scholarly journals The structural basis of mRNA recognition and binding by eukaryotic pseudouridine synthase PUS1

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Gruenberg ◽  
Lindsey A. Doyle ◽  
Nan Dai ◽  
Ivan R. Correa ◽  
Erbay Yigit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hot Spot ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Rna Modification ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Rna Molecules ◽  
Guide Rna ◽  
Pseudouridine Synthase ◽  
Domains Of Life ◽  
Subsequent Modification ◽  
Eukaryotic Genomes

The chemical modification of RNA bases represents a ubiquitous activity that spans all domains of life. The formation of pseudouridine is the most common RNA modification and is observed within tRNA, rRNA, ncRNA and mRNAs. The catalysts of pseudouridylation, termed pseudouridine synthase or PUS enzymes, include those that rely on guide RNA molecules and others that function as stand-alone enzymes. Among the latter, up to ten are encoded in eukaryotic genomes, including several that modify uracil within mRNA transcripts. Neither the biological purpose of mRNA pseudouridylation, nor the mechanism by which individual mRNA bases are targeted, are well understood. In this study, we describe the high-resolution crystal structure of yeast PUS1 bound to an RNA target that we identified as being a hot spot for recognition, binding, and activity within a model mRNA. The enzyme recognizes RNA structural features corresponding to a base-paired duplex, which appears to act as a docking site leading to subsequent modification of the transcript. The study also allows us to visualize the divergence of related PUS-1 enzymes and their corresponding RNA target specificities, and to speculate on the basis by which this single PUS enzyme can bind and modify mRNA or tRNA substrates.

scholarly journals Pseudouridine-free Ribosome Exhibits Distinct Inter-subunit Movements

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Zhao ◽  
Jay Rai ◽  
Hong-Guo Yu ◽  
Hong Li
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Cancer Predisposition ◽  
Rna Modification ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Free Ribosome ◽  
Electron Cryomicroscopy ◽  
Pseudouridine Synthase ◽  
Phosphate Backbone ◽  
Close Contacts

Pseudouridine, the most abundant form of RNA modification, is known to play important roles in ribosome function. Mutations in human DKC1, the pseudouridine synthase responsible for catalyzing the ribosome RNA modification, cause translation deficiencies and are associated with a complex cancer predisposition. The structural basis for how pseudouridine impacts ribosome function remains uncharacterized. Here we report electron cryomicroscopy structures of a fully modified and a pseudouridine-free ribosome from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In the modified ribosome, the rearranged N1 atom of pseudouridine is observed to stabilize key functional motifs by establishing predominately water-mediated close contacts with the phosphate backbone. The pseudouridine-free ribosome, however, is devoid of such interactions and displays conformations reflective of abnormal inter-subunit movements. The erroneous motions of the pseudouridine-free ribosome may explain its observed deficiencies in translation.

scholarly journals The m6A RNA methylation regulates oncogenic signaling pathways driving cell malignant transformation and carcinogenesis

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Burhan Uddin ◽  
Zhishan Wang ◽  
Chengfeng Yang
Keyword(s):  
Signaling Pathways ◽  
Malignant Transformation ◽  
Noncoding Rna ◽  
Rna Modification ◽  
Oncogenic Signaling ◽  
Aberrant Expression ◽  
Rna Methylation ◽  
Rna Molecules ◽  
M6a Rna Methylation ◽  
Oncogenic Signaling Pathways

AbstractThe m6A RNA methylation is the most prevalent internal modification in mammalian mRNAs which plays critical biological roles by regulating vital cellular processes. Dysregulations of the m6A modification due to aberrant expression of its regulatory proteins are frequently observed in many pathological conditions, particularly in cancer. Normal cells undergo malignant transformation via activation or modulation of different oncogenic signaling pathways through complex mechanisms. Accumulating evidence showing regulation of oncogenic signaling pathways at the epitranscriptomic level has added an extra layer of the complexity. In particular, recent studies demonstrated that, in many types of cancers various oncogenic signaling pathways are modulated by the m6A modification in the target mRNAs as well as noncoding RNA transcripts. m6A modifications in these RNA molecules control their fate and metabolism by regulating their stability, translation or subcellular localizations. In this review we discussed recent exciting studies on oncogenic signaling pathways that are modulated by the m6A RNA modification and/or their regulators in cancer and provided perspectives for further studies. The regulation of oncogenic signaling pathways by the m6A modification and its regulators also render them as potential druggable targets for the treatment of cancer.

scholarly journals Structural basis for distinct inflammasome complex assembly by human NLRP1 and CARD8

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qin Gong ◽  
Kim Robinson ◽  
Chenrui Xu ◽  
Phuong Thao Huynh ◽  
Kelvin Han Chung Chong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Inner Core ◽  
Inflammatory Diseases ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Cultured Human Cells ◽  
Structural Insight ◽  
Sensor Proteins ◽  
Insight Into

