1
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Hollmann NM, Jagtap PKA, Linse JB, Ullmann P, Payr M, Murciano B, Simon B, Hub JS, Hennig J. Upstream of N-Ras C-terminal cold shock domains mediate poly(A) specificity in a novel RNA recognition mode and bind poly(A) binding protein. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:1895-1913. [PMID: 36688322 PMCID: PMC9976900 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac1277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA binding proteins (RBPs) often engage multiple RNA binding domains (RBDs) to increase target specificity and affinity. However, the complexity of target recognition of multiple RBDs remains largely unexplored. Here we use Upstream of N-Ras (Unr), a multidomain RBP, to demonstrate how multiple RBDs orchestrate target specificity. A crystal structure of the three C-terminal RNA binding cold-shock domains (CSD) of Unr bound to a poly(A) sequence exemplifies how recognition goes beyond the classical ππ-stacking in CSDs. Further structural studies reveal several interaction surfaces between the N-terminal and C-terminal part of Unr with the poly(A)-binding protein (pAbp). All interactions are validated by mutational analyses and the high-resolution structures presented here will guide further studies to understand how both proteins act together in cellular processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nele Merret Hollmann
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.,Collaboration for joint PhD degree between EMBL and Heidelberg University, Faculty of Biosciences, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Pravin Kumar Ankush Jagtap
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.,Chair of Biochemistry IV, Biophysical Chemistry, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Johanna-Barbara Linse
- Theoretical Physics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.,Center for Biophysics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Philip Ullmann
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marco Payr
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.,Collaboration for joint PhD degree between EMBL and Heidelberg University, Faculty of Biosciences, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Brice Murciano
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Bernd Simon
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jochen S Hub
- Theoretical Physics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.,Center for Biophysics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Janosch Hennig
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.,Chair of Biochemistry IV, Biophysical Chemistry, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
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2
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Tseng CK, Cheng SC. Arresting Spliceosome Intermediates at Various Stages of the Splicing Pathway. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2666:193-211. [PMID: 37166667 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3191-1_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The spliceosome is a dynamic ribonucleoprotein particle and is assembled via sequential binding of five snRNAs and numerous protein factors. To understand the molecular mechanism of the splicing reaction, it is necessary to dissect the spliceosome pathway and isolate spliceosome intermediates in various stages of the pathway for biochemical and structural analysis. Here, we describe protocols for preparing intron-containing transcripts, cell-free splicing extracts, and in vitro splicing reactions, as well as procedures to arrest the spliceosome at different stages of the pathway for characterization of specific splicing complexes from the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Methods for arresting spliceosomes at specific stages include depletion with antibodies against factors required for specific steps of the pathway, use of extracts prepared from temperature-sensitive mutants, use of dominant negative mutants of DExD/H-box proteins, and use of mutant substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Kang Tseng
- Graduate Institute of Microbiology, National Taiwan University, College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Soo-Chen Cheng
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
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3
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Tingey M, Schnell SJ, Yu W, Saredy J, Junod S, Patel D, Alkurdi AA, Yang W. Technologies Enabling Single-Molecule Super-Resolution Imaging of mRNA. Cells 2022; 11:cells11193079. [PMID: 36231040 PMCID: PMC9564294 DOI: 10.3390/cells11193079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The transient nature of RNA has rendered it one of the more difficult biological targets for imaging. This difficulty stems both from the physical properties of RNA as well as the temporal constraints associated therewith. These concerns are further complicated by the difficulty in imaging endogenous RNA within a cell that has been transfected with a target sequence. These concerns, combined with traditional concerns associated with super-resolution light microscopy has made the imaging of this critical target difficult. Recent advances have provided researchers the tools to image endogenous RNA in live cells at both the cellular and single-molecule level. Here, we review techniques used for labeling and imaging RNA with special emphases on various labeling methods and a virtual 3D super-resolution imaging technique.
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4
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Box-shaped ribozyme octamer formed by face-to-face dimerization of a pair of square-shaped ribozyme tetramers. J Biosci Bioeng 2022; 134:195-202. [PMID: 35810135 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2022.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Naturally occurring ribozymes with defined three-dimensional (3D) structures serve as promising platforms for the design and construction of artificial RNA nanostructures. We constructed a hexameric ribozyme nanostructure by face-to-face dimerization of a pair of triangular ribozyme trimers, unit RNAs of which were derived from the Tetrahymena group I ribozyme. In this study, we have expanded the dimerization strategy to a square-shaped ribozyme tetramer by introducing four pillar units. The resulting box-shaped nanostructures, which contained eight ribozyme units, can be assembled from either four or two components of their unit RNAs.
