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Abstract
The translation of messenger RNA (mRNA) into proteins represents the culmination of gene expression. Recent technological advances have revolutionized our ability to investigate this process with unprecedented precision, enabling the study of translation at the single-molecule level in real time within live cells. In this review, we provide an overview of single-mRNA translation reporters. We focus on the core technology, as well as the rapid development of complementary probes, tags, and accessories that enable the visualization and quantification of a wide array of translation dynamics. We then highlight notable studies that have utilized these reporters in model systems to address key biological questions. The high spatiotemporal resolution of these studies is shedding light on previously unseen phenomena, uncovering the full heterogeneity and complexity of translational regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuya Morisaki
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA;
| | - O'Neil Wiggan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA;
| | - Timothy J Stasevich
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA;
- Cell Biology Center and World Research Hub Initiative, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan
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2
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Hwang DW, Maekiniemi A, Singer RH, Sato H. Real-time single-molecule imaging of transcriptional regulatory networks in living cells. Nat Rev Genet 2024; 25:272-285. [PMID: 38195868 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-023-00684-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Gene regulatory networks drive the specific transcriptional programmes responsible for the diversification of cell types during the development of multicellular organisms. Although our knowledge of the genes involved in these dynamic networks has expanded rapidly, our understanding of how transcription is spatiotemporally regulated at the molecular level over a wide range of timescales in the small volume of the nucleus remains limited. Over the past few decades, advances in the field of single-molecule fluorescence imaging have enabled real-time behaviours of individual transcriptional components to be measured in living cells and organisms. These efforts are now shedding light on the dynamic mechanisms of transcription, revealing not only the temporal rules but also the spatial coordination of underlying molecular interactions during various biological events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Woo Hwang
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anna Maekiniemi
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Robert H Singer
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hanae Sato
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-Nano LSI), Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, Japan.
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3
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Pham TG, Wu J. Recent advances in methods for live-cell RNA imaging. NANOSCALE 2024; 16:5537-5545. [PMID: 38414383 DOI: 10.1039/d4nr00129j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
As one of the most fundamental building blocks of life, RNA plays critical roles in diverse biological processes, from X chromosome inactivation, genome stability maintenance, to embryo development. Being able to visualize the localization and dynamics of RNA can provide critical insights into these fundamental processes. In this review, we provide an overview of current methods for live-cell RNA imaging with a focus on methods for visualizing RNA in living mammalian cells with single-molecule resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tien G Pham
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA.
| | - Jiahui Wu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA.
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4
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Huang Y, Gao BQ, Meng Q, Yang LZ, Ma XK, Wu H, Pan YH, Yang L, Li D, Chen LL. CRISPR-dCas13-tracing reveals transcriptional memory and limited mRNA export in developing zebrafish embryos. Genome Biol 2023; 24:15. [PMID: 36658633 PMCID: PMC9854193 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-023-02848-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding gene transcription and mRNA-protein (mRNP) dynamics in single cells in a multicellular organism has been challenging. The catalytically dead CRISPR-Cas13 (dCas13) system has been used to visualize RNAs in live cells without genetic manipulation. We optimize this system to track developmentally expressed mRNAs in zebrafish embryos and to understand features of endogenous transcription kinetics and mRNP export. RESULTS We report that zygotic microinjection of purified CRISPR-dCas13-fluorescent proteins and modified guide RNAs allows single- and dual-color tracking of developmentally expressed mRNAs in zebrafish embryos from zygotic genome activation (ZGA) until early segmentation period without genetic manipulation. Using this approach, we uncover non-synchronized de novo transcription between inter-alleles, synchronized post-mitotic re-activation in pairs of alleles, and transcriptional memory as an extrinsic noise that potentially contributes to synchronized post-mitotic re-activation. We also reveal rapid dCas13-engaged mRNP movement in the nucleus with a corralled and diffusive motion, but a wide varying range of rate-limiting mRNP export, which can be shortened by Alyref and Nxf1 overexpression. CONCLUSIONS This optimized dCas13-based toolkit enables robust spatial-temporal tracking of endogenous mRNAs and uncovers features of transcription and mRNP motion, providing a powerful toolkit for endogenous RNA visualization in a multicellular developmental organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youkui Huang
- grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Bao-Qing Gao
- grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Quan Meng
- grid.418856.60000 0004 1792 5640National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China ,grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Liang-Zhong Yang
- grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Xu-Kai Ma
- grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Center for Molecular Medicine, Children’s Hospital, Fudan University and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao Wu
- grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu-Hang Pan
- grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Yang
- grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Center for Molecular Medicine, Children’s Hospital, Fudan University and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dong Li
- grid.418856.60000 0004 1792 5640National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China ,grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ling-Ling Chen
- grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai, China ,grid.440637.20000 0004 4657 8879School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China ,grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419School of Life Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
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Kukhtevich IV, Rivero-Romano M, Rakesh N, Bheda P, Chadha Y, Rosales-Becerra P, Hamperl S, Bureik D, Dornauer S, Dargemont C, Kirmizis A, Schmoller KM, Schneider R. Quantitative RNA imaging in single live cells reveals age-dependent asymmetric inheritance. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111656. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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7
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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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Sun P, Zou W. Research progress of live-cell RNA imaging techniques. Zhejiang Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban 2022; 51:362-372. [PMID: 36207827 PMCID: PMC9511491 DOI: 10.3724/zdxbyxb-2022-0017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
RNA molecules play diverse roles in many physiological and pathological processes as they interact with various nucleic acids and proteins. The various biological processes of RNA are highly dynamic. Tracking RNA dynamics in living cells is crucial for a better understanding of the spatiotemporal control of gene expression and the regulatory roles of RNA. Genetically encoded RNA-tagging systems include MS2/MCP, PP7/PCP, boxB/λN22 and CRISPR-Cas. The MS2/MCP system is the most widely applied, and it has the advantages of stable binding and high signal-to-noise ratio, while the realization of RNA imaging requires gene editing of the target RNA, which may change the characteristics of the target RNA. Recently developed CRISPR-dCas13 system does not require RNA modification, but the uncertainty in CRISPR RNA (crRNA) efficiency and low signal-to-noise ratio are its limitations. Fluorescent dye-based RNA-tagging systems include molecular beacons and fluorophore-binding aptamers. The molecular beacons have high specificity and high signal-to-noise ratio; Mango and Peppers outperform the other RNA-tagging system in signal-to-noise, but they also need gene editing. Live-cell RNA imaging allows us to visualize critical steps of RNA activities, including transcription, splicing, transport, translation (for message RNA only) and subcellular localization. It will contribute to studying biological processes such as cell differentiation and the transcriptional regulation mechanism when cells adapt to the external environment, and it improves our understanding of the pathogenic mechanism of various diseases caused by abnormal RNA behavior and helps to find potential therapeutic targets. This review provides an overview of current progress of live-cell RNA imaging techniques and highlights their major strengths and limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pingping Sun
- 1. The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, Zhejiang Province, China
- 2. Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Wei Zou
- 1. The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, Zhejiang Province, China
- 2. Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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Cañonero L, Pautasso C, Galello F, Sigaut L, Pietrasanta L, Arroyo J, Bermúdez-Moretti M, Portela P, Rossi S. Heat stress regulates the expression of TPK1 gene at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2022; 1869:119209. [PMID: 34999138 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2021.119209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In Saccharomyces cerevisiae cAMP regulates different cellular processes through PKA. The specificity of the response of the cAMP-PKA pathway is highly regulated. Here we address the mechanism through which the cAMP-PKA pathway mediates its response to heat shock and thermal adaptation in yeast. PKA holoenzyme is composed of a regulatory subunit dimer (Bcy1) and two catalytic subunits (Tpk1, Tpk2, or Tpk3). PKA subunits are differentially expressed under certain growth conditions. Here we demonstrate the increased abundance and half-life of TPK1 mRNA and the assembly of this mRNA in cytoplasmic foci during heat shock at 37 °C. The resistance of the foci to cycloheximide-induced disassembly along with the polysome profiling analysis suggest that TPK1 mRNA is impaired for entry into translation. TPK1 expression was also evaluated during a recurrent heat shock and thermal adaptation. Tpk1 protein level is significantly increased during the recovery periods. The crosstalk of cAMP-PKA pathway and CWI signalling was also studied. Wsc3 sensor and some components of the CWI pathway are necessary for the TPK1 expression upon heat shock. The assembly in foci upon thermal stress depends on Wsc3. Tpk1 expression is lower in a wsc3∆ mutant than in WT strain during thermal adaptation and thus the PKA levels are also lower. An increase in Tpk1 abundance in the PKA holoenzyme in response to heat shock is presented, suggesting that a recurrent stress enhanced the fitness for the coming favourable conditions. Therefore, the regulation of TPK1 expression by thermal stress contributes to the specificity of cAMP-PKA signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana Cañonero
