1
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Legnini I, Emmenegger L, Zappulo A, Rybak-Wolf A, Wurmus R, Martinez AO, Jara CC, Boltengagen A, Hessler T, Mastrobuoni G, Kempa S, Zinzen R, Woehler A, Rajewsky N. Spatiotemporal, optogenetic control of gene expression in organoids. Nat Methods 2023; 20:1544-1552. [PMID: 37735569 PMCID: PMC10555836 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-023-01986-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Organoids derived from stem cells have become an increasingly important tool for studying human development and modeling disease. However, methods are still needed to control and study spatiotemporal patterns of gene expression in organoids. Here we combined optogenetics and gene perturbation technologies to activate or knock-down RNA of target genes in programmable spatiotemporal patterns. To illustrate the usefulness of our approach, we locally activated Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) signaling in an organoid model for human neurodevelopment. Spatial and single-cell transcriptomic analyses showed that this local induction was sufficient to generate stereotypically patterned organoids and revealed new insights into SHH's contribution to gene regulation in neurodevelopment. With this study, we propose optogenetic perturbations in combination with spatial transcriptomics as a powerful technology to reprogram and study cell fates and tissue patterning in organoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivano Legnini
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany.
- Human Technopole, Milan, Italy.
| | - Lisa Emmenegger
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alessandra Zappulo
- Systems Biology of Neural Tissue Differentiation, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
- Human Technopole, Milan, Italy
| | - Agnieszka Rybak-Wolf
- Organoid Platform, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ricardo Wurmus
- Bioinformatics and Omics Data Science, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anna Oliveras Martinez
- Systems Biology Imaging Platform, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Cledi Cerda Jara
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anastasiya Boltengagen
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Talé Hessler
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Guido Mastrobuoni
- Proteomic and Metabolomics Platform, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Kempa
- Proteomic and Metabolomics Platform, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Zinzen
- Systems Biology of Neural Tissue Differentiation, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
- Systems Biology Imaging Platform, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andrew Woehler
- Systems Biology Imaging Platform, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Nikolaus Rajewsky
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany.
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany.
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Berlin, Germany.
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Berlin, Germany.
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Berlin, Germany.
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2
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Rybak-Wolf A, Wyler E, Pentimalli TM, Legnini I, Oliveras Martinez A, Glažar P, Loewa A, Kim SJ, Kaufer BB, Woehler A, Landthaler M, Rajewsky N. Modelling viral encephalitis caused by herpes simplex virus 1 infection in cerebral organoids. Nat Microbiol 2023:10.1038/s41564-023-01405-y. [PMID: 37349587 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01405-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Herpes simplex encephalitis is a life-threatening disease of the central nervous system caused by herpes simplex viruses (HSVs). Following standard of care with antiviral acyclovir treatment, most patients still experience various neurological sequelae. Here we characterize HSV-1 infection of human brain organoids by combining single-cell RNA sequencing, electrophysiology and immunostaining. We observed strong perturbations of tissue integrity, neuronal function and cellular transcriptomes. Under acyclovir treatment viral replication was stopped, but did not prevent HSV-1-driven defects such as damage of neuronal processes and neuroepithelium. Unbiased analysis of pathways deregulated upon infection revealed tumour necrosis factor activation as a potential causal factor. Combination of anti-inflammatory drugs such as necrostatin-1 or bardoxolone methyl with antiviral treatment prevented the damages caused by infection, indicating that tuning the inflammatory response in acute infection may improve current therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Rybak-Wolf
- Organoid Platform, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany.
| | - Emanuel Wyler
- Laboratory for RNA Biology, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | - Tancredi Massimo Pentimalli
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin School of Integrative Oncology (BSIO), Berlin, Germany
| | - Ivano Legnini
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- Centre for Genomics, Functional Genomics Programme, Human Technopole, Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Oliveras Martinez
- System Biology Imaging Platform, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | - Petar Glažar
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | - Anna Loewa
- Organoid Platform, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Respiratory Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Seung Joon Kim
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Andrew Woehler
- System Biology Imaging Platform, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Markus Landthaler
- Laboratory for RNA Biology, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- Institut für Biologie, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Rajewsky
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany.
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany.
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Site Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Berlin, Germany.
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Berlin, Germany.
