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McLaurin DM, Tucker SK, Hebert MD. Coilin mediates m6A RNA methylation through phosphorylation of METTL3. Biol Open 2023; 12:bio060116. [PMID: 38050869 PMCID: PMC10714142 DOI: 10.1242/bio.060116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression. An important step in miRNA biogenesis occurs when primary miRNAs are bound and cleaved by the microprocessor to generate precursor miRNAs. Regulation at this step is essential and one such regulator includes m6A RNA methylation, an RNA modification found on primary miRNAs that is installed by METTL3 and bound by hnRNPA2B1. Our lab has recently discovered that the Cajal body marker protein coilin also participates in miRNA biogenesis and hypothesized that coilin may be influencing miRNA biogenesis through m6A RNA methylation. Here we report that coilin suppression reduces m6A on primary Let7a and miR-21. We also found that coilin suppression reduced the protein expression of hnRNPA2B1 and METTL3. We observed an interaction between coilin and ectopically expressed METTL3 and found that coilin suppression reduced the nucleoplasmic portion of METTL3 and blunted ectopic METTL3 phosphorylation. Finally, coilin suppression disrupted the greater METTL3 complex with cofactors METTL14 and WTAP. Collectively, our work has uncovered a role for coilin in mediating m6A RNA methylation and provides an avenue by which coilin participates in miRNA biogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas M. McLaurin
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216-4505, USA
| | - Sara K. Tucker
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216-4505, USA
| | - Michael D. Hebert
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216-4505, USA
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2
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Lazo PA, Morejón-García P. VRK1 variants at the cross road of Cajal body neuropathogenic mechanisms in distal neuropathies and motor neuron diseases. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 183:106172. [PMID: 37257665 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Distal hereditary neuropathies and neuro motor diseases are complex neurological phenotypes associated with pathogenic variants in a large number of genes, but in some the origin is unknown. Recently, rare pathogenic variants of the human VRK1 gene have been associated with these neurological phenotypes. All VRK1 pathogenic variants are recessive, and their clinical presentation occurs in either homozygous or compound heterozygous patients. The pathogenic VRK1 gene pathogenic variants are located in three clusters within the protein sequence. The main, and initial, shared clinical phenotype among VRK1 pathogenic variants is a distal progressive loss of motor and/or sensory function, which includes diseases such as spinal muscular atrophy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and hereditary spastic paraplegia. In most cases, symptoms start early in infancy, or in utero, and are slowly progressive. Additional neurological symptoms vary among non-related patients, probably because of their different VRK1 variants and their genetic background. The underlying common pathogenic mechanism, by its functional impairment, is a likely consequence of the roles that the VRK1 protein plays in the regulation on the stability and assembly of Cajal bodies, which affect RNA maturation and processing, neuronal migration of RNPs along axons, and DNA-damage responses. Alterations of these processes are associated with several neuro sensory or motor syndromes. The clinical heterogeneity of the neurological phenotypes associated with VRK1 is a likely consequence of the protein complexes in which VRK1 is integrated, which include several proteins known to be associated with Cajal bodies and DNA damage responses. Several hereditary distal neurological diseases are a consequence of pathogenic variants in genes that alter these cellular functions. We conclude that VRK1-related distal hereditary neuropathies and motor neuron diseases represent a novel subgroup of Cajal body related neurological syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro A Lazo
- Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) - Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
| | - Patricia Morejón-García
- Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) - Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
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3
