Translational control of the sterol-regulatory transcription factor SREBP-1 mRNA in response to serum starvation or ER stress is mediated by an internal ribosome entry site

2010 ◽  
Vol 429 (3) ◽  
pp. 603-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabrizio Damiano ◽  
Simone Alemanno ◽  
Gabriele V. Gnoni ◽  
Luisa Siculella
Keyword(s):  
Translational Control ◽  
Internal Ribosome Entry Site ◽  
Regulatory Element ◽  
Serum Starvation ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Hep G2 ◽  
Entry Site ◽  
Internal Ribosome Entry ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
Protein Response

SREBPs (sterol-regulatory-element-binding proteins) are a family of transcription factors that modulate the expression of several enzymes implicated in endogenous cholesterol, fatty acid, triacylglycerol and phospholipid synthesis. In the present study, evidence for SREBP-1 regulation at the translational level is reported. Using several experimental approaches, we have demonstrated that the 5′-UTR (untranslated region) of the SREBP-1a mRNA contains an IRES (internal ribosome entry site). Transfection experiments with the SREBP-1a 5′-UTR inserted in a dicistronic reporter vector showed a remarkable increase in the downstream cistron translation, through a cap-independent mechanism. Insertion of the SREBP-1c 5′-UTR in the same vector also stimulated the translation of the downstream cistron, but the observed effect can be ascribed, at least in part, to a cryptic promoter activity. Cellular stress conditions, such as serum starvation, caused an increase in the level of SREBP-1 precursor and mature form in both Hep G2 and HeLa cells, despite the overall reduction in protein synthesis, whereas mRNA levels for SREBP-1 were unaffected by serum starvation. Transfection experiments carried out with a dicistronic construct demonstrated that the cap-dependent translation was affected more than IRES-mediated translation by serum starvation. The thapsigargin- and tunicamycin-induced UPR (unfolded protein response) also increased SREBP-1 expression in Hep G2 cells, through the cap-independent translation mediated by IRES. Overall, these findings indicate that the presence of IRES in the SREBP-1a 5′-UTR allows translation to be maintained under conditions that are inhibitory to cap-dependent translation.

scholarly journals Human Cytomegalovirus Induces the Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP through Increased Transcription and Activation of Translation by Using the BiP Internal Ribosome Entry Site

2010 ◽  
Vol 84 (21) ◽  
pp. 11479-11486 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas J. Buchkovich ◽  
Yongjun Yu ◽  
Francis J. Pierciey ◽  
James C. Alwine
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Internal Ribosome Entry Site ◽  
Hcmv Infection ◽  
Mrna Translation ◽  
Entry Site ◽  
Internal Ribosome Entry ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Protein Response

ABSTRACT The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperone BiP (immunoglobulin binding protein) plays a major role in the control of the unfolded protein response. We have previously shown that BiP levels are dramatically increased during human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection, where BiP performs unique roles in viral assembly and egress. We show that BiP mRNA levels increase during infection due to activation of the BiP promoter by the major immediate-early (MIE) proteins. The BiP promoter, like other ER stress-activated promoters, contains endoplasmic reticulum stress elements (ERSEs), which are activated by unfolded protein response (UPR)-induced transcription factors. However, these elements are not needed for MIE protein-mediated transcriptional activation; thus, a virus-specific transcriptional activation mechanism is used. Transcriptional activation results in only a 3- to 4-fold increase in BiP mRNA, suggesting that additional mechanisms for BiP production are utilized. The BiP mRNA contains an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) which increases the level of BiP mRNA translation. We show that utilization of the BiP IRES is dramatically increased in HCMV-infected cells. Utilization of the BiP IRES can be activated by the La autoantigen, also called Sjögren's syndrome antigen B (SSB). We show that SSB/La levels are significantly increased during HCMV infection, and SSB/La depletion causes the loss of BiP IRES utilization and lowers endogenous BiP levels in infected cells. Our data show that BiP levels increase in HCMV-infected cells through the combination of increased BiP gene transcription mediated by the MIE proteins and increased BiP mRNA translation due to SSB/La-induced utilization of the BiP IRES.

