Arabidopsis thaliana GLYCINE RICH RNA-BINDING PROTEIN 7 interaction with its iCLIP target LHCB1.1 correlates with changes in RNA stability and circadian oscillation

The importance of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) for plant responses to environmental stimuli and development is well documented. Insights into the portfolio of RNAs they recognize, however, clearly lack behind the understanding gathered in non-plant model organisms. Here, we characterize binding of the circadian clock-regulated Arabidopsis thaliana GLYCINE-RICH RNA-BINDING PROTEIN 7 (AtGRP7) to its target transcripts. We identified novel RNA targets from individual-nucleotide resolution UV crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (iCLIP) data using an improved bioinformatics pipeline that will be broadly applicable to plant RBP iCLIP data. 2705 transcripts with binding sites were identified in plants expressing AtGRP7-GFP that were not recovered in plants expressing an RNA-binding dead variant or GFP alone. A conserved RNA motif enriched in uridine residues was identified at the AtGRP7 binding sites. NMR titrations confirmed the preference of AtGRP7 for RNAs with a central U-rich motif. Among the bound RNAs, circadian clock-regulated transcripts were overrepresented. Peak abundance of the LHCB1.1 transcript encoding a chlorophyll-binding protein was reduced in plants overexpressing AtGRP7 whereas it was elevated in atgrp7 mutants, indicating that LHCB1.1 was regulated by AtGRP7 in a dose-dependent manner. In plants overexpressing AtGRP7, the LHCB1.1 half-life was shorter compared to wild-type plants whereas in atgrp7 mutant plants, the half-life was significantly longer. Thus, AtGRP7 modulates circadian oscillations of its in vivo binding target LHCB1.1 by affecting RNA stability.

Interrogation of RNA-protein interaction dynamics in bacterial growth

Characterising RNA-protein interaction dynamics is fundamental to understand how bacteria respond to their environment. In this study, we have analysed the dynamics of 91% of the Escherichia coli expressed proteome and the RNA-interaction properties of 271 RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) at different growth phases. We find that 68% of RBPs differentially bind RNA across growth phases and characterise 17 previously unannotated proteins as bacterial RBPs including YfiF, a ncRNA-binding protein. While these new RBPs are mostly present in Proteobacteria, two of them are orthologs of human mitochondrial proteins associated with rare metabolic disorders. Moreover, we reveal novel RBP functions for proteins such as the chaperone HtpG, a new stationary phase tRNA-binding protein. For the first time, the dynamics of the bacterial RBPome have been interrogated, showcasing how this approach can reveal the function of uncharacterised proteins and identify critical RNA-protein interactions for cell growth which could inform new antimicrobial therapies.

RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of SARS-CoV-2 regulate host mRNA translation efficiency by hijacking eEF1A factors

The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (NSP12) of COVID-19 plays a significant role in the viral infection process, which promotes viral RNA replication by cooperating with NSP7 and NSP8, but little is known about its regulation on the function of host cells. We firstly found that overexpression of NSP12 had little effect on host mRNAs transcription. Using iCLIP technology, we found that NSP12 can bind a series of host RNAs with the conserved binding motif G(C/A/G)(U/G/A)UAG, especially ribosomal RNA. We found that NSP12 could directly bind to eEF1A factor via the NIRAN domain of NSP12 and N-terminal domain of eEF1A. NSP12 colocalized with eEF1A to inhibit type I interferon expression upon virus infection. In order to prove that NSP12 regulates the translation level of host cells, we found that NSP12 significantly affected the translation efficiency of many host mRNAs (such as ISG15, NF-κB2, ILK and SERPINI2) via ribosome profiling experiment, and the genes with significant upregulation in translation efficiency were mainly enriched in positive regulation of ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal process and NIK/NF-κB signaling pathway (such as NF-κB2, ILK), and negative regulation of type I interferon production, protein level of these genes were further confirmed in HEK293T and Calu3 cells upon NSP12 overexpression. These results indicate that NSP12 of SARS-CoV-2 can hijack the eEF1A factor to regulate translation efficiency of host mRNAs, which provides a new idea for us to evaluate the impact of SARS-CoV2 virus on the host and study the potential drug targets.

The RNA-binding protein RBP42 regulates cellular energy metabolism in mammalian-infective Trypanosoma brucei

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are key players in coordinated post-transcriptional regulation of functionally related genes, defined as RNA regulons. RNA regulons play particularly critical roles in parasitic trypanosomes, which exhibit unregulated co-transcription of long unrelated gene arrays. In this report, we present a systematic analysis of an essential RBP, RBP42, in the mammalian-infective bloodstream form of African trypanosome and show that RBP42 is a key regulator of parasite's central carbon and energy metabolism. Using individual-nucleotide resolution UV cross-linking and immunoprecipitation to identify genome-wide RBP42-RNA interactions, we show that RBP42 preferentially binds within the coding region of mRNAs encoding core metabolic enzymes. Global quantitative transcriptomic and proteomic analyses reveal that loss of RBP42 reduces the abundance of target mRNA-encoded proteins, but not target mRNA, suggesting a positive translational regulatory role of RBP42. Significant changes in central carbon metabolic intermediates, following loss of RBP42, further support its critical role in cellular energy metabolism. Trypanosoma brucei infection, transmitted through the bite of blood-feeding tsetse flies, causes deadly diseases in humans and livestock. This disease, if left untreated, is almost always fatal. Existing therapies are toxic and difficult to administer. During T. brucei's lifecycle in two different host environments, the parasite progresses through distinctive life stages with major morphological and metabolic changes, requiring precise alteration of parasite gene expression program. In the absence of regulated transcription, post-transcriptional processes mediated by RNA-binding proteins play critical roles in T. brucei gene regulation. In this study, we show that the RNA-binding protein RBP42 plays crucial roles in cellular energy metabolic regulation of this important human pathogen. Metabolic dysregulation observed in RBP42 knockdown cells offers a breadth of potential interest to researchers studying parasite biology and can also impact research in general eukaryotic biology.

Global role of IGF2BP1 in controlling the expression of Wnt/β-catenin-regulated genes in colorectal cancer cells

Introduction: Wnt/β-catenin signaling controls cell division and lineage specification during embryonic development, and is crucial for stem cells maintenance and gut tissue regeneration in adults. Aberrant activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling is also essential for the pathogenesis of a variety of malignancies. The RNA-binding protein IGF2BP1 is a transcriptional target of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, normally expressed during development and often reactivated in cancer cells, where it regulates the stability of oncogenic mRNA. Methods: In this study, we employed iCLIP and RNA sequencing techniques to investigate the role of IGF2BP1 in the post-transcriptional regulation of Wnt/β-catenin-induced genes at a global level within colorectal cancer (CRC) cells characterized by constitutively active Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Results and Discussion: In our study, we show that, in contrast to normal cells, CRC cells exhibit a much stronger dependency on IGF2BP1 expression for Wnt/β-catenin-regulated genes. We show that both untransformed and CRC cells have their unique subsets of Wnt/β-catenin-regulated genes that IGF2BP1 directly controls through binding to their mRNA. Our iCLIP analysis revealed a significant change in the IGF2BP1-binding sites throughout the target transcriptomes and a significant change in the enrichment of 6-mer motifs associated with IGF2BP1 binding in response to Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Our study also revealed a signature of IGF2BP1-regulated genes that are significantly associated with colon cancer-free survival in humans, as well as potential targets for CRC treatment. Overall, this study highlights the complex and context-dependent regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling target genes by IGF2BP1 in non-transformed and CRC cells and identifies potential targets for colon cancer treatment.