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Lett KE, Logan MK, McLaurin DM, Hebert MD. Coilin enhances phosphorylation and stability of DGCR8 and promotes miRNA biogenesis. Mol Biol Cell 2021; 32:br4. [PMID: 34319763 PMCID: PMC8684749 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e21-05-0225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are ∼22 nt small noncoding RNAs that control gene expression at the posttranscriptional level through translational inhibition and destabilization of their target mRNAs. The biogenesis of miRNAs involves a series of processing steps beginning with cropping of the primary miRNA transcript by the Microprocessor complex, which is composed of Drosha and DGCR8. Here we report a novel regulatory interaction between the Microprocessor components and coilin, the Cajal body (CB) marker protein. Coilin knockdown causes alterations in the level of primary and mature miRNAs, let-7a and miR-34a, and their miRNA targets, HMGA2 and Notch1, respectively. We also found that coilin knockdown affects the levels of DGCR8 and Drosha in cells with (HeLa) and without (WI-38) CBs. To further explore the role of coilin in miRNA biogenesis, we conducted a series of coimmunoprecipitation experiments using coilin and DGCR8 constructs, which revealed that coilin and DGCR8 can form a complex. Additionally, our results indicate that phosphorylation of DGCR8, which has been shown to increase protein stability, is impacted by coilin knockdown. Collectively, our results implicate coilin as a member of the regulatory network governing miRNA biogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katheryn E. Lett
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216-4505
| | - Madelyn K. Logan
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216-4505
| | - Douglas M. McLaurin
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216-4505
| | - Michael D. Hebert
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216-4505
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Abstract
Autosomal-recessive spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is characterized by the loss of specific motor neurons of the spinal cord and skeletal muscle atrophy. SMA is caused by mutations or deletions of the survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene, and disease severity correlates with the expression levels of the nearly identical copy gene, SMN2. Both genes ubiquitously express SMN protein, but SMN2 generates only low levels of protein that do not fully compensate for the loss-of-function of SMN1. SMN protein forms a multiprotein complex essential for the cellular assembly of ribonucleoprotein particles involved in diverse aspects of RNA metabolism. Other studies using animal models revealed a spatio-temporal requirement of SMN that is high during the development of the neuromuscular system and later, in the general maintenance of cellular and tissues homeostasis. These observations define a period for maximum therapeutic efficiency of SMN restoration, and suggest that cells outside the central nervous system may also participate in the pathogenesis of SMA. Finally, recent innovative therapies have been shown to mitigate SMN deficiency and have been approved to treat SMA patients. We briefly review major findings from the past twenty-five years of SMA research. © 2020 French Society of Pediatrics. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Lefebvre
- T3S INSERM UMR 1124, Toxicité Environnementale, Cibles Thérapeutiques, Signalisation Cellulaire et Biomarqueurs, UFR des Sciences Fondamentales et Biomédicales, Campus Saint-Germain-des-prés, Université de Paris, Paris, France.
| | - C Sarret
- Centre de compétence maladies rares des pathologies neuromusculaires, service de génétique médicale, Hôpital Estaing, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, France.
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Blatnik AJ, McGovern VL, Burghes AHM. What Genetics Has Told Us and How It Can Inform Future Experiments for Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a Perspective. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:8494. [PMID: 34445199 PMCID: PMC8395208 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Proximal spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor neuron loss and subsequent atrophy of skeletal muscle. SMA is caused by deficiency of the essential survival motor neuron (SMN) protein, canonically responsible for the assembly of the spliceosomal small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs). Therapeutics aimed at increasing SMN protein levels are efficacious in treating SMA. However, it remains unknown how deficiency of SMN results in motor neuron loss, resulting in many reported cellular functions of SMN and pathways affected in SMA. Herein is a perspective detailing what genetics and biochemistry have told us about SMA and SMN, from identifying the SMA determinant region of the genome, to the development of therapeutics. Furthermore, we will discuss how genetics and biochemistry have been used to understand SMN function and how we can determine which of these are critical to SMA moving forward.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Arthur H. M. Burghes
- Department of Biological Chemistry & Pharmacology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Rightmire Hall, Room 168, 1060 Carmack Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (A.J.B.III); (V.L.M.)
