samuel G. Mackintosh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72032, USA
| | - Claire L. Moore
- Department of Developmental, Molecular, and Chemical Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | - Wei Li
- Division of Biostatistics, Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Bin Tian
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
| | - Alan J. Tackett
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72032, USA
| | - Qin Yan
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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5
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Morris DP, Lei B, Longo LD, Bomsztyk K, Schwinn DA, Michelotti GA. Temporal Dissection of Rate Limiting Transcriptional Events Using Pol II ChIP and RNA Analysis of Adrenergic Stress Gene Activation. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0134442. [PMID: 26244980 PMCID: PMC4526373 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2014] [Accepted: 07/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammals, increasing evidence supports mechanisms of co-transcriptional gene regulation and the generality of genetic control subsequent to RNA polymerase II (Pol II) recruitment. In this report, we use Pol II Chromatin Immunoprecipitation to investigate relationships between the mechanistic events controlling immediate early gene (IEG) activation following stimulation of the α1a-Adrenergic Receptor expressed in rat-1 fibroblasts. We validate our Pol II ChIP assay by comparison to major transcriptional events assessable by microarray and PCR analysis of precursor and mature mRNA. Temporal analysis of Pol II density suggests that reduced proximal pausing often enhances gene expression and was essential for Nr4a3 expression. Nevertheless, for Nr4a3 and several other genes, proximal pausing delayed the time required for initiation of productive elongation, consistent with a role in ensuring transcriptional fidelity. Arrival of Pol II at the 3’ cleavage site usually correlated with increased polyadenylated mRNA; however, for Nfil3 and probably Gprc5a expression was delayed and accompanied by apparent pre-mRNA degradation. Intragenic pausing not associated with polyadenylation was also found to regulate and delay Gprc5a expression. Temporal analysis of Nr4a3, Dusp5 and Nfil3 shows that transcription of native IEG genes can proceed at velocities of 3.5 to 4 kilobases/min immediately after activation. Of note, all of the genes studied here also used increased Pol II recruitment as an important regulator of expression. Nevertheless, the generality of co-transcriptional regulation during IEG activation suggests temporal and integrated analysis will often be necessary to distinguish causative from potential rate limiting mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel P. Morris
- Center for Perinatal Biology, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Beilei Lei
- Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Lawrence D. Longo
- Center for Perinatal Biology, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California, United States of America
| | - Karol Bomsztyk
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Debra A. Schwinn
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Gregory A. Michelotti
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
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6
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Lutz CS, Cornett AL. Regulation of genes in the arachidonic acid metabolic pathway by RNA processing and RNA-mediated mechanisms. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-RNA 2014; 4:593-605. [PMID: 23956046 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2013] [Revised: 05/28/2013] [Accepted: 05/29/2013] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Arachidonic acid (AA) is converted by enzymes in an important metabolic pathway to produce molecules known collectively as eicosanoids, 20 carbon molecules with significant physiological and pathological functions in the human body. Cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes work in one arm of the pathway to produce prostaglandins (PGs) and thromboxanes (TXs), while the actions of 5-lipoxygenase (ALOX5 or 5LO) and its associated protein (ALOX5AP or FLAP) work in the other arm of the metabolic pathway to produce leukotrienes (LTs). The expression of the COX and ALOX5 enzymes that convert AA to eicosanoids is highly regulated at the post- or co-transcriptional level by alternative mRNA splicing, alternative mRNA polyadenylation, mRNA stability, and microRNA (miRNA) regulation. This review article will highlight these mechanisms of mRNA modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol S Lutz
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, New Jersey Medical School and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rutgers, NJ, USA.
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7
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Unravelling the means to an end: RNA polymerase II transcription termination. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2011; 12:283-94. [PMID: 21487437 DOI: 10.1038/nrm3098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 198] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The pervasiveness of RNA synthesis in eukaryotes is largely the result of RNA polymerase II (Pol II)-mediated transcription, and termination of its activity is necessary to partition the genome and maintain the proper expression of neighbouring genes. Despite its ever-increasing biological significance, transcription termination remains one of the least understood processes in gene expression. However, recent mechanistic studies have revealed a striking convergence among several overlapping models of termination, including the poly(A)- and Sen1-dependent pathways, as well as new insights into the specificity of Pol II termination among its diverse gene targets. Broader knowledge of the role of Pol II carboxy-terminal domain phosphorylation in promoting alternative mechanisms of termination has also been gained.
