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Lugano DI, Barrett LN, Chaput D, Park MA, Westerheide SD. CCAR-1 works together with the U2AF large subunit UAF-1 to regulate alternative splicing. RNA Biol 2024; 21:1-11. [PMID: 38126797 PMCID: PMC10761121 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2023.2289707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The Cell Division Cycle and Apoptosis Regulator (CCAR) protein family members have recently emerged as regulators of alternative splicing and transcription, as well as having other key physiological functions. For example, mammalian CCAR2/DBC1 forms a complex with the zinc factor protein ZNF326 to integrate alternative splicing with RNA polymerase II transcriptional elongation in AT-rich regions of the DNA. Additionally, Caenorhabditis elegans CCAR-1, a homolog to mammalian CCAR2, facilitates the alternative splicing of the perlecan unc-52 gene. However, much about the CCAR family's role in alternative splicing is unknown. Here, we have examined the role of CCAR-1 in genome-wide alternative splicing in Caenorhabditis elegans and have identified new alternative splicing targets of CCAR-1 using RNA sequencing. Also, we found that CCAR-1 interacts with the spliceosome factors UAF-1 and UAF-2 using mass spectrometry, and that knockdown of ccar-1 affects alternative splicing patterns, motility, and proteostasis of UAF-1 mutant worms. Collectively, we demonstrate the role of CCAR-1 in regulating global alternative splicing in C. elegans and in conjunction with UAF-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doreen I. Lugano
- Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Lindsey N. Barrett
- Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Dale Chaput
- Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Margaret A. Park
- Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Sandy D. Westerheide
- Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
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2
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Doyle JJ, Vrancx C, Maios C, Labarre A, Patten SA, Parker JA. Modulating the endoplasmic reticulum stress response attenuates neurodegeneration in a Caenorhabditis elegans model of spinal muscular atrophy. Dis Model Mech 2020; 13:dmm.041350. [PMID: 33106327 PMCID: PMC7774902 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.041350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a devastating autosomal recessive neuromuscular disease resulting in muscle atrophy and neurodegeneration, and is the leading genetic cause of infant death. SMA arises when there are homozygous deletion mutations in the human SMN1 gene, leading to a decrease in corresponding SMN1 protein. Although SMN1 is expressed across multiple tissue types, much of the previous research into SMA focused on the neuronal aspect of the disease, overlooking many of the potential non-neuronal aspects of the disease. Therefore, we sought to address this gap in knowledge by modeling SMA in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We mutated a previously uncharacterized allele, which resulted in the onset of mild SMA-like phenotypes, allowing us to monitor the onset of phenotypes at different stages. We observed that these mutant animals recapitulated many key features of the human disease, and most importantly, we observed that muscle dysfunction preceded neurodegeneration. Furthermore, we tested the therapeutic efficacy of targeting endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in non-neuronal cells and found it to be more effective than targeting ER stress in neuronal cells. We also found that the most potent therapeutic potential came from a combination of ER- and neuromuscular junction-targeted drugs. Together, our results suggest an important non-neuronal component of SMA pathology and highlight new considerations for therapeutic intervention. Summary: A new non-larval-lethal C. elegans model of spinal muscular atrophy shows mild phenotypes, such as muscle cell and neuronal degeneration, and is therefore useful for testing potential drug treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- James J Doyle
- Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J1, Canada.,Metabolic Disorders and Complications, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Celine Vrancx
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal and Department of Neuroscience, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec H2X 0A9, Canada
| | - Claudia Maios
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal and Department of Neuroscience, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec H2X 0A9, Canada
| | - Audrey Labarre
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal and Department of Neuroscience, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec H2X 0A9, Canada
| | | | - J Alex Parker
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal and Department of Neuroscience, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec H2X 0A9, Canada
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Arribere JA, Kuroyanagi H, Hundley HA. mRNA Editing, Processing and Quality Control in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2020; 215:531-568. [PMID: 32632025 PMCID: PMC7337075 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.301807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
While DNA serves as the blueprint of life, the distinct functions of each cell are determined by the dynamic expression of genes from the static genome. The amount and specific sequences of RNAs expressed in a given cell involves a number of regulated processes including RNA synthesis (transcription), processing, splicing, modification, polyadenylation, stability, translation, and degradation. As errors during mRNA production can create gene products that are deleterious to the organism, quality control mechanisms exist to survey and remove errors in mRNA expression and processing. Here, we will provide an overview of mRNA processing and quality control mechanisms that occur in Caenorhabditis elegans, with a focus on those that occur on protein-coding genes after transcription initiation. In addition, we will describe the genetic and technical approaches that have allowed studies in C. elegans to reveal important mechanistic insight into these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hidehito Kuroyanagi