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Site Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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3
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Alfonso-Gonzalez C, Legnini I, Holec S, Arrigoni L, Ozbulut HC, Mateos F, Koppstein D, Rybak-Wolf A, Bönisch U, Rajewsky N, Hilgers V. Sites of transcription initiation drive mRNA isoform selection. Cell 2023; 186:2438-2455.e22. [PMID: 37178687 PMCID: PMC10228280 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The generation of distinct messenger RNA isoforms through alternative RNA processing modulates the expression and function of genes, often in a cell-type-specific manner. Here, we assess the regulatory relationships between transcription initiation, alternative splicing, and 3' end site selection. Applying long-read sequencing to accurately represent even the longest transcripts from end to end, we quantify mRNA isoforms in Drosophila tissues, including the transcriptionally complex nervous system. We find that in Drosophila heads, as well as in human cerebral organoids, 3' end site choice is globally influenced by the site of transcription initiation (TSS). "Dominant promoters," characterized by specific epigenetic signatures including p300/CBP binding, impose a transcriptional constraint to define splice and polyadenylation variants. In vivo deletion or overexpression of dominant promoters as well as p300/CBP loss disrupted the 3' end expression landscape. Our study demonstrates the crucial impact of TSS choice on the regulation of transcript diversity and tissue identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Alfonso-Gonzalez
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Biology, Albert Ludwig University, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Molecular and Cellular Biology (IMPRS-MCB), 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ivano Legnini
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sarah Holec
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Laura Arrigoni
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Hasan Can Ozbulut
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Biology, Albert Ludwig University, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Fernando Mateos
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - David Koppstein
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Agnieszka Rybak-Wolf
- Organoid Platform, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulrike Bönisch
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Rajewsky
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, 10115 Berlin, Germany; Charité - Universitätsmedizin, Charitépl. 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany; German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Site Berlin, Berlin, Germany; NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Berlin, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK); National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Site Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Valérie Hilgers
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany; Signalling Research Centre CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 18, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
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4
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Alles J, Legnini I, Pacelli M, Rajewsky N. Rapid nuclear deadenylation of mammalian messenger RNA. iScience 2022; 26:105878. [PMID: 36691625 PMCID: PMC9860345 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Poly(A) tails protect RNAs from degradation and their deadenylation rates determine RNA stability. Although poly(A) tails are generated in the nucleus, deadenylation of tails has mostly been investigated within the cytoplasm. Here, we combined long-read sequencing with metabolic labeling, splicing inhibition and cell fractionation experiments to quantify, separately, the genesis and trimming of nuclear and cytoplasmic tails in vitro and in vivo. We present evidence for genome-wide, nuclear synthesis of tails longer than 200 nt, which are rapidly shortened after transcription. Our data suggests that rapid deadenylation is a nuclear process, and that different classes of transcripts and even transcript isoforms have distinct nuclear tail lengths. For example, many long-noncoding RNAs retain long poly(A) tails. Modeling deadenylation dynamics predicts nuclear deadenylation about 10 times faster than cytoplasmic deadenylation. In summary, our data suggests that nuclear deadenylation might be a key mechanism for regulating mRNA stability, abundance, and subcellular localization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Alles
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Hannoversche Str. 28, 10115 Berlin, Germany,Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Biology, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ivano Legnini
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Hannoversche Str. 28, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Maddalena Pacelli
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Hannoversche Str. 28, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Rajewsky
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Hannoversche Str. 28, 10115 Berlin, Germany,Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Biology, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin, Germany,Corresponding author
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5
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Zolotarov G, Fromm B, Legnini I, Ayoub S, Polese G, Maselli V, Chabot PJ, Vinther J, Styfhals R, Seuntjens E, Di Cosmo A, Peterson KJ, Rajewsky N. MicroRNAs are deeply linked to the emergence of the complex octopus brain. Sci Adv 2022; 8:eadd9938. [PMID: 36427315 PMCID: PMC9699675 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add9938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Soft-bodied cephalopods such as octopuses are exceptionally intelligent invertebrates with a highly complex nervous system that evolved independently from vertebrates. Because of elevated RNA editing in their nervous tissues, we hypothesized that RNA regulation may play a major role in the cognitive success of this group. We thus profiled messenger RNAs and small RNAs in three cephalopod species including 18 tissues of the Octopus vulgaris. We show that the major RNA innovation of soft-bodied cephalopods is an expansion of the microRNA (miRNA) gene repertoire. These evolutionarily novel miRNAs were primarily expressed in adult neuronal tissues and during the development and had conserved and thus likely functional target sites. The only comparable miRNA expansions happened, notably, in vertebrates. Thus, we propose that miRNAs are intimately linked to the evolution of complex animal brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grygoriy Zolotarov
- Laboratory of Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Hannoversche Str 28, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Bastian Fromm
- UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- SciLifeLab, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ivano Legnini
- Laboratory of Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Hannoversche Str 28, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Salah Ayoub
- Laboratory of Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Hannoversche Str 28, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gianluca Polese
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Valeria Maselli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Jakob Vinther
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Ruth Styfhals
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Eve Seuntjens
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Anna Di Cosmo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Nikolaus Rajewsky
- Laboratory of Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Hannoversche Str 28, 10115 Berlin, Germany
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6
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Nielsen AF, Bindereif A, Bozzoni I, Hanan M, Hansen TB, Irimia M, Kadener S, Kristensen LS, Legnini I, Morlando M, Jarlstad Olesen MT, Pasterkamp RJ, Preibisch S, Rajewsky N, Suenkel C, Kjems J. Best practice standards for circular RNA research. Nat Methods 2022; 19:1208-1220. [PMID: 35618955 PMCID: PMC9759028 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-022-01487-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are formed in all domains of life and via different mechanisms. There has been an explosion in the number of circRNA papers in recent years; however, as a relatively young field, circRNA biology has an urgent need for common experimental standards for isolating, analyzing, expressing and depleting circRNAs. Here we propose a set of guidelines for circRNA studies based on the authors' experience. This Perspective will specifically address the major class of circRNAs in Eukarya that are generated by a spliceosome-catalyzed back-splicing event. We hope that the implementation of best practice principles for circRNA research will help move the field forward and allow a better functional understanding of this fascinating group of RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne F Nielsen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Cellular Signal Patterns (CellPAT), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Albrecht Bindereif
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Irene Bozzoni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Charles Darwin, and Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Mor Hanan
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Thomas B Hansen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- TargoVax - Clinical Science, Oslo, Norway
| | - Manuel Irimia
