scholarly journals Sequences enriched in Alu repeats drive nuclear localization of long RNAs in human cells

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoav Lubelsky ◽  
Igor Ulitsky

AbstractLong noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as key players in multiple cellular pathways, but their modes of action, and how those are dictated by sequence remain elusive. While lncRNAs share most molecular properties with mRNAs, they are more likely to be enriched in the nucleus, a feature that is likely to be crucial for function of many lncRNAs, but whose molecular underpinnings remain largely unclear. In order identify elements that can force nuclear localization we screened libraries of short fragments tiled across nuclear RNAs, which were cloned into the untranslated regions of an efficiently exported mRNA. The screen identified a short sequence derived from Alu elements and found in many mRNAs and lncRNAs that increases nuclear accumulation and reduces overall expression levels. Measurements of the contribution of individual bases and short motifs to the element functionality identified a combination of RCCTCCC motifs that are bound by the abundant nuclear protein HNRNPK. Increased HNRNPK binding and C-rich motifs are predictive of substantial nuclear enrichment in both lncRNAs and mRNAs, and this mechanism is conserved across species. Our results thus detail a novel pathway for regulation of RNA accumulation and subcellular localization that has been co-opted to regulate the fate of transcripts that integrated Alu elements.

1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 651-685 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Jans ◽  
S. Hubner

Nuclear protein transport is integral to eukaryotic cell processes such as differentiation, transformation, and the control of gene expression. Although the targeting role of nuclear localization signals (NLSs) has been known for some time, more recent results indicate that NLS-dependent nuclear protein import is precisely regulated. Phosphorylation appears to be the main mechanism controlling the nuclear transport of a number of proteins, including transcription factors such as NFkappaB, c-rel, dorsal, and SWI5 from yeast. Cytoplasmic retention factors, intra- and intermolecular NLS masking, and NLS masking by phosphorylation are some of the mechanisms by which phosphorylation specifically regulates nuclear transport. Even nuclear localization of the archetypal NLS-containing simian virus 40 large tumor antigen (T-ag) is regulated, namely by the "CcN motif," which comprises the T-ag NLS ("N") determining ultimate subcellular destination, a casein kinase II site ("C") 13 amino acids NH2-terminal to the NLS modulating the rate of nuclear import, and a cyclin-dependent kinase site ("c") adjacent to the NLS regulating the maximal level of nuclear accumulation. The CcN motif appears to be a special form of phosphorylation-regulated NLS (prNLS), where phosphorylation at site(s) close to the NLS specifically regulates NLS function. The regulation of nuclear transport through phosphorylation and prNLSs appears to be common in eukaryotic cells from yeast and plants to higher mammals.


2009 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 1169-1175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathieu Mateo ◽  
St. Patrick Reid ◽  
Lawrence W. Leung ◽  
Christopher F. Basler ◽  
Viktor E. Volchkov

ABSTRACT The Ebolavirus VP24 protein counteracts alpha/beta interferon (IFN-α/β) and IFN-γ signaling by blocking the nuclear accumulation of tyrosine-phosphorylated STAT1 (PY-STAT1). According to the proposed model, VP24 binding to members of the NPI-1 subfamily of karyopherin alpha (KPNα) nuclear localization signal receptors prevents their binding to PY-STAT1, thereby preventing PY-STAT1 nuclear accumulation. This study now identifies two domains of VP24 required for inhibition of IFN-β-induced gene expression and PY-STAT1 nuclear accumulation. We demonstrate that loss of function correlates with loss of binding to KPNα proteins. Thus, the VP24 IFN antagonist function requires the ability of VP24 to interact with KPNα.