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento Química Biológica, Buenos Aires, Argentina; CONICET Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Constanza Pautasso
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento Química Biológica, Buenos Aires, Argentina; CONICET Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Fiorella Galello
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento Química Biológica, Buenos Aires, Argentina; CONICET Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lorena Sigaut
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento Física, Buenos Aires, Argentina; CONICET Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires (IFIBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lia Pietrasanta
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento Física, Buenos Aires, Argentina; CONICET Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires (IFIBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Javier Arroyo
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, IRYCIS, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mariana Bermúdez-Moretti
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento Química Biológica, Buenos Aires, Argentina; CONICET Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Paula Portela
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento Química Biológica, Buenos Aires, Argentina; CONICET Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Silvia Rossi
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento Química Biológica, Buenos Aires, Argentina; CONICET Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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10
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Christopher JA, Geladaki A, Dawson CS, Vennard OL, Lilley KS. SUBCELLULAR TRANSCRIPTOMICS & PROTEOMICS: A COMPARATIVE METHODS REVIEW. Mol Cell Proteomics 2021; 21:100186. [PMID: 34922010 PMCID: PMC8864473 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcpro.2021.100186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The internal environment of cells is molecularly crowded, which requires spatial organization via subcellular compartmentalization. These compartments harbor specific conditions for molecules to perform their biological functions, such as coordination of the cell cycle, cell survival, and growth. This compartmentalization is also not static, with molecules trafficking between these subcellular neighborhoods to carry out their functions. For example, some biomolecules are multifunctional, requiring an environment with differing conditions or interacting partners, and others traffic to export such molecules. Aberrant localization of proteins or RNA species has been linked to many pathological conditions, such as neurological, cancer, and pulmonary diseases. Differential expression studies in transcriptomics and proteomics are relatively common, but the majority have overlooked the importance of subcellular information. In addition, subcellular transcriptomics and proteomics data do not always colocate because of the biochemical processes that occur during and after translation, highlighting the complementary nature of these fields. In this review, we discuss and directly compare the current methods in spatial proteomics and transcriptomics, which include sequencing- and imaging-based strategies, to give the reader an overview of the current tools available. We also discuss current limitations of these strategies as well as future developments in the field of spatial -omics. Subcellular information of protein and RNA give insights into molecular function. This review discusses strategies available to measure subcellular information. Hybridization of methods shows promise for exploring the composition of organelles. Advances are aiding understanding of the organisation and dynamics of cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josie A Christopher
- Cambridge Centre for Proteomics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK; Milner Therapeutics Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge, CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Aikaterini Geladaki
- Cambridge Centre for Proteomics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK; Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, 20 Downing Place, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Charlotte S Dawson
- Cambridge Centre for Proteomics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK; Milner Therapeutics Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge, CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Owen L Vennard
- Cambridge Centre for Proteomics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK; Milner Therapeutics Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge, CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Kathryn S Lilley
- Cambridge Centre for Proteomics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK; Milner Therapeutics Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge, CB2 0AW, UK.
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11
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Rombouts S, Nollmann M. RNA imaging in bacteria. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 45:5917984. [PMID: 33016325 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuaa051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The spatiotemporal regulation of gene expression plays an essential role in many biological processes. Recently, several imaging-based RNA labeling and detection methods, both in fixed and live cells, were developed and now enable the study of transcript abundance, localization and dynamics. Here, we review the main single-cell techniques for RNA visualization with fluorescence microscopy and describe their applications in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Rombouts
- Centre de Biochimie Structurale, CNRS UMR 5048, INSERM U1054, Université de Montpellier, 60 Rue de Navacelles, 34090, Montpellier, France
| | - Marcelo Nollmann
- Centre de Biochimie Structurale, CNRS UMR 5048, INSERM U1054, Université de Montpellier, 60 Rue de Navacelles, 34090, Montpellier, France
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12
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Das S, Vera M, Gandin V, Singer RH, Tutucci E. Intracellular mRNA transport and localized translation. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2021; 22:483-504. [PMID: 33837370 PMCID: PMC9346928 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-021-00356-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Fine-tuning cellular physiology in response to intracellular and environmental cues requires precise temporal and spatial control of gene expression. High-resolution imaging technologies to detect mRNAs and their translation state have revealed that all living organisms localize mRNAs in subcellular compartments and create translation hotspots, enabling cells to tune gene expression locally. Therefore, mRNA localization is a conserved and integral part of gene expression regulation from prokaryotic to eukaryotic cells. In this Review, we discuss the mechanisms of mRNA transport and local mRNA translation across the kingdoms of life and at organellar, subcellular and multicellular resolution. We also discuss the properties of messenger ribonucleoprotein and higher order RNA granules and how they may influence mRNA transport and local protein synthesis. Finally, we summarize the technological developments that allow us to study mRNA localization and local translation through the simultaneous detection of mRNAs and proteins in single cells, mRNA and nascent protein single-molecule imaging, and bulk RNA and protein detection methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sulagna Das
- Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.,Gruss-Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maria Vera
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Robert H. Singer
- Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.,Gruss-Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.,Janelia Research Campus of the HHMI, Ashburn, VA, USA.,;
| | - Evelina Tutucci
- Systems Biology Lab, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,;
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13
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Nair RR, Zabezhinsky D, Gelin-Licht R, Haas BJ, Dyhr MC, Sperber HS, Nusbaum C, Gerst JE. Multiplexed mRNA assembly into ribonucleoprotein particles plays an operon-like role in the control of yeast cell physiology. eLife 2021; 10:66050. [PMID: 33942720 PMCID: PMC8137142 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Prokaryotes utilize polycistronic messages (operons) to co-translate proteins involved in the same biological processes. Whether eukaryotes achieve similar regulation by selectively assembling and translating monocistronic messages derived from different chromosomes is unknown. We employed transcript-specific RNA pulldowns and RNA-seq/RT-PCR to identify yeast mRNAs that co-precipitate as ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes. Consistent with the hypothesis of eukaryotic RNA operons, mRNAs encoding components of the mating pathway, heat shock proteins, and mitochondrial outer membrane proteins multiplex in trans, forming discrete messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) complexes (called transperons). Chromatin capture and allele tagging experiments reveal that genes encoding multiplexed mRNAs physically interact; thus, RNA assembly may result from co-regulated gene expression. Transperon assembly and function depends upon histone H4, and its depletion leads to defects in RNA multiplexing, decreased pheromone responsiveness and mating, and increased heat shock sensitivity. We propose that intergenic associations and non-canonical histone H4 functions contribute to transperon formation in eukaryotic cells and regulate cell physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohini R Nair
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Dmitry Zabezhinsky
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Rita Gelin-Licht
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Brian J Haas
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, United States
| | - Michael Ca Dyhr
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Hannah S Sperber
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Chad Nusbaum
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, United States
| | - Jeffrey E Gerst
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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Escalante LE, Gasch AP. The role of stress-activated RNA-protein granules in surviving adversity. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2021; 27:rna.078738.121. [PMID: 33931500 PMCID: PMC8208049 DOI: 10.1261/rna.078738.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Severe environmental stress can trigger a plethora of physiological changes and, in the process, significant cytoplasmic reorganization. Stress-activated RNA-protein granules have been implicated in this cellular overhaul by sequestering pre-existing mRNAs and influencing their fates during and after stress acclimation. While the composition and dynamics of stress-activated granule formation has been well studied, their function and impact on RNA-cargo has remained murky. Several recent studies challenge the view that these granules degrade and silence mRNAs present at the onset of stress and instead suggest new roles for these structures in mRNA storage, transit, and inheritance. Here we discuss recent evidence for revised models of stress-activated granule functions and the role of these granules in stress survival and recovery.