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- ICREA, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Ivano Legnini
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mariangela Morlando
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 'Department of Excellence 2018-2022', University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | | | - R Jeroen Pasterkamp
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Stephan Preibisch
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
- HHMI Janelia Research campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Nikolaus Rajewsky
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christin Suenkel
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
- Lonza - Drug Product Services, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jørgen Kjems
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
- Center for Cellular Signal Patterns (CellPAT), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
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7
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Gomes-Duarte A, Venø MT, de Wit M, Senthilkumar K, Broekhoven MH, van den Herik J, Heeres FR, van Rossum D, Rybiczka-Tesulov M, Legnini I, van Rijen PC, van Eijsden P, Gosselaar PH, Rajewsky N, Kjems J, Vangoor VR, Pasterkamp RJ. Expression of Circ_Satb1 Is Decreased in Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy and Regulates Dendritic Spine Morphology. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:832133. [PMID: 35310884 PMCID: PMC8927295 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.832133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE) is a chronic disease characterized by recurrent seizures that originate in the temporal lobes of the brain. Anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) are the standard treatment for managing seizures in mTLE patients, but are frequently ineffective. Resective surgery is an option for some patients, but does not guarantee a postoperative seizure-free period. Therefore, further insight is needed into the pathogenesis of mTLE to enable the design of new therapeutic strategies. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been identified as important regulators of neuronal function and have been implicated in epilepsy. However, the mechanisms through which circRNAs contribute to epileptogenesis remain unknown. Here, we determine the circRNA transcriptome of the hippocampus and cortex of mTLE patients by using RNA-seq. We report 333 differentially expressed (DE) circRNAs between healthy individuals and mTLE patients, of which 23 circRNAs displayed significant adjusted p-values following multiple testing correction. Interestingly, hippocampal expression of circ_Satb1, a circRNA derived from special AT-rich sequence binding protein 1 (SATB1), is decreased in both mTLE patients and in experimental epilepsy. Our work shows that circ_Satb1 displays dynamic patterns of neuronal expression in vitro and in vivo. Further, circ_Satb1-specific knockdown using CRISPR/CasRx approaches in hippocampal cultures leads to defects in dendritic spine morphology, a cellular hallmark of mTLE. Overall, our results identify a novel epilepsy-associated circRNA with disease-specific expression and previously unidentified cellular effects that are relevant for epileptogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreia Gomes-Duarte
- Affiliated Partner of the European Reference Network EpiCARE, Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Morten T. Venø
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Omiics ApS, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Marina de Wit
- Affiliated Partner of the European Reference Network EpiCARE, Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Ketharini Senthilkumar
- Affiliated Partner of the European Reference Network EpiCARE, Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Mark H. Broekhoven
- Affiliated Partner of the European Reference Network EpiCARE, Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Joëlle van den Herik
- Affiliated Partner of the European Reference Network EpiCARE, Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Fleur R. Heeres
- Affiliated Partner of the European Reference Network EpiCARE, Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Daniëlle van Rossum
- Affiliated Partner of the European Reference Network EpiCARE, Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Mateja Rybiczka-Tesulov
- Affiliated Partner of the European Reference Network EpiCARE, Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Ivano Legnini
- Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter C. van Rijen
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Pieter van Eijsden
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Peter H. Gosselaar
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Nikolaus Rajewsky
- Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jørgen Kjems
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Vamshidhar R. Vangoor
- Affiliated Partner of the European Reference Network EpiCARE, Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - R. Jeroen Pasterkamp
- Affiliated Partner of the European Reference Network EpiCARE, Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: R. Jeroen Pasterkamp,
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8
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Wyler E, Mösbauer K, Franke V, Diag A, Gottula LT, Arsiè R, Klironomos F, Koppstein D, Hönzke K, Ayoub S, Buccitelli C, Hoffmann K, Richter A, Legnini I, Ivanov A, Mari T, Del Giudice S, Papies J, Praktiknjo S, Meyer TF, Müller MA, Niemeyer D, Hocke A, Selbach M, Akalin A, Rajewsky N, Drosten C, Landthaler M. Transcriptomic profiling of SARS-CoV-2 infected human cell lines identifies HSP90 as target for COVID-19 therapy. iScience 2021; 24:102151. [PMID: 33585804 PMCID: PMC7866843 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Detailed knowledge of the molecular biology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is crucial for understanding of viral replication, host responses, and disease progression. Here, we report gene expression profiles of three SARS-CoV- and SARS-CoV-2-infected human cell lines. SARS-CoV-2 elicited an approximately two-fold higher stimulation of the innate immune response compared to SARS-CoV in the human epithelial cell line Calu-3, including induction of miRNA-155. Single-cell RNA sequencing of infected cells showed that genes induced by virus infections were broadly upregulated, whereas interferon beta/lambda genes, a pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, were expressed only in small subsets of infected cells. Temporal analysis suggested that transcriptional activities of interferon regulatory factors precede those of nuclear factor κB. Lastly, we identified heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) as a protein relevant for the infection. Inhibition of the HSP90 activity resulted in a reduction of viral replication and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression in primary human airway epithelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuel Wyler
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Hannoversche Str 28, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Kirstin Mösbauer
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Vedran Franke
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Hannoversche Str 28, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Asija Diag
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Hannoversche Str 28, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Lina Theresa Gottula
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Roberto Arsiè
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Hannoversche Str 28, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Filippos Klironomos
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Hannoversche Str 28, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Department of Pediatrics, Charité – University Hospital Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - David Koppstein
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Hannoversche Str 28, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Katja Hönzke
- Department of Internal Medicine/Infectious Diseases and Pulmonary Medicine, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Salah Ayoub
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Hannoversche Str 28, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Christopher Buccitelli
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Karen Hoffmann
- Department of Internal Medicine/Infectious Diseases and Pulmonary Medicine, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anja Richter
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ivano Legnini
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Hannoversche Str 28, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Andranik Ivanov
- Core Unit Bioinformatics, Berlin Institute of Health, Charité – University Hospital Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tommaso Mari
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Simone Del Giudice
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Hannoversche Str 28, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jan Papies
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Samantha Praktiknjo
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Hannoversche Str 28, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas F. Meyer
- Laboratory of Infection Oncology, Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, UKSH, Christian Albrechts University of Kiel, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Marcel Alexander Müller
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniela Niemeyer
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Hocke
- Department of Internal Medicine/Infectious Diseases and Pulmonary Medicine, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthias Selbach