FUBP1 is a general splicing factor facilitating 3' splice site recognition and splicing of long introns

Splicing of pre-mRNAs critically contributes to gene regulation and proteome expansion in eukaryotes, but our understanding of the recognition and pairing of splice sites during spliceosome assembly lacks detail. Here, we identify the multidomain RNA-binding protein FUBP1 as a key splicing factor that binds to a hitherto unknown cis-regulatory motif. By collecting NMR, structural, and in vivo interaction data, we demonstrate that FUBP1 stabilizes U2AF2 and SF1, key components at the 3' splice site, through multivalent binding interfaces located within its disordered regions. Transcriptional profiling and kinetic modeling reveal that FUBP1 is required for efficient splicing of long introns, which is impaired in cancer patients harboring FUBP1 mutations. Notably, FUBP1 interacts with numerous U1 snRNP-associated proteins, suggesting a unique role for FUBP1 in splice site bridging for long introns. We propose a compelling model for 3' splice site recognition of long introns, which represent 80% of all human introns.

Revised iCLIP-seq Protocol for Profiling RNA-protein Interaction Sites at Individual Nucleotide Resolution in Living Cells

Individual nucleotide resolution UV cross-linking and immunoprecipitation followed by high-throughput sequencing (iCLIP-seq) is a powerful technique that is used to identify RNA-binding proteins' (RBP) binding sites on target RNAs and to characterize the molecular basis of posttranscriptional regulatory pathways. Several variants of CLIP have been developed to improve its efficiency and simplify the protocol [e.g., iCLIP2 and enhanced CLIP (eCLIP)]. We have recently reported that transcription factor SP1 functions in the regulation of alternative cleavage and polyadenylation through direct RNA binding. We utilized a modified iCLIP method to identify RNA-binding sites for SP1 and several of the cleavage and polyadenylation complex subunits, including CFIm25, CPSF7, CPSF100, CPSF2, and Fip1. Our revised protocol takes advantage of several features of the eCLIP procedure and also improves on certain steps of the original iCLIP method, including optimization of circularization of cDNA. Herein, we describe a step-by-step procedure for our revised iCLIP-seq protocol, that we designate as iCLIP-1.5, and provide alternative approaches for certain difficult-to-CLIP proteins. Key features Identification of RNA-binding sites of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) at nucleotide resolution. iCLIP-seq provides precise positional and quantitative information on the RNA-binding sites of RBPs in living cells. iCLIP facilitates the identification of sequence motifs recognized by RBPs. Allows quantitative analysis of genome-wide changes in protein-RNA interactions. Revised iCLIP-1.5 protocol is more efficient and highly robust; it provides higher coverage even for low-input samples. Graphical overview.

Studying miRNA-mRNA Interactions: An Optimized CLIP-Protocol for Endogenous Ago2-Protein

Transcriptome-wide analysis of RNA-binding partners is commonly achieved using UV crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (CLIP). Individual-nucleotide-resolution CLIP (iCLIP)enables identification of the specific position of the protein-RNA interaction. In addition to RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), microRNA (miRNA)-mRNA interactions also play a crucial role in the regulation of gene expression. Argonaute-2 (Ago2) mediates miRNA binding to a multitude of mRNA target sites, enabling the identification of miRNA-mRNA interactions by employing modified Ago2-CLIP protocols. Here, we describe an Ago2-specific CLIP protocol optimized for the use of small quantities of cell material, targeting endogenous Ago2 while avoiding possible methodological biases such as metabolic labeling or Ago2 overexpression and applying the latest advances in CLIP library preparation, the iCLIP2 protocol. In particular, we focus on the optimization of lysis conditions and improved radioactive labeling of the 5' end of the miRNA.

RNA inhibits dMi-2/CHD4 chromatin binding and nucleosome remodeling

The ATP-dependent nucleosome remodeler Mi-2/CHD4 broadly modulates chromatin landscapes to repress transcription and to maintain genome integrity. Here we use individual nucleotide resolution crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (iCLIP) to show that Drosophila Mi-2 associates with thousands of mRNA molecules in vivo. Biochemical data reveal that recombinant dMi-2 preferentially binds to G-rich RNA molecules using two intrinsically disordered regions of unclear function. Pharmacological inhibition of transcription and RNase digestion approaches establish that RNA inhibits the association of dMi-2 with chromatin. We also show that RNA inhibits dMi-2-mediated nucleosome mobilization by competing with the nucleosome substrate. Importantly, this activity is shared by CHD4, the human homolog of dMi-2, strongly suggesting that RNA-mediated regulation of remodeler activity is an evolutionary conserved mechanism. Our data support a model in which RNA serves to protect actively transcribed regions of the genome from dMi-2/CHD4-mediated establishment of repressive chromatin structures.

An update on principles of m6A targeting

N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) is of fundamental importance in gene regulation. The function of m⁶A is achieved through proteins that recognize m⁶A, known as EVOLUTIONARILY CONSERVED C-TERMINAL REGIONS (ECTs) in arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). mRNA targets of ECTs and their interaction with m⁶A-containing motifs remain to be revealed. In this forum article, I highlight recent advances in m⁶A targeting.

A Pipeline for Analyzing eCLIP and iCLIP Data with Htseq-clip and DEWSeq

Individual-nucleotide crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (iCLIP) sequencing and its derivative enhanced CLIP (eCLIP) sequencing are methods for the transcriptome-wide detection of binding sites of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). This chapter provides a stepwise tutorial for analyzing iCLIP and eCLIP data with replicates and size-matched input (SMI) controls after read alignment using our open-source tools htseq-clip and DEWSeq. This includes the preparation of gene annotation, extraction, and preprocessing of truncation sites and the detection of significantly enriched binding sites using a sliding window based approach suitable for different binding modes of RBPs.

TDP-43 condensation properties specify its RNA-binding and regulatory repertoire

Mutations causing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) often affect the condensation properties of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). However, the role of RBP condensation in the specificity and function of protein-RNA complexes remains unclear. We created a series of TDP-43 C-terminal domain (CTD) variants that exhibited a gradient of low to high condensation propensity, as observed in vitro and by nuclear mobility and foci formation. Notably, a capacity for condensation was required for efficient TDP-43 assembly on subsets of RNA-binding regions, which contain unusually long clusters of motifs of characteristic types and density. These "binding-region condensates" are promoted by homomeric CTD-driven interactions and required for efficient regulation of a subset of bound transcripts, including autoregulation of TDP-43 mRNA. We establish that RBP condensation can occur in a binding-region-specific manner to selectively modulate transcriptome-wide RNA regulation, which has implications for remodeling RNA networks in the context of signaling, disease, and evolution.

Ultraplex: A rapid, flexible, all-in-one fastq demultiplexer

Background: The first step of virtually all next generation sequencing analysis involves the splitting of the raw sequencing data into separate files using sample-specific barcodes, a process known as "demultiplexing". However, we found that existing software for this purpose was either too inflexible or too computationally intensive for fast, streamlined processing of raw, single end fastq files containing combinatorial barcodes. Results: Here, we introduce a fast and uniquely flexible demultiplexer, named Ultraplex, which splits a raw FASTQ file containing barcodes either at a single end or at both 5' and 3' ends of reads, trims the sequencing adaptors and low-quality bases, and moves unique molecular identifiers (UMIs) into the read header, allowing subsequent removal of PCR duplicates. Ultraplex is able to perform such single or combinatorial demultiplexing on both single- and paired-end sequencing data, and can process an entire Illumina HiSeq lane, consisting of nearly 500 million reads, in less than 20 minutes. Conclusions: Ultraplex greatly reduces computational burden and pipeline complexity for the demultiplexing of complex sequencing libraries, such as those produced by various CLIP and ribosome profiling protocols, and is also very user friendly, enabling streamlined, robust data processing. Ultraplex is available on PyPi and Conda and via Github.

