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D'Urso G, Guyomar C, Chat S, Giudice E, Gillet R. Insights into the ribosomal trans-translation rescue system: lessons from recent structural studies. FEBS J 2023; 290:1461-1472. [PMID: 35015931 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16349] [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: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The arrest of protein synthesis caused when ribosomes stall on an mRNA lacking a stop codon is a deadly risk for all cells. In bacteria, this situation is remedied by the trans-translation quality control system. Trans-translation occurs because of the synergistic action of two main partners, transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA) and small protein B (SmpB). These act in complex to monitor protein synthesis, intervening when necessary to rescue stalled ribosomes. During this process, incomplete nascent peptides are tagged for destruction, problematic mRNAs are degraded and the previously stalled ribosomes are recycled. In this 'Structural Snapshot' article, we describe the mechanism at the molecular level, a view updated after the most recent structural studies using cryo-electron microscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaetano D'Urso
- Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes (IGDR), CNRS, Univ. Rennes, France
| | - Charlotte Guyomar
- Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes (IGDR), CNRS, Univ. Rennes, France
| | - Sophie Chat
- Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes (IGDR), CNRS, Univ. Rennes, France
| | - Emmanuel Giudice
- Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes (IGDR), CNRS, Univ. Rennes, France
| | - Reynald Gillet
- Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes (IGDR), CNRS, Univ. Rennes, France
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2
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Campos-Silva R, D’Urso G, Delalande O, Giudice E, Macedo AJ, Gillet R. Trans-Translation Is an Appealing Target for the Development of New Antimicrobial Compounds. Microorganisms 2021; 10:3. [PMID: 35056452 PMCID: PMC8778911 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10010003] [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: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Because of the ever-increasing multidrug resistance in microorganisms, it is crucial that we find and develop new antibiotics, especially molecules with different targets and mechanisms of action than those of the antibiotics in use today. Translation is a fundamental process that uses a large portion of the cell's energy, and the ribosome is already the target of more than half of the antibiotics in clinical use. However, this process is highly regulated, and its quality control machinery is actively studied as a possible target for new inhibitors. In bacteria, ribosomal stalling is a frequent event that jeopardizes bacterial wellness, and the most severe form occurs when ribosomes stall at the 3'-end of mRNA molecules devoid of a stop codon. Trans-translation is the principal and most sophisticated quality control mechanism for solving this problem, which would otherwise result in inefficient or even toxic protein synthesis. It is based on the complex made by tmRNA and SmpB, and because trans-translation is absent in eukaryotes, but necessary for bacterial fitness or survival, it is an exciting and realistic target for new antibiotics. Here, we describe the current and future prospects for developing what we hope will be a novel generation of trans-translation inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Campos-Silva
- CNRS, Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes (IGDR) UMR6290, University of Rennes, 35000 Rennes, France; (R.C.-S.); (G.D.); (O.D.); (E.G.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Farmácia and Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90610-000, Brazil;
| | - Gaetano D’Urso
- CNRS, Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes (IGDR) UMR6290, University of Rennes, 35000 Rennes, France; (R.C.-S.); (G.D.); (O.D.); (E.G.)
| | - Olivier Delalande
- CNRS, Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes (IGDR) UMR6290, University of Rennes, 35000 Rennes, France; (R.C.-S.); (G.D.); (O.D.); (E.G.)
| | - Emmanuel Giudice
- CNRS, Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes (IGDR) UMR6290, University of Rennes, 35000 Rennes, France; (R.C.-S.); (G.D.); (O.D.); (E.G.)
| | - Alexandre José Macedo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Farmácia and Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90610-000, Brazil;
| | - Reynald Gillet
- CNRS, Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes (IGDR) UMR6290, University of Rennes, 35000 Rennes, France; (R.C.-S.); (G.D.); (O.D.); (E.G.)