2003 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 975-987 ◽  
Author(s):  
Odile Filhol ◽  
Arsenio Nueda ◽  
Véronique Martel ◽  
Delphine Gerber-Scokaert ◽  
Maria José Benitez ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Protein kinase CK2 is a multifunctional enzyme which has long been described as a stable heterotetrameric complex resulting from the association of two catalytic (α or α′) and two regulatory (β) subunits. To track the spatiotemporal dynamics of CK2 in living cells, we fused its catalytic α and regulatory β subunits with green fluorescent protein (GFP). Both CK2 subunits contain nuclear localization domains that target them independently to the nucleus. Imaging of stable cell lines expressing low levels of GFP-CK2α or GFP-CK2β revealed the existence of CK2 subunit subpopulations exhibiting differential dynamics. Once in the nucleus, they diffuse randomly at different rates. Unlike CK2β, CK2α can shuttle, showing the dynamic nature of the nucleocytoplasmic trafficking of the kinase. When microinjected in the cytoplasm, the isolated CK2 subunits are rapidly translocated into the nucleus, whereas the holoenzyme complex remains in this cell compartment, suggesting an intramolecular masking of the nuclear localization sequences that suppresses nuclear accumulation. However, binding of FGF-2 to the holoenzyme triggers its nuclear translocation. Since the substrate specificity of CK2α is dramatically changed by its association with CK2β, the control of the nucleocytoplasmic distribution of each subunit may represent a unique potential regulatory mechanism for CK2 activity.


1993 ◽  
Vol 105 (2) ◽  
pp. 389-395
Author(s):  
X. Li ◽  
L.D. Etkin

Xenopus nuclear factor 7 (xnf7) is a nuclear phosphoprotein that is encoded by a member of a novel zinc finger gene family and likely functions as a transcription factor. It possesses a nuclear localization signal (NLS) similar to the bipartite basic NLS of nucleoplasmin, but unlike nucleoplasmin, which re-enters nuclei immediately after fertilization, xnf7 remains cytoplasmic until the mid-blastula transition (MBT). We have measured the accumulation of injected labeled xnf7 protein or protein produced from synthetic xnf7 transcripts in the oocyte nuclei (GV). The data show that the NLS of xnf7 functions efficiently in oocytes. Mutations in either of the bipartite basic domains of the xnf7 NLS inhibit nuclear accumulation, while mutations in the spacer sequences have no effect. The xnf7 NLS linked to pyruvate kinase directs the efficient accumulation of this protein into nuclei of early embryos prior to the MBT. These data suggest that retention of the xnf7 protein during development is the result of a mechanism that interferes with the xnf7 NLS function.


2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. 64
Author(s):  
D. A. Jans ◽  
G. Kaur ◽  
I. K. H. Poon ◽  
A. Delluc-Clavieries ◽  
K. M. Wagstaff

15% of cases of human XY sex reversal are due to mutations in SRY (sex determining region on the Y chromosome), many of which map to one of SRY’s two independently acting nuclear localization signals (NLSs) flanking its DNA binding domain. The C-terminal NLS (C-NLS) targets SRY to the nucleus through a ‘conventional’ pathway dependent on the nuclear import receptor importin-β (Imp-β). No importin has been shown to bind the N-terminal NLS (N-NLS), but it is known to interact with the Ca2+-binding protein calmodulin (CaM). We examined seven distinct missense mutations in the SRY NLSs from XY sex-reversed human females for effects on nuclear import and ability to interact with CaM/Imp-β1. All mutations were found to result in reduced nuclear localization in transfected testicular cells compared to wild type. The CaM antagonist, calmidazolium chloride (CDZ), was found to significantly reduce SRY nuclear accumulation, indicating a dependence of SRY nuclear import on CaM. Intriguingly, N-NLS mutants were resistant to CDZ’s effects, implying a loss of interaction with CaM; this was confirmed directly by in vitro binding experiments using recombinantly expressed protein. Either impaired CaM or Imp-β1 binding can thus be the basis of sex-reversal in human patients. Our results implicate a CaM-dependent nuclear import pathway for SRY mediated by the N-NLS that, together with the C-NLS, is required to achieve threshold levels of SRY in the nucleus for male sex determination.


Cells ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dmitry A. Kretov ◽  
Daria A. Mordovkina ◽  
Irina A. Eliseeva ◽  
Dmitry N. Lyabin ◽  
Dmitry N. Polyakov ◽  
...  