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8
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Kazerouninia A, Ngo B, Martinson HG. Poly(A) signal-dependent degradation of unprocessed nascent transcripts accompanies poly(A) signal-dependent transcriptional pausing in vitro. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2010; 16:197-210. [PMID: 19926725 PMCID: PMC2802029 DOI: 10.1261/rna.1622010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2009] [Accepted: 09/22/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The poly(A) signal has long been known for its role in directing the cleavage and polyadenylation of eukaryotic mRNA. In recent years its additional coordinating role in multiple related aspects of gene expression has also become increasingly clear. Here we use HeLa nuclear extracts to study two of these activities, poly(A) signal-dependent transcriptional pausing, which was originally proposed as a surveillance checkpoint, and poly(A) signal-dependent degradation (PDD) of unprocessed transcripts from weak poly(A) signals. We confirm directly, by measuring the length of RNA within isolated transcription elongation complexes, that a newly transcribed poly(A) signal reduces the rate of elongation by RNA polymerase II and causes the accumulation of elongation complexes downstream from the poly(A) signal. We then show that if the RNA in these elongation complexes contains a functional but unprocessed poly(A) signal, degradation of the transcripts ensues. The degradation depends on the unprocessed poly(A) signal being functional, and does not occur if a mutant poly(A) signal is used. We suggest that during normal 3'-end processing the uncleaved poly(A) signal continuously samples competing reaction pathways for processing and for degradation, and that in the case of weak poly(A) signals, where poly(A) site cleavage is slow, the default pathway to degradation predominates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Kazerouninia
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, USA
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9
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Millevoi S, Vagner S. Molecular mechanisms of eukaryotic pre-mRNA 3' end processing regulation. Nucleic Acids Res 2009; 38:2757-74. [PMID: 20044349 PMCID: PMC2874999 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkp1176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 294] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Messenger RNA (mRNA) 3′ end formation is a nuclear process through which all eukaryotic primary transcripts are endonucleolytically cleaved and most of them acquire a poly(A) tail. This process, which consists in the recognition of defined poly(A) signals of the pre-mRNAs by a large cleavage/polyadenylation machinery, plays a critical role in gene expression. Indeed, the poly(A) tail of a mature mRNA is essential for its functions, including stability, translocation to the cytoplasm and translation. In addition, this process serves as a bridge in the network connecting the different transcription, capping, splicing and export machineries. It also participates in the quantitative and qualitative regulation of gene expression in a variety of biological processes through the selection of single or alternative poly(A) signals in transcription units. A large number of protein factors associates with this machinery to regulate the efficiency and specificity of this process and to mediate its interaction with other nuclear events. Here, we review the eukaryotic 3′ end processing machineries as well as the comprehensive set of regulatory factors and discuss the different molecular mechanisms of 3′ end processing regulation by proposing several overlapping models of regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Millevoi
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U563, Toulouse, F-31000, France.
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10
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West S, Proudfoot NJ. Transcriptional termination enhances protein expression in human cells. Mol Cell 2009; 33:354-64. [PMID: 19217409 PMCID: PMC2706331 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2009.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2008] [Revised: 11/21/2008] [Accepted: 01/09/2009] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Transcriptional termination of mammalian RNA polymerase II (Pol II) requires a poly(A) (pA) signal and, often, a downstream terminator sequence. Termination is triggered following recognition of the pA signal by Pol II and subsequent pre-mRNA cleavage, which occurs either at the pA site or in transcripts from terminator elements. Although this process has been extensively studied, it is generally considered inconsequential to the level of gene expression. However, our results demonstrate that termination acts as a driving force for optimal gene expression. We show that this effect is general but most dramatic where weak or noncanonical pA signals are present. We establish that termination of Pol II increases the efficiency of pre-mRNA processing that is completed posttranscriptionally. As such, transcripts escape from nuclear surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven West
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Nicholas J. Proudfoot
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
- Corresponding author
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11
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West S, Zaret K, Proudfoot NJ. Transcriptional termination sequences in the mouse serum albumin gene. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2006; 12:655-65. [PMID: 16581808 PMCID: PMC1421085 DOI: 10.1261/rna.2232406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Poly(A) signals are required for efficient 3' end formation and transcriptional termination of most protein-encoding genes transcribed by RNA polymerase II. However, transcription can extend far beyond the poly(A) site before termination occurs. This implies the existence of further downstream termination signals. In mammals, a variety of sequence elements, in addition to the poly(A) site, have been implicated in the termination process. For example, termination of the human beta- and epsilon-globin genes is mediated by a sequence downstream of the poly(A) site that promotes an RNA cotranscriptional cleavage (CoTC). Here we report the identification of multiple termination sequences in the mouse serum albumin (MSA) 3' flanking region. Many transcripts from this region are cleaved cotranscriptionally, implying that such cleavage of pre-mRNA may be a more general feature of transcriptional termination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven West
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, United Kingdom
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12
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Hu J, Lutz CS, Wilusz J, Tian B. Bioinformatic identification of candidate cis-regulatory elements involved in human mRNA polyadenylation. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2005; 11:1485-93. [PMID: 16131587 PMCID: PMC1370832 DOI: 10.1261/rna.2107305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 181] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Polyadenylation is an essential step for the maturation of almost all cellular mRNAs in eukaryotes. In human cells, most poly(A) sites are flanked by the upstream AAUAAA hexamer or a close variant, and downstream U/GU-rich elements. In yeast and plants, additional cis elements have been found to be located upstream of the poly(A) site, including UGUA, UAUA, and U-rich elements. In this study, we have developed a computer program named PROBE (Polyadenylation-Related Oligonucleotide Bidimensional Enrichment) to identify cis elements that may play regulatory roles in mRNA polyadenylation. By comparing human genomic sequences surrounding frequently used poly(A) sites with those surrounding less frequently used ones, we found that cis elements occurring in yeast and plants also exist in human poly(A) regions, including the upstream U-rich elements, and UAUA and UGUA elements. In addition, several novel elements were found to be associated with human poly(A) sites, including several G-rich elements. Thus, we suggest that many cis elements are evolutionarily conserved among eukaryotes, and human poly(A) sites have an additional set of cis elements that may be involved in the regulation of mRNA polyadenylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Hu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, New Jersey Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ 07101, USA