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5
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A Quality Control Mechanism of Splice Site Selection Abrogated under Stress and in Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14071750. [PMID: 35406522 PMCID: PMC8996931 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14071750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Splicing and alternative splicing play a major role in regulating gene expression, and mis-regulation of splicing can lead to several diseases, including cancer. The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge of a quality control mechanism of splice site selection termed Suppression of Splicing (SOS), proposed to protect cells from splicing at the numerous intronic unused 5′ splice sites, and emphasize its relevance to cancer. This relevance stems from the finding that SOS is abrogated under stress and in cancer resulting in the expression of thousands of aberrant nonsense mRNAs that may be toxic to cells. These findings highlight the unexplored potential of such aberrant isoforms as novel targets for cancer diagnosis and therapies. Abstract Latent 5’ splice sites, highly abundant in human introns, are not normally used. This led to the proposal of a quality control mechanism, Suppression of Splicing (SOS), which protects cells from splicing at the numerous intronic latent sites, and whose activation can generate nonsense mRNAs. SOS was shown to be independent of Nonsense-Mediated mRNA Decay (NMD). Efforts to decipher the SOS mechanism revealed a pivotal role for initiator-tRNA, independent of protein translation. Recently, nucleolin (a multifunctional protein) was found to directly and specifically bind the initiator-tRNA in the nucleus and was shown to be a protein component of SOS, enabling an updated model of the SOS mechanism. Importantly, SOS is abrogated under stress and in cancer (e.g., in breast cancer cells and gliomas), generating thousands of nonsense mRNAs due to activation of latent splicing. The resulting affected human genes cover a variety of functional groups, including genes involved in cell proliferation and differentiation. Furthermore, in oligodendroglioma, the extent of activation of latent splicing increases with the severity of the cancer. Interesting examples are genes expressing aberrant nonsense mRNAs in both breast cancer and glioma, due to latent splicing activation. These findings highlight the unexplored potential of such aberrant isoforms as novel targets for cancer diagnosis and therapies.
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6
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Splicing factor mutations in hematologic malignancies. Blood 2021; 138:599-612. [PMID: 34157091 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2019004260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in genes encoding RNA splicing factors were discovered nearly ten years ago and are now understood to be amongst the most recurrent genetic abnormalities in patients with all forms of myeloid neoplasms and several types of lymphoproliferative disorders as well as subjects with clonal hematopoiesis. These discoveries implicate aberrant RNA splicing, the process by which precursor RNA is converted into mature messenger RNA, in the development of clonal hematopoietic conditions. Both the protein as well as the RNA components of the splicing machinery are affected by mutations at highly specific residues and a number of these mutations alter splicing in a manner distinct from loss of function. Importantly, cells bearing these mutations have now been shown to generate mRNA species with novel aberrant sequences, some of which may be critical to disease pathogenesis and/or novel targets for therapy. These findings have opened new avenues of research to understand biological pathways disrupted by altered splicing. In parallel, multiple studies have revealed that cells bearing change-of-function mutation in splicing factors are preferentially sensitized to any further genetic or chemical perturbations of the splicing machinery. These discoveries are now being pursued in several early phase clinical trials using molecules with diverse mechanisms of action. Here we review the molecular effects of splicing factor mutations on splicing, mechanisms by which these mutations drive clonal transformation of hematopoietic cells, and the development of new therapeutics targeting these genetic subsets of hematopoietic malignancies.