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Altuna Akalin
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Hannoversche Str 28, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Rajewsky
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Hannoversche Str 28, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Drosten
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Markus Landthaler
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Hannoversche Str 28, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- IRI Life Sciences, Institut für Biologie, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Philippstraße 13, 10115 Berlin, Germany
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9
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Gasparini S, Del Vecchio G, Gioiosa S, Flati T, Castrignano T, Legnini I, Licursi V, Ricceri L, Scattoni ML, Rinaldi A, Presutti C, Mannironi C. Differential Expression of Hippocampal Circular RNAs in the BTBR Mouse Model for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Mol Neurobiol 2020; 57:2301-2313. [PMID: 32020500 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-020-01878-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition with unknown etiology. Recent experimental evidences suggest the contribution of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in the pathophysiology of ASD. In this work, we aimed to investigate the expression profile of the ncRNA class of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in the hippocampus of the BTBR T + tf/J (BTBR) mouse model and age-matched C57BL/6J (B6) mice. Alongside, we analyzed BTBR hippocampal gene expression profile to evaluate possible correlations between the differential abundance of circular and linear gene products. From RNA sequencing data, we identified circRNAs highly modulated in BTBR mice. Thirteen circRNAs and their corresponding linear isoforms were validated by RT-qPCR analysis. The BTBR-regulated circCdh9 was better characterized in terms of molecular structure and expression, highlighting altered levels not only in the hippocampus, but also in the cerebellum, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala. Finally, gene expression analysis of the BTBR hippocampus pinpointed altered biological and molecular pathways relevant for the ASD phenotype. By comparison of circRNA and gene expression profiles, we identified 6 genes significantly regulated at either circRNA or mRNA gene products, suggesting low overall correlation between circRNA and host gene expression. In conclusion, our results indicate a consistent deregulation of circRNA expression in the hippocampus of BTBR mice. ASD-related circRNAs should be considered in functional studies to identify their contribution to the etiology of the disorder. In addition, as abundant and highly stable molecules, circRNAs represent interesting potential biomarkers for autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Gasparini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgia Del Vecchio
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Gioiosa
- SCAI-Super Computing Applications and Innovation Department, CINECA, Rome, Italy
- Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnologies, IBIOM, National Research Council, Bari, Italy
| | - Tiziano Flati
- SCAI-Super Computing Applications and Innovation Department, CINECA, Rome, Italy
- Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnologies, IBIOM, National Research Council, Bari, Italy
| | - Tiziana Castrignano
- SCAI-Super Computing Applications and Innovation Department, CINECA, Rome, Italy
- Department of Ecological and Biological, Sciences University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Ivano Legnini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Valerio Licursi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Arianna Rinaldi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Presutti
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Cecilia Mannironi
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Research Council, Rome, Italy.
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10
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Legnini I, Alles J, Karaiskos N, Ayoub S, Rajewsky N. FLAM-seq: full-length mRNA sequencing reveals principles of poly(A) tail length control. Nat Methods 2019; 16:879-886. [PMID: 31384046 DOI: 10.1101/547034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Although messenger RNAs are key molecules for understanding life, until now, no method has existed to determine the full-length sequence of endogenous mRNAs including their poly(A) tails. Moreover, although non-A nucleotides can be incorporated in poly(A) tails, there also exists no method to accurately sequence them. Here, we present full-length poly(A) and mRNA sequencing (FLAM-seq), a rapid and simple method for high-quality sequencing of entire mRNAs. We report a complementary DNA library preparation method coupled to single-molecule sequencing to perform FLAM-seq. Using human cell lines, brain organoids and Caenorhabditis elegans we show that FLAM-seq delivers high-quality full-length mRNA sequences for thousands of different genes per sample. We find that 3' untranslated region length is correlated with poly(A) tail length, that alternative polyadenylation sites and alternative promoters for the same gene are linked to different tail lengths, and that tails contain a substantial number of cytosines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivano Legnini
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jonathan Alles
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nikos Karaiskos
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Salah Ayoub
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Rajewsky
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
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11
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Legnini I, Alles J, Karaiskos N, Ayoub S, Rajewsky N. FLAM-seq: full-length mRNA sequencing reveals principles of poly(A) tail length control. Nat Methods 2019; 16:879-886. [PMID: 31384046 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-019-0503-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Although messenger RNAs are key molecules for understanding life, until now, no method has existed to determine the full-length sequence of endogenous mRNAs including their poly(A) tails. Moreover, although non-A nucleotides can be incorporated in poly(A) tails, there also exists no method to accurately sequence them. Here, we present full-length poly(A) and mRNA sequencing (FLAM-seq), a rapid and simple method for high-quality sequencing of entire mRNAs. We report a complementary DNA library preparation method coupled to single-molecule sequencing to perform FLAM-seq. Using human cell lines, brain organoids and Caenorhabditis elegans we show that FLAM-seq delivers high-quality full-length mRNA sequences for thousands of different genes per sample. We find that 3' untranslated region length is correlated with poly(A) tail length, that alternative polyadenylation sites and alternative promoters for the same gene are linked to different tail lengths, and that tails contain a substantial number of cytosines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivano Legnini
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jonathan Alles
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nikos Karaiskos
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Salah Ayoub
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Rajewsky
- Laboratory for Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
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12
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Voellenkle C, Perfetti A, Carrara M, Fuschi P, Renna LV, Longo M, Sain SB, Cardani R, Valaperta R, Silvestri G, Legnini I, Bozzoni I, Furling D, Gaetano C, Falcone G, Meola G, Martelli F. Dysregulation of Circular RNAs in Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20081938. [PMID: 31010208 PMCID: PMC6515344 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20081938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) constitute a recently re-discovered class of non-coding RNAs functioning as sponges for miRNAs and proteins, affecting RNA splicing and regulating transcription. CircRNAs are generated by “back-splicing”, which is the linking covalently of 3′- and 5′-ends of exons. Thus, circRNA levels might be deregulated in conditions associated with altered RNA-splicing. Significantly, growing evidence indicates their role in human diseases. Specifically, myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a multisystemic disorder caused by expanded CTG repeats in the DMPK gene which results in abnormal mRNA-splicing. In this investigation, circRNAs expressed in DM1 skeletal muscles were identified by analyzing RNA-sequencing data-sets followed by qPCR validation. In muscle biopsies, out of nine tested, four transcripts showed an increased circular fraction: CDYL, HIPK3, RTN4_03, and ZNF609. Their circular fraction values correlated with skeletal muscle strength and with splicing biomarkers of disease severity, and displayed higher values in more severely affected patients. Moreover, Receiver-Operating-Characteristics curves of these four circRNAs discriminated DM1 patients from controls. The identified circRNAs were also detectable in peripheral-blood-mononuclear-cells (PBMCs) and the plasma of DM1 patients, but they were not regulated significantly. Finally, increased circular fractions of RTN4_03 and ZNF609 were also observed in differentiated myogenic cell lines derived from DM1 patients. In conclusion, this pilot study identified circRNA dysregulation in DM1 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Voellenkle
- Molecular Cardiology Laboratory, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, 20097 Milan, Italy.