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13
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Fritz DT, Liu D, Xu J, Jiang S, Rogers MB. Conservation of Bmp2 post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms. J Biol Chem 2004; 279:48950-8. [PMID: 15358784 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m409620200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) orthologs from diverse species like flies and humans are functionally interchangeable and play key roles in fundamental processes such as dorso-ventral axis formation in metazoans. Because both transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms play central roles in modulating developmental protein levels, we have analyzed the 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR) of the Bmp 2 gene. This 3'UTR is unusually long and is alternatively polyadenylated. Mouse, human, and dog mRNAs are 83-87% identical within this region. A 265-nucleotide sequence, conserved between mammals, birds, frogs, and fish, is present in Bmp2 but not Bmp4. The ability of AmphiBMP2/4, a chordate ortholog to Bmp2 and Bmp4, to align with this sequence suggests that its function may have been lost in Bmp4. Activation of reporter genes by the conserved region acts by a post-transcriptional mechanism. Mouse, human, chick, and zebrafish Bmp2 synthetic RNAs decay rapidly in extracts from cells not expressing Bmp2. In contrast, these RNAs are relatively stable in extracts from Bmp2-expressing cells. Thus, Bmp2 RNA half-lives in vitro correlate with natural Bmp2 mRNA levels. The fact that non-murine RNAs interact appropriately with the mouse decay machinery suggests that the function of these cis-regulatory regions has been conserved for 450 million years since the fish and tetrapod lineages diverged. Overall, our results suggest that the Bmp2 3'UTR contains essential regulatory elements that act post-transcriptionally.
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Affiliation(s)
- David T Fritz
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)-NJ Medical School, Newark, New Jersey 07101, USA
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14
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López de Saro FJ, Georgescu RE, Goodman MF, O'Donnell M. Competitive processivity-clamp usage by DNA polymerases during DNA replication and repair. EMBO J 2004; 22:6408-18. [PMID: 14633999 PMCID: PMC291844 DOI: 10.1093/emboj/cdg603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein clamps are ubiquitous and essential components of DNA metabolic machineries, where they serve as mobile platforms that interact with a large variety of proteins. In this report we identify residues that are required for binding of the beta-clamp to DNA polymerase III of Escherichia coli, a polymerase of the Pol C family. We show that the alpha polymerase subunit of DNA polymerase III interacts with the beta-clamp via its extreme seven C-terminal residues, some of which are conserved. Moreover, interaction of Pol III with the clamp takes place at the same site as that of the delta-subunit of the clamp loader, providing the basis for a switch between the clamp loading machinery and the polymerase itself. Escherichia coli DNA polymerases I, II, IV and V (UmuC) interact with beta at the same site. Given the limited amounts of clamps in the cell, these results suggest that clamp binding may be competitive and regulated, and that the different polymerases may use the same clamp sequentially during replication and repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco J López de Saro
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA
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15
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Natalizio BJ, Muniz LC, Arhin GK, Wilusz J, Lutz CS. Upstream elements present in the 3'-untranslated region of collagen genes influence the processing efficiency of overlapping polyadenylation signals. J Biol Chem 2002; 277:42733-40. [PMID: 12200454 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m208070200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
3'-Untranslated regions (UTRs) of genes often contain key regulatory elements involved in gene expression control. A high degree of evolutionary conservation in regions of the 3'-UTR suggests important, conserved elements. In particular, we are interested in those elements involved in regulation of 3' end formation. In addition to canonical sequence elements, auxiliary sequences likely play an important role in determining the polyadenylation efficiency of mammalian pre-mRNAs. We identified highly conserved sequence elements upstream of the AAUAAA in three human collagen genes, COL1A1, COL1A2, and COL2A1, and demonstrate that these upstream sequence elements (USEs) influence polyadenylation efficiency. Mutation of the USEs decreases polyadenylation efficiency both in vitro and in vivo, and inclusion of competitor oligoribonucleotides representing the USEs specifically inhibit polyadenylation. We have also shown that insertion of a USE into a weak polyadenylation signal can enhance 3' end formation. Close inspection of the COL1A2 3'-UTR reveals an unusual feature of two closely spaced, competing polyadenylation signals. Taken together, these data demonstrate that USEs are important auxiliary polyadenylation elements in mammalian genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara J Natalizio
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey 07103, USA
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16
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Hu X, Bi J, Loh HH, Wei LN. Regulation of mouse kappa opioid receptor gene expression by different 3'-untranslated regions and the effect of retinoic acid. Mol Pharmacol 2002; 62:881-7. [PMID: 12237335 DOI: 10.1124/mol.62.4.881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The mouse kappa opioid receptor (KOR) gene uses two functional polyadenylation signals, separated by a distance of approximately 2.2 kilobases (kb) in the 3'-end of the gene. As a result, two major groups of KOR transcripts, with sizes of approximately 1.6 and 3.8 kb, respectively, are detected in mouse tissues and P19 cells. Utilization of different poly(A) of the KOR gene produces KOR transcripts of different mRNA stability, transcription efficiency, and regulatability. Retinoic acid specifically suppresses the expression of KOR transcripts using the second poly(A) in P19 cells. A putative transcriptional enhancer region is present within the second 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR). It is concluded that alternative polyadenylation of the mouse KOR transcripts results in differential regulation of KOR expression at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. A negative regulatory pathway for KOR transcription involves a putative enhancer region in its 3'-UTR. KOR mRNAs using the second poly(A) is more stable than that using the first poly(A).