SRSF3 and SRSF7 modulate 3'UTR length through suppression or activation of proximal polyadenylation sites and regulation of CFIm levels

Background

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) refers to the regulated selection of polyadenylation sites (PASs) in transcripts, which determines the length of their 3′ untranslated regions (3′UTRs). We have recently shown that SRSF3 and SRSF7, two closely related SR proteins, connect APA with mRNA export. The mechanism underlying APA regulation by SRSF3 and SRSF7 remained unknown.

Results

Here we combine iCLIP and 3′-end sequencing and find that SRSF3 and SRSF7 bind upstream of proximal PASs (pPASs), but they exert opposite effects on 3′UTR length. SRSF7 enhances pPAS usage in a concentration-dependent but splicing-independent manner by recruiting the cleavage factor FIP1, generating short 3′UTRs. Protein domains unique to SRSF7, which are absent from SRSF3, contribute to FIP1 recruitment. In contrast, SRSF3 promotes distal PAS (dPAS) usage and hence long 3′UTRs directly by counteracting SRSF7, but also indirectly by maintaining high levels of cleavage factor Im (CFIm) via alternative splicing. Upon SRSF3 depletion, CFIm levels decrease and 3′UTRs are shortened. The indirect SRSF3 targets are particularly sensitive to low CFIm levels, because here CFIm serves a dual function; it enhances dPAS and inhibits pPAS usage by binding immediately downstream and assembling unproductive cleavage complexes, which together promotes long 3′UTRs.

Conclusions

We demonstrate that SRSF3 and SRSF7 are direct modulators of pPAS usage and show how small differences in the domain architecture of SR proteins can confer opposite effects on pPAS regulation.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13059-021-02298-y.

RNA-Binding Proteins and Their Targets in Trypanosoma brucei: Single Nucleotide Resolution Using iCLIP and iCLAP

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are critical to posttranscriptional gene regulation. Therefore, characterization of the RNA molecules bound by RBPs in vivo represent a key step in elucidating their function. The recently developed iCLIP technique allows single nucleotide resolution of the RNA binding footprints of RBPs. We present the iCLIP technique modified for its application to Trypanosoma brucei and most likely other kinetoplastid flagellates. By using the immuno- or affinity purification approach, it was successfully applied to the analysis of several RBPs. Furthermore, we also provide a detailed description of the iCLIP/iCLAP protocol that shall be particularly suitable for the studies of trypanosome RBPs.

iCLIP analysis of RNA substrates of the archaeal exosome

Background

The archaeal exosome is an exoribonucleolytic multiprotein complex, which degrades single-stranded RNA in 3′ to 5′ direction phosphorolytically. In a reverse reaction, it can add A-rich tails to the 3′-end of RNA. The catalytic center of the exosome is in the aRrp41 subunit of its hexameric core. Its RNA-binding subunits aRrp4 and aDnaG confer poly(A) preference to the complex. The archaeal exosome was intensely characterized in vitro, but still little is known about its interaction with natural substrates in the cell, particularly because analysis of the transcriptome-wide interaction of an exoribonuclease with RNA is challenging.

Results

To determine binding sites of the exosome to RNA on a global scale, we performed individual-nucleotide resolution UV crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (iCLIP) analysis with antibodies directed against aRrp4 and aRrp41 of the chrenarchaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus. A relatively high proportion (17–19%) of the obtained cDNA reads could not be mapped to the genome. Instead, they corresponded to adenine-rich RNA tails, which are post-transcriptionally synthesized by the exosome, and to circular RNAs (circRNAs). We identified novel circRNAs corresponding to 5′ parts of two homologous, transposase-related mRNAs. To detect preferred substrates of the exosome, the iCLIP reads were compared to the transcript abundance using RNA-Seq data. Among the strongly enriched exosome substrates were RNAs antisense to tRNAs, overlapping 3′-UTRs and RNAs containing poly(A) stretches. The majority of the read counts and crosslink sites mapped in mRNAs. Furthermore, unexpected crosslink sites clustering at 5′-ends of RNAs was detected.

Conclusions

In this study, RNA targets of an exoribonuclease were analyzed by iCLIP. The data documents the role of the archaeal exosome as an exoribonuclease and RNA-tailing enzyme interacting with all RNA classes, and underlines its role in mRNA turnover, which is important for adaptation of prokaryotic cells to changing environmental conditions. The clustering of crosslink sites near 5′-ends of genes suggests simultaneous binding of both RNA ends by the S. solfataricus exosome. This may serve to prevent translation of mRNAs dedicated to degradation in 3′-5′ direction.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-020-07200-x.

Plant Individual Nucleotide Resolution Cross-Linking and Immunoprecipitation to Characterize RNA-Protein Complexes

In recent years, it has become increasingly recognized that regulation at the RNA level pervasively shapes the transcriptome in eukaryotic cells. This has fostered an interest in the mode of action of RNA-binding proteins that, via interaction with specific RNA sequence motifs, modulate gene expression. Understanding such posttranscriptional networks controlled by an RNA-binding protein requires a comprehensive identification of its in vivo targets. In metazoans and yeast, methods have been devised to stabilize RNA-protein interactions by UV cross-linking before isolating RNA-protein complexes using antibodies, followed by identification of associated RNAs by next-generation sequencing. These methods are collectively referred to as CLIP-Seq (cross-linking immunoprecipitation-high-throughput sequencing). Here, we present a version of the individual nucleotide resolution cross-linking and immunoprecipitation procedure that is suitable for use in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.

An autoinhibitory intramolecular interaction proof-reads RNA recognition by the essential splicing factor U2AF2

The recognition of cis-regulatory RNA motifs in human transcripts by RNA binding proteins (RBPs) is essential for gene regulation. The molecular features that determine RBP specificity are often poorly understood. Here, we combined NMR structural biology with high-throughput iCLIP approaches to identify a regulatory mechanism for U2AF2 RNA recognition. We found that the intrinsically disordered linker region connecting the two RNA recognition motif (RRM) domains of U2AF2 mediates autoinhibitory intramolecular interactions to reduce nonproductive binding to weak Py-tract RNAs. This proofreading favors binding of U2AF2 at stronger Py-tracts, as required to define 3' splice sites at early stages of spliceosome assembly. Mutations that impair the linker autoinhibition enhance the affinity for weak Py-tracts result in promiscuous binding of U2AF2 along mRNAs and impact on splicing fidelity. Our findings highlight an important role of intrinsically disordered linkers to modulate RNA interactions of multidomain RBPs.

SEQing: web-based visualization of iCLIP and RNA-seq data in an interactive python framework

Background

RNA-binding proteins interact with their target RNAs at specific sites. These binding sites can be determined genome-wide through individual nucleotide resolution crosslinking immunoprecipitation (iCLIP). Subsequently, the binding sites have to be visualized. So far, no visualization tool exists that is easily accessible but also supports restricted access so that data can be shared among collaborators.