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Schrumpfová PP, Fajkus J. Composition and Function of Telomerase-A Polymerase Associated with the Origin of Eukaryotes. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10101425. [PMID: 33050064 PMCID: PMC7658794 DOI: 10.3390/biom10101425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The canonical DNA polymerases involved in the replication of the genome are unable to fully replicate the physical ends of linear chromosomes, called telomeres. Chromosomal termini thus become shortened in each cell cycle. The maintenance of telomeres requires telomerase—a specific RNA-dependent DNA polymerase enzyme complex that carries its own RNA template and adds telomeric repeats to the ends of chromosomes using a reverse transcription mechanism. Both core subunits of telomerase—its catalytic telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) subunit and telomerase RNA (TR) component—were identified in quick succession in Tetrahymena more than 30 years ago. Since then, both telomerase subunits have been described in various organisms including yeasts, mammals, birds, reptiles and fish. Despite the fact that telomerase activity in plants was described 25 years ago and the TERT subunit four years later, a genuine plant TR has only recently been identified by our group. In this review, we focus on the structure, composition and function of telomerases. In addition, we discuss the origin and phylogenetic divergence of this unique RNA-dependent DNA polymerase as a witness of early eukaryotic evolution. Specifically, we discuss the latest information regarding the recently discovered TR component in plants, its conservation and its structural features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Procházková Schrumpfová
- Laboratory of Functional Genomics and Proteomics, National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, CZ-61137 Brno, Czech Republic;
- Mendel Centre for Plant Genomics and Proteomics, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, CZ-62500 Brno, Czech Republic
- Correspondence:
| | - Jiří Fajkus
- Laboratory of Functional Genomics and Proteomics, National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, CZ-61137 Brno, Czech Republic;
- Mendel Centre for Plant Genomics and Proteomics, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, CZ-62500 Brno, Czech Republic
- The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Biophysics, Královopolská 135, 612 65 Brno, Czech Republic
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Telomerase Biogenesis and Activities from the Perspective of Its Direct Interacting Partners. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12061679. [PMID: 32599885 PMCID: PMC7352425 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12061679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 06/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT)—the catalytic subunit of telomerase—is reactivated in up to 90% of all human cancers. TERT is observed in heterogenous populations of protein complexes, which are dynamically regulated in a cell type- and cell cycle-specific manner. Over the past two decades, in vitro protein–protein interaction detection methods have discovered a number of endogenous TERT binding partners in human cells that are responsible for the biogenesis and functionalization of the telomerase holoenzyme, including the processes of TERT trafficking between subcellular compartments, assembly into telomerase, and catalytic action at telomeres. Additionally, TERT have been found to interact with protein species with no known telomeric functions, suggesting that these complexes may contribute to non-canonical activities of TERT. Here, we survey TERT direct binding partners and discuss their contributions to TERT biogenesis and functions. The goal is to review the comprehensive spectrum of TERT pro-malignant activities, both telomeric and non-telomeric, which may explain the prevalence of its upregulation in cancer.
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Marcos AT, Martín‐Doncel E, Morejón‐García P, Marcos‐Alcalde I, Gómez‐Puertas P, Segura‐Puimedon M, Armengol L, Navarro‐Pando JM, Lazo PA. VRK1 (Y213H) homozygous mutant impairs Cajal bodies in a hereditary case of distal motor neuropathy. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2020; 7:808-818. [PMID: 32365420 PMCID: PMC7261760 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.51050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Revised: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Distal motor neuropathies with a genetic origin have a heterogeneous clinical presentation with overlapping features affecting distal nerves and including spinal muscular atrophies and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This indicates that their genetic background is heterogeneous. PATIENT AND METHODS In this work, we have identified and characterized the genetic and molecular base of a patient with a distal sensorimotor neuropathy of unknown origin. For this study, we performed whole-exome sequencing, molecular modelling, cloning and expression of mutant gene, and biochemical and cell biology analysis of the mutant protein. RESULTS A novel homozygous recessive mutation in the human VRK1 gene, coding for a chromatin kinase, causing a substitution (c.637T > C; p.Tyr213His) in exon 8, was detected in a patient presenting since childhood a progressive distal sensorimotor neuropathy and spinal muscular atrophy syndrome, with normal intellectual development. Molecular modelling predicted this mutant VRK1 has altered the kinase activation loop by disrupting its interaction with the C-terminal regulatory region. The p.Y213H mutant protein has a reduced kinase activity with different substrates, including histones H3 and H2AX, proteins involved in DNA damage responses, such as p53 and 53BP1, and coilin, the scaffold for Cajal bodies. The mutant VRK1(Y213H) protein is unable to rescue the formation of Cajal bodies assembled on coilin, in the absence of wild-type VRK1. CONCLUSION The VRK1(Y213H) mutant protein alters the activation loop, impairs the kinase activity of VRK1 causing a functional insufficiency that impairs the formation of Cajal bodies assembled on coilin, a protein that regulates SMN1 and Cajal body formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana T. Marcos