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3
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Structures of tmRNA and SmpB as they transit through the ribosome. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4909. [PMID: 34389707 PMCID: PMC8363625 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24881-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In bacteria, trans-translation is the main rescue system, freeing ribosomes stalled on defective messenger RNAs. This mechanism is driven by small protein B (SmpB) and transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA), a hybrid RNA known to have both a tRNA-like and an mRNA-like domain. Here we present four cryo-EM structures of the ribosome during trans-translation at resolutions from 3.0 to 3.4 Å. These include the high-resolution structure of the whole pre-accommodated state, as well as structures of the accommodated state, the translocated state, and a translocation intermediate. Together, they shed light on the movements of the tmRNA-SmpB complex in the ribosome, from its delivery by the elongation factor EF-Tu to its passage through the ribosomal A and P sites after the opening of the B1 bridges. Additionally, we describe the interactions between the tmRNA-SmpB complex and the ribosome. These explain why the process does not interfere with canonical translation.
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4
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Fan Y, Dai Y, Hou M, Wang H, Yao H, Guo C, Lin D, Liao X. Structural basis for ribosome protein S1 interaction with RNA in trans-translation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2017; 487:268-273. [PMID: 28412369 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2017.04.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Ribosomal protein S1 (RpsA), the largest 30S protein in ribosome, plays a significant role in translation and trans-translation. In Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the C-terminus of RpsA is known as tuberculosis drug target of pyrazinoic acid, which inhibits the interaction between MtRpsA and tmRNA in trans-translation. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the interaction of MtRpsA with tmRNA remains unknown. We herein analyzed the interaction of the C-terminal domain of MtRpsA with three RNA fragments poly(A), sMLD and pre-sMLD. NMR titration analysis revealed that the RNA binding sites on MtRpsACTD are mainly located in the β2, β3 and β5 strands and the adjacent L3 loop of the S1 domain. Fluorescence experiments determined the MtRpsACTD binding to RNAs are in the micromolar affinity range. Sequence analysis also revealed conserved residues in the mapped RNA binding region. Residues L304, V305, G308, F310, H322, I323, R357 and I358 were verified to be the key residues influencing the interaction between MtRpsACTD and pre-sMLD. Molecular docking further confirmed that the poly(A)-like sequence and sMLD of tmRNA are all involved in the protein-RNA interaction, through charged interaction and hydrogen bonds. The results will be beneficial for designing new anti-tuberculosis drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Fan
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Yazhuang Dai
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Meijing Hou
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Huilin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Hongwei Yao
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Chenyun Guo
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Donghai Lin
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
| | - Xinli Liao
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
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5
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Macé K, Gillet R. Origins of tmRNA: the missing link in the birth of protein synthesis? Nucleic Acids Res 2016; 44:8041-51. [PMID: 27484476 PMCID: PMC5041485 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkw693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Revised: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The RNA world hypothesis refers to the early period on earth in which RNA was central in assuring both genetic continuity and catalysis. The end of this era coincided with the development of the genetic code and protein synthesis, symbolized by the apparition of the first non-random messenger RNA (mRNA). Modern transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA) is a unique hybrid molecule which has the properties of both mRNA and transfer RNA (tRNA). It acts as a key molecule during trans-translation, a major quality control pathway of modern bacterial protein synthesis. tmRNA shares many common characteristics with ancestral RNA. Here, we present a model in which proto-tmRNAs were the first molecules on earth to support non-random protein synthesis, explaining the emergence of early genetic code. In this way, proto-tmRNA could be the missing link between the first mRNA and tRNA molecules and modern ribosome-mediated protein synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Macé
