Concatemeric Broccoli reduces mRNA stability, aggregates and induces p-body formation

AbstractFluorogenic aptamers are an alternative to established methodology for real-time imaging of RNA transport and dynamics. We developed Broccoli-aptamer concatemers ranging from 4 to 128 substrate-binding site repeats and characterized their behavior fused to an mCherry-coding mRNA in transient transfection, stable expression, and in recombinant cytomegalovirus infection. Concatemerization of substrate-binding sites increased Broccoli fluorescence up to a concatemer length of 16 copies, upon which fluorescence did not increase and mCherry signals declined. This was due to the combined effects of RNA aptamer aggregation, a nuclear export defect and reduced RNA stability. Unfortunately, both cellular and cytomegalovirus genomes were unable to maintain and express high Broccoli concatemer copy numbers, possibly due to recombination events. Overexpression of Broccoli-tagged mRNA led to the formation of p-bodies. However, Broccoli RNAs did not localize to these sites. Interestingly, negative effects of Broccoli concatemers could be partially rescued by introducing linker sequences in between Broccoli repeats warranting further studies. Finally, we show that even though substrate-bound Broccoli is easily photobleached, it can still be utilized in live-cell imaging by adapting a time-lapse imaging protocol.

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Concatemeric Broccoli reduces mRNA stability and induces aggregates

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0244166 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (8) ◽

pp. e0244166

Author(s):

Marco R. Rink ◽

Marisa A. P. Baptista ◽

Felix J. Flomm ◽

Thomas Hennig ◽

Adam W. Whisnant ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Binding Sites ◽

Substrate Binding ◽

Rna Stability ◽

Time Lapse ◽

Rna Transport ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Imaging Protocol ◽

Copy Numbers ◽

Substrate Binding Sites ◽

Time Lapse Imaging

Fluorogenic aptamers are an alternative to established methodology for real-time imaging of RNA transport and dynamics. We developed Broccoli-aptamer concatemers ranging from 4 to 128 substrate-binding site repeats and characterized their behavior fused to an mCherry-coding mRNA in transient transfection, stable expression, and in recombinant cytomegalovirus infection. Concatemerization of substrate-binding sites increased Broccoli fluorescence up to a concatemer length of 16 copies, upon which fluorescence did not increase and mCherry signals declined. This was due to the combined effects of RNA aptamer aggregation and reduced RNA stability. Unfortunately, both cellular and cytomegalovirus genomes were unable to maintain and express high Broccoli concatemer copy numbers, possibly due to recombination events. Interestingly, negative effects of Broccoli concatemers could be partially rescued by introducing linker sequences in between Broccoli repeats warranting further studies. Finally, we show that even though substrate-bound Broccoli is easily photobleached, it can still be utilized in live-cell imaging by adapting a time-lapse imaging protocol.

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Cleavage of Human Embryos: Options and Diversity

Acta Naturae ◽

10.32607/20758251-2016-8-3-88-96 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 88-96

Author(s):

Yu. K. Doronin ◽

I. V. Senechkin ◽

L. V. Hilkevich ◽

M. A. Kurcer

Keyword(s):

Time Lapse ◽

Reproductive Technologies ◽

Human Embryos ◽

Imaging Data ◽

Noninvasive Methods ◽

Topographic Features ◽

Time Parameters ◽

Embryo Cleavage ◽

Time Lapse Imaging ◽

Developmental Dynamics

In order to estimate the diversity of embryo cleavage relatives to embryo progress (blastocyst formation), time-lapse imaging data of preimplantation human embryo development were used. This retrospective study is focused on the topographic features and time parameters of the cleavages, with particular emphasis on the lengths of cleavage cycles and the genealogy of blastomeres in 2- to 8-cell human embryos. We have found that all 4-cell human embryos have four developmental variants that are based on the sequence of appearance and orientation of cleavage planes during embryo cleavage from 2 to 4 blastomeres. Each variant of cleavage shows a strong correlation with further developmental dynamics of the embryos (different cleavage cycle characteristics as well as lengths of blastomere cycles). An analysis of the sequence of human blastomere divisions allowed us to postulate that the effects of zygotic determinants are eliminated as a result of cleavage, and that, thereafter, blastomeres acquire the ability of own syntheses, regulation, polarization, formation of functional contacts, and, finally, of specific differentiation. This data on the early development of human embryos obtained using noninvasive methods complements and extend our understanding of the embryogenesis of eutherian mammals and may be applied in the practice of reproductive technologies.

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