Results

Here we present SEQing, a customizable interactive dashboard to visualize crosslink sites on target genes of RNA-binding proteins that have been obtained by iCLIP. Moreover, SEQing supports RNA-seq data that can be displayed in a different window tab. This allows, e.g. crossreferencing the iCLIP data with genes differentially expressed in mutants of the RBP and thus obtain some insights into a potential functional relevance of the binding sites. Additionally, detailed information on the target genes can be incorporated in another tab.

Conclusion

SEQing is written in Python3 and runs on Linux. The web-based access makes iCLIP data easily accessible, even with mobile devices. SEQing is customizable in many ways and has also the option to be secured by a password. The source code is available at https://github.com/malewins/SEQing.

The RNA-binding ubiquitin ligase MKRN1 functions in ribosome-associated quality control of poly(A) translation

BACKGROUND

Cells have evolved quality control mechanisms to ensure protein homeostasis by detecting and degrading aberrant mRNAs and proteins. A common source of aberrant mRNAs is premature polyadenylation, which can result in non-functional protein products. Translating ribosomes that encounter poly(A) sequences are terminally stalled, followed by ribosome recycling and decay of the truncated nascent polypeptide via ribosome-associated quality control.

RESULTS

Here, we demonstrate that the conserved RNA-binding E3 ubiquitin ligase Makorin Ring Finger Protein 1 (MKRN1) promotes ribosome stalling at poly(A) sequences during ribosome-associated quality control. We show that MKRN1 directly binds to the cytoplasmic poly(A)-binding protein (PABPC1) and associates with polysomes. MKRN1 is positioned upstream of poly(A) tails in mRNAs in a PABPC1-dependent manner. Ubiquitin remnant profiling and in vitro ubiquitylation assays uncover PABPC1 and ribosomal protein RPS10 as direct ubiquitylation substrates of MKRN1.

CONCLUSIONS

We propose that MKRN1 mediates the recognition of poly(A) tails to prevent the production of erroneous proteins from prematurely polyadenylated transcripts, thereby maintaining proteome integrity.

Sequestration of microRNA-mediated target repression by the Ago2-associated RNA-binding protein FAM120A

Argonaute (Ago) proteins interact with various binding partners and play a pivotal role in microRNA (miRNA)-mediated silencing pathways. By utilizing immunoprecipitation followed by mass spectrometry to determine cytoplasmic Ago2 protein complexes in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), we identified a putative RNA-binding protein FAM120A (also known as OSSA/C9ORF10) as an Ago2 interacting protein. Individual nucleotide resolution cross-linking and immunoprecipitation (iCLIP) analysis revealed that FAM120A binds to homopolymeric tracts in 3'-UTRs of about 2000 mRNAs, particularly poly(G) sequences. Comparison of FAM120A iCLIP and Ago2 iCLIP reveals that greater than one-third of mRNAs bound by Ago2 in mESCs are co-bound by FAM120A. Furthermore, such FAM120A-bound Ago2 target genes are not subject to Ago2-mediated target degradation. Reporter assays suggest that the 3'-UTRs of several FAM120A-bound miRNA target genes are less sensitive to Ago2-mediated target repression than those of FAM120A-unbound miRNA targets and FAM120A modulates them via its G-rich target sites. These findings suggest that Ago2 may exist in multiple protein complexes with varying degrees of functionality.

mRNA Cap Methyltransferase, RNMT-RAM, Promotes RNA Pol II-Dependent Transcription

mRNA cap addition occurs early during RNA Pol II-dependent transcription, facilitating pre-mRNA processing and translation. We report that the mammalian mRNA cap methyltransferase, RNMT-RAM, promotes RNA Pol II transcription independent of mRNA capping and translation. In cells, sublethal suppression of RNMT-RAM reduces RNA Pol II occupancy, net mRNA synthesis, and pre-mRNA levels. Conversely, expression of RNMT-RAM increases transcription independent of cap methyltransferase activity. In isolated nuclei, recombinant RNMT-RAM stimulates transcriptional output; this requires the RAM RNA binding domain. RNMT-RAM interacts with nascent transcripts along their entire length and with transcription-associated factors including the RNA Pol II subunits SPT4, SPT6, and PAFc. Suppression of RNMT-RAM inhibits transcriptional markers including histone H2BK120 ubiquitination, H3K4 and H3K36 methylation, RNA Pol II CTD S5 and S2 phosphorylation, and PAFc recruitment. These findings suggest that multiple interactions among RNMT-RAM, RNA Pol II factors, and RNA along the transcription unit stimulate transcription.

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mRNA cap methyltransferase, RNMT-RAM, promotes RNA Pol II-dependent transcription

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RNMT-RAM-dependent transcription is independent of mRNA cap methylation

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RNMT-RAM binds to the entire length of pre-mRNA and to transcription-associated proteins

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Significant loss of RNA Pol II gene occupancy is observed on RNMT-RAM suppression

CLIP and RNA interactome studies to unravel genome-wide RNA-protein interactions in vivo in Arabidopsis thaliana

Post-transcriptional regulation makes an important contribution to adjusting the transcriptome to environmental changes in plants. RNA-binding proteins are key players that interact specifically with mRNAs to co-ordinate their fate. While the regulatory interactions between proteins and RNA are well understood in animals, until recently little information was available on the global binding landscape of RNA-binding proteins in higher plants. This is not least due to technical challenges in plants. In turn, while numerous RNA-binding proteins have been identified through mutant analysis and homology-based searches in plants, only recently a full compendium of proteins with RNA-binding activity has been experimentally determined for the reference plant Arabidopsis thaliana. State-of-the-art techniques to determine RNA-protein interactions genome-wide in animals are based on the covalent fixation of RNA and protein in vivo by UV light. This has only recently been successfully applied to plants. Here, we present practical considerations on the application of UV irradiation based methods to comprehensively determine in vivo RNA-protein interactions in Arabidopsis thaliana, focussing on individual nucleotide resolution crosslinking immunoprecipitation (iCLIP) and mRNA interactome capture.

Quick-irCLIP: Interrogating protein-RNA interactions using a rapid and simple cross-linking and immunoprecipitation technique

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are instrumental in the biochemical processing and physiological functioning of non-coding RNAs. Therefore, as interest in non-coding RNAs continues to expand, refining the techniques capable of probing protein-RNA interactions will prove ever more valuable in the characterization of these molecules. To identify the RNAs bound by a given RBP, cross-linking and immunoprecipitation (CLIP) and its iterations have been widely utilized, but these approaches can be complex, labor-intensive, and time consuming. Here, we describe a rapid and technically simple method based upon individual nucleotide resolution CLIP (iCLIP) and infrared CLIP (irCLIP). Termed quick-irCLIP, our protocol circumvents confounding steps, can be completed in less than three days, and is capable of interrogating protein-RNA interactions at single nucleotide resolution.