scholarly journals Novel Characteristics of the Biological Properties of the YeastSaccharomyces cerevisiaeEukaryotic Initiation Factor 2A

2005 ◽  
Vol 280 (16) ◽  
pp. 15601-15611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anton A. Komar ◽  
Stephane R. Gross ◽  
Diane Barth-Baus ◽  
Ryan Strachan ◽  
Jack O. Hensold ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Translational Control ◽  
Internal Ribosome Entry Site ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Yeast Cells ◽  
Initiation Factor ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Entry Site ◽  
Regulation Of Expression ◽  
Internal Ribosome Entry ◽  
Expression Of Genes

Eukaryotic initiation factor 2A (eIF2A) has been shown to direct binding of the initiator methionyl-tRNA (Met-tRNAi) to 40 S ribosomal subunits in a codon-dependent manner, in contrast to eIF2, which requires GTP but not the AUG codon to bind initiator tRNA to 40 S subunits. We show here that yeast eIF2A genetically interacts with initiation factor eIF4E, suggesting that both proteins function in the same pathway. The doubleeIF2A/eIF4E-tsmutant strain displays a severe slow growth phenotype, which correlated with the accumulation of 85% of the double mutant cells arrested at the G2/M border. These cells also exhibited a disorganized actin cytoskeleton and elevated actin levels, suggesting that eIF2A might be involved in controlling the expression of genes involved in morphogenic processes. Further insights into eIF2A function were gained from the studies of eIF2A distribution in ribosomal fractions obtained from either aneIF5BΔ (fun12Δ) strain or aeIF3b-ts(prt1-1) strain. It was found that the binding of eIF2A to 40 and 80 S ribosomes was not impaired in either strain. We also found that eIF2A functions as a suppressor of Ure2p internal ribosome entry site-mediated translation in yeast cells. The regulation of expression from theURE2internal ribosome entry site appears to be through the levels of eIF2A protein, which has been found to be inherently unstable with a half-life of ∼17 min. It was hypothesized that this instability allows for translational control through the level of eIF2A protein in yeast cells.

Bcr-Abl Regulates IRES-Dependent Translation of Lymphoid Enhancer Factor-1 in Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia.

Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 2124-2124
Author(s):  
Judy Jimenez ◽  
Min Zhang ◽  
Marian L. Waterman ◽  
Tiong Ong
Keyword(s):  
Translational Control ◽  
Myelogenous Leukemia ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Entry Site ◽  
Aberrant Expression ◽  
Internal Ribosome Entry ◽  
Protein Levels ◽  
Clinical Resistance ◽  
Bona Fide ◽  
Enhancer Factor

Abstract The constitutive tyrosine kinase activity of Bcr-Abl leads to aberrant expression of multiple genes by several mechanisms, including dysregulation of transcription. Recently though, increasing attention has been focused on the effect of Bcr-Abl in dysregulating translation. Our group has previously documented the effects of Bcr-Abl on key regulators of cap-dependent translation and the role that this mechanism plays in transformation (Ly et al, Cancer Research, 2003; Prabhu et al., Oncogene, in press). Here we describe a novel form of translational control by Bcr-Abl. Specifically, we show how Bcr-Abl regulates cap-independent translation of Lymphoid Enhancer Factor-1 (LEF-1) via a bona fide internal ribosome entry site (IRES) in the 5′ untranslated region (UTR) of LEF1. Lymphoid Enhancer Factor-1 (LEF-1), a transcription factor that mediates Wnt signals via interaction with β-catenin, is often expressed in cancers derived from aberrant Wnt signaling. Lately, it has been reported that LEF1 transcripts are elevated in CML. We examined LEF-1 expression in primary CML cells and cell lines (K562 and Ba/F3-Bcr-Abl) and show that LEF-1 protein is detected in all patient-derived cells. Treatment of these cells with the Bcr-Abl imatinib mesylate (imatinib) inhibits LEF-1 expression in imatinib-sensitive cancers, but not in cancers that exhibit clinical resistance even though such cancers express imatinib-sensitive Bcr-Abl. For those cancers that are sensitive, inhibition of Bcr-Abl has a partial effect on LEF1 mRNA levels, and a significant effect on LEF-1 protein levels. LEF-1 protein is produced via two IRESs in it’s 5′ UTR. IRES-driven translation of LEF-1 was highly sensitive to Bcr-Abl as treatment with imatinib reduced IRES activity 5 fold. Transfection of CML cells with dicistronic mRNAs suggests that Bcr-Abl stimulates LEF-1 protein production through steps in the nucleus and cytoplasm. We propose that, in addition to its strong effects on cap-dependent translation in CML, Bcr-Abl is an important regulator of alternative translation pathways. mRNAs that are translated via IRES-dependent mechanisms are particularly relevant to cancer since they encode proteins that regulate cell proliferation and survival. Together, these observations underscore the important role which dysregulated translation plays in transformation, and suggest novel approaches with which to counteract the transforming properties of Bcr-Abl.