| | - Alessandra Perfetti
- Molecular Cardiology Laboratory, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, 20097 Milan, Italy.
| | - Matteo Carrara
- Molecular Cardiology Laboratory, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, 20097 Milan, Italy.
| | - Paola Fuschi
- Molecular Cardiology Laboratory, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, 20097 Milan, Italy.
| | - Laura Valentina Renna
- Laboratory of Muscle Histopathology and Molecular Biology, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, 20097 Milan, Italy.
| | - Marialucia Longo
- Molecular Cardiology Laboratory, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, 20097 Milan, Italy.
| | - Simona Baghai Sain
- Center for Translational Genomics and Bioinformatics, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy.
| | - Rosanna Cardani
- Laboratory of Muscle Histopathology and Molecular Biology, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, 20097 Milan, Italy.
| | - Rea Valaperta
- Research Laboratories, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, 20097 Milan, Italy.
| | - Gabriella Silvestri
- Department of Geriatrics, Orthopaedic and Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli, 00168 Rome, Italy.
| | - Ivano Legnini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Irene Bozzoni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Denis Furling
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Association Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, F-75013 Paris, France.
| | - Carlo Gaetano
- Laboratory of Epigenetics, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
| | - Germana Falcone
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, National Research Council, Monterotondo, 00015 Rome, Italy.
| | - Giovanni Meola
- Laboratory of Muscle Histopathology and Molecular Biology, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, 20097 Milan, Italy.
- Department of Neurology, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, 20097 Milan, Italy.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy.
| | - Fabio Martelli
- Molecular Cardiology Laboratory, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, 20097 Milan, Italy.
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13
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Rossi F, Legnini I, Megiorni F, Colantoni A, Santini T, Morlando M, Di Timoteo G, Dattilo D, Dominici C, Bozzoni I. Circ-ZNF609 regulates G1-S progression in rhabdomyosarcoma. Oncogene 2019; 38:3843-3854. [PMID: 30670781 PMCID: PMC6544520 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-019-0699-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) represent a class of covalently closed RNAs, derived from non-canonical splicing events, which are expressed in all eukaryotes and often conserved among different species. We previously showed that the circRNA originating from the ZNF609 locus (circ-ZNF609) acts as a crucial regulator of human primary myoblast growth: indeed, the downregulation of the circRNA, and not of its linear counterpart, strongly reduced the proliferation rate of in vitro cultured myoblasts. To deepen our knowledge about circ-ZNF609 role in cell cycle regulation, we studied its expression and function in rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), a pediatric skeletal muscle malignancy. We found that circ-ZNF609 is upregulated in biopsies from the two major RMS subtypes, embryonal (ERMS) and alveolar (ARMS). Moreover, we discovered that in an ERMS-derived cell line circ-ZNF609 knock-down induced a specific block at the G1-S transition, a strong decrease of p-Akt protein level and an alteration of the pRb/Rb ratio. Regarding p-Akt, we were able to show that circ-ZNF609 acts by counteracting p-Akt proteasome-dependent degradation, thus working as a new regulator of cell proliferation-related pathways. As opposed to ERMS-derived cells, the circRNA depletion had no cell cycle effects in ARMS-derived cells. Since in these cells the p53 gene resulted downregulated, with a concomitant upregulation of its cell cycle-related target genes, we suggest that this could account for the lack of circ-ZNF609 effect in ARMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Rossi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Ivano Legnini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Alessio Colantoni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Tiziana Santini
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
| | - Mariangela Morlando
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Gaia Di Timoteo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Dario Dattilo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Dominici
- Department of Pediatrics, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Irene Bozzoni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy. .,Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy.