Toward Identifying Subnetworks from FBF Binding Landscapes in Caenorhabditis Spermatogenic or Oogenic Germlines

Metazoan PUF (Pumilio and FBF) RNA-binding proteins regulate various biological processes, but a common theme across phylogeny is stem cell regulation. In Caenorhabditis elegans, FBF (fem-3 Binding Factor) maintains germline stem cells regardless of which gamete is made, but FBF also functions in the process of spermatogenesis. We have begun to "disentangle" these biological roles by asking which FBF targets are gamete-independent, as expected for stem cells, and which are gamete-specific. Specifically, we compared FBF iCLIP binding profiles in adults making sperm to those making oocytes. Normally, XX adults make oocytes. To generate XX adults making sperm, we used a fem-3(gf) mutant requiring growth at 25°; for comparison, wild-type oogenic hermaphrodites were also raised at 25°. Our FBF iCLIP data revealed FBF binding sites in 1522 RNAs from oogenic adults and 1704 RNAs from spermatogenic adults. More than half of these FBF targets were independent of germline gender. We next clustered RNAs by FBF-RNA complex frequencies and found four distinct blocks. Block I RNAs were enriched in spermatogenic germlines, and included validated target fog-3, while Block II and III RNAs were common to both genders, and Block IV RNAs were enriched in oogenic germlines. Block II (510 RNAs) included almost all validated FBF targets and was enriched for cell cycle regulators. Block III (21 RNAs) was enriched for RNA-binding proteins, including previously validated FBF targets gld-1 and htp-1 We suggest that Block I RNAs belong to the FBF network for spermatogenesis, and that Blocks II and III are associated with stem cell functions.

View from an mRNP: The Roles of SR Proteins in Assembly, Maturation and Turnover

Serine- and arginine-rich proteins (SR proteins) are a family of multitasking RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) that are key determinants of messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) formation, identity and fate. Apart from their essential functions in pre-mRNA splicing, SR proteins display additional pre- and post-splicing activities and connect nuclear and cytoplasmic gene expression machineries. Through changes in their post-translational modifications (PTMs) and their subcellular localization, they provide functional specificity and adjustability to mRNPs. Transcriptome-wide UV crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (CLIP-Seq) studies revealed that individual SR proteins are present in distinct mRNPs and act in specific pairs to regulate different gene expression programmes. Adopting an mRNP-centric viewpoint, we discuss the roles of SR proteins in the assembly, maturation, quality control and turnover of mRNPs and describe the mechanisms by which they integrate external signals, coordinate their multiple tasks and couple subsequent mRNA processing steps.

The key protein of endosomal mRNP transport Rrm4 binds translational landmark sites of cargo mRNAs

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) determine spatiotemporal gene expression by mediating active transport and local translation of cargo mRNAs. Here, we cast a transcriptome-wide view on the transported mRNAs and cognate RBP binding sites during endosomal messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) transport in Ustilago maydis Using individual-nucleotide resolution UV crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (iCLIP), we compare the key transport RBP Rrm4 and the newly identified endosomal mRNP component Grp1 that is crucial to coordinate hyphal growth. Both RBPs bind predominantly in the 3' untranslated region of thousands of shared cargo mRNAs, often in close proximity. Intriguingly, Rrm4 precisely binds at stop codons, which constitute landmark sites of translation, suggesting an intimate connection of mRNA transport and translation. Towards uncovering the code of recognition, we identify UAUG as specific binding motif of Rrm4 that is bound by its third RRM domain. Altogether, we provide first insights into the positional organisation of co-localising RBPs on individual cargo mRNAs.

Combinatorial interplay of RNA-binding proteins tunes levels of mitochondrial mRNA in trypanosomes

MRP1/2 is a heteromeric protein complex that functions in the trypanosomatid mitochondrion as part of the RNA editing machinery, which facilitates multiple targeted insertions and deletions of uridines. MRP1/2 was shown to interact with MRB8170, which initiates RNA editing by marking pre-edited mRNAs, while TbRGG2 is required for its efficient progression on pan-edited mRNAs. Both MRP1/2 and TbRGG2 are capable of modulating RNA-RNA interactions in vitro. As determined by using iCLIP and RIP-qPCR, RNAs bound to MRP1/2 are characterized and compared with those associated with MRB8170 and TbRGG2. We provide evidence that MRP1 and MRB8170 have correlated binding and similar RNA crosslinking peak profiles over minimally and never-edited mRNAs. Our results suggest that MRP1 assists MRB8170 in RNA editing on minimally edited mRNAs.

omniCLIP: probabilistic identification of protein-RNA interactions from CLIP-seq data

CLIP-seq methods allow the generation of genome-wide maps of RNA binding protein – RNA interaction sites. However, due to differences between different CLIP-seq assays, existing computational approaches to analyze the data can only be applied to a subset of assays. Here, we present a probabilistic model called omniCLIP that can detect regulatory elements in RNAs from data of all CLIP-seq assays. omniCLIP jointly models data across replicates and can integrate background information. Therefore, omniCLIP greatly simplifies the data analysis, increases the reliability of results and paves the way for integrative studies based on data from different assays.

Characterization of cis-acting elements that control oscillating alternative splicing

Alternative splicing (AS) in response to changing external conditions often requires alterations in the ability of sequence-specific RNA-binding proteins to bind to cis-acting sequences in their target pre-mRNA. While daily oscillations in AS events have been described in several organisms, cis-acting sequences that control time of the day-dependent AS remain largely elusive. Here we define cis-regulatory RNA elements that control body-temperature driven rhythmic AS using the mouse U2af26 gene as a model system. We identify a complex network of cis-regulatory sequences that regulate AS of U2af26, and show that the activity of two enhancer elements is necessary for oscillating AS. A minigene comprising these U2af26 regions recapitulates rhythmic splicing of the endogenous gene, which is controlled through temperature-regulated SR protein phosphorylation. Mutagenesis of the minigene delineates the cis-acting enhancer element for SRSF2 within exon 6 to single nucleotide resolution and reveals that the combined activity of SRSF2 and SRSF7 is required for oscillating U2af26 AS. By combining RNA-Seq with an siRNA screen and individual-nucleotide resolution cross-linking and immunoprecipitation (iCLIP), we identify a complex network of SR proteins that globally controls temperature-dependent rhythmic AS, with the direction of splicing depending on the position of the cis-acting elements. Together, we provide detailed insights into the sequence requirements that allow trans-acting factors to generate daily rhythms in AS.

iCLIP of the PIWI Protein Aubergine in Drosophila Embryos

Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are a class of small noncoding RNAs bound to specific Argonaute proteins, the PIWI proteins. piRNAs target mRNAs by complementarity to silence them; they play an important role in the repression of transposable elements in the germ line of many species. piRNAs and PIWI proteins are also involved in diverse biological processes through their role in the regulation of cellular mRNAs. In the Drosophila embryo, they contribute to the maternal mRNA decay occurring during the maternal-to-zygotic transition. CLIP (UV cross-linking and immunoprecipitation) techniques have been used to identify target mRNAs of Argonaute proteins. Here we describe the iCLIP (individual-nucleotide resolution CLIP) protocol that we have adapted for the PIWI protein Aubergine in Drosophila embryos.

Individual Nucleotide Resolution UV Cross-Linking and Immunoprecipitation (iCLIP) to Determine Protein-RNA Interactions

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) interact with and determine the fate of many cellular RNA transcripts. In doing so they help direct many essential roles in cellular physiology, while their perturbed activity can contribute to disease etiology. In this chapter we detail a functional genomics approach, termed individual nucleotide resolution UV cross-linking and immunoprecipitation (iCLIP), that can determine the interactions of RBPs with their RNA targets in high throughput and at nucleotide resolution. iCLIP achieves this by exploiting UV-induced covalent cross-links formed between RBPs and their target RNAs to both purify the RBP-RNA complexes under stringent conditions, and to cause reverse transcription stalling that then identifies the direct cross-link sites in the high throughput sequenced cDNA libraries.