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15
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Weissinger R, Heinold L, Akram S, Jansen RP, Hermesh O. RNA Proximity Labeling: A New Detection Tool for RNA-Protein Interactions. Molecules 2021; 26:2270. [PMID: 33919831 PMCID: PMC8070807 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26082270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple cellular functions are controlled by the interaction of RNAs and proteins. Together with the RNAs they control, RNA interacting proteins form RNA protein complexes, which are considered to serve as the true regulatory units for post-transcriptional gene expression. To understand how RNAs are modified, transported, and regulated therefore requires specific knowledge of their interaction partners. To this end, multiple techniques have been developed to characterize the interaction between RNAs and proteins. In this review, we briefly summarize the common methods to study RNA-protein interaction including crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (CLIP), and aptamer- or antisense oligonucleotide-based RNA affinity purification. Following this, we focus on in vivo proximity labeling to study RNA-protein interactions. In proximity labeling, a labeling enzyme like ascorbate peroxidase or biotin ligase is targeted to specific RNAs, RNA-binding proteins, or even cellular compartments and uses biotin to label the proteins and RNAs in its vicinity. The tagged molecules are then enriched and analyzed by mass spectrometry or RNA-Seq. We highlight the latest studies that exemplify the strength of this approach for the characterization of RNA protein complexes and distribution of RNAs in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Orit Hermesh
- Interfaculty Institute for Biochemistry (IFIB), Tübingen University, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (R.W.); (L.H.); (S.A.); (R.-P.J.)
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16
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Overcoming the design, build, test bottleneck for synthesis of nonrepetitive protein-RNA cassettes. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1576. [PMID: 33707432 PMCID: PMC7952577 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21578-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
We apply an oligo-library and machine learning-approach to characterize the sequence and structural determinants of binding of the phage coat proteins (CPs) of bacteriophages MS2 (MCP), PP7 (PCP), and Qβ (QCP) to RNA. Using the oligo library, we generate thousands of candidate binding sites for each CP, and screen for binding using a high-throughput dose-response Sort-seq assay (iSort-seq). We then apply a neural network to expand this space of binding sites, which allowed us to identify the critical structural and sequence features for binding of each CP. To verify our model and experimental findings, we design several non-repetitive binding site cassettes and validate their functionality in mammalian cells. We find that the binding of each CP to RNA is characterized by a unique space of sequence and structural determinants, thus providing a more complete description of CP-RNA interaction as compared with previous low-throughput findings. Finally, based on the binding spaces we demonstrate a computational tool for the successful design and rapid synthesis of functional non-repetitive binding-site cassettes. Phage-coat proteins can be used to build synthetic biology parts. Here the authors use an oligo library and machine learning to predict and verify sequences based on binding scores.
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17
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Morales-Polanco F, Bates C, Lui J, Casson J, Solari CA, Pizzinga M, Forte G, Griffin C, Garner KEL, Burt HE, Dixon HL, Hubbard S, Portela P, Ashe MP. Core Fermentation (CoFe) granules focus coordinated glycolytic mRNA localization and translation to fuel glucose fermentation. iScience 2021; 24:102069. [PMID: 33554071 PMCID: PMC7859310 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Glycolysis is a fundamental metabolic pathway for glucose catabolism across biology, and glycolytic enzymes are among the most abundant proteins in cells. Their expression at such levels provides a particular challenge. Here we demonstrate that the glycolytic mRNAs are localized to granules in yeast and human cells. Detailed live cell and smFISH studies in yeast show that the mRNAs are actively translated in granules, and this translation appears critical for the localization. Furthermore, this arrangement is likely to facilitate the higher level organization and control of the glycolytic pathway. Indeed, the degree of fermentation required by cells is intrinsically connected to the extent of mRNA localization to granules. On this basis, we term these granules, core fermentation (CoFe) granules; they appear to represent translation factories, allowing high-level coordinated enzyme synthesis for a critical metabolic pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Morales-Polanco
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Christian Bates
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Jennifer Lui
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Joseph Casson
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Clara A Solari
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, IQUIBICEN-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariavittoria Pizzinga
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Gabriela Forte
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Claire Griffin
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Kirsten E L Garner
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Harriet E Burt
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Hannah L Dixon
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Simon Hubbard
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Paula Portela
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, IQUIBICEN-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mark P Ashe
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
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18
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Markey FB, Parashar V, Batish M. Methods for spatial and temporal imaging of the different steps involved in RNA processing at single-molecule resolution. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-RNA 2020; 12:e1608. [PMID: 32543077 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2019] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
RNA plays a quintessential role as a messenger of information from genotype (DNA) to phenotype (proteins), as well as acts as a regulatory molecule (noncoding RNAs). All steps in the journey of RNA from synthesis (transcription), splicing, transport, localization, translation, to its eventual degradation, comprise important steps in gene expression, thereby controlling the fate of the cell. This lifecycle refers to the majority of RNAs (primarily mRNAs), but not other RNAs such as tRNAs. Imaging these processes in fixed cells and in live cells has been an important tool in developing an understanding of the regulatory steps in RNAs journey. Single-cell and single-molecule imaging techniques enable a much deeper understanding of cellular biology, which is not possible with bulk studies involving RNA isolated from a large pool of cells. Classic techniques, such as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), as well as more recent aptamer-based approaches, have provided detailed insights into RNA localization, and have helped to predict the functions carried out by many RNA species. However, there are still certain processing steps that await high-resolution imaging, which is an exciting and upcoming area of research. In this review, we will discuss the methods that have revolutionized single-molecule resolution imaging in general, the steps of RNA processing in which these methods have been used, and new emerging technologies. This article is categorized under: RNA Export and Localization > RNA Localization RNA Methods > RNA Analyses in Cells RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Small Molecule-RNA Interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatu Badiane Markey
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Vijay Parashar
- Department of Medical and Molecular Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Mona Batish
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey, USA.,Department of Medical and Molecular Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
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19
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Vera M, Tutucci E, Singer RH. Imaging Single mRNA Molecules in Mammalian Cells Using an Optimized MS2-MCP System. Methods Mol Biol 2020; 2038:3-20. [PMID: 31407274 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9674-2_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Visualization of single mRNAs in their native cellular environment provides key information to study gene expression regulation. This fundamental biological question triggered the development of the MS2-MCP (MS2-Capsid Protein) system to tag mRNAs and image their life cycle using widefield fluorescence microscopy. The last two decades have evolved toward improving the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the MS2-MCP system. Here, we provide a protocol to use the latest versions, MS2V6 and MS2V7, to tag and visualize mRNAs in mammalian cells in culture. The motivation behind engineering MS2V6 and MS2V7 was to overcome a degradation caveat observed in S. cerevisiae with the previous MS2-MCP systems. While for yeast we recommend the use of MS2V6, we found that for live-cell imaging experiments in mammalian cells, the MS2V7 has improved reporter properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Vera
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Evelina Tutucci
- Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Robert H Singer
- Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA. .,Janelia Research Campus of the HHMI, Ashburn, Virginia, USA.