- Université de Rennes 1, CNRS UMR 6290 IGDR, Translation and Folding Team, 35042 Rennes cedex, France
| | - Reynald Gillet
- Université de Rennes 1, CNRS UMR 6290 IGDR, Translation and Folding Team, 35042 Rennes cedex, France Institut Universitaire de France
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Wower IK, Zwieb C, Wower J. Requirements for resuming translation in chimeric transfer-messenger RNAs of Escherichia coli and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. BMC Mol Biol 2014; 15:19. [PMID: 25220282 PMCID: PMC4236655 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2199-15-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2014] [Accepted: 06/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Trans-translation is catalyzed by ribonucleprotein complexes composed of SmpB protein and transfer-messenger RNA. They release stalled ribosomes from truncated mRNAs and tag defective proteins for proteolytic degradation. Comparative sequence analysis of bacterial tmRNAs provides considerable insights into their secondary structures in which a tRNA-like domain and an mRNA-like region are connected by a variable number of pseudoknots. Progress toward understanding the molecular mechanism of trans-translation is hampered by our limited knowledge about the structure of tmRNA:SmpB complexes. RESULTS Complexes consisting of M. tuberculosis tmRNA and E. coli SmpB tag truncated proteins poorly in E. coli. In contrast, the tagging activity of E. coli tmRNA is well supported by M. tuberculosis SmpB that is expressed in E. coli. To investigate this incompatibility, we constructed 12 chimeric tmRNA molecules composed of structural features derived from both E. coli and M. tuberculosis. Our studies demonstrate that replacing the hp5-pk2-pk3-pk4 segment of E. coli tmRNA with the equivalent segment of M. tuberculosis tmRNA has no significant effect on the tagging efficiency of chimeric tmRNAs in the presence of E. coli SmpB. Replacing either helices 2b-2d, the single-stranded part of the ORF, pk1, or residues 79-89 of E. coli tmRNA with the equivalent features of M. tuberculosis tmRNA yields chimeric tmRNAs that are tagged at 68 to 88 percent of what is observed with E. coli tmRNA. Exchanging segments composed of either pk1 and the single-stranded segment upstream of the ORF or helices 2b-2d and pk1 results in markedly impaired tagging activity. CONCLUSION Our observations demonstrate the existence of functionally important but as yet uncharacterized structural constraints in the segment of tmRNA that connects its TLD to the ORF used for resuming translation. As trans-translation is important for the survival of M. tuberculosis, our work provides a new target for pharmacological intervention against multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.
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8
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Shimizu Y. Biochemical aspects of bacterial strategies for handling the incomplete translation processes. Front Microbiol 2014; 5:170. [PMID: 24782856 PMCID: PMC3989591 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2013] [Accepted: 03/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During protein synthesis in cells, translating ribosomes may encounter abnormal situations that lead to retention of immature peptidyl-tRNA on the ribosome due to failure of suitable termination processes. Bacterial cells handle such situations by employing three systems that rescue the stalled translation machinery. The transfer messenger RNA/small protein B (tmRNA/SmpB) system, also called the trans-translation system, rescues stalled ribosomes by initiating template switching from the incomplete mRNA to the short open reading frame of tmRNA, leading to the production of a protein containing a C-terminal tag that renders it susceptible to proteolysis. The ArfA/RF2 and ArfB systems rescue stalled ribosomes directly by hydrolyzing the immature peptidyl-tRNA remaining on the ribosome. Here, the biochemical aspects of these systems, as clarified by recent studies, are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihiro Shimizu
- Laboratory for Cell-Free Protein Synthesis, Quantitative Biology Center - RIKEN Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
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9
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Giudice E, Macé K, Gillet R. Trans-translation exposed: understanding the structures and functions of tmRNA-SmpB. Front Microbiol 2014; 5:113. [PMID: 24711807 PMCID: PMC3968760 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2013] [Accepted: 03/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribosome stalling is a serious issue for cell survival. In bacteria, the primary rescue system is trans-translation, performed by tmRNA and its protein partner small protein B (SmpB). Since its discovery almost 20 years ago, biochemical, genetic, and structural studies have paved the way to a better understanding of how this sophisticated process takes place at the cellular and molecular levels. Here we describe the molecular details of trans-translation, with special mention of recent cryo-electron microscopy and crystal structures that have helped explain how the huge tmRNA-SmpB complex targets and delivers stalled ribosomes without interfering with canonical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Giudice