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinli Hu
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455, USA
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17
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Dass B, Attaya EN, Michelle Wallace A, MacDonald CC. Overexpression of the CstF-64 and CPSF-160 polyadenylation protein messenger RNAs in mouse male germ cells. Biol Reprod 2001; 64:1722-9. [PMID: 11369601 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod64.6.1722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Messenger RNAs for several components of the transcriptional apparatus are greatly overexpressed in postmeiotic male germ cells in rodents (Schmidt and Schibler, Development 1995; 121:2373-2383). Because of the tight coupling of polyadenylation and transcription, we examined expression in germ cells of mRNAs for key polyadenylation factors. The mRNA for the 64 000 M(r) subunit of the cleavage stimulation factor (CstF-64) was expressed at least 250-fold greater in mouse testicular RNA than in liver RNA. RNA blot analysis showed that the mRNA for the 160 000 M(r) subunit of the cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor was similarly overexpressed, as was the mRNA for the large subunit of RNA polymerase II. General transcription factors, such as the TATA-binding protein and transcription factor IIH, and splicing factors, such as components of the small nuclear ribonucleoproteins, were also expressed in meiotic and postmeiotic germ cells. The X-linked CstF-64 protein is expressed before and after but not during meiosis in the mouse (Wallace et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1999; 96:6763-6768), which suggests that overexpression of mRNA transcription and processing factors plays an essential role in postmeiotic germ cell mRNA metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Dass
- Department of Cell Biology & Biochemistry and Southwest Cancer Center at University Medical Center, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas 79430
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18
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Dass B, McMahon KW, Jenkins NA, Gilbert DJ, Copeland NG, MacDonald CC. The gene for a variant form of the polyadenylation protein CstF-64 is on chromosome 19 and is expressed in pachytene spermatocytes in mice. J Biol Chem 2001; 276:8044-50. [PMID: 11113135 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m009091200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Many mRNAs in male germ cells lack the canonical AAUAAA but are normally polyadenylated (Wallace, A. M., Dass, B., Ravnik, S. E., Tonk, V., Jenkins, N. A., Gilbert, D. J., Copeland, N. G., and MacDonald, C. C. (1999) Proc. Natl. Acad Sci. U. S. A. 96, 6763-6768). Previously, we demonstrated the presence of two distinct forms of the M(r) 64,000 protein of the cleavage stimulation factor (CstF-64) in mouse male germ cells and in brain, a somatic M(r) 64,000 form and a variant M(r) 70,000 form. The variant form was specific to meiotic and postmeiotic germ cells. We localized the gene for the somatic CstF-64 to the X chromosome, which would be inactivated during male meiosis. This suggested that the variant CstF-64 was an autosomal homolog activated during that time. We have named the variant form "tau CstF-64," and we describe here the cloning and characterization of the mouse tauCstF-64 cDNA, which maps to chromosome 19. The mouse tauCstF-64 protein fits the criteria of the variant CstF-64, including antibody reactivity, size, germ cell expression, and a common proteolytic digest pattern with tauCstF-64 from testis. Features of mtauCstF-64 that might allow it to promote the germ cell pattern of polyadenylation include a Pro --> Ser substitution in the RNA-binding domain and significant changes in the region that interacts with CstF-77.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Dass
- Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas 79430, USA
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19
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Abstract
Using a coupled, in vitro transcription and polyadenylation system we have investigated the molecular mechanism of transcriptional termination by RNA polymerase II (PolII). We showed previously that specific G-rich sequences pause transcription and then activate polyadenylation. We show that physiological pause sites activate polyadenylation in our in vitro system. We also investigate the mechanism of PolII transcriptional termination, and show that these transcripts are either directly released from the transcription complex or are 3' end processed while still attached to the complex. We also show that 3' product (generated by cleavage/polyadenylation) remains associated with the transcription complex, but is rapidly degraded on it.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Yonaha
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
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20
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Zhao J, Hyman L, Moore C. Formation of mRNA 3' ends in eukaryotes: mechanism, regulation, and interrelationships with other steps in mRNA synthesis. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 1999. [PMID: 10357856 DOI: 10.1007/s13146-011-0050-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Formation of mRNA 3' ends in eukaryotes requires the interaction of transacting factors with cis-acting signal elements on the RNA precursor by two distinct mechanisms, one for the cleavage of most replication-dependent histone transcripts and the other for cleavage and polyadenylation of the majority of eukaryotic mRNAs. Most of the basic factors have now been identified, as well as some of the key protein-protein and RNA-protein interactions. This processing can be regulated by changing the levels or activity of basic factors or by using activators and repressors, many of which are components of the splicing machinery. These regulatory mechanisms act during differentiation, progression through the cell cycle, or viral infections. Recent findings suggest that the association of cleavage/polyadenylation factors with the transcriptional complex via the carboxyl-terminal domain of the RNA polymerase II (Pol II) large subunit is the means by which the cell restricts polyadenylation to Pol II transcripts. The processing of 3' ends is also important for transcription termination downstream of cleavage sites and for assembly of an export-competent mRNA. The progress of the last few years points to a remarkable coordination and cooperativity in the steps leading to the appearance of translatable mRNA in the cytoplasm.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Zhao