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20
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Sato H, Das S, Singer RH, Vera M. Imaging of DNA and RNA in Living Eukaryotic Cells to Reveal Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Gene Expression. Annu Rev Biochem 2020; 89:159-187. [PMID: 32176523 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biochem-011520-104955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
This review focuses on imaging DNA and single RNA molecules in living cells to define eukaryotic functional organization and dynamic processes. The latest advances in technologies to visualize individual DNA loci and RNAs in real time are discussed. Single-molecule fluorescence microscopy provides the spatial and temporal resolution to reveal mechanisms regulating fundamental cell functions. Novel insights into the regulation of nuclear architecture, transcription, posttranscriptional RNA processing, and RNA localization provided by multicolor fluorescence microscopy are reviewed. A perspective on the future use of live imaging technologies and overcoming their current limitations is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanae Sato
- Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA; , ,
| | - Sulagna Das
- Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA; , ,
| | - Robert H Singer
- Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA; , , .,Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, Virginia 20147, USA
| | - Maria Vera
- Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA; , , .,Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1Y6, Canada;
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21
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Park SY, Moon HC, Park HY. Live-cell imaging of single mRNA dynamics using split superfolder green fluorescent proteins with minimal background. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2020; 26:101-109. [PMID: 31641028 PMCID: PMC6913125 DOI: 10.1261/rna.067835.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The MS2 system, with an MS2 binding site (MBS) and an MS2 coat protein fused to a fluorescent protein (MCP-FP), has been widely used to fluorescently label mRNA in live cells. However, one of its limitations is the constant background fluorescence signal generated from free MCP-FPs. To overcome this obstacle, we used a superfolder GFP (sfGFP) split into two or three nonfluorescent fragments that reassemble and emit fluorescence only when bound to the target mRNA. Using the high-affinity interactions of bacteriophage coat proteins with their corresponding RNA binding motifs, we showed that the nonfluorescent sfGFP fragments were successfully brought close to each other to reconstitute a complete sfGFP. Furthermore, real-time mRNA dynamics inside the nucleus as well as the cytoplasm were observed by using the split sfGFPs with the MS2-PP7 hybrid system. Our results demonstrate that the split sfGFP systems are useful tools for background-free imaging of mRNA with high spatiotemporal resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung Young Park
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea
- Center for RNA Research, Institute for Basic Science, Seoul, 08826, Korea
| | - Hyungseok C Moon
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea
| | - Hye Yoon Park
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea
- Institute of Applied Physics, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea
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22
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Pichon X, Robert MC, Bertrand E, Singer RH, Tutucci E. New Generations of MS2 Variants and MCP Fusions to Detect Single mRNAs in Living Eukaryotic Cells. Methods Mol Biol 2020; 2166:121-144. [PMID: 32710406 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0712-1_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Live imaging of single RNA from birth to death brought important advances in our understanding of the spatiotemporal regulation of gene expression. These studies have provided a comprehensive understanding of RNA metabolism by describing the process step by step. Most of these studies used for live imaging a genetically encoded RNA-tagging system fused to fluorescent proteins. One of the best characterized RNA-tagging systems is derived from the bacteriophage MS2 and it allows single RNA imaging in real-time and live cells. This system has been successfully used to track the different steps of mRNA processing in many living organisms. The recent development of optimized MS2 and MCP variants now allows the labeling of endogenous RNAs and their imaging without modifying their behavior. In this chapter, we discuss the improvements in detecting single mRNAs with different variants of MCP and fluorescent proteins that we tested in yeast and mammalian cells. Moreover, we describe protocols using MS2-MCP systems improved for real-time imaging of single mRNAs and transcription dynamics in S. cerevisiae and mammalian cells, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Pichon
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France.,Equipe labélisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, Montpellier, France
| | - Marie-Cécile Robert
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Edouard Bertrand
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France.,Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Robert H Singer
- Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.,Gruss-Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.,Janelia Research Campus of the HHMI, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Evelina Tutucci
- Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA. .,Systems Biology Lab, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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23
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Garcia HG, Berrocal A, Kim YJ, Martini G, Zhao J. Lighting up the central dogma for predictive developmental biology. Curr Top Dev Biol 2019; 137:1-35. [PMID: 32143740 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2019.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Although the last 30years have witnessed the mapping of the wiring diagrams of the gene regulatory networks that dictate cell fate and animal body plans, specific understanding building on such network diagrams that shows how DNA regulatory regions control gene expression lags far behind. These networks have yet to yield the predictive power necessary to, for example, calculate how the concentration dynamics of input transcription factors and DNA regulatory sequence prescribes output patterns of gene expression that, in turn, determine body plans themselves. Here, we argue that reaching a predictive understanding of developmental decision-making calls for an interplay between theory and experiment aimed at revealing how the regulation of the processes of the central dogma dictate network connections and how network topology guides cells toward their ultimate developmental fate. To make this possible, it is crucial to break free from the snapshot-based understanding of embryonic development facilitated by fixed-tissue approaches and embrace new technologies that capture the dynamics of developmental decision-making at the single cell level, in living embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hernan G Garcia
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States; Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States; Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States; Quantitative Biosciences-QB3, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States.