- Translation and Folding Team, Université de Rennes 1, CNRS UMR 6290 IGDR Rennes, France
| | - Kevin Macé
- Translation and Folding Team, Université de Rennes 1, CNRS UMR 6290 IGDR Rennes, France
| | - Reynald Gillet
- Translation and Folding Team, Université de Rennes 1, CNRS UMR 6290 IGDR Rennes, France ; Institut Universitaire de France France
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10
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Giudice E, Gillet R. The task force that rescues stalled ribosomes in bacteria. Trends Biochem Sci 2013; 38:403-11. [PMID: 23820510 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2013.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2013] [Revised: 05/28/2013] [Accepted: 06/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In bacteria, the main quality control mechanism for rescuing ribosomes that have arrested during translation is trans-translation, performed by transfer-mRNA (tmRNA) associated with small protein B (SmpB). Intriguingly, this very elegant mechanism is not always necessary to maintain cell viability, suggesting the existence of alternatives. Other rescue systems have recently been discovered, revealing a far more complicated story than expected. These include the alternative ribosome rescue factors ArfA and ArfB, the elongation factors EF4 and EF-P, the peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase Pth, and several protein synthesis factors. These discoveries make it possible to describe a large network of factors dedicated to ribosome rescue, thus ensuring cell survival during stresses that induce ribosome stalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Giudice
- Translation and Folding Team, Université de Rennes 1, UMR CNRS 6290 IGDR, Campus de Beaulieu 35042 Rennes cedex, France
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11
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Filbin ME, Kieft JS. HCV IRES domain IIb affects the configuration of coding RNA in the 40S subunit's decoding groove. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2011; 17:1258-73. [PMID: 21606179 PMCID: PMC3138563 DOI: 10.1261/rna.2594011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2010] [Accepted: 04/18/2011] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) uses a structured internal ribosome entry site (IRES) RNA to recruit the translation machinery to the viral RNA and begin protein synthesis without the ribosomal scanning process required for canonical translation initiation. Different IRES structural domains are used in this process, which begins with direct binding of the 40S ribosomal subunit to the IRES RNA and involves specific manipulation of the translational machinery. We have found that upon initial 40S subunit binding, the stem-loop domain of the IRES that contains the start codon unwinds and adopts a stable configuration within the subunit's decoding groove. This configuration depends on the sequence and structure of a different stem-loop domain (domain IIb) located far from the start codon in sequence, but spatially proximal in the IRES•40S complex. Mutation of domain IIb results in misconfiguration of the HCV RNA in the decoding groove that includes changes in the placement of the AUG start codon, and a substantial decrease in the ability of the IRES to initiate translation. Our results show that two distal regions of the IRES are structurally communicating at the initial step of 40S subunit binding and suggest that this is an important step in driving protein synthesis.
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MESH Headings
- Base Sequence
- Binding Sites/genetics
- Codon, Initiator/chemistry
- Codon, Initiator/metabolism
- Genetic Code/genetics
- Hepacivirus/metabolism
- Models, Biological
- Models, Molecular
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Nucleic Acid Conformation
- Protein Binding
- Protein Biosynthesis/physiology
- RNA/analysis
- RNA/genetics
- RNA/metabolism
- RNA, Viral/chemistry
- RNA, Viral/metabolism
- Ribosome Subunits, Small, Eukaryotic/chemistry
- Ribosome Subunits, Small, Eukaryotic/metabolism
- Ribosomes/genetics
- Ribosomes/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan E. Filbin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver, School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Jeffrey S. Kieft
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver, School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado Denver, School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
- Corresponding author.E-mail .