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14
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Laneve P, Po A, Favia A, Legnini I, Alfano V, Rea J, Di Carlo V, Bevilacqua V, Miele E, Mastronuzzi A, Carai A, Locatelli F, Bozzoni I, Ferretti E, Caffarelli E. The long noncoding RNA linc-NeD125 controls the expression of medulloblastoma driver genes by microRNA sponge activity. Oncotarget 2018; 8:31003-31015. [PMID: 28415684 PMCID: PMC5458184 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.16049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2016] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are major regulators of physiological and disease-related gene expression, particularly in the central nervous system. Dysregulated lncRNA expression has been documented in several human cancers, and their tissue-specificity makes them attractive candidates as diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers and/or therapeutic agents. Here we show that linc-NeD125, which we previously characterized as a neuronal-induced lncRNA, is significantly overexpressed in Group 4 medulloblastomas (G4 MBs), the largest and least well characterized molecular MB subgroup. Mechanistically, linc-NeD125 is able to recruit the miRNA-induced silencing complex (miRISC) and to directly bind the microRNAs miR-19a-3p, miR-19b-3p and miR-106a-5p. Functionally, linc-NeD125 acts as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) that, sequestering the three miRNAs, leads to de-repression of their targets CDK6, MYCN, SNCAIP, and KDM6A, which are major driver genes of G4 MB. Accordingly, linc-NeD125 downregulation reduces G4 cell proliferation. Moreover, we also provide evidence that linc-NeD125 ectopic expression in the aggressive Group 3 MB cells attenuates their proliferation, migration and invasion.This study unveils the first lncRNA-based ceRNA network in central nervous system tumours and provides a novel molecular circuit underlying the enigmatic Group 4 medulloblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Laneve
- Center for Life NanoScience@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Agnese Po
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Annarita Favia
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Research Council, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Ivano Legnini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Alfano
- Center for Life NanoScience@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 00161 Rome, Italy.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Jessica Rea
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Valerio Di Carlo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.,Present addresses: Center for Genomic Regulation, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Valeria Bevilacqua
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.,Present addresses: Virology Program, INGM-Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Evelina Miele
- Center for Life NanoScience@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 00161 Rome, Italy.,Present addresses: Department of Hematology/Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Angela Mastronuzzi
- Department of Hematology/Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Carai
- Department of Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, Neurosurgery Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Franco Locatelli
- Department of Hematology/Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy.,University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Irene Bozzoni
- Center for Life NanoScience@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 00161 Rome, Italy.,Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Research Council, 00185 Rome, Italy.,Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.,Institute Pasteur Fondazione Cenci-Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Ferretti
- Department of Experimental Medicine Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy.,Neuromed Institute, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Elisa Caffarelli
- Center for Life NanoScience@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 00161 Rome, Italy.,Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Research Council, 00185 Rome, Italy
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15
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Mangiavacchi A, Sorci M, Masciarelli S, Larivera S, Legnini I, Iosue I, Bozzoni I, Fazi F, Fatica A. The miR-223 host non-coding transcript linc-223 induces IRF4 expression in acute myeloid leukemia by acting as a competing endogenous RNA. Oncotarget 2018; 7:60155-60168. [PMID: 27517498 PMCID: PMC5312375 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.11165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2015] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Alterations in genetic programs required for terminal myeloid differentiation and aberrant proliferation characterize acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. Here, we identify the host transcript of miR-223, linc-223, as a novel functional long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in AML. We show that from the primary nuclear transcript, the alternative production of miR-223 and linc-223 is finely regulated during monocytic differentiation. Moreover, linc-223 expression inhibits cell cycle progression and promotes monocytic differentiation of AML cells. We also demonstrate that endogenous linc-223 localizes in the cytoplasm and acts as a competing endogenous RNA for miR-125-5p, an oncogenic microRNA in leukemia. In particular, we show that linc-223 directly binds to miR-125-5p and that its knockdown increases the repressing activity of miR-125-5p resulting in the downregulation of its target interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4), which it was previously shown to inhibit the oncogenic activity of miR-125-5p in vivo. Furthermore, data from primary AML samples show significant downregulation of linc-223 in different AML subtypes. Therein, these findings indicate that the newly identified lncRNA linc-223 may have an important role in myeloid differentiation and leukemogenesis, at least in part, by cross-talking with IRF4 mRNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Mangiavacchi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwiny", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, 00185, Italy.,Present address: KAUST Environmental Epigenetics Research Program, Biological Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Melissa Sorci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwiny", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, 00185, Italy
| | - Silvia Masciarelli
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, 00185, Italy
| | - Simone Larivera
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwiny", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, 00185, Italy
| | - Ivano Legnini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwiny", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, 00185, Italy
| | - Ilaria Iosue
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, 00185, Italy
| | - Irene Bozzoni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwiny", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, 00185, Italy.,Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, 00161, Italy.,Institute Pasteur Fondazione Cenci-Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, 00185, Italy
| | - Francesco Fazi
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, 00185, Italy
| | - Alessandro Fatica
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwiny", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, 00185, Italy
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16
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Errichelli L, Dini Modigliani S, Laneve P, Colantoni A, Legnini I, Capauto D, Rosa A, De Santis R, Scarfò R, Peruzzi G, Lu L, Caffarelli E, Shneider NA, Morlando M, Bozzoni I. FUS affects circular RNA expression in murine embryonic stem cell-derived motor neurons. Nat Commun 2017; 8:14741. [PMID: 28358055 PMCID: PMC5379105 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 345] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2016] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The RNA-binding protein FUS participates in several RNA biosynthetic processes and has been linked to the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia. Here we report that FUS controls back-splicing reactions leading to circular RNA (circRNA) production. We identified circRNAs expressed in in vitro-derived mouse motor neurons (MNs) and determined that the production of a considerable number of these circRNAs is regulated by FUS. Using RNAi and overexpression of wild-type and ALS-associated FUS mutants, we directly correlate the modulation of circRNA biogenesis with alteration of FUS nuclear levels and with putative toxic gain of function activities. We also demonstrate that FUS regulates circRNA biogenesis by binding the introns flanking the back-splicing junctions and that this control can be reproduced with artificial constructs. Most circRNAs are conserved in humans and specific ones are deregulated in human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived MNs carrying the FUSP525L mutation associated with ALS. The RNA binding protein FUS functions in several RNA biosynthetic processes and has been linked to the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Here the authors show that FUS controls back-splicing reactions leading to circular RNA (circRNA) production in stem cell-derived motor neurons and that ALS-associated FUS mutations affect the biogenesis of circRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Errichelli