| | - Augusto Berrocal
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Yang Joon Kim
- Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Gabriella Martini
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Jiaxi Zhao
- Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
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24
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Kim SH, Vieira M, Shim JY, Choi H, Park HY. Recent progress in single-molecule studies of mRNA localization in vivo. RNA Biol 2019; 16:1108-1118. [PMID: 30336727 PMCID: PMC6693552 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2018.1536592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Revised: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
From biogenesis to degradation, mRNA goes through diverse types of regulation and interaction with other biomolecules. Uneven distribution of mRNA transcripts and the diverse isoforms and modifications of mRNA make us wonder how cells manage the complexity and keep the functional integrity for the normal development of cells and organisms. Single-molecule microscopy tools have expanded the scope of RNA research with unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution. In this review, we highlight the recent progress in the methods for labeling mRNA targets and analyzing the quantitative information from fluorescence images of single mRNA molecules. In particular, the MS2 system and its various applications are the main focus of this article. We also review how recent studies have addressed biological questions related to the significance of mRNA localization in vivo. Efforts to visualize the dynamics of single mRNA molecules in live cells will push forward our knowledge on the nature of heterogeneity in RNA sequence, structure, and distribution as well as their molecular function and coordinated interaction with RNA binding proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songhee H. Kim
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Melissa Vieira
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jae Youn Shim
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hongyoung Choi
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hye Yoon Park
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
- Institute of Applied Physics, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
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25
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Muthmann N, Hartstock K, Rentmeister A. Chemo-enzymatic treatment of RNA to facilitate analyses. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-RNA 2019; 11:e1561. [PMID: 31392842 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Labeling RNA is a recurring problem to make RNA compatible with state-of-the-art methodology and comes in many flavors. Considering only cellular applications, the spectrum still ranges from site-specific labeling of individual transcripts, for example, for live-cell imaging of mRNA trafficking, to metabolic labeling in combination with next generation sequencing to capture dynamic aspects of RNA metabolism on a transcriptome-wide scale. Combining the specificity of RNA-modifying enzymes with non-natural substrates has emerged as a valuable strategy to modify RNA site- or sequence-specifically with functional groups suitable for subsequent bioorthogonal reactions and thus label RNA with reporter moieties such as affinity or fluorescent tags. In this review article, we will cover chemo-enzymatic approaches (a) for in vitro labeling of RNA for application in cells, (b) for treatment of total RNA, and (c) for metabolic labeling of RNA. This article is categorized under: RNA Processing < RNA Editing and Modification RNA Methods < RNA Analyses in vitro and In Silico RNA Methods < RNA Analyses in Cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Muthmann
- Institute of Biochemistry, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Katja Hartstock
- Institute of Biochemistry, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Andrea Rentmeister
- Institute of Biochemistry, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
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26
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Pizzinga M, Bates C, Lui J, Forte G, Morales-Polanco F, Linney E, Knotkova B, Wilson B, Solari CA, Berchowitz LE, Portela P, Ashe MP. Translation factor mRNA granules direct protein synthetic capacity to regions of polarized growth. J Cell Biol 2019; 218:1564-1581. [PMID: 30877141 PMCID: PMC6504908 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201704019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Revised: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
mRNA localization serves key functions in localized protein production, making it critical that the translation machinery itself is present at these locations. Here we show that translation factor mRNAs are localized to distinct granules within yeast cells. In contrast to many messenger RNP granules, such as processing bodies and stress granules, which contain translationally repressed mRNAs, these granules harbor translated mRNAs under active growth conditions. The granules require Pab1p for their integrity and are inherited by developing daughter cells in a She2p/She3p-dependent manner. These results point to a model where roughly half the mRNA for certain translation factors is specifically directed in granules or translation factories toward the tip of the developing daughter cell, where protein synthesis is most heavily required, which has particular implications for filamentous forms of growth. Such a feedforward mechanism would ensure adequate provision of the translation machinery where it is to be needed most over the coming growth cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariavittoria Pizzinga
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Function, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Christian Bates
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Function, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Jennifer Lui
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Function, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Gabriella Forte
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Function, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Fabián Morales-Polanco
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Function, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Emma Linney
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Function, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Barbora Knotkova
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Function, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Beverley Wilson
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Function, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Clara A Solari
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Luke E Berchowitz
- Department of Genetics and Development, Hammer Health Sciences Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Paula Portela
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mark P Ashe
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Function, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
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27
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Taliaferro JM. Classical and emerging techniques to identify and quantify localized RNAs. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-RNA 2019; 10:e1542. [PMID: 31044542 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Revised: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In essentially every cell, proteins are asymmetrically distributed according to their function. For many genes, this protein sorting problem is solved by transporting RNA molecules encoding the protein, rather than the protein itself, to the desired subcellular location. The protein is then translated on-site to immediately produce a correctly localized protein. This strategy is widely used as thousands of RNAs localize to distinct locations across diverse cell types and species. One of the fundamental challenges to study this process is the determination of the subcellular spatial distribution of any given RNA. The number of tools available for the study of RNA localization, from classical and state-of-the-art methods for the visualization of individual RNA molecules within cells to the profiling of localized transcriptomes, is rapidly growing. These include imaging-based approaches, a variety of biochemical and mechanical fractionation techniques, and proximity-labeling methods. These procedures allow for both the detailed study of the molecular requirements for the localization of individual RNA molecules and computational studies of RNA transport on a genomic scale. Together, they have the ability to allow insight into the regulatory principles that govern the localization of diverse RNAs. These new techniques provide the framework for integrating our knowledge of the regulation of RNA localization with that of other posttranscriptional processes. This article is categorized under: RNA Export and Localization > RNA Localization RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein-RNA Interactions: Functional Implications RNA Methods > RNA Analyses in Cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Matthew Taliaferro
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado
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28
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Kim SH, Vieira M, Kim HJ, Kesawat MS, Park HY. MS2 Labeling of Endogenous Beta-Actin mRNA Does Not Result in Stabilization of Degradation Intermediates. Mol Cells 2019; 42:356-362. [PMID: 30841028 PMCID: PMC6530646 DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2019.2398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The binding of MS2 bacteriophage coat protein (MCP) to MS2 binding site (MBS) RNA stem-loop sequences has been widely used to label mRNA for live-cell imaging at single-molecule resolution. However, concerns have been raised recently from studies with budding yeast showing aberrant mRNA metabolism following the MS2-GFP labeling. To investigate the degradation pattern of MS2-GFP-labeled mRNA in mammalian cells and tissues, we used Northern blot analysis of β-actin mRNA extracted from the Actb-MBS knock-in and MBS×MCP hybrid mouse models. In the immortalized mouse embryonic cell lines and various organ tissues derived from the mouse models, we found no noticeable accumulation of decay products of β-actin mRNA compared with the wild-type mice. Our results suggest that accumulation of MBS RNA decay fragments does not always happen depending on the mRNA species and the model organisms used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songhee H. Kim
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826,
Korea
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826,
Korea
| | - Melissa Vieira
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826,
Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826,
Korea
| | - Hye-Jin Kim
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826,
Korea
| | - Mahipal Singh Kesawat
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826,
Korea
| | - Hye Yoon Park
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826,
Korea
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826,
Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826,
Korea
- Institute of Applied Physics, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826,
Korea
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29
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Hughes SC, Simmonds AJ. Drosophila mRNA Localization During Later Development: Past, Present, and Future. Front Genet 2019; 10:135. [PMID: 30899273 PMCID: PMC6416162 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple mechanisms tightly regulate mRNAs during their transcription, translation, and degradation. Of these, the physical localization of mRNAs to specific cytoplasmic regions is relatively easy to detect; however, linking localization to functional regulatory roles has been more difficult to establish. Historically, Drosophila melanogaster is a highly effective model to identify localized mRNAs and has helped identify roles for this process by regulating various cell activities. The majority of the well-characterized functional roles for localizing mRNAs to sub-regions of the cytoplasm have come from the Drosophila oocyte and early syncytial embryo. At present, relatively few functional roles have been established for mRNA localization within the relatively smaller, differentiated somatic cell lineages characteristic of later development, beginning with the cellular blastoderm, and the multiple cell lineages that make up the gastrulating embryo, larva, and adult. This review is divided into three parts—the first outlines past evidence for cytoplasmic mRNA localization affecting aspects of cellular activity post-blastoderm development in Drosophila. The majority of these known examples come from highly polarized cell lineages such as differentiating neurons. The second part considers the present state of affairs where we now know that many, if not most mRNAs are localized to discrete cytoplasmic regions in one or more somatic cell lineages of cellularized embryos, larvae or adults. Assuming that the phenomenon of cytoplasmic mRNA localization represents an underlying functional activity, and correlation with the encoded proteins suggests that mRNA localization is involved in far more than neuronal differentiation. Thus, it seems highly likely that past-identified examples represent only a small fraction of localization-based mRNA regulation in somatic cells. The last part highlights recent technological advances that now provide an opportunity for probing the role of mRNA localization in Drosophila, moving beyond cataloging the diversity of localized mRNAs to a similar understanding of how localization affects mRNA activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C Hughes
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Andrew J Simmonds
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Abstract
Diverse mechanisms and functions of posttranscriptional regulation by small regulatory RNAs and RNA-binding proteins have been described in bacteria. In contrast, little is known about the spatial organization of RNAs in bacterial cells. In eukaryotes, subcellular localization and transport of RNAs play important roles in diverse physiological processes, such as embryonic patterning, asymmetric cell division, epithelial polarity, and neuronal plasticity. It is now clear that bacterial RNAs also can accumulate at distinct sites in the cell. However, due to the small size of bacterial cells, RNA localization and localization-associated functions are more challenging to study in bacterial cells, and the underlying molecular mechanisms of transcript localization are less understood. Here, we review the emerging examples of RNAs localized to specific subcellular locations in bacteria, with indications that subcellular localization of transcripts might be important for gene expression and regulatory processes. Diverse mechanisms for bacterial RNA localization have been suggested, including close association to their genomic site of transcription, or to the localizations of their protein products in translation-dependent or -independent processes. We also provide an overview of the state of the art of technologies to visualize and track bacterial RNAs, ranging from hybridization-based approaches in fixed cells to in vivo imaging approaches using fluorescent protein reporters and/or RNA aptamers in single living bacterial cells. We conclude with a discussion of open questions in the field and ongoing technological developments regarding RNA imaging in eukaryotic systems that might likewise provide novel insights into RNA localization in bacteria.
