scholarly journals Tudor staphylococcal nuclease acts as a docking platform for stress granule components in Arabidopsis thaliana

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilio Gutierrez-Beltran ◽  
Pernilla H. Elander ◽  
Kerstin Dalman ◽  
Jose Luis Crespo ◽  
Panagiotis N. Moschou ◽  
...  

SUMMARYAdaptation to stress depends on the modulation of gene expression. Regulation of mRNA stability and degradation in stress granules (SGs), - cytoplasmic membraneless organelles composed of messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) complexes, - plays an important role in fine-tuning of gene expression. In addition, SG formation can modulate stress signaling pathways by protein sequestration. Molecular composition, structure, and function of SGs in plants remain obscure. Recently, we established Tudor Staphylococcal Nuclease (TSN or Tudor-SN; also known as SND1) as integral component of SGs in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we combined purification of TSN interactome with cell biology, reverse genetics and bioinformatics to study composition and function of SGs in plants. We found that under both normal (in the absence of stress) and stress conditions TSN interactome is enriched in the homologues of known mammalian and yeast SG proteins, in addition to novel or plant-specific SG components. We estimate that upon stress perception, approximately half of TSN interactors are recruited to SGs de novo, in a stress-dependent manner, while another half represent a dense protein-protein interaction network pre-formed before onset of stress. Almost all TSN-interacting proteins are moderately or highly disordered and approximately 20% of them are predisposed for liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). This suggests that plant SGs, similarly to mammalian and yeast counterparts, are multicomponent viscous liquid droplets. Finally, we have discovered that evolutionary conserved SNF1-related protein kinase 1 (SnRK1) interacts with TSN in heat-induced SGs and that SnRK1 activation critically depends on the presence of TSN and formation of SGs. Altogether, our results establish TSN as a docking platform for SG-associated proteins and important stress signal mediator in plants.

Archaea ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Gebetsberger ◽  
Marek Zywicki ◽  
Andrea Künzi ◽  
Norbert Polacek

Nonprotein coding RNA (ncRNA) molecules have been recognized recently as major contributors to regulatory networks in controlling gene expression in a highly efficient manner. These RNAs either originate from their individual transcription units or are processing products from longer precursor RNAs. For example, tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs) have been identified in all domains of life and represent a growing, yet functionally poorly understood, class of ncRNA candidates. Here we present evidence that tRFs from the halophilic archaeonHaloferax volcaniidirectly bind to ribosomes. In the presented genomic screen of the ribosome-associated RNome, a 26-residue-long fragment originating from the 5′ part of valine tRNA was by far the most abundant tRF. The Val-tRF is processed in a stress-dependent manner and was found to primarily target the small ribosomal subunitin vitroandin vivo. As a consequence of ribosome binding, Val-tRF reduces protein synthesis by interfering with peptidyl transferase activity. Therefore this tRF functions as ribosome-bound small ncRNA capable of regulating gene expression inH. volcaniiunder environmental stress conditions probably by fine tuning the rate of protein production.


2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Assis ◽  
Ana Luísa De Sousa-Coelho

Abstract Background A recent repurposing pharmacological screening revealed that vanadium-containing drugs anti-proliferative action in ovarian cancer cells was SLC26A2-dependent. SLC26A2/DTDST is a sulfate transporter, related to chondrodysplasia syndromes. Despite some reports on colon cancer, there are no studies on SLC26A2 performed in melanoma in the literature. Methods To better understand its potential use as biomarker for therapeutic decisions in melanoma, we performed gene expression analyses of the data available at GEO profiles (NCBI). Gene data sets that allowed analysis of SLC26A2 expression (1) in melanoma; (2) in response to drugs; (3) regulated by other proteins, were selected. Results Our results showed that, compared to normal skin or benign nevi, SLC26A2 expression was 2.5-fold higher in malignant melanoma (P = 0.019). Compared to the primary tumor, SLC26A2 expression tripled in melanoma (P = 0.022). We found a 6% decrease of SLC26A2 expression in A375 melanoma cells treated with BRAF inhibitor Vemurafenib (P < 0.001). After treatment of A375 cells with MLN4924, a selective inhibitor of the activating enzyme of Nedd8, SLC26A2 decreased in a time-dependent manner ( > 80% at 24 h; P < 0.001). In Sk-Mel-2 cells overexpressing E2F-1, a transcription factor that induces apoptosis in cancer cells, SLC26A2 levels were reduced by 76.4% (P = 0.067). In A375P cells depleted of PGC1α, an important metabolic co-activator in mitochondrial biogenesis and function, SLC26A2 levels increased 16% (P = 0.013). Conclusions From this work, we unveiled, for the first time, potential clues to better understand the regulation and role of SLC26A2 in melanoma. Though, it is still to be determined whether SLC26A2 is a driver or a passenger in the disease.