- Unidad de GenéticaInstituto para el Estudio de la Biología de la Reproducción Humana (INEBIR)SevillaSpain
| | - Elena Martín‐Doncel
- Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer ProgramInstituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del CáncerConsejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)Universidad de SalamancaSalamancaSpain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL)Hospital Universitario de SalamancaSalamancaSpain
| | - Patricia Morejón‐García
- Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer ProgramInstituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del CáncerConsejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)Universidad de SalamancaSalamancaSpain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL)Hospital Universitario de SalamancaSalamancaSpain
| | - Iñigo Marcos‐Alcalde
- Molecular Modelling GroupCentro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa”CSIC‐Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, CantoblancoMadridSpain
- School of Experimental SciencesBiosciences Research InstituteUniversidad Francisco de VitoriaPozuelo de Alarcón, MadridSpain
| | - Paulino Gómez‐Puertas
- Molecular Modelling GroupCentro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa”CSIC‐Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, CantoblancoMadridSpain
| | - María Segura‐Puimedon
- Quantitative Genomic Medicine Laboratories, qGenomicsEspluges de LlobregatBarcelonaSpain
| | - Lluis Armengol
- Quantitative Genomic Medicine Laboratories, qGenomicsEspluges de LlobregatBarcelonaSpain
| | - José M. Navarro‐Pando
- Unidad de GenéticaInstituto para el Estudio de la Biología de la Reproducción Humana (INEBIR)SevillaSpain
- Cátedra de Reproducción y Genética HumanaFacultad de Ciencias de la SaludUniversidad Europea del AtlánticoSantanderSpain
- Fundación Universitaria Iberoamericana (FUNIBER)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Pedro A. Lazo
- Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer ProgramInstituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del CáncerConsejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)Universidad de SalamancaSalamancaSpain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL)Hospital Universitario de SalamancaSalamancaSpain
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9
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The Role of Telomerase and Telomeres in Interstitial Lung Diseases: From Molecules to Clinical Implications. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20122996. [PMID: 31248154 PMCID: PMC6627617 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20122996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/15/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomeres are distal chromosome regions associated with specific protein complexes that protect the chromosome against degradation and aberrations. Telomere maintenance capacity is an essential indication of healthy cell populations, and telomere damage is observed in processes such as malignant transformation, apoptosis, or cell senescence. At a cellular level, telomere damage may result from genotoxic stress, decreased activity of telomerase enzyme complex, dysfunction of shelterin proteins, or changes in expression of telomere-associated RNA such as TERRA. Clinical evidence suggests that mutation of telomerase genes (Tert/Terc) are associated with increased risk of congenital as well as age-related diseases (e.g., pneumonitis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), dyskeratosis congenita, emphysema, nonspecific interstitial pneumonia, etc.). Thus, telomere length and maintenance can serve as an important prognostic factor as well as a potential target for new strategies of treatment for interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) and associated pulmonary pathologies.
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10
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Viviescas MA, Cano MIN, Segatto M. Chaperones and Their Role in Telomerase Ribonucleoprotein Biogenesis and Telomere Maintenance. CURR PROTEOMICS 2018. [DOI: 10.2174/1570164615666180713103133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Telomere length maintenance is important for genome stability and cell division. In most
eukaryotes, telomeres are maintained by the telomerase ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex, minimally
composed of the Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (TERT) and the telomerase RNA (TER) components.
In addition to TERT and TER, other protein subunits are part of the complex and are involved in
telomerase regulation, assembly, disassembly, and degradation. Among them are some molecular
chaperones such as Hsp90 and its co-chaperone p23 which are found associated with the telomerase
RNP complex in humans, yeast and probably in protozoa. Hsp90 and p23 are necessary for the telomerase
RNP assembly and enzyme activity. In budding yeast, the Hsp90 homolog (Hsp82) is also responsible
for the association and dissociation of telomerase from the telomeric DNA by its direct interaction
with a telomere end-binding protein (Cdc13), responsible for regulating telomerase access to telomeres.