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12
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Fu J, Hashem Y, Wower J, Frank J. tmRNA on its way through the ribosome: two steps of resume, and what next? RNA Biol 2011; 8:586-90. [PMID: 21593606 DOI: 10.4161/rna.8.4.15585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Trans-translation is a universal quality-control process eubacteria use to degrade incompletely synthesized proteins and rescue ribosome stalled on defective mRNAs. This process is facilitated by a ribonucleoprotein complex composed of transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA)-a chimera made of a tRNA-like molecule and a short open reading frame (ORF) -and small protein B (SmpB). Determination of the structure of tmRNA and SmpB in complex with the ribosome, at the stage when translation has resumed on tmRNA, has provided an increased understanding of the structure of tmRNA as it transits the ribosome, and unique insights into the complex mechanism of template switching on the ribosome and SmpB-driven selection of the correct reading frame on tmRNA's ORF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Fu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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13
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Abstract
In the current issue, Weis et al (2010a) and Fu et al (2010) provide cryo-electron microscopy snapshots of different states of the bacterial ribosome-rescuing complex with tmRNA. This regulatory RNA molecule remarkably carries both tRNA- and mRNA-like elements that have to move through the ribosome machinery when it is stalled on an mRNA lacking a termination codon. The comparison of three intermediate states gives novel insights into the mechanism of tmRNA translocation and transient accommodation on the ribosome, and into trans-translation—the template switching from a defective mRNA to the short coding region of the tmRNA, which allows rescuing the stuck ribosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno P Klaholz
- Department of Structural Biology and Genomics, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institute of Genetics and of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France.
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14
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Weis F, Bron P, Giudice E, Rolland JP, Thomas D, Felden B, Gillet R. tmRNA-SmpB: a journey to the centre of the bacterial ribosome. EMBO J 2010; 29:3810-8. [PMID: 20953161 DOI: 10.1038/emboj.2010.252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2010] [Accepted: 09/21/2010] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribosomes mediate protein synthesis by decoding the information carried by messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and catalysing peptide bond formation between amino acids. When bacterial ribosomes stall on incomplete messages, the trans-translation quality control mechanism is activated by the transfer-messenger RNA bound to small protein B (tmRNA-SmpB ribonucleoprotein complex). Trans-translation liberates the stalled ribosomes and triggers degradation of the incomplete proteins. Here, we present the cryo-electron microscopy structures of tmRNA-SmpB accommodated or translocated into stalled ribosomes. Two atomic models for each state are proposed. This study reveals how tmRNA-SmpB crosses the ribosome and how, as the problematic mRNA is ejected, the tmRNA resume codon is placed onto the ribosomal decoding site by new contacts between SmpB and the nucleotides upstream of the tag-encoding sequence. This provides a structural basis for the transit of the large tmRNA-SmpB complex through the ribosome and for the means by which the tmRNA internal frame is set for translation to resume.
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Affiliation(s)
- Félix Weis
- Université de Rennes, UMR CNRS Equipe Structure et Dynamique des Macromolécules, Rennes, France
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15
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Visualizing the transfer-messenger RNA as the ribosome resumes translation. EMBO J 2010; 29:3819-25. [PMID: 20940705 PMCID: PMC2989109 DOI: 10.1038/emboj.2010.255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2010] [Accepted: 09/22/2010] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial ribosomes stalled by truncated mRNAs are rescued by transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA), a dual-function molecule that contains a tRNA-like domain (TLD) and an internal open reading frame (ORF). Occupying the empty A site with its TLD, the tmRNA enters the ribosome with the help of elongation factor Tu and a protein factor called small protein B (SmpB), and switches the translation to its own ORF. In this study, using cryo-electron microscopy, we obtained the first structure of an in vivo-formed complex containing ribosome and the tmRNA at the point where the TLD is accommodated into the ribosomal P site. We show that tmRNA maintains a stable 'arc and fork' structure on the ribosome when its TLD moves to the ribosomal P site and translation resumes on its ORF. Based on the density map, we built an atomic model, which suggests that SmpB interacts with the five nucleotides immediately upstream of the resume codon, thereby determining the correct selection of the reading frame on the ORF of tmRNA.