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Li Y, Ke K, Spitale RC. Biochemical Methods To Image and Analyze RNA Localization: From One to Many. Biochemistry 2018; 58:379-386. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b01087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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32
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Volkov IL, Johansson M. Single-Molecule Tracking Approaches to Protein Synthesis Kinetics in Living Cells. Biochemistry 2018; 58:7-14. [PMID: 30404437 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b00917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Decades of traditional biochemistry, structural approaches, and, more recently, single-molecule-based in vitro techniques have provided us with an astonishingly detailed understanding of the molecular mechanism of ribosome-catalyzed protein synthesis. However, in order to understand these details in the context of cell physiology and population biology, new techniques to probe the dynamics of molecular processes inside the cell are needed. Recent years' development in super-resolved fluorescence microscopy has revolutionized imaging of intracellular processes, and we now have the possibility to directly peek into the microcosm of biomolecules in their native environment. In this Perspective, we discuss how these methods are currently being applied and further developed to study the kinetics of protein synthesis directly inside living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan L Volkov
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology , Uppsala University , Uppsala 75124 , Sweden
| | - Magnus Johansson
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology , Uppsala University , Uppsala 75124 , Sweden
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33
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Tutucci E, Vera M, Singer RH. Single-mRNA detection in living S. cerevisiae using a re-engineered MS2 system. Nat Protoc 2018; 13:2268-2296. [DOI: 10.1038/s41596-018-0037-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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34
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The Lsm1-7/Pat1 complex binds to stress-activated mRNAs and modulates the response to hyperosmotic shock. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007563. [PMID: 30059503 PMCID: PMC6085073 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Revised: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) establish the cellular fate of a transcript, but an understanding of these processes has been limited by a lack of identified specific interactions between RNA and protein molecules. Using MS2 RNA tagging, we have purified proteins associated with individual mRNA species induced by osmotic stress, STL1 and GPD1. We found members of the Lsm1-7/Pat1 RBP complex to preferentially bind these mRNAs, relative to the non-stress induced mRNAs, HYP2 and ASH1. To assess the functional importance, we mutated components of the Lsm1-7/Pat1 RBP complex and analyzed the impact on expression of osmostress gene products. We observed a defect in global translation inhibition under osmotic stress in pat1 and lsm1 mutants, which correlated with an abnormally high association of both non-stress and stress-induced mRNAs to translationally active polysomes. Additionally, for stress-induced proteins normally triggered only by moderate or high osmostress, in the mutants the protein levels rose high already at weak hyperosmosis. Analysis of ribosome passage on mRNAs through co-translational decay from the 5’ end (5P-Seq) showed increased ribosome accumulation in lsm1 and pat1 mutants upstream of the start codon. This effect was particularly strong for mRNAs induced under osmostress. Thus, our results indicate that, in addition to its role in degradation, the Lsm1-7/Pat1 complex acts as a selective translational repressor, having stronger effect over the translation initiation of heavily expressed mRNAs. Binding of the Lsm1-7/Pat1p complex to osmostress-induced mRNAs mitigates their translation, suppressing it in conditions of weak or no stress, and avoiding a hyperresponse when triggered. When confronted with external physical or chemical stress, cells respond by increasing the mRNA output of a small number of genes required for stress survival, while shutting down the majority of other genes. Moreover, each mRNA is regulated under stress to either enhance or diminish its translation into proteins. The overall purpose is for the cell to optimize gene expression for survival and recovery during rapidly changing conditions. Much of this regulation is mediated by RNA-binding proteins. We have isolated proteins binding to specific mRNAs induced by stress, to investigate how they affect the stress response. We found members of one protein complex to be bound to stress-induced mRNAs. When mutants lacking these proteins were exposed to stress, ribosomes were more engaged with translating mRNAs than in the wild-type. In the mutants, it was also possible to trigger expression of stress proteins with only minimal stress levels. Tracing the passage of ribosomes over mRNAs, we saw that ribosomes accumulated around the start codon in the mutants. These findings indicate that the protein complex is required to moderate the stress response and prevent it from overreacting, which would be harmful for the cell.
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Modular cell-internalizing aptamer nanostructure enables targeted delivery of large functional RNAs in cancer cell lines. Nat Commun 2018; 9:2283. [PMID: 29891903 PMCID: PMC5995956 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04691-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Large RNAs and ribonucleoprotein complexes have powerful therapeutic potential, but effective cell-targeted delivery tools are limited. Aptamers that internalize into target cells can deliver siRNAs (<15 kDa, 19–21 nt/strand). We demonstrate a modular nanostructure for cellular delivery of large, functional RNA payloads (50–80 kDa, 175–250 nt) by aptamers that recognize multiple human B cell cancer lines and transferrin receptor-expressing cells. Fluorogenic RNA reporter payloads enable accelerated testing of platform designs and rapid evaluation of assembly and internalization. Modularity is demonstrated by swapping in different targeting and payload aptamers. Both modules internalize into leukemic B cell lines and remained colocalized within endosomes. Fluorescence from internalized RNA persists for ≥2 h, suggesting a sizable window for aptamer payloads to exert influence upon targeted cells. This demonstration of aptamer-mediated, cell-internalizing delivery of large RNAs with retention of functional structure raises the possibility of manipulating endosomes and cells by delivering large aptamers and regulatory RNAs. Large RNAs and ribonucleoprotein complexes have shown potential as novel therapeutic agents, but their targeted delivery to cells is still challenging. Here the authors present a modular aptamer nanostructure for intracellular delivery of RNAs up to 250 nucleotides to cancer cells.