In addition, AAA+ ATPases, such as Pontin and Reptin, which are also considered chaperone-
like proteins, associate with the human telomerase complex by the direct interaction of Pontin with
TERT and dyskerin. They are probably responsible for telomerase RNP assembly since their depletion
impairs the accumulation of the complex. Moreover, various RNA chaperones, are also pivotal in the
assembly and migration of the mature telomerase complex and complex intermediates. In this review,
we will focus on the importance of molecular chaperones for telomerase RNP biogenesis and how they
impact telomere length maintenance and cellular homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Alejandra Viviescas
- Genetics Department, Biosciences Institute, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Marcela Segatto
- Genetics Department, Biosciences Institute, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil
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11
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Chaytow H, Huang YT, Gillingwater TH, Faller KME. The role of survival motor neuron protein (SMN) in protein homeostasis. Cell Mol Life Sci 2018; 75:3877-3894. [PMID: 29872871 PMCID: PMC6182345 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-018-2849-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Revised: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Ever since loss of survival motor neuron (SMN) protein was identified as the direct cause of the childhood inherited neurodegenerative disorder spinal muscular atrophy, significant efforts have been made to reveal the molecular functions of this ubiquitously expressed protein. Resulting research demonstrated that SMN plays important roles in multiple fundamental cellular homeostatic pathways, including a well-characterised role in the assembly of the spliceosome and biogenesis of ribonucleoproteins. More recent studies have shown that SMN is also involved in other housekeeping processes, including mRNA trafficking and local translation, cytoskeletal dynamics, endocytosis and autophagy. Moreover, SMN has been shown to influence mitochondria and bioenergetic pathways as well as regulate function of the ubiquitin-proteasome system. In this review, we summarise these diverse functions of SMN, confirming its key role in maintenance of the homeostatic environment of the cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Chaytow
- Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Yu-Ting Huang
- Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Thomas H Gillingwater
- Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
- Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Kiterie M E Faller
- Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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12
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Logan MK, Burke MF, Hebert MD. Altered dynamics of scaRNA2 and scaRNA9 in response to stress correlates with disrupted nuclear organization. Biol Open 2018; 7:bio.037101. [PMID: 30177550 PMCID: PMC6176948 DOI: 10.1242/bio.037101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Small Cajal body-specific RNAs (scaRNAs) are part of small Cajal body-specific ribonucleoproteins (scaRNPs) that modify small nuclear RNA (snRNA) in Cajal bodies (CBs). Several scaRNAs (scaRNA 2, 9 and 17) have been found to generate smaller, nucleolus-enriched fragments. We hypothesize that the fragments derived from scaRNA 2, 9 and 17 form regulatory RNPs that influence the level of modifications within rRNA by altering small nucleolar RNP (snoRNP) activity. Here we show that external factors such as DNA damaging agents can alter the scaRNA9 full length to processed fragment ratio. We also show that full-length scaRNA2 levels are likewise impacted by DNA damage, which correlates with the disruption of SMN, coilin and WRAP53 co-localization in CBs. The dynamics of scaRNA9 were also shown to be affected by Drosha levels, which suggests that this protein may participate in the biogenesis and processing of this non-coding RNA. Identification of factors that contribute to scaRNA 2, 9 and 17 processing may facilitate an assessment of how external stress can lead to changes in rRNA modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madelyn K Logan
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216-4505, USA
| | - Marilyn F Burke
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216-4505, USA
| | - Michael D Hebert
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216-4505, USA
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13
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Groen EJN, Talbot K, Gillingwater TH. Advances in therapy for spinal muscular atrophy: promises and challenges. Nat Rev Neurol 2018; 14:214-224. [PMID: 29422644 DOI: 10.1038/nrneurol.2018.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a devastating motor neuron disease that predominantly affects children and represents the most common cause of hereditary infant mortality. The condition results from deleterious variants in SMN1, which lead to depletion of the survival motor neuron protein (SMN). Now, 20 years after the discovery of this genetic defect, a major milestone in SMA and motor neuron disease research has been reached with the approval of the first disease-modifying therapy for SMA by US and European authorities - the antisense oligonucleotide nusinersen. At the same time, promising data from early-stage clinical trials of SMN1 gene therapy have indicated that additional therapeutic options are likely to emerge for patients with SMA in the near future. However, the approval of nusinersen has generated a number of immediate and substantial medical, ethical and financial implications that have the potential to resonate beyond the specific treatment of SMA. Here, we provide an overview of the rapidly evolving therapeutic landscape for SMA, highlighting current achievements and future opportunities. We also discuss how these developments are providing important lessons for the emerging second generation of combinatorial ('SMN-plus') therapies that are likely to be required to generate robust treatments that are effective across a patient's lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewout J N Groen
- Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Kevin Talbot
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Thomas H Gillingwater
- Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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14
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Saha M, Mitsuhashi S, Jones MD, Manko K, Reddy HM, Bruels CC, Cho KA, Pacak CA, Draper I, Kang PB. Consequences of MEGF10 deficiency on myoblast function and Notch1 interactions. Hum Mol Genet 2018; 26:2984-3000. [PMID: 28498977 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddx189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in MEGF10 cause early onset myopathy, areflexia, respiratory distress, and dysphagia (EMARDD), a rare congenital muscle disease, but the pathogenic mechanisms remain largely unknown. We demonstrate that short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated knockdown of Megf10, as well as overexpression of the pathogenic human p.C774R mutation, leads to impaired proliferation and migration of C2C12 cells. Myoblasts from Megf10-/- mice and Megf10-/-/mdx double knockout (dko) mice also show impaired proliferation and migration compared to myoblasts from wild type and mdx mice, whereas the dko mice show histological abnormalities that are not observed in either single mutant mouse. Cell proliferation and migration are known to be regulated by the Notch receptor, which plays an essential role in myogenesis. Reciprocal co-immunoprecipitation studies show that Megf10 and Notch1 interact via their respective intracellular domains. These interactions are impaired by the pathogenic p.C774R mutation. Megf10 regulation of myoblast function appears to be mediated at least in part via interactions with key components of the Notch signaling pathway, and defects in these interactions may contribute to the pathogenesis of EMARDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhurima Saha
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Satomi Mitsuhashi
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Michael D Jones
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Kelsey Manko
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Hemakumar M Reddy
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Christine C Bruels
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Kyung-Ah Cho
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Christina A Pacak
- Child Health Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Isabelle Draper
- Molecular Cardiology Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | - Peter B Kang
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Neurology and Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,Genetics Institute and Myology Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
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15
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Poole AR, Vicino I, Adachi H, Yu YT, Hebert MD. Regulatory RNPs: a novel class of ribonucleoproteins that potentially contribute to ribosome heterogeneity. Biol Open 2017; 6:1342-1354. [PMID: 28808137 PMCID: PMC5612246 DOI: 10.1242/bio.028092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Many ribonucleoproteins (RNPs), which are comprised of noncoding RNA and associated proteins, are involved in essential cellular processes such as translation and pre-mRNA splicing. One class of RNP is the small Cajal body-specific RNP (scaRNP), which contributes to the biogenesis of small nuclear RNPs (snRNPs) that are central components of the spliceosome. Three scaRNAs are internally processed, generating stable nucleolus-enriched RNAs of unknown function. Here, we provide data that show that these RNAs become part of RNPs we term regulatory RNPs (regRNPs). Most modifications within rRNA (predominantly pseudouridylation and ribose 2′-O-methylation) are conducted by small nucleolar RNPs (snoRNPs), and we provide evidence that the activity of at least some of these snoRNPs is under the control of regRNPs. Because modifications within rRNA can vary in different physiological or pathological situations, rRNA modifications are thought to be the major source of ribosome heterogeneity. Our identification of regRNPs thus provides a potential mechanism for how ribosome heterogeneity may be accomplished. This work also provides additional functional connections between the Cajal body and the nucleolus. Summary: Processed scaRNAs give rise to a novel regulatory RNP, which regulates the modification of ribosomal RNA. These findings provide insight into the mechanisms governing ribosome heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron R Poole
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216-4505, USA
| | - Ian Vicino
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216-4505, USA
| | - Hironori Adachi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Yi-Tao Yu
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Michael D Hebert
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216-4505, USA
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16