'Read-through marking' reveals differential nucleotide composition of read-through and truncated cDNAs in iCLIP

We established a modified iCLIP protocol, called 'read-through marking', which facilitates the detection of cDNAs that have not been truncated upon encountering the RNA-peptide complex during reverse transcription (read-through cDNAs). A large proportion of these cDNAs would be undesirable in an iCLIP library, as it could affect the resolution of the method. To this end, we added an oligonucleotide to the 5'-end of RNA fragments-a 5'-marker-to mark the read-through cDNAs. By applying this modified iCLIP protocol to PTBP1 and eIF4A3, we found that the start sites of read-through cDNAs are enriched in adenosines, while the remaining cDNAs have a markedly different sequence content at their starts, preferentially containing thymidines. This finding in turn indicates that most of the reads in our iCLIP libraries are a product of truncation with valuable information regarding the proteins' RNA-binding sites. Thus, cDNA start sites confidently identify a protein's RNA-crosslink sites and we can account for the impact of read-through cDNAs by commonly adding a 5'-marker.

hnRNP R and its main interactor, the noncoding RNA 7SK, coregulate the axonal transcriptome of motoneurons

Neurons are highly polarized cells. RNA-binding proteins contribute to this polarization by generating diverse subcellular transcriptomes. The RNA-binding protein hnRNP R is essential for axon growth in motoneurons. This study reports the RNA interactome for hnRNP R. The main interacting RNA of hnRNP R was the noncoding RNA 7SK. Depletion of 7SK from primary motoneurons disturbed axon growth. This effect was dependent on the interaction of 7SK with hnRNP R. Both hnRNP R and 7SK localize to axons. Loss of 7SK led to a similar depletion of axonal transcripts as loss of hnRNP R. Our data suggest that 7SK, in addition to its role in transcriptional regulation, acts in concert with hnRNP R to sort specific transcripts into axons.

Disturbed RNA processing and subcellular transport contribute to the pathomechanisms of motoneuron diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and spinal muscular atrophy. RNA-binding proteins are involved in these processes, but the mechanisms by which they regulate the subcellular diversity of transcriptomes, particularly in axons, are not understood. Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein R (hnRNP R) interacts with several proteins involved in motoneuron diseases. It is located in axons of developing motoneurons, and its depletion causes defects in axon growth. Here, we used individual nucleotide-resolution cross-linking and immunoprecipitation (iCLIP) to determine the RNA interactome of hnRNP R in motoneurons. We identified ∼3,500 RNA targets, predominantly with functions in synaptic transmission and axon guidance. Among the RNA targets identified by iCLIP, the noncoding RNA 7SK was the top interactor of hnRNP R. We detected 7SK in the nucleus and also in the cytosol of motoneurons. In axons, 7SK localized in close proximity to hnRNP R, and depletion of hnRNP R reduced axonal 7SK. Furthermore, suppression of 7SK led to defective axon growth that was accompanied by axonal transcriptome alterations similar to those caused by hnRNP R depletion. Using a series of 7SK-deletion mutants, we show that the function of 7SK in axon elongation depends on its interaction with hnRNP R but not with the PTEF-B complex involved in transcriptional regulation. These results propose a role for 7SK as an essential interactor of hnRNP R to regulate its function in axon maintenance.

High-Resolution RNA Maps Suggest Common Principles of Splicing and Polyadenylation Regulation by TDP-43

Many RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) regulate both alternative exons and poly(A) site selection. To understand their regulatory principles, we developed expressRNA, a web platform encompassing computational tools for integration of iCLIP and RNA motif analyses with RNA-seq and 3′ mRNA sequencing. This reveals at nucleotide resolution the “RNA maps” describing how the RNA binding positions of RBPs relate to their regulatory functions. We use this approach to examine how TDP-43, an RBP involved in several neurodegenerative diseases, binds around its regulated poly(A) sites. Binding close to the poly(A) site generally represses, whereas binding further downstream enhances use of the site, which is similar to TDP-43 binding around regulated exons. Our RNAmotifs2 software also identifies sequence motifs that cluster together with the binding motifs of TDP-43. We conclude that TDP-43 directly regulates diverse types of pre-mRNA processing according to common position-dependent principles.

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TDP-43 regulates competing poly(A) sites in a highly position-dependent manner

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expressRNA is a new platform for analysis of alternative polyadenylation and splicing

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RNAmotifs2 is a cluster motif analysis platform integrated with expressRNA

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Regulation of pre-mRNA processing might follow common position-dependent principles

Oncogenic Role of THOR, a Conserved Cancer/Testis Long Non-coding RNA

Large-scale transcriptome sequencing efforts have vastly expanded the catalog of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) with varying evolutionary conservation, lineage expression, and cancer specificity. Here, we functionally characterize a novel ultraconserved lncRNA, THOR (ENSG00000226856), which exhibits expression exclusively in testis and a broad range of human cancers. THOR knockdown and overexpression in multiple cell lines and animal models alters cell or tumor growth supporting an oncogenic role. We discovered a conserved interaction of THOR with IGF2BP1 and show that THOR contributes to the mRNA stabilization activities of IGF2BP1. Notably, transgenic THOR knockout produced fertilization defects in zebrafish and also conferred a resistance to melanoma onset. Likewise, ectopic expression of human THOR in zebrafish accelerated the onset of melanoma. THOR represents a novel class of functionally important cancer/testis lncRNAs whose structure and function have undergone positive evolutionary selection.

Insights into the design and interpretation of iCLIP experiments

Background

Ultraviolet (UV) crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (CLIP) identifies the sites on RNAs that are in direct contact with RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). Several variants of CLIP exist, which require different computational approaches for analysis. This variety of approaches can create challenges for a novice user and can hamper insights from multi-study comparisons. Here, we produce data with multiple variants of CLIP and evaluate the data with various computational methods to better understand their suitability.

Results

We perform experiments for PTBP1 and eIF4A3 using individual-nucleotide resolution CLIP (iCLIP), employing either UV-C or photoactivatable 4-thiouridine (4SU) combined with UV-A crosslinking and compare the results with published data. As previously noted, the positions of complementary DNA (cDNA)-starts depend on cDNA length in several iCLIP experiments and we now find that this is caused by constrained cDNA-ends, which can result from the sequence and structure constraints of RNA fragmentation. These constraints are overcome when fragmentation by RNase I is efficient and when a broad cDNA size range is obtained. Our study also shows that if RNase does not efficiently cut within the binding sites, the original CLIP method is less capable of identifying the longer binding sites of RBPs. In contrast, we show that a broad size range of cDNAs in iCLIP allows the cDNA-starts to efficiently delineate the complete RNA-binding sites.

Conclusions

We demonstrate the advantage of iCLIP and related methods that can amplify cDNAs that truncate at crosslink sites and we show that computational analyses based on cDNAs-starts are appropriate for such methods.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13059-016-1130-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

UNR/CSDE1 Drives a Post-transcriptional Program to Promote Melanoma Invasion and Metastasis

RNA binding proteins (RBPs) modulate cancer progression through poorly understood mechanisms. Here we show that the RBP UNR/CSDE1 is overexpressed in melanoma tumors and promotes invasion and metastasis. iCLIP sequencing, RNA sequencing, and ribosome profiling combined with in silico studies unveiled sets of pro-metastatic factors coordinately regulated by UNR as part of RNA regulons. In addition to RNA steady-state levels, UNR was found to control many of its targets at the level of translation elongation/termination. Key pro-oncogenic targets of UNR included VIM and RAC1, as validated by loss- and gain-of-function studies. Our results identify UNR as an oncogenic modulator of melanoma progression, unravel the underlying molecular mechanisms, and identify potential targets for this therapeutically challenging malignancy.