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA
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21
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Osheim YN, Proudfoot NJ, Beyer AL. EM visualization of transcription by RNA polymerase II: downstream termination requires a poly(A) signal but not transcript cleavage. Mol Cell 1999; 3:379-87. [PMID: 10198640 DOI: 10.1016/s1097-2765(00)80465-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
We have used EM visualization of active genes on plasmid vectors in Xenopus oocyte nuclei to investigate the relationship between poly(A) signals and RNA polymerase II transcription termination. Although a functional poly(A) signal is required for efficient termination, cotranscriptional RNA cleavage at the poly(A) site is not. Furthermore, the phenomena of termination and cotranscriptional RNA cleavage can be uncoupled, and the efficiency of both varies independently on different copies of the same plasmid template in the same oocyte nucleus. The combined observations are consistent with a scenario in which there is template-specific addition to Pol II (presumably at the promoter) of elongation and/or RNA processing factors, which are altered upon passage through a poly(A) signal, resulting in termination and, in some cases, cotranscriptional RNA cleavage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y N Osheim
- University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Department of Microbiology, Charlottesville 22908, USA
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22
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Dye MJ, Proudfoot NJ. Terminal exon definition occurs cotranscriptionally and promotes termination of RNA polymerase II. Mol Cell 1999; 3:371-8. [PMID: 10198639 DOI: 10.1016/s1097-2765(00)80464-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Analysis of nascent transcription from the human epsilon- and beta-globin genes shows that transcriptional termination occurs within 1.5 kb of the poly(A) site and is dependent on the presence of functional poly(A) signals. Even so, transcripts that have not been cleaved at the poly(A) site are detected up to the termination region, suggesting that there is a kinetic lag between transcription over the poly(A) signal and its effect on transcriptional termination. Surprisingly, mutation of the splice acceptor (SA) of the beta-globin IVS2 also abolishes transcriptional termination. Our results emphasize the interconnection of transcription and RNA processing by showing that the enhancement of 3' end processing by the terminal splice acceptor occurs cotranscriptionally.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Dye
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
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23
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Bagga PS, Arhin GK, Wilusz J. DSEF-1 is a member of the hnRNP H family of RNA-binding proteins and stimulates pre-mRNA cleavage and polyadenylation in vitro. Nucleic Acids Res 1998; 26:5343-50. [PMID: 9826757 PMCID: PMC147992 DOI: 10.1093/nar/26.23.5343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
DSEF-1 protein selectively binds to a G-rich auxiliary sequence element which influences the efficiency of processing of the SV40 late polyadenylation signal. We have obtained cDNA clones of DSEF-1 using sequence information from tryptic peptides isolated from DSEF-1 protein purified from HeLa cells. DSEF-1 protein contains three RNA-binding motifs and is a member of the hnRNP H family of RNA-binding proteins. Recombinant DSEF-1 protein stimulated the efficiency of cleavage and polyadenylation in an AAUAAA-dependent manner in in vitro reconstitution assays. DSEF-1 protein was shown to be able to interact with several poly(A) signals that lacked a G-rich binding site using a less stringent, low ionic strength gel band shift assay. Recombinant DSEF-1 protein specifically stimulated the processing of all of the poly(A) signals tested that contained a high affinity G-rich or low affinity binding site. DSEF-1 specifically increased the level of cross-linking of the 64 kDa protein of CstF to polyadenylation substrate RNAs. These observations suggest that DSEF-1 is an auxiliary factor that assists in the assembly of the general 3'-end processing factors onto the core elements of the polyadenylation signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- P S Bagga
- UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
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24
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Aranda A, Pérez-Ortín JE, Moore C, del Olmo M. The yeast FBP1 poly(A) signal functions in both orientations and overlaps with a gene promoter. Nucleic Acids Res 1998; 26:4588-96. [PMID: 9753725 PMCID: PMC147910 DOI: 10.1093/nar/26.20.4588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This report provides an analysis of a region of chromosome XII in which the FBP1 and YLR376c genes transcribe in the same direction. Our investigation indicates that the Saccharomyces cerevisiae FBP1 gene contains strong signals for polyadenylation and transcription termination in both orientations in vivo . A (TA)14 element plays a major role in directing polyadenylation in both orientations. While this region has four nonoverlapping copies of a TATATA hexanucleotide, which is a very potent polyadenylation efficiency element in yeast, it alone is not sufficient for full activation in the reverse orientation of a cluster of downstream poly(A) sites, and an additional upstream sequence is required. The putative RNA hairpin formed from the (TA)14 element is not involved in 3'-end formation. Surprisingly, deletion of the entire (TA)14 stretch affects transcription termination in the reverse orientation, in contrast to our previous results with the forward orientation, indicating that the transcription termination element operating in the reverse orientation has very different sequence requirements. Promoter elements for the YLR376c gene overlap with the signal for FBP1 3'-end formation. To our knowledge, this is the first time that overlapping of both types of regulatory signals has been found in two adjacent yeast genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Aranda