scholarly journals Hypoxia-inducible Factor-1α mRNA Contains an Internal Ribosome Entry Site That Allows Efficient Translation during Normoxia and Hypoxia

2002 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1792-1801 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth J. D. Lang ◽  
Andreas Kappel ◽  
Gregory J. Goodall
Keyword(s):  
Internal Ribosome Entry Site ◽  
Cellular Response ◽  
Profile Analysis ◽  
Hypoxia Inducible Factor ◽  
Serum Starvation ◽  
Entry Site ◽  
Translation Rate ◽  
Nih3t3 Cells ◽  
Internal Ribosome Entry ◽  
Hypoxic Conditions

HIF-1α is the regulated subunit of the HIF-1 transcription factor, which induces transcription of a number of genes involved in the cellular response to hypoxia. The HIF-1α protein is rapidly degraded in cells supplied with adequate oxygen but is stabilized in hypoxic cells. Using polysome profile analysis, we found that translation of HIF-1α mRNA in NIH3T3 cells is spared the general reduction in translation rate that occurs during hypoxia. To assess whether the 5′UTR of the HIF-1α mRNA contains an internal ribosome entry site (IRES), we constructed a dicistronic reporter with the HIF-1α 5′UTR inserted between two reporter coding regions. We found that the HIF-1α 5′UTR promoted translation of the downstream reporter, indicating the presence of an IRES. The IRES had activity comparable to that of the well-characterized c-myc IRES. IRES activity was not affected by hypoxic conditions that caused a reduction in cap-dependent translation, and IRES activity was less affected by serum-starvation than was cap-dependent translation. These data indicate that the presence of an IRES in the HIF-1α 5′UTR allows translation to be maintained under conditions that are inhibitory to cap-dependent translation.

scholarly journals Constitutive translation of human α-synuclein is mediated by the 5′-untranslated region

Open Biology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 160022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pelagia Koukouraki ◽  
Epaminondas Doxakis
Keyword(s):  
Untranslated Region ◽  
Mrna Translation ◽  
Protein Translation ◽  
Serum Starvation ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Entry Site ◽  
Rna Motifs ◽  
Physiological Mechanisms ◽  
Internal Ribosome Entry ◽  
G Quadruplex

Genetic and biochemical studies have established a central role for α-synuclein (SNCA) accumulation in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. Uncovering and subsequently interfering with physiological mechanisms that control SNCA expression is one approach to limit disease progression. To this end, the long and GC-rich 5′-untranslated region (UTR) of SNCA, which is predicted to fold into stable hairpin and G-quadruplex RNA motifs, was investigated for its role in mRNA translation. Inclusion of SNCA 5′-UTR significantly induced expression of both SNCA and luciferase ORF constructs. This effect was not associated with a change in mRNA levels or differential nucleocytoplasmic shuttling. Further, the presence of the 5′-UTR enhanced SNCA synthesis when cap-dependent translation was attenuated with rapamycin treatment. Analysis using multiple methodologies revealed that the 5′-UTR harbours an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) element that spans most of its nucleotide sequence. Signals such as plasma-membrane depolarization, serum starvation and oxidative stress stimulated SNCA protein translation via its 5′-UTR as well as enhanced its IRES activity. Taken together, these data support the idea that the 5′-UTR is an important positive regulator of SNCA synthesis under diverse physiological and pathological conditions, explaining in part the abundance of SNCA in healthy neurons and its accumulation in degenerative cells.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document