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Singh RN, Howell MD, Ottesen EW, Singh NN. Diverse role of survival motor neuron protein. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2017; 1860:299-315. [PMID: 28095296 PMCID: PMC5325804 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2016.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 195] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2016] [Revised: 12/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/30/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The multifunctional Survival Motor Neuron (SMN) protein is required for the survival of all organisms of the animal kingdom. SMN impacts various aspects of RNA metabolism through the formation and/or interaction with ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes. SMN regulates biogenesis of small nuclear RNPs, small nucleolar RNPs, small Cajal body-associated RNPs, signal recognition particles and telomerase. SMN also plays an important role in DNA repair, transcription, pre-mRNA splicing, histone mRNA processing, translation, selenoprotein synthesis, macromolecular trafficking, stress granule formation, cell signaling and cytoskeleton maintenance. The tissue-specific requirement of SMN is dictated by the variety and the abundance of its interacting partners. Reduced expression of SMN causes spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a leading genetic cause of infant mortality. SMA displays a broad spectrum ranging from embryonic lethality to an adult onset. Aberrant expression and/or localization of SMN has also been associated with male infertility, inclusion body myositis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and osteoarthritis. This review provides a summary of various SMN functions with implications to a better understanding of SMA and other pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravindra N Singh
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, United States.
| | - Matthew D Howell
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, United States
| | - Eric W Ottesen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, United States
| | - Natalia N Singh
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, United States
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17
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Hebert MD, Poole AR. Towards an understanding of regulating Cajal body activity by protein modification. RNA Biol 2016; 14:761-778. [PMID: 27819531 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2016.1243649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The biogenesis of small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs), small Cajal body-specific RNPs (scaRNPs), small nucleolar RNPs (snoRNPs) and the telomerase RNP involves Cajal bodies (CBs). Although many components enriched in the CB contain post-translational modifications (PTMs), little is known about how these modifications impact individual protein function within the CB and, in concert with other modified factors, collectively regulate CB activity. Since all components of the CB also reside in other cellular locations, it is also important that we understand how PTMs affect the subcellular localization of CB components. In this review, we explore the current knowledge of PTMs on the activity of proteins known to enrich in CBs in an effort to highlight current progress as well as illuminate paths for future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Hebert
- a Department of Biochemistry , The University of Mississippi Medical Center , Jackson , MS , USA
| | - Aaron R Poole
- a Department of Biochemistry , The University of Mississippi Medical Center , Jackson , MS , USA
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18
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MacNeil DE, Bensoussan HJ, Autexier C. Telomerase Regulation from Beginning to the End. Genes (Basel) 2016; 7:genes7090064. [PMID: 27649246 PMCID: PMC5042394 DOI: 10.3390/genes7090064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Revised: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The vast body of literature regarding human telomere maintenance is a true testament to the importance of understanding telomere regulation in both normal and diseased states. In this review, our goal was simple: tell the telomerase story from the biogenesis of its parts to its maturity as a complex and function at its site of action, emphasizing new developments and how they contribute to the foundational knowledge of telomerase and telomere biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deanna Elise MacNeil
- Bloomfield Centre for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Côte Ste-Catherine Road, Montréal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada.
- Room M-29, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, 3640 University Street, Montréal, QC H3A 0C7, Canada.
| | - Hélène Jeanne Bensoussan
- Bloomfield Centre for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Côte Ste-Catherine Road, Montréal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada.
- Room M-29, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, 3640 University Street, Montréal, QC H3A 0C7, Canada.
| | - Chantal Autexier
- Bloomfield Centre for Research in Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Côte Ste-Catherine Road, Montréal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada.
- Room M-29, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, 3640 University Street, Montréal, QC H3A 0C7, Canada.
- Department of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, 1110 Pins Avenue West, Room 101, Montréal, QC H3A 1A3, Canada.
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