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultats de Ciències, Universitat de València, andDepartamento de Biotecnología, Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos, CSIC, Apartado 73,-46100 Burjassot, Spain
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25
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Chen F, Wilusz J. Auxiliary downstream elements are required for efficient polyadenylation of mammalian pre-mRNAs. Nucleic Acids Res 1998; 26:2891-8. [PMID: 9611233 PMCID: PMC147640 DOI: 10.1093/nar/26.12.2891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We have previously identified a G-rich sequence (GRS) as an auxiliary downstream element (AUX DSE) which influences the processing efficiency of the SV40 late polyadenylation signal. We have now determined that sequences downstream of the core U-rich element (URE) form a fundamental part of mammalian polyadenylation signals. These novel AUX DSEs all influenced the efficiency of 3'-end processing in vitro by stabilizing the assembly of CstF on the core downstream URE. Three possible mechanisms by which AUX DSEs mediate efficient in vitro 3'-end processing have been explored. First, AUX DSEs can promote processing efficiency by maintaining the core elements in an unstructured domain which allows the general polyadenylation factors to efficiently assemble on the RNA substrate. Second, AUX DSEs can enhance processing by forming a stable structure which helps focus binding of CstF to the core downstream URE. Finally, the GRS element, but not the binding site for the bacteriophage R17 coat protein, can substitute for the auxiliary downstream region of the adenovirus L3 polyadenylation signal. This suggests that AUX DSE binding proteins may play an active role in stimulating 3'-end processing by stabilizing the association of CstF with the RNA substrate. AUX DSEs, therefore, serve as a integral part of the polyadenylation signal and can affect signal strength and possibly regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Chen
- UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
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26
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Aranda A, Pérez-Ortín JE, Moore C, del Olmo ML. Transcription termination downstream of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae FBP1 [changed from FPB1] poly(A) site does not depend on efficient 3'end processing. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 1998; 4:303-318. [PMID: 9510332 PMCID: PMC1369619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Efficient transcription termination downstream of poly(A) sites has been shown to correlate with the strength of an upstream polyadenylation signal and the presence of a polymerase pause site. To further investigate the mechanism linking termination with 3'-end processing, we analyzed the cis-acting elements that contribute to these events in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae FBP1 gene. FBP1 has a complex polyadenylation signal, and at least three efficiency elements must be present for efficient processing. However, not all combinations of these elements are equally effective. This gene also shows a novel organization of sequence elements. A strong positioning element is located upstream, rather than downstream, of the efficiency elements, and functions to select the cleavage site in vitro and in vivo. Transcription run-on analysis indicated that termination occurs within 61 nt past the poly(A) site. Deletion of two UAUAUA-type efficiency elements greatly reduces polyadenylation in vivo and in vitro, but transcription termination is still efficient, implying that FBP1 termination signals may be distinct from those for polyadenylation. Alternatively, assembly of a partial, but nonfunctional, polyadenylation complex on the nascent transcript may be sufficient to cause termination.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Aranda
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultats de Ciències, Universitat de València, Spain
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27
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Brackenridge S, Ashe HL, Giacca M, Proudfoot NJ. Transcription and polyadenylation in a short human intergenic region. Nucleic Acids Res 1997; 25:2326-36. [PMID: 9171082 PMCID: PMC146771 DOI: 10.1093/nar/25.12.2326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The poly(A) signal of the human Lamin B2 gene was previously shown to lie 600 bp upstream of the cap site of a gene of unknown function (ppv 1). However, using RNase protection analysis, we show that ppv 1 has two clusters of multiple initiation sites, so that the 5"cap site lies only approximately 280 nt downstream of the Lamin B2 poly(A) signal. We analysed nascent transcription across this unusually short intergenic region using nuclear run-on analysis of both the endogenous locus and of transiently transfected hybrid constructs. Surprisingly, transcription of the Lamin B2 gene does not appear to terminate prior to any of the mapped ppv 1 start sites, although pausing of the elongating polymerase complexes is observed downstream of the Lamin B2 poly(A) signal. We suggest that this pausing may be sufficient to protect the downstream gene from transcriptional interference. Finally, we have also investigated the sequences required for efficient recognition of the Lamin B2 poly(A) signal. We show that sequences upstream of the AAUAAA element are required for full activity, which is an unusual feature of mammalian poly(A) signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Brackenridge