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7
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Strittmatter LM, Capitanchik C, Newman AJ, Hallegger M, Norman CM, Fica SM, Oubridge C, Luscombe NM, Ule J, Nagai K. psiCLIP reveals dynamic RNA binding by DEAH-box helicases before and after exon ligation. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1488. [PMID: 33674615 PMCID: PMC7935899 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21745-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA helicases remodel the spliceosome to enable pre-mRNA splicing, but their binding and mechanism of action remain poorly understood. To define helicase-RNA contacts in specific spliceosomal states, we develop purified spliceosome iCLIP (psiCLIP), which reveals dynamic helicase-RNA contacts during splicing catalysis. The helicase Prp16 binds along the entire available single-stranded RNA region between the branchpoint and 3'-splice site, while Prp22 binds diffusely downstream of the branchpoint before exon ligation, but then switches to more narrow binding in the downstream exon after exon ligation, arguing against a mechanism of processive translocation. Depletion of the exon-ligation factor Prp18 destabilizes Prp22 binding to the pre-mRNA, suggesting that proofreading by Prp22 may sense the stability of the spliceosome during exon ligation. Thus, psiCLIP complements structural studies by providing key insights into the binding and proofreading activity of spliceosomal RNA helicases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Martina Hallegger
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, UK
| | | | | | | | - Nicholas M Luscombe
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- UCL Genetics Institute, Department of Genetics, Environment and Evolution, University College London, London, UK
- Okinawa Institute of Science & Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Jernej Ule
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, UK.
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8
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Hollmann NM, Jagtap PKA, Masiewicz P, Guitart T, Simon B, Provaznik J, Stein F, Haberkant P, Sweetapple LJ, Villacorta L, Mooijman D, Benes V, Savitski MM, Gebauer F, Hennig J. Pseudo-RNA-Binding Domains Mediate RNA Structure Specificity in Upstream of N-Ras. Cell Rep 2020; 32:107930. [PMID: 32697992 PMCID: PMC7383231 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) commonly feature multiple RNA-binding domains (RBDs), which provide these proteins with a modular architecture. Accumulating evidence supports that RBP architectural modularity and adaptability define the specificity of their interactions with RNA. However, how multiple RBDs recognize their cognate single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) sequences in concert remains poorly understood. Here, we use Upstream of N-Ras (Unr) as a model system to address this question. Although reported to contain five ssRNA-binding cold-shock domains (CSDs), we demonstrate that Unr includes an additional four CSDs that do not bind RNA (pseudo-RBDs) but are involved in mediating RNA tertiary structure specificity by reducing the conformational heterogeneity of Unr. Disrupting the interactions between canonical and non-canonical CSDs impacts RNA binding, Unr-mediated translation regulation, and the Unr-dependent RNA interactome. Taken together, our studies reveal a new paradigm in protein-RNA recognition, where interactions between RBDs and pseudo-RBDs select RNA tertiary structures, influence RNP assembly, and define target specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nele Merret Hollmann
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany; Collaboration for Joint PhD Degree between EMBL and Heidelberg University, Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Pawel Masiewicz
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Tanit Guitart
- Gene Regulation, Stem Cells and Cancer Programme, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Bernd Simon
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jan Provaznik
- Genomics Core Facility, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Frank Stein
- Proteomics Core Facility, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Per Haberkant
- Proteomics Core Facility, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lara Jayne Sweetapple
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Laura Villacorta
- Genomics Core Facility, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dylan Mooijman
- Developmental Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Vladimir Benes
- Genomics Core Facility, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mikhail M Savitski
- Proteomics Core Facility, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany; Genome Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Fátima Gebauer
- Gene Regulation, Stem Cells and Cancer Programme, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Janosch Hennig
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
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9
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Zuo S, Li X, Bao W, Li S. Pre-mRNA processing factor 3 enhances the progression of keratinocyte-derived cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma by regulating the JAK2/STAT3 pathway. Sci Rep 2020; 10:8863. [PMID: 32483193 PMCID: PMC7264194 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65928-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The precise role of pre-mRNA processing factors (PRPs) in human tumorigenesis has not been yet explored. The object of the present study was to explore the effects of PRP3 in a common metastatic skin cancer, keratinocyte-derived cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCCs). RT-qPCR and western blotting were conducted to measure the expression levels of PRP3 in various cSCC cell lines and cSCC tissues. A benign epidermal keratinocyte cell line was transfected with a eukaryotic expression plasmid to overexpress PRP3. In addition, the endogenous expression level of PRP3 in cSCC cells was silenced using a short hairpin RNA method, and the role of PRP3 on cell proliferation and migration was examined by Cell Counting Kit-8, colony formation, wound healing assay and Transwell assays following knockdown in cSCC cells, and overexpression in