The Y-box binding protein 1 (YB-1) is an RNA/DNA-binding protein regulating gene expression in the cytoplasm and the nucleus. Although mostly cytoplasmic, YB-1 accumulates in the nucleus under stress conditions. Its nuclear localization is associated with aggressiveness and multidrug resistance of cancer cells, which makes the understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of YB-1 subcellular distribution essential. Here, we report that inhibition of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) activity results in the nuclear accumulation of YB-1 accompanied by its phosphorylation at Ser102. The inhibition of kinase activity reduces YB-1 phosphorylation and its accumulation in the nucleus. The presence of RNA in the nucleus is shown to be required for the nuclear retention of YB-1. Thus, the subcellular localization of YB-1 depends on its post-translational modifications (PTMs) and intracellular RNA distribution.


2020 ◽  
Vol 375 (1795) ◽  
pp. 20190344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynne E. Maquat

Primate-specific Alu short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) and rodent-specific B and ID (B/ID) SINEs are non-autonomous and generally non-coding retrotransposons that have been copied and pasted into the respective genomes so as to constitute what is estimated to be a remarkable 13% and 8% of those genomes. In the context of messenger RNAs (mRNAs), those residing within 3′-untranslated regions (3′UTRs) can influence mRNA export from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, mRNA translation and/or mRNA decay via proteins with which they associate either individually or base-paired in cis or in trans with a partially complementary SINE. Each of these influences impinges on the primary function of mRNA, which is to serve as a template for protein synthesis. This review describes how human cells have used 3′UTR Alu elements to mediate post-transcriptional gene regulation and also describes examples of convergent evolution between human and mouse 3′UTR SINEs. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Crossroads between transposons and gene regulation’.


1988 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 4048-4054 ◽  
Author(s):  
C V Dang ◽  
W M Lee

We identified and characterized two regions of the human c-myc protein that target proteins into the nucleus. Using mutant c-myc proteins and proteins that fuse portions of c-myc to chicken muscle pyruvate kinase, we found that residues 320 to 328 (PAAKRVKLD; peptide M1) induced complete nuclear localization, and their removal from c-myc resulted in mutant proteins that distributed in both the nucleus and cytoplasm but retained rat embryo cell cotransforming activity. Residues 364 to 374 (RQRRNELKRSP; peptide M2) induced only partial nuclear targeting, and their removal from c-myc resulted in mutant proteins that remained nuclear but were cotransformationally inactive. We conjugated synthetic peptides containing M1 or M2 to human serum albumin and microinjected the conjugate into the cytoplasm of Vero cells. The peptide containing M1 caused rapid and complete nuclear accumulation, whereas that containing M2 caused slower and only partial nuclear localization. Thus, M1 functions as the nuclear localization signal of c-myc, and M2 serves some other and essential function.


2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. 4002-4013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anabel Gil ◽  
Amparo Andrés-Pons ◽  
Elena Fernández ◽  
Miguel Valiente ◽  
Josema Torres ◽  
...  

The targeting of the tumor suppressor PTEN protein to distinct subcellular compartments is a major regulatory mechanism of PTEN function, by controlling its access to substrates and effector proteins. Here, we investigated the molecular basis and functional consequences of PTEN nuclear/cytoplasmic distribution. PTEN accumulated in the nucleus of cells treated with apoptotic stimuli. Nuclear accumulation of PTEN was enhanced by mutations targeting motifs in distinct PTEN domains, and it was dependent on an N-terminal nuclear localization domain. Coexpression of a dominant negative Ran GTPase protein blocked PTEN accumulation in the nucleus, which was also affected by coexpression of importin α proteins. The lipid- and protein-phosphatase activity of PTEN differentially modulated PTEN nuclear accumulation. Furthermore, catalytically active nuclear PTEN enhanced cell apoptotic responses. Our findings indicate that multiple nuclear exclusion motifs and a nuclear localization domain control PTEN nuclear localization by a Ran-dependent mechanism and suggest a proapoptotic role for PTEN in the cell nucleus.


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