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
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28
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Abstract
Ternary complexes of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase with its DNA template and nascent transcript are central intermediates in transcription. In recent years, several unusual biochemical reactions have been discovered that affect the progression of RNA polymerase in ternary complexes through various transcription units. These reactions can be signaled intrinsically, by nucleic acid sequences and the RNA polymerase, or extrinsically, by protein or other regulatory factors. These factors can affect any of these processes, including promoter proximal and promoter distal pausing in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, and therefore play a central role in regulation of gene expression. In eukaryotic systems, at least two of these factors appear to be related to cellular transformation and human cancers. New models for the structure of ternary complexes, and for the mechanism by which they move along DNA, provide plausible explanations for novel biochemical reactions that have been observed. These models predict that RNA polymerase moves along DNA without the constant possibility of dissociation and consequent termination. A further prediction of these models is that the polymerase can move in a discontinuous or inchworm-like manner. Many direct predictions of these models have been confirmed. However, one feature of RNA chain elongation not predicted by the model is that the DNA sequence can determine whether the enzyme moves discontinuously or monotonically. In at least two cases, the encounter between the RNA polymerase and a DNA block to elongation appears to specifically induce a discontinuous mode of synthesis. These findings provide important new insights into the RNA chain elongation process and offer the prospect of understanding many significant biological regulatory systems at the molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- S M Uptain
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California at Berkeley 94720, USA.
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29
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Abstract
Our understanding of how the 3' ends of mRNAs are formed in plants is rudimentary compared to what we know about this process in other eukaryotes. The salient features of plant pre-mRNAs that signal cleavage and polyadenylation remain obscure, and the biochemical mechanism is as yet wholly uncharacterized. Nevertheless, despite the lack of universally conserved cis-acting motifs, a common underlying architecture is emerging from functional analyses of plant poly(A) signals, allowing meaningful comparison with components of poly(A) signals in other eukaryotes. A plant poly(A) signal consists of one or more near-upstream elements (NUE), each directing processing at a poly(A) site a short distance downstream of it, and an extensive far-upstream element (FUE) that enhances processing efficiency at all sites. By analogy with other systems, a model for a plant 3'-end processing complex can be proposed. Plant poly(A) polymerases have been isolated and partially characterised. These, together with hints that some processing factors are conserved in different organisms, opens promising avenues toward initial characterisation of the trans-acting factors involved in 3'-end formation of mRNAs in higher plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- H M Rothnie
- Friedrich Miescher-Institut, Basel, Switzerland
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30
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Milcarek C, Suda-Hartman M, Croll SC. Changes in abundance of IgG 2a mRNA in the nucleus and cytoplasm of a murine B-lymphoma before and after fusion to a myeloma cell. Mol Immunol 1996; 33:691-701. [PMID: 8760281 DOI: 10.1016/0161-5890(96)00009-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Changes in IgG mRNA half-life, transcription and nuclear and cytoplasmic abundance were studied in two cell lines which contain an identical Ig gamma 2a heavy chain but which differ in its expression. The A20.2J mouse lymphoma expresses about equal amounts of Ig gamma 2a secretory- and membrane-specific mRNAs whereas in the AXJ hybrids, resulting from the fusion of A20.2J with the J558L myeloma, the secretory-specific form dominates. Further evidence of dominance of the myeloma phenotype was seen in the large changes in mRNA abundance and nuclear accumulation as well as in a small increase in Ig gamma 2a mRNA half-lives for both secretory and membrane forms. Contributing to the observed > 100-fold increase in the ratio of secretory vs membrane forms of the Ig gamma 2a heavy chain in the AXJ hybrids are both a 10-fold decrease in the production of the membrane form by post-transcriptional RNA processing events and a approximately 6-7-fold decrease in the nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio for the Ig secretory gamma 2a and kappa light chain RNAs. Differential RNA accumulation in the nucleus in the lymphoma cell therefore contributes to the differential expression of Ig secretory mRNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Milcarek
- University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Department of Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, PA 15261, USA
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31