AbstractNod-like receptor (NLR) proteins activate pyroptotic cell death and IL-1 driven inflammation by assembling and activating the inflammasome complex. Closely related sensor proteins NLRP1 and CARD8 undergo unique auto-proteolysis-dependent activation and are implicated in auto-inflammatory diseases; however, their mechanisms of activation are not understood. Here we report the structural basis of how the activating domains (FIINDUPA-CARD) of NLRP1 and CARD8 self-oligomerize to assemble distinct inflammasome complexes. Recombinant FIINDUPA-CARD of NLRP1 forms a two-layered filament, with an inner core of oligomerized CARD surrounded by an outer ring of FIINDUPA. Biochemically, self-assembled NLRP1-CARD filaments are sufficient to drive ASC speck formation in cultured human cells—a process that is greatly enhanced by NLRP1-FIINDUPA which forms oligomers in vitro. The cryo-EM structures of NLRP1-CARD and CARD8-CARD filaments, solved here at 3.7 Å, uncover unique structural features that enable NLRP1 and CARD8 to discriminate between ASC and pro-caspase-1. In summary, our findings provide structural insight into the mechanisms of activation for human NLRP1 and CARD8 and reveal how highly specific signaling can be achieved by heterotypic CARD interactions within the inflammasome complexes.

scholarly journals Circularization restores signal recognition particle RNA functionality in Thermoproteus

eLife ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Plagens ◽  
Michael Daume ◽  
Julia Wiegel ◽  
Lennart Randau
Keyword(s):  
Genome Rearrangement ◽  
Signal Recognition Particle ◽  
Circular Rna ◽  
Signal Recognition ◽  
Rna Molecules ◽  
Trna Splicing ◽  
Ribonucleoprotein Complexes ◽  
Domains Of Life ◽  
Thermoproteus Tenax ◽  
Srp Rna

Signal recognition particles (SRPs) are universal ribonucleoprotein complexes found in all three domains of life that direct the cellular traffic and secretion of proteins. These complexes consist of SRP proteins and a single, highly structured SRP RNA. Canonical SRP RNA genes have not been identified for some Thermoproteus species even though they contain SRP19 and SRP54 proteins. Here, we show that genome rearrangement events in Thermoproteus tenax created a permuted SRP RNA gene. The 5'- and 3'-termini of this SRP RNA are located close to a functionally important loop present in all known SRP RNAs. RNA-Seq analyses revealed that these termini are ligated together to generate circular SRP RNA molecules that can bind to SRP19 and SRP54. The circularization site is processed by the tRNA splicing endonuclease. This moonlighting activity of the tRNA splicing machinery permits the permutation of the SRP RNA and creates highly stable and functional circular RNA molecules.

scholarly journals Cryo-EM Structures of Prestin and the Molecular Basis of Outer Hair Cell Electromotility

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Navid Bavi ◽  
Michael D Clark ◽  
Gustavo F Contreras ◽  
Rong Shen ◽  
Bharat Reddy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Outer Hair Cell ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Outer Hair Cells ◽  
Anion Binding ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Inhibition Mechanism ◽  
Core Domain ◽  
The Core ◽  
Voltage Dependent

The voltage-dependent motor protein, Prestin (SLC26A5) is responsible for the electromotive behavior of outer hair cells (OHCs). Here, we determined the structure of dolphin Prestin in complex with Cl- and the inhibitor Salicylate using single particle cryo-electron microscopy. These structures establish the specific structural features of mammalian Prestin and reveal small but significant differences with the transporter members of the SLC26 family of membrane proteins. Comparison with SLC26A9 point to conformational differences in the special relationship between the core and gate domains. Importantly, we highlight substantial alterations to the hydrophobic footprint of Prestin as it relates to the membrane, which point to a potential influence of Prestin on its surrounding lipid. The structure of Prestin bound to the inhibitor Salicylate confirms the nature of the anion binding pocket, formed by TM3 and TM10 in the Core domain and a set of anion coordinating residues which include Q97, F101, F137, S398 and R399. The presence of a well-defined density for Salycilate points to an inhibition mechanism based on competition for the anion-binding pocket of Prestin. These observations illuminate the structural basis of Prestin electromotility, a key component in the mammalian cochlear amplifier.

scholarly journals Mechanism of R-loop formation and conformational activation of Cas9

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Pacesa ◽  
Martin Jinek
Keyword(s):  
Dna Cleavage ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Seed Region ◽  
Loop Formation ◽  
Base Pairs ◽  
Guide Rna ◽  
Target Strand ◽  
Target Dna ◽  
Dna Strand ◽  
Dna Substrate

Cas9 is a CRISPR-associated endonuclease capable of RNA-guided, site-specific DNA cleavage. The programmable activity of Cas9 has been widely utilized for genome editing applications. Despite extensive studies, the precise mechanism of target DNA binding and on-/off-target discrimination remains incompletely understood. Here we report cryo-EM structures of intermediate binding states of Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 that reveal domain rearrangements induced by R-loop propagation and PAM-distal duplex positioning. At early stages of binding, the Cas9 REC2 and REC3 domains form a positively charged cleft that accommodates the PAM-distal duplex of the DNA substrate. Target hybridisation past the seed region positions the guide-target heteroduplex into the central binding channel and results in a conformational rearrangement of the REC lobe. Extension of the R-loop to 16 base pairs triggers the relocation of the HNH domain towards the target DNA strand in a catalytically incompetent conformation. The structures indicate that incomplete target strand pairing fails to induce the conformational displacements necessary for nuclease domain activation. Our results establish a structural basis for target DNA-dependent activation of Cas9 that advances our understanding of its off-target activity and will facilitate the development of novel Cas9 variants and guide RNA designs with enhanced specificity and activity.