2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria C. Davis ◽  
Christopher A. Kesthely ◽  
Emily A. Franklin ◽  
Shawn R. MacLellan

Transcription is the first and most heavily regulated step in gene expression. Sigma (σ) factors are general transcription factors that reversibly bind RNA polymerase (RNAP) and mediate transcription of all genes in bacteria. σ Factors play 3 major roles in the RNA synthesis initiation process: they (i) target RNAP holoenzyme to specific promoters, (ii) melt a region of double-stranded promoter DNA and stabilize it as a single-stranded open complex, and (iii) interact with other DNA-binding transcription factors to contribute complexity to gene expression regulation schemes. Recent structural studies have demonstrated that when σ factors bind promoter DNA, they capture 1 or more nucleotides that are flipped out of the helical DNA stack and this stabilizes the promoter open-complex intermediate that is required for the initiation of RNA synthesis. This review describes the structure and function of the σ70 family of σ proteins and the essential roles they play in the transcription process.


Author(s):  
Yu Takahashi ◽  
Yu Inoue ◽  
Keitaro Kuze ◽  
Shintaro Sato ◽  
Makoto Shimizu ◽  
...  

Abstract Intestinal organoids better represent in vivo intestinal properties than conventionally used established cell lines in vitro. However, they are maintained in three-dimensional culture conditions that may be accompanied by handling complexities. We characterized the properties of human organoid-derived two-dimensionally cultured intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) compared with those of their parental organoids. We found that the expression of several intestinal markers and functional genes were indistinguishable between monolayer IECs and organoids. We further confirmed that their specific ligands equally activate intestinal ligand-activated transcriptional regulators in a dose-dependent manner. The results suggest that culture conditions do not significantly influence the fundamental properties of monolayer IECs originating from organoids, at least from the perspective of gene expression regulation. This will enable their use as novel biological tools to investigate the physiological functions of the human intestine.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen L. Leung ◽  
Smriti Sanchita ◽  
Catherine T. Pham ◽  
Brett A. Davis ◽  
Mariam Okhovat ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Normal-weight polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) women exhibit adipose resistance in vivo accompanied by enhanced subcutaneous (SC) abdominal adipose stem cell (ASC) development to adipocytes with accelerated lipid accumulation per cell in vitro. The present study examines chromatin accessibility, RNA expression and fatty acid (FA) synthesis during SC abdominal ASC differentiation into adipocytes in vitro of normal-weight PCOS versus age- and body mass index-matched normoandrogenic ovulatory (control) women to study epigenetic/genetic characteristics as well as functional alterations of PCOS and control ASCs during adipogenesis. Results SC abdominal ASCs from PCOS women versus controls exhibited dynamic chromatin accessibility during adipogenesis, from significantly less chromatin accessibility at day 0 to greater chromatin accessibility by day 12, with enrichment of binding motifs for transcription factors (TFs) of the AP-1 subfamily at days 0, 3, and 12. In PCOS versus control cells, expression of genes governing adipocyte differentiation (PPARγ, CEBPα, AGPAT2) and function (ADIPOQ, FABP4, LPL, PLIN1, SLC2A4) was increased two–sixfold at days 3, 7, and 12, while that involving Wnt signaling (FZD1, SFRP1, and WNT10B) was decreased. Differential gene expression in PCOS cells at these time points involved triacylglycerol synthesis, lipid oxidation, free fatty acid beta-oxidation, and oxidative phosphorylation of the TCA cycle, with TGFB1 as a significant upstream regulator. There was a broad correspondence between increased chromatin accessibility and increased RNA expression of those 12 genes involved in adipocyte differentiation and function, Wnt signaling, as well as genes involved in the triacylglycerol synthesis functional group at day 12 of adipogenesis. Total content and de novo synthesis of myristic (C14:0), palmitic (C16:0), palmitoleic (C16:1), and oleic (C18:1) acid increased from day 7 to day 12 in all cells, with total content and de novo synthesis of FAs significantly greater in PCOS than controls cells at day 12. Conclusions In normal-weight PCOS women, dynamic chromatin remodeling of SC abdominal ASCs during adipogenesis may enhance adipogenic gene expression as a programmed mechanism to promote greater fat storage.