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36
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Syed MI, Moorthy BT, Jenner A, Fetka I, Jansen RP. Signal sequence-independent targeting of MID2 mRNA to the endoplasmic reticulum by the yeast RNA-binding protein Khd1p. FEBS Lett 2018; 592:1870-1881. [PMID: 29772604 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Revised: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Localization of mRNAs depends on specific RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) and critically contributes not only to cell polarization but also to basal cell function. The yeast RBP Khd1p binds to several hundred mRNAs, the majority of which encodes secreted or membrane proteins. We demonstrate that a subfraction of Khd1p associates with artificial liposomes and endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and that Khd1p endomembrane association is partially dependent on its binding to RNA. ER targeting of at least two mRNAs, MID2 and SLG1/WSC1, requires KHD1 but is independent of their translation. Together, our results suggest interdependence of Khd1p and mRNA for their targeting to the ER and presents additional evidence for signal sequence-independent, RBP-mediated mRNA targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Ibrahim Syed
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry (IFIB), Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany
| | - Balaji T Moorthy
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry (IFIB), Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Jenner
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry (IFIB), Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ingrid Fetka
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry (IFIB), Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ralf-Peter Jansen
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry (IFIB), Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany
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37
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Abstract
RNA is the fundamental information transfer system in the cell. The ability to follow single messenger RNAs (mRNAs) from transcription to degradation with fluorescent probes gives quantitative information about how the information is transferred from DNA to proteins. This review focuses on the latest technological developments in the field of single-mRNA detection and their usage to study gene expression in both fixed and live cells. By describing the application of these imaging tools, we follow the journey of mRNA from transcription to decay in single cells, with single-molecule resolution. We review current theoretical models for describing transcription and translation that were generated by single-molecule and single-cell studies. These methods provide a basis to study how single-molecule interactions generate phenotypes, fundamentally changing our understating of gene expression regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelina Tutucci
- Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461;,
| | - Nathan M. Livingston
- Center for Cell Dynamics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Robert H. Singer
- Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461;,
- Gruss-Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461
- Cellular Imaging Consortium, Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, Virginia 20147
| | - Bin Wu
- Center for Cell Dynamics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205;,
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38
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Abstract
An essential feature of protein expression is the tight regulation of when and where a protein is translated from its cognate mRNA. This spatiotemporal expression is particularly important in guaranteeing the correct and efficient targeting of proteins to defined subcellular sites. In order to achieve local translation, mRNAs must be deposited at specific locations. A common mechanism is the active transport of mRNAs along the actin or microtubule cytoskeleton. To study such dynamic transport processes in vivo RNA live imaging is the method of choice. This method is based on the principle that defined binding sites for a heterologous RNA-binding protein (RBP) are inserted in the 3' UTR of target mRNAs. Coexpression of the RBP fused to a fluorescent protein enables mRNA detection in vivo using fluorescence microscopy techniques. In this chapter we describe the well-established method of studying microtubule-dependent mRNA transport in the eukaryotic model microorganism Ustilago maydis. The presented experimental design and the microscopic techniques are applicable to a broad range of other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Zander
- Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Institute for Microbiology, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Universitätsstr. 1, Geb. 26.12, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Kira Müntjes
- Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Institute for Microbiology, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Universitätsstr. 1, Geb. 26.12, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Michael Feldbrügge
- Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Institute for Microbiology, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Universitätsstr. 1, Geb. 26.12, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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39
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An improved MS2 system for accurate reporting of the mRNA life cycle. Nat Methods 2017; 15:81-89. [PMID: 29131164 PMCID: PMC5843578 DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.4502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 200] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The MS2-MCP system enables researchers to image multiple steps of the mRNA life cycle with high temporal and spatial resolution. However, for short-lived mRNAs, the tight binding of the MS2 coat protein (MCP) to the MS2 binding sites (MBS) protects the RNA from being efficiently degraded, and this confounds the study of mRNA regulation. Here, we describe a reporter system (MBSV6) with reduced affinity for the MCP, which allows mRNA degradation while preserving single-molecule detection determined by single-molecule FISH (smFISH) or live imaging. Constitutive mRNAs (MDN1 and DOA1) and highly-regulated mRNAs (GAL1 and ASH1) endogenously tagged with MBSV6 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae degrade normally. As a result, short-lived mRNAs were imaged throughout their complete life cycle. The MBSV6 reporter revealed that, in contrast to previous findings, coordinated recruitment of mRNAs at specialized structures such as P-bodies during stress did not occur, and mRNA degradation was heterogeneously distributed in the cytoplasm.
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40
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Alexander SC, Devaraj NK. Developing a Fluorescent Toolbox To Shed Light on the Mysteries of RNA. Biochemistry 2017; 56:5185-5193. [PMID: 28671838 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b00510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Technologies that detect and image RNA have illuminated the complex roles played by RNA, redefining the traditional and superficial role first outlined by the central dogma of biology. Because there is such a wide diversity of RNA structure arising from an assortment of functions within biology, a toolbox of approaches have emerged for investigation of this important class of biomolecules. These methods are necessary to detect and elucidate the localization and dynamics of specific RNAs and in doing so unlock our understanding of how RNA dysregulation leads to disease. Current methods for detecting and imaging RNA include in situ hybridization techniques, fluorescent aptamers, RNA binding proteins fused to fluorescent reporters, and covalent labeling strategies. Because of the inherent diversity of these methods, each approach comes with a set of strengths and limitations that leave room for future improvement. This perspective seeks to highlight the most recent advances and remaining challenges for the wide-ranging toolbox of technologies that illuminate RNA's contribution to cellular complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth C Alexander
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego , La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Neal K Devaraj
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego , La Jolla, California 92093, United States
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41
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An mRNA decapping mutant deficient in P body assembly limits mRNA stabilization in response to osmotic stress. Sci Rep 2017; 7:44395. [PMID: 28290514 PMCID: PMC5349606 DOI: 10.1038/srep44395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Yeast is exposed to changing environmental conditions and must adapt its genetic program to provide a homeostatic intracellular environment. An important stress for yeast in the wild is high osmolarity. A key response to this stress is increased mRNA stability primarily by the inhibition of deadenylation. We previously demonstrated that mutations in decapping activators (edc3∆ lsm4∆C), which result in defects in P body assembly, can destabilize mRNA under unstressed conditions. We wished to examine whether mRNA would be destabilized in the edc3∆ lsm4∆C mutant as compared to the wild-type in response to osmotic stress, when P bodies are intense and numerous. Our results show that the edc3∆ lsm4∆C mutant limits the mRNA stability in response to osmotic stress, while the magnitude of stabilization was similar as compared to the wild-type. The reduced mRNA stability in the edc3∆ lsm4∆C mutant was correlated with a shorter PGK1 poly(A) tail. Similarly, the MFA2 mRNA was more rapidly deadenylated as well as significantly stabilized in the ccr4∆ deadenylation mutant in the edc3∆ lsm4∆C background. These results suggest a role for these decapping factors in stabilizing mRNA and may implicate P bodies as sites of reduced mRNA degradation.