Repurposing CRISPR-Cas Systems as Genetic Tools for the Enterobacteriales

EcoSal Plus ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Backes ◽  
Gregory J. Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Gene Regulation ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Gene Editing ◽  
Defense Mechanism ◽  
Adaptive Immune System ◽  
Plasmid Curing ◽  
Genetic Tools ◽  
Adaptive Immune ◽  
Domains Of Life ◽  
Eukaryotic Genomes

Over the last decade, the study of CRISPR-Cas systems has progressed from a newly discovered bacterial defense mechanism to a diverse suite of genetic tools that have been applied across all domains of life. While the initial applications of CRISPR-Cas technology fulfilled a need to more precisely edit eukaryotic genomes, creative “repurposing” of this adaptive immune system has led to new approaches for genetic analysis of microorganisms, including improved gene editing, conditional gene regulation, plasmid curing and manipulation, and other novel uses.

Electron microscopic studies on the structure of motile primordial germ cells of Xenopus laevis in vitro

Development ◽  
1978 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-133
Author(s):  
Janet Heasman ◽  
C. C. Wylie
Keyword(s):  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Germ Cells ◽  
Primordial Germ Cells ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Culture Conditions ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Electron Microscopic ◽  
Microscopic Studies

Primordial germ cells (PGCs) of Xenopus laevis have been isolated from early embryos and kept alive in vitro, in order to study the structural basis of their motility, using the transmission and scanning electron microscope. The culture conditions used mimicked as closely as possible the in vivo environment of migrating PGCs, in that isolated PGCs were seeded onto monolayers of amphibian mesentery cells. In these conditions we have demonstrated that: (a) No significant differences were found between the morphology of PGCs in vitro and in vivo. (b) Structural features involved in PGC movement in vitro include (i) the presence of a filamentous substructure, (ii) filopodial and blunt cell processes, (iii) cell surface specializations. These features are also characteristic of migratory PGCs studied in vivo. (c) PGCs in vitro have powers of invasion similar to those of migrating PGCs in vivo. They occasionally become completely surrounded by cells of the monolayer and, in this situation, bear striking resemblance to PGCs moving between mesentery cells to the site of the developing gonad in stage-44 tadpoles. We conclude that as far as it is possible to assess, the behaviour of isolated PGCs in these in vitro conditions mimics their activities in vivo. This allows us to study the ultrastructural basis of their migration.

scholarly journals Structural basis for divergent and convergent evolution of catalytic machineries in plant aromatic amino acid decarboxylase proteins

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (20) ◽  
pp. 10806-10817 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael P. Torrens-Spence ◽  
Ying-Chih Chiang ◽  
Tyler Smith ◽  
Maria A. Vicent ◽  
Yi Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Convergent Evolution ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Divergent Evolution ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Acid Decarboxylase ◽  
Substrate Selectivity ◽  
Amino Acid Decarboxylase ◽  
Catalytic Mechanisms

Radiation of the plant pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP)-dependent aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase (AAAD) family has yielded an array of paralogous enzymes exhibiting divergent substrate preferences and catalytic mechanisms. Plant AAADs catalyze either the decarboxylation or decarboxylation-dependent oxidative deamination of aromatic l-amino acids to produce aromatic monoamines or aromatic acetaldehydes, respectively. These compounds serve as key precursors for the biosynthesis of several important classes of plant natural products, including indole alkaloids, benzylisoquinoline alkaloids, hydroxycinnamic acid amides, phenylacetaldehyde-derived floral volatiles, and tyrosol derivatives. Here, we present the crystal structures of four functionally distinct plant AAAD paralogs. Through structural and functional analyses, we identify variable structural features of the substrate-binding pocket that underlie the divergent evolution of substrate selectivity toward indole, phenyl, or hydroxyphenyl amino acids in plant AAADs. Moreover, we describe two mechanistic classes of independently arising mutations in AAAD paralogs leading to the convergent evolution of the derived aldehyde synthase activity. Applying knowledge learned from this study, we successfully engineered a shortened benzylisoquinoline alkaloid pathway to produce (S)-norcoclaurine in yeast. This work highlights the pliability of the AAAD fold that allows change of substrate selectivity and access to alternative catalytic mechanisms with only a few mutations.

Guide RNA modification as a way to improve CRISPR/Cas9-based genome-editing systems

Biochimie ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 167 ◽  
pp. 49-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Filippova ◽  
Anastasiya Matveeva ◽  
Evgenii Zhuravlev ◽  
Grigory Stepanov
Keyword(s):  
Genome Editing ◽  
Rna Modification ◽  
Guide Rna
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