keratinovcyte cells. Elevated levels of PRP3 mRNA and protein were noted in cSCC cell lines or cSCC tissues compared with actinic keratosis (AK) or benign epidermal keratinocyte cell line, respectively. Upregulation of PRP3 expression was found to be associated with poor clinical outcomes in patients with cSCCs. The upregulation of PRP3 promoted cell viability, metastasis and the activity of the JAK2/STAT3 pathway in epidermal keratinocyte cells. Interestingly, loss of PRP3 had no obvious impact on cell viability and migration in benign epidermal keratinocyte cells. Functionally, the inhibition of the JAK2/STAT3 pathway reversed the increased cell viability and migration of cSCC cells induced by PRP3. Taken together, the present observations indicated that PRP3 served as a tumor active factor in cSCCs by targeting the JAK2/STAT3 pathway. Moreover, it is implied that impeding the PRP3 activity may selectively constrain cancer cell growth and migration with limited effect on normal skin cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyao Zuo
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Infectious Disease, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Wanguo Bao
- Department of Infectious Disease, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - Shanshan Li
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
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10
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Wang S, Wang M, Wang B, Chen J, Cheng X, Sun X. Pre-mRNA Processing Factor 8 Accelerates the Progression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Regulating the PI3K/Akt Pathway. Onco Targets Ther 2020; 13:4717-4730. [PMID: 32547101 PMCID: PMC7263830 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s241214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The specific function of pre-mRNA processing factors (Prps) in human malignancies has not been yet investigated. The aim of the present study was to determine the impacts of Prp8 in a common human malignancy, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Materials and Methods RT-qPCR and Western blotting were performed to measure the expression levels of Prp8 in various HCC cell lines and HCC tissues. A hepatic astrocyte line was transfected with a eukaryotic expression plasmid to overexpress Prp8. In addition, the endogenous expression level of Prp8 in HCC cells was silenced using a short hairpin RNA method, and the role of Prp8 on cell proliferation and migration was examined by Cell Counting Kit-8, wound healing assay and Transwell assays following knockdown in HCC cells, and overexpression in astrocytes. Results Upregulation of Prp8 expression was found to be associated with poor clinical outcomes in patients with HCC. The upregulation of Prp8 promoted cell viability, metastasis and the activity of the PI3K/Akt pathway in hepatic astrocytes cells and HCC cells. Interestingly, loss of Prp8 had no obvious impact on cell viability and migration in hepatic astrocytes, but significantly inhibit the cell malignancy of HCC cells. Functionally, the inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway reversed the increased cell viability and migration of HCC cells induced by Prp8 via inhibiting EMT process. Conclusion Collectively, the present results suggested that Prp8 served as a tumor promoter in HCC by targeting and regulating the PI3K/Akt pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shouhan Wang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Cancer Hospital of Jilin Province, Changchun, People's Republic of China
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Hospital of Jilin Province, Changchun, People's Republic of China
| | - Bin Wang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Cancer Hospital of Jilin Province, Changchun, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiaqi Chen
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Cancer Hospital of Jilin Province, Changchun, People's Republic of China
| | - Xianbin Cheng
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Cancer Hospital of Jilin Province, Changchun, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaodan Sun
- Department of 2nd Gynecologic Oncology Surgery, Cancer Hospital of Jilin Province, Changchun, People's Republic of China
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11
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Sebbag-Sznajder N, Brody Y, Hochberg-Laufer H, Shav-Tal Y, Sperling J, Sperling R. Dynamic Supraspliceosomes Are Assembled on Different Transcripts Regardless of Their Intron Number and Splicing State. Front Genet 2020; 11:409. [PMID: 32499811 PMCID: PMC7243799 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Splicing and alternative splicing of pre-mRNA are key sources in the formation of diversity in the human proteome. These processes have a central role in the regulation of the gene expression pathway. Yet, how spliceosomes are assembled on a multi-intronic pre-mRNA is at present not well understood. To study the spliceosomes assembled in vivo on transcripts with variable number of introns, we examined a series of three related transcripts derived from the β-globin gene, where two transcript types contained increasing number of introns, while one had only an exon. Each transcript had multiple MS2 sequence repeats that can be bound by the MS2 coat protein. Using our protocol for isolation of endogenous spliceosomes under native conditions from cell nuclei, we show that all three transcripts are found in supraspliceosomes – 21 MDa dynamic complexes, sedimenting at 200S in glycerol gradients, and composed of four native spliceosomes connected by the transcript. Affinity purification of complexes assembled on the transcript with most introns (termed E6), using the MS2 tag, confirmed the assembly of E6 in supraspliceosomes with components such as Sm proteins and PSF. Furthermore, splicing inhibition by spliceostatin A did not inhibit the assembly of supraspliceosomes on the E6 transcript, yet increased the percentage of E6 pre-mRNA supraspliceosomes. These findings were corroborated in intact cells, using RNA FISH to detect the MS2-tagged E6 mRNA, together with GFP-tagged splicing factors, showing the assembly of splicing factors SRSF2, U1-70K, and PRP8 onto the E6 transcripts under normal conditions and also when splicing was inhibited. This study shows that different transcripts with different number of introns, or lacking an intron, are assembled in supraspliceosomes even when splicing is inhibited. This assembly starts at the site of transcription and can continue during the life of the transcript in the nucleoplasm. This study further confirms the dynamic and universal nature of supraspliceosomes that package RNA polymerase II transcribed pre-mRNAs into complexes composed of four native spliceosomes connected by the transcript, independent of their length, number of introns, or splicing state.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yehuda Brody