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy.,Deparment of Biology and Biotechnology 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Stefano Dini Modigliani
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Pietro Laneve
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Alessio Colantoni
- Deparment of Biology and Biotechnology 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Ivano Legnini
- Deparment of Biology and Biotechnology 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Davide Capauto
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy.,Deparment of Biology and Biotechnology 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Alessandro Rosa
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy.,Deparment of Biology and Biotechnology 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Riccardo De Santis
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy.,Deparment of Biology and Biotechnology 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Rebecca Scarfò
- Deparment of Biology and Biotechnology 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Giovanna Peruzzi
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Lei Lu
- Department of Neurology, Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University, 630 W 168th Street, New York, New York 10032, USA
| | - Elisa Caffarelli
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy.,Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, CNR, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Neil A Shneider
- Department of Neurology, Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University, 630 W 168th Street, New York, New York 10032, USA
| | - Mariangela Morlando
- Deparment of Biology and Biotechnology 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Irene Bozzoni
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy.,Deparment of Biology and Biotechnology 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy.,Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, CNR, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy.,Institute Pasteur Fondazione Cenci-Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy
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17
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Legnini I, Di Timoteo G, Rossi F, Morlando M, Briganti F, Sthandier O, Fatica A, Santini T, Andronache A, Wade M, Laneve P, Rajewsky N, Bozzoni I. Circ-ZNF609 Is a Circular RNA that Can Be Translated and Functions in Myogenesis. Mol Cell 2017; 66:22-37.e9. [PMID: 28344082 PMCID: PMC5387670 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2017.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1454] [Impact Index Per Article: 207.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Revised: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 02/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) constitute a family of transcripts with unique structures and still largely unknown functions. Their biogenesis, which proceeds via a back-splicing reaction, is fairly well characterized, whereas their role in the modulation of physiologically relevant processes is still unclear. Here we performed expression profiling of circRNAs during in vitro differentiation of murine and human myoblasts, and we identified conserved species regulated in myogenesis and altered in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. A high-content functional genomic screen allowed the study of their functional role in muscle differentiation. One of them, circ-ZNF609, resulted in specifically controlling myoblast proliferation. Circ-ZNF609 contains an open reading frame spanning from the start codon, in common with the linear transcript, and terminating at an in-frame STOP codon, created upon circularization. Circ-ZNF609 is associated with heavy polysomes, and it is translated into a protein in a splicing-dependent and cap-independent manner, providing an example of a protein-coding circRNA in eukaryotes. CircRNAs are conserved, abundant, and regulated in myogenesis High-throughput phenotypic screening reveals functional circRNAs Circ-ZNF609 regulates myoblast proliferation Circ-ZNF609 can be translated
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivano Legnini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin and IBPM, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Gaia Di Timoteo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin and IBPM, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Rossi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin and IBPM, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Mariangela Morlando
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin and IBPM, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Briganti
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin and IBPM, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Olga Sthandier
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin and IBPM, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Fatica
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin and IBPM, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Tiziana Santini
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Adrian Andronache
- Center for Genomic Science of IIT@SEMM, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Via Adamello 16, 20139 Milan, Italy
| | - Mark Wade
- Center for Genomic Science of IIT@SEMM, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Via Adamello 16, 20139 Milan, Italy
| | - Pietro Laneve
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Nikolaus Rajewsky
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Irene Bozzoni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin and IBPM, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy; Institut Pasteur Italy, Fondazione Cenci-Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
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18
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Petrucci G, Caputo D, Lovecchio N, Costantini F, Legnini I, Bozzoni I, Nascetti A, de Cesare G. Multifunctional System-on-Glass for Lab-on-Chip applications. Biosens Bioelectron 2016; 93:315-321. [PMID: 27567262 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2016.08.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2016] [Revised: 08/07/2016] [Accepted: 08/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Lab-on-Chip are miniaturized systems able to perform biomolecular analysis in shorter time and with lower reagent consumption than a standard laboratory. Their miniaturization interferes with the multiple functions that the biochemical procedures require. In order to address this issue, our paper presents, for the first time, the integration on a single glass substrate of different thin film technologies in order to develop a multifunctional platform suitable for on-chip thermal treatments and on-chip detection of biomolecules. The proposed System on-Glass hosts thin metal films acting as heating sources; hydrogenated amorphous silicon diodes acting both as temperature sensors to monitor the temperature distribution and photosensors for the on-chip detection and a ground plane ensuring that the heater operation does not affect the photodiode currents. The sequence of the technological steps, the deposition temperatures of the thin films and the parameters of the photolithographic processes have been optimized in order to overcome all the issues of the technological integration. The device has been designed, fabricated and tested for the implementation of DNA amplification through the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) with thermal cycling among three different temperatures on a single site. The glass has been connected to an electronic system that drives the heaters and controls the temperature and light sensors. It has been optically and thermally coupled with another glass hosting a microfluidic network made in polydimethylsiloxane that includes thermally actuated microvalves and a PCR process chamber. The successful DNA amplification has been verified off-chip by using a standard fluorometer.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Petrucci
- Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications, University of Rome "La Sapienza", via Eudossiana 18, Rome, 00184 Italy
| | - D Caputo
- Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications, University of Rome "La Sapienza", via Eudossiana 18, Rome, 00184 Italy.