The RNA-binding landscape of RBM10 and its role in alternative splicing regulation in models of mouse early development

Mutations in the RNA-binding protein, RBM10, result in a human syndromic form of cleft palate, termed TARP syndrome. A role for RBM10 in alternative splicing regulation has been previously demonstrated in human cell lines. To uncover the cellular functions of RBM10 in a cell line that is relevant to the phenotype observed in TARP syndrome, we used iCLIP to identify its endogenous RNA targets in a mouse embryonic mandibular cell line. We observed that RBM10 binds to pre-mRNAs with significant enrichment in intronic regions, in agreement with a role for this protein in pre-mRNA splicing. In addition to protein-coding transcripts, RBM10 also binds to a variety of cellular RNAs, including non-coding RNAs, such as spliceosomal small nuclear RNAs, U2 and U12. RNA-seq was used to investigate changes in gene expression and alternative splicing in RBM10 KO mouse mandibular cells and also in mouse ES cells. We uncovered a role for RBM10 in the regulation of alternative splicing of common transcripts in both cell lines but also identified cell-type specific events. Importantly, those pre-mRNAs that display changes in alternative splicing also contain RBM10 iCLIP tags, suggesting a direct role of RBM10 in these events. Finally, we show that depletion of RBM10 in mouse ES cells leads to proliferation defects and to gross alterations in their differentiation potential. These results demonstrate a role for RBM10 in the regulation of alternative splicing in two cell models of mouse early development and suggests that mutations in RBM10 could lead to splicing changes that affect normal palate development and cause human disease.

Pairing beyond the Seed Supports MicroRNA Targeting Specificity

To identify endogenous miRNA-target sites, we isolated AGO-bound RNAs from Caenorhabditis elegans by individual-nucleotide resolution crosslinking immunoprecipitation (iCLIP), which fortuitously also produced miRNA-target chimeric reads. Through the analysis of thousands of reproducible chimeras, pairing to the miRNA seed emerged as the predominant motif associated with functional interactions. Unexpectedly, we discovered that additional pairing to 3' sequences is prevalent in the majority of target sites and leads to specific targeting by members of miRNA families. By editing an endogenous target site, we demonstrate that 3' pairing determines targeting by specific miRNA family members and that seed pairing is not always sufficient for functional target interactions. Finally, we present a simplified method, chimera PCR (ChimP), for the detection of specific miRNA-target interactions. Overall, our analysis revealed that sequences in the 5' as well as the 3' regions of a miRNA provide the information necessary for stable and specific miRNA-target interactions in vivo.

Coupling pre-mRNA splicing and 3' end formation to mRNA export: alternative ways to punch the nuclear export clock

How does a mammalian cell determine when newly synthesized mRNAs are fully processed and appropriate for nuclear export? Müller-McNicoll and colleagues (pp. 553-566) expand on mechanisms known to be mediated by nuclear export factor 1 (NXF1) by describing SR proteins as NXF1 adaptors that flag alternatively spliced and polyadenylated mRNA isoforms as cargo ready for the cytoplasm.

SR proteins are NXF1 adaptors that link alternative RNA processing to mRNA export

In this study, Müller-McNicoll et al. investigate how export machinery assembles on mRNA and how it senses mRNA maturity before exporting mRNAs from the nucleus. They show that SR proteins act as NXF1 adaptors by connecting alternative splicing and 3′ end formation to mRNA export in vivo and propose that SR proteins and NXF1 form a ternary complex on mRNAs, particularly in last exons, and shuttle together to the cytoplasm.

Nuclear export factor 1 (NXF1) exports mRNA to the cytoplasm after recruitment to mRNA by specific adaptor proteins. How and why cells use numerous different export adaptors is poorly understood. Here we critically evaluate members of the SR protein family (SRSF1–7) for their potential to act as NXF1 adaptors that couple pre-mRNA processing to mRNA export. Consistent with this proposal, >1000 endogenous mRNAs required individual SR proteins for nuclear export in vivo. To address the mechanism, transcriptome-wide RNA-binding profiles of NXF1 and SRSF1–7 were determined in parallel by individual-nucleotide-resolution UV cross-linking and immunoprecipitation (iCLIP). Quantitative comparisons of RNA-binding sites showed that NXF1 and SR proteins bind mRNA targets at adjacent sites, indicative of cobinding. SRSF3 emerged as the most potent NXF1 adaptor, conferring sequence specificity to RNA binding by NXF1 in last exons. Interestingly, SRSF3 and SRSF7 were shown to bind different sites in last exons and regulate 3′ untranslated region length in an opposing manner. Both SRSF3 and SRSF7 promoted NXF1 recruitment to mRNA. Thus, SRSF3 and SRSF7 couple alternative splicing and polyadenylation to NXF1-mediated mRNA export, thereby controlling the cytoplasmic abundance of transcripts with alternative 3′ ends.

Profiling the Binding Sites of RNA-Binding Proteins with Nucleotide Resolution Using iCLIP

The importance of posttranscriptional regulation in cellular metabolism has recently gone beyond what was previously appreciated. The regulatory mechanisms are controlled by RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), which form complexes with RNA and regulate RNA processing, stability, and localization, among others. Consistently, mutations in RBPs result in defects in developmental processes, diseases, and cancer. Gaining deeper insights into the biology of RNA-RBP interactions will lead to a better understanding of regulatory processes and disease development. Several techniques have been developed to capture the properties of RNA-RBP interactions. Furthermore, the development of high-throughput sequencing has broadened the capability of these methods. Here, we summarize individual-nucleotide resolution UV cross-linking and immunoprecipitation (iCLIP), a powerful technique that provides genome-wide information on RNA-RBP interactions at nucleotide resolution. In this chapter, we outline the iCLIP protocol and list possible controls that allow a targeted and cost-minimizing optimization of the protocol for an RBP-of-interest. Moreover, we provide notes on experimental design and a troubleshooting guideline for common problems that can occur during iCLIP library preparation.

Global identification of hnRNP A1 binding sites for SSO-based splicing modulation

Background

Many pathogenic genetic variants have been shown to disrupt mRNA splicing. Besides splice mutations in the well-conserved splice sites, mutations in splicing regulatory elements (SREs) may deregulate splicing and cause disease. A promising therapeutic approach is to compensate for this deregulation by blocking other SREs with splice-switching oligonucleotides (SSOs). However, the location and sequence of most SREs are not well known.

Results

Here, we used individual-nucleotide resolution crosslinking immunoprecipitation (iCLIP) to establish an in vivo binding map for the key splicing regulatory factor hnRNP A1 and to generate an hnRNP A1 consensus binding motif. We find that hnRNP A1 binding in proximal introns may be important for repressing exons. We show that inclusion of the alternative cassette exon 3 in SKA2 can be significantly increased by SSO-based treatment which blocks an iCLIP-identified hnRNP A1 binding site immediately downstream of the 5’ splice site. Because pseudoexons are well suited as models for constitutive exons which have been inactivated by pathogenic mutations in SREs, we used a pseudoexon in MTRR as a model and showed that an iCLIP-identified hnRNP A1 binding site downstream of the 5′ splice site can be blocked by SSOs to activate the exon.