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and The Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Hodaya Hochberg-Laufer
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and The Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Yaron Shav-Tal
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and The Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Joseph Sperling
- Department of Organic Chemistry, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ruth Sperling
- Department of Genetics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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12
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Wilkinson ME, Kumar A, Casañal A. Methods for merging data sets in electron cryo-microscopy. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2019; 75:782-791. [PMID: 31478901 PMCID: PMC6719665 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798319010519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent developments have resulted in electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) becoming a useful tool for the structure determination of biological macromolecules. For samples containing inherent flexibility, heterogeneity or preferred orientation, the collection of extensive cryo-EM data using several conditions and microscopes is often required. In such a scenario, merging cryo-EM data sets is advantageous because it allows improved three-dimensional reconstructions to be obtained. Since data sets are not always collected with the same pixel size, merging data can be challenging. Here, two methods to combine cryo-EM data are described. Both involve the calculation of a rescaling factor from independent data sets. The effects of errors in the scaling factor on the results of data merging are also estimated. The methods described here provide a guideline for cryo-EM users who wish to combine data sets from the same type of microscope and detector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max E. Wilkinson
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0QH, England
| | - Ananthanarayanan Kumar
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0QH, England
| | - Ana Casañal
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0QH, England
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13
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Sperling R. Small non-coding RNA within the endogenous spliceosome and alternative splicing regulation. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2019; 1862:194406. [PMID: 31323432 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2019.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Splicing and alternative splicing (AS), which occur in the endogenous spliceosome, play major roles in regulating gene expression, and defects in them are involved in numerous human diseases including cancer. Although the mechanism of the splicing reaction is well understood, the regulation of AS remains to be elucidated. A group of essential regulatory factors in gene expression are small non-coding RNAs (sncRNA): e.g. microRNA, mainly known for their inhibitory role in translation in the cytoplasm; and small nucleolar RNA, known for their role in methylating non-coding RNA in the nucleolus. Here I highlight a new aspect of sncRNAs found within the endogenous spliceosome. Assembled in non-canonical complexes and through different base pairing than their canonical ones, spliceosomal sncRNAs can potentially target different RNAs. Examples of spliceosomal sncRNAs regulating AS, regulating gene expression, and acting in a quality control of AS are reviewed, suggesting novel functions for spliceosomal sncRNAs. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: RNA structure and splicing regulation edited by Francisco Baralle, Ravindra Singh and Stefan Stamm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Sperling
- Department of Genetics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.
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Plaschka C, Newman AJ, Nagai K. Structural Basis of Nuclear pre-mRNA Splicing: Lessons from Yeast. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2019; 11:cshperspect.a032391. [PMID: 30765413 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a032391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Noncoding introns are removed from nuclear precursor messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) in a two-step phosphoryl transfer reaction by the spliceosome, a dynamic multimegadalton enzyme. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae spliceosome were recently determined in eight key states. Combined with the wealth of available genetic and biochemical data, these structures have revealed new insights into the mechanisms of spliceosome assembly, activation, catalysis, and disassembly. The structures show how a single RNA catalytic center forms during activation and accomplishes both steps of the splicing reaction. The structures reveal how spliceosomal helicases remodel the spliceosome for active site formation, substrate docking, reaction product undocking, and spliceosome disassembly and how they facilitate splice site proofreading. Although human spliceosomes contain additional proteins, their cryo-EM structures suggest that the underlying mechanism is conserved across all eukaryotes. In this review, we summarize the current structural understanding of pre-mRNA splicing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clemens Plaschka
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J Newman
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom
| | - Kiyoshi Nagai
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom
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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.