| | - N Lovecchio
- Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications, University of Rome "La Sapienza", via Eudossiana 18, Rome, 00184 Italy
| | - F Costantini
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Rome, 00185 Italy; School of Aerospace Engineering, University of Rome "La Sapienza", via Salaria 851/881, Rome, 00138 Italy
| | - I Legnini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin", University of Rome "La Sapienza", Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Rome, 00185 Italy
| | - I Bozzoni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin", University of Rome "La Sapienza", Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Rome, 00185 Italy
| | - A Nascetti
- School of Aerospace Engineering, University of Rome "La Sapienza", via Salaria 851/881, Rome, 00138 Italy
| | - G de Cesare
- Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications, University of Rome "La Sapienza", via Eudossiana 18, Rome, 00184 Italy
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19
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Hughes JM, Legnini I, Salvatori B, Masciarelli S, Marchioni M, Fazi F, Morlando M, Bozzoni I, Fatica A. C/EBPα-p30 protein induces expression of the oncogenic long non-coding RNA UCA1 in acute myeloid leukemia. Oncotarget 2016; 6:18534-44. [PMID: 26053097 PMCID: PMC4621908 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.4069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidences indicate that different long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) might play a relevant role in tumorigenesis, with their expression and function already associated to cancer development and progression. CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-α (CEBPA) is a critical regulator of myeloid differentiation whose inactivation contributes to the development of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Mutations in C/EBPα occur in around 10% of AML cases, leading to the expression of a 30-kDa dominant negative isoform (C/EBPα-p30). In this study, we identified the oncogenic urothelial carcinoma associated 1 (UCA1) lncRNA as a novel target of the C/EBPα-p30. We show that wild-type C/EBPα and C/EBPα-p30 isoform can bind the UCA1 promoter but have opposite effects on UCA1 expression. While wild-type C/EBPα represses, C/EBPα-p30 can induce UCA1 transcription. Notably, we also show that UCA1 expression increases in cytogenetically normal AML cases carrying biallelic CEBPA mutations. Furthermore, we demonstrate that UCA1 sustains proliferation of AML cells by repressing the expression of the cell cycle regulator p27kip1. Thus, we identified, for the first time, an oncogenic lncRNA functioning in concert with the dominant negative isoform of C/EBPα in AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Hughes
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Ivano Legnini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Beatrice Salvatori
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Department of Systems Biology, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Silvia Masciarelli
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic & Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Marcella Marchioni
- Institute of Biology, Molecular Medicine and Nanobiotechnology, CNR, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Fazi
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic & Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Mariangela Morlando
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Irene Bozzoni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Institute of Biology, Molecular Medicine and Nanobiotechnology, CNR, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy.,Institute Pasteur Fondazione Cenci-Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Fatica
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "C. Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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20
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Legnini I, Morlando M, Mangiavacchi A, Fatica A, Bozzoni I. A feedforward regulatory loop between HuR and the long noncoding RNA linc-MD1 controls early phases of myogenesis. Mol Cell 2014; 53:506-14. [PMID: 24440503 PMCID: PMC3919156 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2013.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 175] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2013] [Revised: 10/25/2013] [Accepted: 12/11/2013] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The muscle-specific long noncoding RNA linc-MD1 was shown to be expressed during early phases of muscle differentiation and to trigger the switch to later stages by acting as a sponge for miR-133 and miR-135. Notably, linc-MD1 is also the host transcript of miR-133b, and their biogenesis is mutually exclusive. Here, we describe that this alternative synthesis is controlled by the HuR protein, which favors linc-MD1 accumulation through its ability to bind linc-MD1 and repress Drosha cleavage. We show that HuR is under the repressive control of miR-133 and that the sponging activity of linc-MD1 consolidates HuR expression in a feedforward positive loop. Finally, we show that HuR also acts in the cytoplasm, reinforcing linc-MD1 sponge activity by cooperating for miRNA recruitment. An increase in miR-133 synthesis, mainly from the two unrelated miR-133a coding genomic loci, is likely to trigger the exit from this circuitry and progression to later differentiation stages. A feedforward positive loop exists between linc-MD1 and HuR during myogenesis HuR controls the relative biogenesis of miR-133b and its host linc-MD1 RNA Linc-MD1, by sponging miR-133, alleviates its repression on HuR expression Cytoplasmic HuR reinforces linc-MD1 activity by cooperating for miRNA recruitment
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivano Legnini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin" and IBPM, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Mariangela Morlando
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin" and IBPM, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Arianna Mangiavacchi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin" and IBPM, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Fatica
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin" and IBPM, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Irene Bozzoni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin" and IBPM, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy; Institute Pasteur Fondazione Cenci-Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
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21
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Cesana M, Cacchiarelli D, Legnini I, Santini T, Sthandier O, Chinappi M, Tramontano A, Bozzoni I. A Long Noncoding RNA Controls Muscle Differentiation by Functioning as a Competing Endogenous RNA. Cell 2011. [PMCID: PMC3483535 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2011.10.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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22
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Cesana M, Cacchiareli D, Martone J, Cazzella V, Pinnarò C, Legnini I, Bozzoni I. CS01-1. The biological relevance of non-coding RNAs. Cytokine 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2011.07.300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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23
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Bozzoni I, Cacchiareli D, Martone J, Cesana M, Cazzella V, Pinnarò C, Legnini I. D.I.2 Role of miRNA in muscle differentiation and in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Neuromuscul Disord 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nmd.2011.06.754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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24
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Cacchiarelli D, Legnini I, Martone J, Cazzella V, D'Amico A, Bertini E, Bozzoni I. miRNAs as serum biomarkers for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. EMBO Mol Med 2011; 3:258-65. [PMID: 21425469 PMCID: PMC3112257 DOI: 10.1002/emmm.201100133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 208] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2010] [Revised: 02/18/2011] [Accepted: 02/21/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Dystrophin absence in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) causes severe muscle degeneration. We describe that, as consequence of fibre damage, specific muscle-miRNAs are released in to the bloodstream of DMD patients and their levels correlate with the severity of the disease. The same miRNAs are abundant also in the blood of mdx mice and recover to wild-type levels in animals ‘cured’ through exon skipping. Even though creatine kinase (CK) blood levels have been utilized as diagnostic markers of several neuromuscular diseases, including DMD, we demonstrate that they correlate less well with the disease severity. Although the analysis of a larger number of patients should allow to obtain more refined correlations with the different stages of disease progression, we propose that miR-1, miR-133, and miR-206 are new and valuable biomarkers for the diagnosis of DMD and possibly also for monitoring the outcomes of therapeutic interventions in humans. Despite many different DMD therapeutic approaches are now entering clinical trials, a unifying method for assessing the benefit of different treatments is still lacking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Cacchiarelli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Institute Pasteur Cenci-Bolognetti and IBPM, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
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