Conclusions

The hnRNP A1 binding map can be used to identify potential targets for SSO-based therapy. Moreover, together with the hnRNP A1 consensus binding motif, the binding map may be used to predict whether disease-associated mutations and SNPs affect hnRNP A1 binding and eventually mRNA splicing.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12915-016-0279-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The PUF binding landscape in metazoan germ cells

PUF (Pumilio/FBF) proteins are RNA-binding proteins and conserved stem cell regulators. The Caenorhabditis elegans PUF proteins FBF-1 and FBF-2 (collectively FBF) regulate mRNAs in germ cells. Without FBF, adult germlines lose all stem cells. A major gap in our understanding of PUF proteins, including FBF, is a global view of their binding sites in their native context (i.e., their "binding landscape"). To understand the interactions underlying FBF function, we used iCLIP (individual-nucleotide resolution UV crosslinking and immunoprecipitation) to determine binding landscapes of C. elegans FBF-1 and FBF-2 in the germline tissue of intact animals. Multiple iCLIP peak-calling methods were compared to maximize identification of both established FBF binding sites and positive control target mRNAs in our iCLIP data. We discovered that FBF-1 and FBF-2 bind to RNAs through canonical as well as alternate motifs. We also analyzed crosslinking-induced mutations to map binding sites precisely and to identify key nucleotides that may be critical for FBF-RNA interactions. FBF-1 and FBF-2 can bind sites in the 5'UTR, coding region, or 3'UTR, but have a strong bias for the 3' end of transcripts. FBF-1 and FBF-2 have strongly overlapping target profiles, including mRNAs and noncoding RNAs. From a statistically robust list of 1404 common FBF targets, 847 were previously unknown, 154 were related to cell cycle regulation, three were lincRNAs, and 335 were shared with the human PUF protein PUM2.

Improvements to the HITS-CLIP protocol eliminate widespread mispriming artifacts

Background

 High-throughput sequencing of RNA isolated by crosslinking immunoprecipitation (HITS-CLIP) allows for high resolution, genome-wide mapping of RNA-binding proteins. This methodology is frequently used to validate predicted targets of microRNA binding, as well as direct targets of other RNA-binding proteins. Hence, the accuracy and sensitivity of binding site identification is critical. 

Results

We found that substantial mispriming during reverse transcription results in the overrepresentation of sequences complementary to the primer used for reverse transcription. Up to 45 % of peaks in publicly available HITS-CLIP libraries are attributable to this mispriming artifact, and the majority of libraries have detectable levels of mispriming. We also found that standard techniques for validating microRNA-target interactions fail to differentiate between artifactual peaks and physiologically relevant peaks.

Conclusions

Here, we present a modification to the HITS-CLIP protocol that effectively eliminates this artifact and improves the sensitivity and complexity of resulting libraries.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-2675-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

High-throughput analyses of hnRNP H1 dissects its multi-functional aspect

hnRNPs are polyvalent RNA binding proteins that have been implicated in a range of regulatory roles including splicing, mRNA decay, translation, and miRNA metabolism. A variety of genome wide studies have taken advantage of methods like CLIP and RIP to identify the targets and binding sites of RNA binding proteins. However, due to the complex nature of RNA-binding proteins, these studies are incomplete without assays that characterize the impact of RBP binding on mRNA target expression. Here we used a suite of high-throughput approaches (RIP-Seq, iCLIP, RNA-Seq and shotgun proteomics) to provide a comprehensive view of hnRNP H1s ensemble of targets and its role in splicing, mRNA decay, and translation. The combination of RIP-Seq and iCLIP allowed us to identify a set of 1,086 high confidence target transcripts. Binding site motif analysis of these targets suggests the TGGG tetramer as a prevalent component of hnRNP H1 binding motif, with particular enrichment around intronic hnRNP H1 sites. Our analysis of the target transcripts and binding sites indicates that hnRNP H1s involvement in splicing is 2-fold: it directly affects a substantial number of splicing events, but also regulates the expression of major components of the splicing machinery and other RBPs with known roles in splicing regulation. The identified mRNA targets displayed function enrichment in MAPK signaling and ubiquitin mediated proteolysis, which might be main routes by which hnRNP H1 promotes tumorigenesis.

Experimental and Computational Considerations in the Study of RNA-Binding Protein-RNA Interactions

After an RNA is transcribed, it undergoes a variety of processing steps that can change the encoded protein sequence (through alternative splicing and RNA editing), regulate the stability of the RNA, and control subcellular localization, timing, and rate of translation. The recent explosion in genomics techniques has enabled transcriptome-wide profiling of RNA processing in an unbiased manner. However, it has also brought with it both experimental challenges in developing improved methods to probe distinct processing steps, as well as computational challenges in data storage, processing, and analysis tools to enable large-scale interpretation in the genomics era. In this chapter we review experimental techniques and challenges in profiling various aspects of RNA processing, as well as recent efforts to develop analyses integrating multiple data sources and techniques to infer RNA regulatory networks.

Genome-Wide Profiling of RNA-Protein Interactions Using CLIP-Seq

UV crosslinking immunoprecipitation (CLIP) is an increasingly popular technique to study protein-RNA interactions in tissues and cells. Whole cells or tissues are ultraviolet irradiated to generate a covalent bond between RNA and proteins that are in close contact. After partial RNase digestion, antibodies specific to an RNA binding protein (RBP) or a protein-epitope tag is then used to immunoprecipitate the protein-RNA complexes. After stringent washing and gel separation the RBP-RNA complex is excised. The RBP is protease digested to allow purification of the bound RNA. Reverse transcription of the RNA followed by high-throughput sequencing of the cDNA library is now often used to identify protein bound RNA on a genome-wide scale. UV irradiation can result in cDNA truncations and/or mutations at the crosslink sites, which complicates the alignment of the sequencing library to the reference genome and the identification of the crosslinking sites. Meanwhile, one or more amino acids of a crosslinked RBP can remain attached to its bound RNA due to incomplete digestion of the protein. As a result, reverse transcriptase may not read through the crosslink sites, and produce cDNA ending at the crosslinked nucleotide. This is harnessed by one variant of CLIP methods to identify crosslinking sites at a nucleotide resolution. This method, individual nucleotide resolution CLIP (iCLIP) circularizes cDNA to capture the truncated cDNA and also increases the efficiency of ligating sequencing adapters to the library. Here, we describe the detailed procedure of iCLIP.

FASTKD2 is an RNA-binding protein required for mitochondrial RNA processing and translation

Mitochondrial RNA processing is an essential step for the synthesis of the components of the electron transport chain in all eukaryotic organisms, yet several aspects of mitochondrial RNA biogenesis and regulation are not sufficiently understood. RNA interactome capture identified several disease-relevant RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) with noncanonical RNA-binding architectures, including all six members of the FASTK (FAS-activated serine/threonine kinase) family of proteins. A mutation within one of these newly assigned FASTK RBPs, FASTKD2, causes a rare form of Mendelian mitochondrial encephalomyopathy. To investigate whether RNA binding of FASTKD2 contributes to the disease phenotype, we identified the RNA targets of FASTKD2 by iCLIP. FASTKD2 interacts with a defined set of mitochondrial transcripts including 16S ribosomal RNA (RNR2) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 6 (ND6) messenger RNA. CRISPR-mediated deletion of FASTKD2 leads to aberrant processing and expression of RNR2 and ND6 mRNA that encodes a subunit of the respiratory complex I. Metabolic phenotyping of FASTKD2-deficient cells reveals impaired cellular respiration with reduced activities of all respiratory complexes. This work identifies key aspects of the molecular network of a previously uncharacterized, disease-relevant RNA-binding protein, FASTKD2, by a combination of genomic, molecular, and metabolic analyses.