- Laboratory of Gene Expression, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan, and
| | - Heather A Hundley
- Medical Sciences Program, Indiana University School of Medicine-Bloomington, Indiana 47405
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Da Silva JD, Oliveira S, Pereira-Sousa J, Teixeira-Castro A, Costa MD, Maciel P. Loss of egli-1, the Caenorhabditis elegans Orthologue of a Downstream Target of SMN, Leads to Abnormalities in Sensorimotor Integration. Mol Neurobiol 2019; 57:1553-1569. [PMID: 31797327 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-019-01833-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The connectome of Caenorhabditis elegans has been extensively studied and fully mapped, allowing researchers to more confidently conclude on the impact of any change in neuronal circuits based on behavioral data. One of the more complex sensorimotor circuits in nematodes is the one that regulates the integration of feeding status with the subsequent behavioral responses that allow animals to adapt to environmental conditions. Here, we have characterized a Caenorhabditis elegans knockout model of the egli-1 gene (previously known as tag-175). This is an orthologue of the stasimon/tmem41b gene, a downstream target of SMN, the depleted protein in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), which partially recapitulates the SMA phenotype in fly and zebrafish models when mutated. Surprisingly, egli-1 mutants reveal no deficits in motor function. Instead, they show functional impairment of a specific neuronal circuit, leading to defects in the integration of sensorial information related to food abundance, with consequences at the level of locomotion adaptation, egg laying, and the response to aversive chemical stimuli. This work has demonstrated for the first time the relevance of egli-1 in the nervous system, as well as revealed a function for this gene, which had remained elusive so far.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Diogo Da Silva
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Stéphanie Oliveira
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Joana Pereira-Sousa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Andreia Teixeira-Castro
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Marta Daniela Costa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Maciel
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal. .,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
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5
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Wang D, Liu Y, Zhang D, He Q, Tang B, Cheng F. Selection of reliable reference genes for gene expression studies in Caenorhabditis elegans exposed to crystals (Cry1Ia36) protein of Bacillus thuringiensis. Mol Biol Rep 2019; 46:5767-5776. [PMID: 31385235 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-019-05010-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) is a nucleic acid quantitative technique and is also considered as a validation tool. The Cry1Ia36 protein isolated from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) strain YC-10 has high nematicidal activity against nematodes. Caenorhabditis elegans is one of the major model organisms and a readily accessible source of biological material for gene expression studies. To evaluate the expression stability of 12 candidate reference genes of C. elegans for exposing to different concentrations of Cry1Ia36 protein and different treat time, five statistical approaches (the comparative delta-Ct method, BestKeeper, NormFinder, Genorm and RefFinder) were used to evaluate each individual candidate reference gene. The results indicated that cdc-42 and F35G12.2 were the best reference genes for performing reliable gene expression normalization in the impact of Cry1Ia36 protein. In addition, when C. elegans was exposed to Cry1Ia36 protein and other nematicides, avermectin and 5-aminolevulinic acid, cdc-42 was recommended as the most reliable reference genes. Y45F10D.4 was the least stable reference genes in our experimental settings. Therefore, cdc-42 was reliable reference gene for gene expression studies in C. elegans exposed to Cry1Ia36 protein and other nematicides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongwei Wang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Science, Changsha, 410125, China.,Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of the Pests and Diseases on Horticultural Crops in Hunan Province, Changsha, 410125, China
| | - Yong Liu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Science, Changsha, 410125, China.,Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of the Pests and Diseases on Horticultural Crops in Hunan Province, Changsha, 410125, China
| | - Deyong Zhang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Science, Changsha, 410125, China.,Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of the Pests and Diseases on Horticultural Crops in Hunan Province, Changsha, 410125, China
| | - Qingcong He
- Institute of Plant Protection, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Science, Changsha, 410125, China.,Long Ping Branch, Graduate School of Hunan University, Hunan University, Changsha, 410125, China
| | - Bei Tang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Science, Changsha, 410125, China.,Long Ping Branch, Graduate School of Hunan University, Hunan University, Changsha, 410125, China
| | - Feixue Cheng
- Institute of Plant Protection, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Science, Changsha, 410125, China. .,Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of the Pests and Diseases on Horticultural Crops in Hunan Province, Changsha, 410125, China.