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42
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Heinrich S, Sidler CL, Azzalin CM, Weis K. Stem-loop RNA labeling can affect nuclear and cytoplasmic mRNA processing. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2017; 23:134-141. [PMID: 28096443 PMCID: PMC5238788 DOI: 10.1261/rna.057786.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The binding of sequence-specific RNA-interacting proteins, such as the bacteriophage MS2 or PP7 coat proteins, to their corresponding target sequences has been extremely useful and widely used to visualize single mRNAs in vivo. However, introduction of MS2 stem-loops into yeast mRNAs has recently been shown to lead to the accumulation of RNA fragments, suggesting that the loops impair mRNA decay. This result was questioned, because fragment occurrence was mainly assessed using ensemble methods, and their cellular localization and its implications had not been addressed on a single transcript level. Here, we demonstrate that the introduction of either MS2 stem-loops (MS2SL) or PP7 stem-loops (PP7SL) can affect the processing and subcellular localization of mRNA. We use single-molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization (smFISH) to determine the localization of three independent mRNAs tagged with the stem-loop labeling systems in glucose-rich and glucose starvation conditions. Transcripts containing MS2SL or PP7SL display aberrant localization in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. These defects are most prominent in glucose starvation conditions, with nuclear mRNA processing being altered and stem-loop fragments abnormally enriching in processing bodies (PBs). The mislocalization of SL-containing RNAs is independent of the presence of the MS2 or PP7 coat protein (MCP or PCP).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Claus M Azzalin
- Institute of Biochemistry, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Karsten Weis
- Institute of Biochemistry, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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43
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Heinrich S, Derrer CP, Lari A, Weis K, Montpetit B. Temporal and spatial regulation of mRNA export: Single particle RNA-imaging provides new tools and insights. Bioessays 2017; 39. [PMID: 28052353 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201600124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The transport of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) from the nucleus to cytoplasm is an essential step in the gene expression program of all eukaryotes. Recent technological advances in the areas of RNA-labeling, microscopy, and sequencing are leading to novel insights about mRNA biogenesis and export. This includes quantitative single molecule imaging (SMI) of RNA molecules in live cells, which is providing knowledge of the spatial and temporal dynamics of the export process. As this information becomes available, it leads to new questions, the reinterpretation of previous findings, and revised models of mRNA export. In this review, we will briefly highlight some of these recent findings and discuss how live cell SMI approaches may be used to further our current understanding of mRNA export and gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Azra Lari
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Karsten Weis
- Institute of Biochemistry, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ben Montpetit
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.,Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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44
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Mugler CF, Hondele M, Heinrich S, Sachdev R, Vallotton P, Koek AY, Chan LY, Weis K. ATPase activity of the DEAD-box protein Dhh1 controls processing body formation. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27692063 PMCID: PMC5096884 DOI: 10.7554/elife.18746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Translational repression and mRNA degradation are critical mechanisms of posttranscriptional gene regulation that help cells respond to internal and external cues. In response to certain stress conditions, many mRNA decay factors are enriched in processing bodies (PBs), cellular structures involved in degradation and/or storage of mRNAs. Yet, how cells regulate assembly and disassembly of PBs remains poorly understood. Here, we show that in budding yeast, mutations in the DEAD-box ATPase Dhh1 that prevent ATP hydrolysis, or that affect the interaction between Dhh1 and Not1, the central scaffold of the CCR4-NOT complex and an activator of the Dhh1 ATPase, prevent PB disassembly in vivo. Intriguingly, this process can be recapitulated in vitro, since recombinant Dhh1 and RNA, in the presence of ATP, phase-separate into liquid droplets that rapidly dissolve upon addition of Not1. Our results identify the ATPase activity of Dhh1 as a critical regulator of PB formation. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.18746.001 Most cells and organisms live in changeable environments. Adapting to environmental changes means that organisms must quickly alter which of their genes they express. Varying which genes are switched on or off is not enough; cells must also degrade existing messenger RNAs (or mRNAs for short), which contain the genetic instructions of the previously active genes. Therefore, cells must tightly regulate the machinery needed to degrade mRNAs. When Baker’s yeast (also known as budding yeast) cells experience certain stressful conditions, the proteins that break down mRNAs localize into specific structures inside the cell known as ‘processing bodies’. These structures are found in many other organisms across evolution, from yeast to human. Processing bodies also form in a variety of biological contexts, such as in nerve cells and developing embryos. Still, why cells form processing bodies, and how their assembly is regulated, is not well understood. One essential component of processing bodies is an enzyme called Dhh1. This enzyme has been conserved throughout evolution and is known to promote the decay of mRNAs as well as to repress their translation into proteins. Now, Mugler, Hondele et al. show that Dhh1’s must break down molecules of the energy carrier ATP (referred to as its “ATPase activity”) in order to regulate the dynamic nature of processing bodies. Mutant Dhh1 proteins that lack ATPase activity form permanent processing bodies in non-stressed yeast cells. This shows that that the breakdown of ATP by Dhh1 is required for the disassembly of processing bodies. Similar results were seen for mutant Dhh1 proteins that cannot interact with Not1, a protein which enhances the ATPase activity of Dhh1. Next Mugler, Hondele et al. mixed purified Dhh1 with ATP and RNA molecules and saw that the mixture underwent a “liquid-liquid phase separation” and formed observable granules, similar to oil droplets in water. These granules dissolved when Not1 was added to stimulate the Dhh1 enzyme to turnover ATP. This showed that several important biochemical and biophysical aspects of processing bodies seen within living cells could be recreated outside of a cell. Armed with a greater understanding of the rules that govern the formation of processing bodies, future work can now address how important processing bodies are for regulating gene expression. Another challenge for the future will be to examine the specific roles that processing bodies play in yeast and other cells, like human egg cells or nerve cells. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.18746.002
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Adriana Y Koek
- University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Leon Y Chan
- University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
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Laprade H, Lalonde M, Guérit D, Chartrand P. Live-cell imaging of budding yeast telomerase RNA and TERRA. Methods 2016; 114:46-53. [PMID: 27474163 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2016.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Revised: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 07/23/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
In most eukaryotes, the ribonucleoprotein complex telomerase is responsible for maintaining telomere length. In recent years, single-cell microscopy techniques such as fluorescent in situ hybridization and live-cell imaging have been developed to image the RNA subunit of the telomerase holoenzyme. These techniques are now becoming important tools for the study of telomerase biogenesis, its association with telomeres and its regulation. Here, we present detailed protocols for live-cell imaging of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae telomerase RNA subunit, called TLC1, and also of the non-coding telomeric repeat-containing RNA TERRA. We describe the approach used for genomic integration of MS2 stem-loops in these transcripts, and provide information for optimal live-cell imaging of these non-coding RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadrien Laprade
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Qc H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Maxime Lalonde
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Qc H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - David Guérit
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Qc H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Pascal Chartrand
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Qc H3C 3J7, Canada.
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Garcia JF, Parker R. Ubiquitous accumulation of 3' mRNA decay fragments in Saccharomyces cerevisiae mRNAs with chromosomally integrated MS2 arrays. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2016; 22:657-9. [PMID: 27090788 PMCID: PMC4836640 DOI: 10.1261/rna.056325.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The binding of MS2-GFP protein to arrays of MS2 sites in yeast mRNAs has been used extensively to visualize mRNA localization. We previously reported that arrays of MS2 sites bound by MS2 protein could inhibit Xrn1p and lead to the accumulation of 3' mRNA decay fragments. We suggest that these decay fragments have the potential to complicate mRNA localization studies, as stated in an earlier study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer F Garcia
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA
| | - Roy Parker
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA
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