2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (16) ◽  
pp. 2718-2723 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamir Tuller ◽  
Alon Diament ◽  
Avital Yahalom ◽  
Assaf Zemach ◽  
Shimshi Atar ◽  
...  

Abstract Motivation The COP9 signalosome is a highly conserved multi-protein complex consisting of eight subunits, which influences key developmental pathways through its regulation of protein stability and transcription. In Arabidopsis thaliana, mutations in the COP9 signalosome exhibit a number of diverse pleiotropic phenotypes. Total or partial loss of COP9 signalosome function in Arabidopsis leads to misregulation of a number of genes involved in DNA methylation, suggesting that part of the pleiotropic phenotype is due to global effects on DNA methylation. Results We determined and analyzed the methylomes and transcriptomes of both partial- and total-loss-of-function Arabidopsis mutants of the COP9 signalosome. Our results support the hypothesis that the COP9 signalosome has a global genome-wide effect on methylation and that this effect is at least partially encoded in the DNA. Our analyses suggest that COP9 signalosome-dependent methylation is related to gene expression regulation in various ways. Differentially methylated regions tend to be closer in the 3D conformation of the genome to differentially expressed genes. These results suggest that the COP9 signalosome has a more comprehensive effect on gene expression than thought before, and this is partially related to regulation of methylation. The high level of COP9 signalosome conservation among eukaryotes may also suggest that COP9 signalosome regulates methylation not only in plants but also in other eukaryotes, including humans. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.


Author(s):  
Bauyrzhan Smailov ◽  
Sanzhar Alybayev ◽  
Izat Smekenov ◽  
Aibek Mursalimov ◽  
Murat Saparbaev ◽  
...  

Germination is a process of seed sprouting that facilitates embryo growth. The breakdown of reserved starch in the endosperm into simple sugars is essential for seed germination and subsequent seedling growth. At the early stage of germination, gibberellic acid (GA) activates transcription factor GAMYB to promote de novo synthesis of isoforms of α-amylase in the aleurone layer and scutellar epithelium of the embryo. Here, we demonstrate that wheat germination is regulated by plant target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling. TOR is a central component of the essential-nutrient–dependent pathway controlling cell growth in all eukaryotes. It is known that rapamycin, a highly specific allosteric inhibitor of TOR, is effective in yeast and animal cells but ineffective in most of higher plants likely owing to structural differences in ubiquitous rapamycin receptor FKBP12. The action of rapamycin on wheat growth has not been studied. Our data show that rapamycin inhibits germination of wheat seeds and of their isolated embryos in a dose-dependent manner. The involvement of Triticum aestivum TOR (TaTOR) in wheat germination was consistent with the suppression of wheat embryo growth by specific inhibitors of the TOR kinase: pp242 or torin1. Rapamycin or torin1 interfered with GA function in germination because of a potent inhibitory effect on α-amylase and GAMYB gene expression. The TOR inhibitors selectively targeted the GA-dependent gene expression, whereas expression of the abscisic acid-dependent ABI5 gene was not affected by either rapamycin or torin1. To determine whether the TaTOR kinase activation takes place during wheat germination, we examined phosphorylation of a ribosomal protein, T. aestivum S6 kinase 1 (TaS6K1; a substrate of TOR). The phosphorylation of serine 467 (S467) in a hydrophobic motif on TaS6K1 was induced in a process of germination triggered by GA. Moreover, the germination-induced phosphorylation of TaS6K1 on S467 was dependent on TaTOR and was inhibited by rapamycin or torin1. Besides, a gibberellin biosynthesis inhibitor (paclobutrazol; PBZ) blocked not only α-amylase gene expression but also TaS6K1 phosphorylation in wheat embryos. Thus, a hormonal action of GA turns on the synthesis of α-amylase in wheat germination via activation of the TaTOR–S6K1 signaling pathway.