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Gao X, Xu J, Chen H, Xue D, Pan W, Zhou C, Ma YC, Ma L. Defective Expression of Mitochondrial, Vacuolar H +-ATPase and Histone Genes in a C. elegans Model of SMA. Front Genet 2019; 10:410. [PMID: 31130987 PMCID: PMC6509145 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2018] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a severe motor neuron degenerative disease caused by loss-of-function mutations in the survival motor neuron gene SMN1. It is widely posited that defective gene expression underlies SMA. However, the identities of these affected genes remain to be elucidated. By analyzing the transcriptome of a Caenorhabditis elegans SMA model at the pre-symptomatic stage, we found that the expression of numerous nuclear encoded mitochondrial genes and vacuolar H+-ATPase genes was significantly down-regulated, while that of histone genes was significantly up-regulated. We previously showed that the uaf-1 gene, encoding key splicing factor U2AF large subunit, could affect the behavior and lifespan of smn-1 mutants. Here, we found that smn-1 and uaf-1 interact to affect the recognition of 3′ and 5′ splice sites in a gene-specific manner. Altogether, our results suggest a functional interaction between smn-1 and uaf-1 in affecting RNA splicing and a potential effect of smn-1 on the expression of mitochondrial and histone genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyang Gao
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jing Xu
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Hao Chen
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Dingwu Xue
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Wenju Pan
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Chuanman Zhou
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yongchao C Ma
- Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Long Ma
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China
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7
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Zhou C, Gao X, Hu S, Gan W, Xu J, Ma YC, Ma L. RBM-5 modulates U2AF large subunit-dependent alternative splicing in C. elegans. RNA Biol 2018; 15:1295-1308. [PMID: 30295127 PMCID: PMC6284560 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2018.1526540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Revised: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
A key step in pre-mRNA splicing is the recognition of 3' splicing sites by the U2AF large and small subunits, a process regulated by numerous trans-acting splicing factors. How these trans-acting factors interact with U2AF in vivo is unclear. From a screen for suppressors of the temperature-sensitive (ts) lethality of the C. elegans U2AF large subunit gene uaf-1(n4588) mutants, we identified mutations in the RNA binding motif gene rbm-5, a homolog of the tumor suppressor gene RBM5. rbm-5 mutations can suppress uaf-1(n4588) ts-lethality by loss of function and neuronal expression of rbm-5 was sufficient to rescue the suppression. Transcriptome analyses indicate that uaf-1(n4588) affected the expression of numerous genes and rbm-5 mutations can partially reverse the abnormal gene expression to levels similar to that of wild type. Though rbm-5 mutations did not obviously affect alternative splicing per se, they can suppress or enhance, in a gene-specific manner, the altered splicing of genes in uaf-1(n4588) mutants. Specifically, the recognition of a weak 3' splice site was more susceptible to the effect of rbm-5. Our findings provide novel in vivo evidence that RBM-5 can modulate UAF-1-dependent RNA splicing and suggest that RBM5 might interact with U2AF large subunit to affect tumor formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanman Zhou
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xiaoyang Gao
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Surong Hu
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Wenjing Gan
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jing Xu
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yongchao C. Ma
- Departments of Pediatrics, Neurology and Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Anne & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Long Ma
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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9
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10
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Heintz C, Doktor TK, Lanjuin A, Escoubas C, Zhang Y, Weir HJ, Dutta S, Silva-García CG, Bruun GH, Morantte I, Hoxhaj G, Manning BD, Andresen BS, Mair WB. Splicing factor 1 modulates dietary restriction and TORC1 pathway longevity in C. elegans. Nature 2017; 541:102-106. [PMID: 27919065 PMCID: PMC5361225 DOI: 10.1038/nature20789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Accepted: 11/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Ageing is driven by a loss of transcriptional and protein homeostasis and is the key risk factor for multiple chronic diseases. Interventions that attenuate or reverse systemic dysfunction associated with age therefore have the potential to reduce overall disease risk in the elderly. Precursor mRNA (pre-mRNA) splicing is a fundamental link between gene expression and the proteome, and deregulation of the splicing machinery is linked to several age-related chronic illnesses. However, the role of splicing homeostasis in healthy ageing remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that pre-mRNA splicing homeostasis is a biomarker and predictor of life expectancy in Caenorhabditis elegans. Using transcriptomics and in-depth splicing analysis in young and old animals fed ad libitum or subjected to dietary restriction, we find defects in global pre-mRNA splicing with age that are reduced by dietary restriction via splicing factor 1 (SFA-1; the C. elegans homologue of SF1, also known as branchpoint binding protein, BBP). We show that SFA-1 is specifically required for lifespan extension by dietary restriction and by modulation of the TORC1 pathway components AMPK, RAGA-1 and RSKS-1/S6 kinase. We also demonstrate that overexpression of SFA-1 is sufficient to extend lifespan. Together, these data demonstrate a role for RNA splicing homeostasis in dietary restriction longevity and suggest that modulation of specific spliceosome components may prolong healthy ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Heintz
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Thomas Koed Doktor
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Villum Center for Bioanalytical Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Anne Lanjuin
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Caroline Escoubas
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging, Nice (IRCAN), CNRS, UMR7284, INSERM U1081, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Faculty of Medicine, Nice, France
| | - Yue Zhang
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Heather J Weir
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sneha Dutta
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Gitte Hoffmann Bruun
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Villum Center for Bioanalytical Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Ianessa Morantte
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Gerta Hoxhaj
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Brendan D Manning
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Brage S Andresen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Villum Center for Bioanalytical Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - William B Mair
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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