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Flaspohler JA, Boczkowski D, Hall BL, Milcarek C. The 3'-untranslated region of membrane exon 2 from the gamma 2a immunoglobulin gene contributes to efficient transcription termination. J Biol Chem 1995; 270:11903-11. [PMID: 7744841 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.270.20.11903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Elements of the mouse Immunoglobulin gamma 2a gene, near the membrane-specific poly(A) addition site, were inserted into a heterologous location in either a synthetic mouse gamma 2b gene or a gpt/SV40 chimeric gene and then assayed for their ability to terminate RNA polymerase II transcription in isolated nuclei of transfected myeloma cells. The intact gamma 2a membrane-specific 3'-untranslated region, with its potential stem loop forming sequences and poly(A) site, is able to efficiently terminate transcription in the absence of the downstream region in which transcription normally terminates (term). Termination efficiency in the presence of the termination fragment decreases either when sequences specifying a potential stem/loop, upstream of the poly(A) region, are interrupted or when the stronger membrane poly(A) site is substituted with a weaker, secretory-specific poly(A) site. We therefore conclude that the gamma 2a membrane-specific untranslated region plays a major role in specifying downstream termination. We further conclude that the immunoglobulin gamma 2a, membrane-specific, 3'-untranslated region can function in the context of the gpt gene, driven by an SV40 promoter, to terminate transcription in a poly(A) site dependent fashion.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Flaspohler
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania 15261-2072, USA
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32
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Wahle E. 3'-end cleavage and polyadenylation of mRNA precursors. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA 1995; 1261:183-94. [PMID: 7711061 DOI: 10.1016/0167-4781(94)00248-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- E Wahle
- Department of Cell Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Switzerland
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33
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34
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Abstract
Different systems are being studied and used to prepare recombinant proteins for pharmaceutical use. The blood, and still more the milk, from transgenic animals appear a very attractive source of pharmaceuticals. The cells from these animals are expected to produce well-matured proteins in potentially huge amounts. Several problems remain before this process becomes used in a large scale. Gene transfer remains a difficult and costly task for farm animals. The vectors carrying the genes coding for the proteins of interest are of unpredictable efficiency. Improvement of these vectors includes the choice of efficient promoters, introns and transcription terminators, the addition of matrix attached regions (MAR) and specialized chromatin sequences (SCS) to enhance the expression of the transgenes and to insulate them from the chromatin environment. Mice are routinely used to evaluate the gene constructs to be transferred into larger animals. Mice can also be utilized to prepare amounts as high as a few hundred mg of recombinant proteins from their milk. Rabbit appears adequate for amounts not higher than 1 kg per year. For larger quantities, goat, sheep, pig and cow are required. No recombinant proteins extracted from the blood or milk of transgenic animals are yet on the market. The relatively slow but real progress to improving the efficiency of this process inclines to be reasonably optimistic. Predictive reports suggest that 10% of the recombinant proteins, corresponding to a 100 million dollars annual market, will be prepared from the milk of transgenic animals by the end of the century.
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Affiliation(s)
- L M Houdebine
- Unité de Différenciation Cellulaire, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Jouy-en-Josas, France
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Bustin SA, Nie XF, Barnard RC, Kumar V, Pascall JC, Brown KD, Leigh IM, Williams NS, McKay IA. Cloning and characterization of ERF-1, a human member of the Tis11 family of early-response genes. DNA Cell Biol 1994; 13:449-59. [PMID: 8024689 DOI: 10.1089/dna.1994.13.449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Members of the Tis11 family of early-response genes are characterized by a high degree of sequence similarity around a putative zinc finger motif. They are induced by a variety of cell agonists and polypeptide mitogens, including 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and epidermal growth factor (EGF). We describe the cloning and sequencing of a human member of this gene family, EGF-response factor 1 (ERF-1), the homolog of the mouse Tis11b/rat cMG1 genes. The human and rodent genes are similar, with 5' UTR, coding sequence, and 3' UTR highly conserved. The promoter/enhancer region and intron sequences contain multiple putative transcription factor binding motifs characteristic of early-response genes. Amino acid sequence comparison of the seven members of the Tis11 family cloned so far identifies a repeated consensus motif of (x+)YKTELC(x+)x5GxCxYGx(x+)CxFxH involving the potential zinc finger. Toward the carboxyterminal end is a region with a high percentage of prolines (15/73) and, partially overlapping, a serine-rich domain (20/54). These may be important as trans-activation and phosphorylation sites. The 3' untranslated region is unusually long, extending over 1,860 bp. The sequence immediately downstream from the translational stop codon has extensive secondary structure potential. The 3' UTR is 60% AT rich, but contains two GC rich (> 70%) regions. In addition there are multiple reiterations of a destabilization sequence, as well as a single UUAUUUAU motif characteristic of mRNAs specifying proteins involved in the inflammatory response. The mRNA contains a consensus polyadenylation signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- S A Bustin
- Surgical Unit, London Hospital Medical College, University of London, UK
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