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16
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Barends S, Kraal B, van Wezel GP. The tmRNA-tagging mechanism and the control of gene expression: a review. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-RNA 2010; 2:233-46. [PMID: 21957008 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.48] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The tmRNA-mediated trans-translation system is a unique quality control system in eubacteria that combines translational surveillance with the rescue of stalled ribosomes. During trans-translation, the chimeric tmRNA molecule--which acts as both tRNA and mRNA--is delivered to the ribosomal A site by a ribonucleoprotein complex of SmpB and EF-Tu-GTP, allowing the stalled ribosome to switch template and resume translation on a small coding sequence inside the tmRNA molecule. As a result, the aberrant protein becomes tagged by a sequence that is a target for proteolytic degradation. Thus, the system elegantly combines ribosome recycling with a clean-up function when triggered by truncated transcripts or rare codons. In addition, recent observations point to a specific regulation of the translation of a small number of genes by tmRNA-mediated inhibition or stimulation. In this review, we discuss the most prominent biochemical and structural aspects of trans-translation and then focus on the specific role of tmRNA in stress management and cell-cycle control of morphologically complex bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharief Barends
- ProteoNic, Niels Bohrweg 11-13, 2333 CA Leiden, The Netherlands
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17
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Shpanchenko OV, Bugaeva EY, Golovin AV, Dontsova OA. Trans-translation: Findings and hypotheses. Mol Biol 2010. [DOI: 10.1134/s0026893310040011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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18
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Thibonnier M, Aubert S, Ecobichon C, De Reuse H. Study of the functionality of the Helicobacter pylori trans-translation components SmpB and SsrA in an heterologous system. BMC Microbiol 2010; 10:91. [PMID: 20346161 PMCID: PMC2862035 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-10-91] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2009] [Accepted: 03/26/2010] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Trans-translation is a ubiquitous bacterial quality control-mechanism for both transcription and translation. With its two major partners, SsrA a small stable RNA and the SmpB protein, it promotes the release of ribosomes stalled on defective mRNAs and directs the corresponding truncated proteins to degradation pathways. We have recently shown that trans-translation is an essential function in the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori. Our results suggested that some properties of the H. pylori trans-translation machinery distinguishes it from the well known system in E. coli. Therefore, we decided to test the functionality of the SmpB and SsrA molecules of H. pylori in the E. coli heterologous system using two established phenotypic tests. RESULTS H. pylori SmpB protein was found to successfully restore the E. coli DeltasmpB mutant growth defect and its capacity to propagate lambdaimmP22 phage. We showed that in E. coli, H. pylori SsrA (Hp-SsrA) was stably expressed and maturated and that this molecule could restore wild type growth to the E. coli DeltassrA mutant. Hp-SsrA mutants affected in the ribosome rescue function were not able to restore normal growth to E. coli DeltassrA supporting a major role of ribosome rescue in this phenotype. Surprisingly, Hp-SsrA did not restore the phage lambdaimmP22 propagation capacity to the E. coli DeltassrA mutant. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest an additional role of the tag sequence that presents specific features in Hp-SsrA. Our interpretation is that a secondary role of protein tagging in phage propagation is revealed by heterologous complementation because ribosome rescue is less efficient. In conclusion, tmRNAs present in all eubacteria, have coevolved with the translational machinery of their host and possess specific determinants that can be revealed by heterologous complementation studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Thibonnier
- Institut Pasteur, Unité P. Pathogenèse de Helicobacter, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15 France
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Shpanchenko OV, Golovin AV, Bugaeva EY, Isaksson LA, Dontsova OA. Structural aspects oftrans-translation. IUBMB Life 2010; 62:120-4. [DOI: 10.1002/iub.296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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rRNA mutations that inhibit transfer-messenger RNA activity on stalled ribosomes. J Bacteriol 2009; 192:553-9. [PMID: 19897649 DOI: 10.1128/jb.01178-09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In eubacteria, stalled ribosomes are rescued by a conserved quality-control mechanism involving transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA) and its protein partner, SmpB. Mimicking a tRNA, tmRNA enters stalled ribosomes, adds Ala to the nascent polypeptide, and serves as a template to encode a short peptide that tags the nascent protein for destruction. To further characterize the tagging process, we developed two genetic selections that link tmRNA activity to cell death. These negative selections can be used to identify inhibitors of tagging or to identify mutations in key residues essential for ribosome rescue. Little is known about which ribosomal elements are specifically required for tmRNA activity. Using these selections, we isolated rRNA mutations that block the rescue of ribosomes stalled at rare Arg codons or at the inefficient termination signal Pro-opal. We found that deletion of A1150 in the 16S rRNA blocked tagging regardless of the stalling sequence, suggesting that it inhibits tmRNA activity directly. The C889U mutation in 23S rRNA, however, lowered tagging levels at Pro-opal and rare Arg codons, but not at the 3' end of an mRNA lacking a stop codon. We concluded that the C889U mutation does not inhibit tmRNA activity per se but interferes with an upstream step intermediate between stalling and tagging. C889 is found in the A-site finger, where it interacts with the S13 protein in the small subunit (forming intersubunit bridge B1a).