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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
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Structural studies of the spliceosome: past, present and future perspectives. Biochem Soc Trans 2018; 46:1407-1422. [PMID: 30420411 DOI: 10.1042/bst20170240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Revised: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The spliceosome is a multi-subunit RNA-protein complex involved in the removal of non-coding segments (introns) from between the coding regions (exons) in precursors of messenger RNAs (pre-mRNAs). Intron removal proceeds via two transesterification reactions, occurring between conserved sequences at intron-exon junctions. A tightly regulated, hierarchical assembly with a multitude of structural and compositional rearrangements posed a great challenge for structural studies of the spliceosome. Over the years, X-ray crystallography dominated the field, providing valuable high-resolution structural information that was mostly limited to individual proteins and smaller sub-complexes. Recent developments in the field of cryo-electron microscopy allowed the visualisation of fully assembled yeast and human spliceosomes, providing unprecedented insights into substrate recognition, catalysis, and active site formation. This has advanced our mechanistic understanding of pre-mRNA splicing enormously.
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Cheng W, Zhou Y, Miao X, An C, Gao H. The Putative Smallest Introns in the Arabidopsis Genome. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 10:2551-2557. [PMID: 30184083 PMCID: PMC6161759 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evy197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Most eukaryotic genes contain introns, which are noncoding sequences that are removed during premRNA processing. Introns are usually preserved across evolutionary time. However, the sizes of introns vary greatly. In Arabidopsis, some introns are longer than 10 kilo base pairs (bp) and others are predicted to be shorter than 10 bp. To identify the shortest intron in the genome, we analyzed the predicted introns in annotated version 10 of the Arabidopsis thaliana genome and found 103 predicted introns that are 30 bp or shorter, which make up only 0.08% of all introns in the genome. However, our own bioinformatics and experimental analyses found no evidence for the existence of these predicted introns. The predicted introns of 30–39 bp, 40–49 bp, and 50–59 bp in length are also rare and constitute only 0.07%, 0.2%, and 0.28% of all introns in the genome, respectively. An analysis of 30 predicted introns 31–59 bp long verified two in this range, both of which were 59 bp long. Thus, this study suggests that there is a limit to how small introns in A. thaliana can be, which is useful for the understanding of the evolution and processing of small introns in plants in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenzhen Cheng
- College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, China
| | - Yunlin Zhou
- College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, China
| | - Xin Miao
- College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, China
| | - Chuanjing An
- College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, China
| | - Hongbo Gao
- College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, China
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18
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Prespliceosome structure provides insights into spliceosome assembly and regulation. Nature 2018; 559:419-422. [PMID: 29995849 PMCID: PMC6141012 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0323-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The spliceosome catalyzes the excision of introns from pre-mRNA in two steps, branching
and exon ligation, and is assembled from five small nuclear ribonucleoprotein
particles (snRNPs; U1, U2, U4, U5, U6) and numerous non-snRNP factors1. For branching, the intron
5'-splice site (5'SS) and the branch point (BP) sequence are
selected and brought into the prespliceosome by the U1 and U2 snRNPs1, which is a focal point for the regulation
by alternative splicing factors2. The
U4/U6.U5 tri-snRNP subsequently joins the prespliceosome to form the complete
pre-catalytic spliceosome. Recent studies have revealed the structural basis of
the branching and exon-ligation reactions3. However, the structural basis of early spliceosome assembly events
remains poorly understood4. Here we report
the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the yeast Saccharomyces
cerevisiae prespliceosome at near-atomic resolution. The structure
reveals an induced stabilization of the 5'SS in the U1 snRNP, and
provides structural insights into the functions of the human alternative
splicing factors LUC7-like (yeast Luc7) and TIA-1 (yeast Nam8) that are linked
to human disease5,6. In the prespliceosome, the U1 snRNP associates with the
U2 snRNP through a stable contact with the U2 3' domain and a transient
yeast-specific contact with the U2 SF3b-containing 5' region, leaving its
tri-snRNP-binding interface fully exposed. The results suggest mechanisms for
5'SS transfer to the U6 ACAGAGA region within the assembled spliceosome
and for its subsequent conversion to the activation-competent B complex
spliceosome7,8. Taken together, the data provide a working model to
investigate the early steps of spliceosome assembly.
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