Genetics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 215 (1) ◽  
pp. 253-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole E. Soltis ◽  
Celine Caseys ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Jason A. Corwin ◽  
Susanna Atwell ◽  
...  

In plant–pathogen relations, disease symptoms arise from the interaction of the host and pathogen genomes. Host–pathogen functional gene interactions are well described, whereas little is known about how the pathogen genetic variation modulates both organisms’ transcriptomes. To model and generate hypotheses on a generalist pathogen control of gene expression regulation, we used the Arabidopsis thaliana–Botrytis cinerea pathosystem and the genetic diversity of a collection of 96 B. cinerea isolates. We performed expression-based genome-wide association (eGWA) for each of 23,947 measurable transcripts in Arabidopsis (host), and 9267 measurable transcripts in B. cinerea (pathogen). Unlike other eGWA studies, we detected a relative absence of locally acting expression quantitative trait loci (cis-eQTL), partly caused by structural variants and allelic heterogeneity hindering their identification. This study identified several distantly acting trans-eQTL linked to eQTL hotspots dispersed across Botrytis genome that altered only Botrytis transcripts, only Arabidopsis transcripts, or transcripts from both species. Gene membership in the trans-eQTL hotspots suggests links between gene expression regulation and both known and novel virulence mechanisms in this pathosystem. Genes annotated to these hotspots provide potential targets for blocking manipulation of the host response by this ubiquitous generalist necrotrophic pathogen.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tae Hee Han ◽  
Rosario Vicidomini ◽  
Cathy Isaura Ramos ◽  
Qi Wang ◽  
Peter Nguyen ◽  
...  

SummaryGlutamate receptor auxiliary proteins control receptor distribution and function, ultimately controlling synapse assembly, maturation and plasticity. At the Drosophila neuromuscular junction (NMJ), a synapse with both pre- and post-synaptic kainate-type glutamate receptors (KARs), we show that the auxiliary protein Neto evolved functionally distinct isoforms to modulate synapse development and homeostasis. Using genetics, cell biology and electrophysiology we demonstrate that Neto-α functions on both sides of the NMJ. In muscle, Neto-α limits the size of the postsynaptic receptors field. In motor neurons, Neto-α controls neurotransmitter release in a KAR-dependent manner. Furthermore, Neto-α is both required and sufficient for the presynaptic increase in neurotransmitter release in response to reduced postsynaptic sensitivity. This KAR-independent function of Neto-α is involved in activity-induced cytomatrix remodeling. We propose that Drosophila ensured NMJ functionality by acquiring two Neto isoforms with differential expression patterns and activities.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (12) ◽  
pp. eaaw1715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng-Jang Wu ◽  
Sunglim Cho ◽  
Hsi-Yuan Huang ◽  
Chun-Hao Lu ◽  
Jasmin Russ ◽  
...  

Follicular helper T (TFH) cells are essential for generating protective humoral immunity. To date, microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as important players in regulating TFH cell biology. Here, we show that loss of miR-23~27~24 clusters in T cells resulted in elevated TFH cell frequencies upon different immune challenges, whereas overexpression of this miRNA family led to reduced TFH cell responses. Mechanistically, miR-23~27~24 clusters coordinately control TFH cells through targeting a network of genes that are crucial for TFH cell biology. Among them, thymocyte selection–associated HMG-box protein (TOX) was identified as a central transcription regulator in TFH cell development. TOX is highly up-regulated in both mouse and human TFH cells in a BCL6-dependent manner. In turn, TOX promotes the expression of multiple molecules that play critical roles in TFH cell differentiation and function. Collectively, our results establish a key miRNA regulon that maintains optimal TFH cell responses for resultant humoral immunity.


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