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Watts T, Cazier D, Healey D, Buskirk A. SmpB contributes to reading frame selection in the translation of transfer-messenger RNA. J Mol Biol 2009; 391:275-81. [PMID: 19540849 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2009.06.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2009] [Revised: 06/09/2009] [Accepted: 06/16/2009] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA) acts first as a tRNA and then as an mRNA template to rescue stalled ribosomes in eubacteria. Together with its protein partner, SmpB (small protein B), tmRNA enters stalled ribosomes and transfers an Ala residue to the growing polypeptide chain. A remarkable step then occurs: the ribosome leaves the stalled mRNA and resumes translation using tmRNA as a template, adding a short peptide tag that destines the aborted protein for destruction. Exactly how the ribosome switches templates, resuming translation on tmRNA in the proper reading frame, remains unknown. Within the tmRNA sequence itself, five nucleotides (U85AGUC) immediately upstream of the first codon appear to direct frame selection. In particular, mutation of the conserved A86 results in severe loss of function both in vitro and in vivo. The A86C mutation causes translation to resume exclusively in the +1 frame. Several candidate binding partners for this upstream sequence have been identified in vitro. Using a genetic selection for tmRNA activity in Escherichia coli, we identified mutations in the SmpB protein that restore the function of A86C tmRNA in vivo. The SmpB mutants increase tagging in the normal reading frame and reduce tagging in the +1 frame. These results demonstrate that SmpB is functionally linked with the sequence upstream of the tmRNA template; both contribute to reading frame selection on tmRNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talina Watts
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
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Wower IK, Zwieb C, Wower J. Escherichia coli tmRNA lacking pseudoknot 1 tags truncated proteins in vivo and in vitro. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2009; 15:128-137. [PMID: 19001120 PMCID: PMC2612775 DOI: 10.1261/rna.1192409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2008] [Accepted: 10/09/2008] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA) and protein SmpB facilitate trans-translation, a quality-control process that tags truncated proteins with short peptides recognized by a number of proteases and recycles ribosomes stalled at the 3' end of mRNA templates lacking stop codons. The tmRNA molecule is a hybrid of tRNA- and mRNA-like domains that are usually connected by four pseudoknots (pk1-pk4). Replacement of pk1 with a single-stranded RNA yields pk1L, a mutant tmRNA that tags truncated proteins very poorly in vitro but very efficiently in vivo. However, deletion of the whole pk1 is deleterious for protein tagging. In contrast, deletion of helix 4 yields Deltah4, a fully functional tmRNA derivative containing a single hairpin instead of pk1. Further deletions in the pk1 segment yield two subclasses of mutant tmRNAs that are unable to tag truncated proteins, but some of them bind to stalled ribosomes. Our studies demonstrate that pk1 is not essential for tmRNA functions but contributes to the stability of the tmRNA structure. Our studies also indicate that the length of this RNA segment is critical for both tmRNA binding to the ribosome and resumption of translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iwona K Wower
- Department of Animal Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849-5415, USA
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Abstract
The transfer-messenger ribonucleoprotein (tmRNP), which is composed of RNA and a small protein, small protein B (SmpB), recycles ribosomes that are stalled on broken mRNAs lacking stop codons and tags the partially translated proteins for degradation. Although it is not yet understood how the ribosome gets from the 3' end of the truncated message onto the messenger portion of the tmRNA to add the tag, a recent study in BMC Biology has shed some light on this astonishing feat.
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