scholarly journals Elucidating the Role of C/D snoRNA in rRNA Processing and Modification in Trypanosoma brucei

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarit Barth ◽  
Boaz Shalem ◽  
Avraham Hury ◽  
Itai Dov Tkacz ◽  
Xue-hai Liang ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Most eukaryotic C/D small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) guide 2′-O methylation (Nm) on rRNA and are also involved in rRNA processing. The four core proteins that bind C/D snoRNA in Trypanosoma brucei are fibrillarin (NOP1), NOP56, NOP58, and SNU13. Silencing of NOP1 by RNA interference identified rRNA-processing and modification defects that caused lethality. Systematic mapping of 2′-O-methyls on rRNA revealed the existence of hypermethylation at certain positions of the rRNA in the bloodstream form of the parasites, suggesting that this modification may assist the parasites in coping with the major temperature changes during cycling between their insect and mammalian hosts. The rRNA-processing defects of NOP1-depleted cells suggest the involvement of C/D snoRNA in trypanosome-specific rRNA-processing events to generate the small rRNA fragments. MRP RNA, which is involved in rRNA processing, was identified in this study in one of the snoRNA gene clusters, suggesting that trypanosomes utilize a combination of unique C/D snoRNAs and conserved snoRNAs for rRNA processing.

2002 ◽  
Vol 22 (24) ◽  
pp. 8457-8466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chen Wang ◽  
Charles C. Query ◽  
U. Thomas Meier

ABSTRACT The isomerization of up to 100 uridines to pseudouridines (Ψs) in eukaryotic rRNA is guided by a similar number of box H/ACA small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs), each forming a unique small nucleolar ribonucleoprotein particle (snoRNP) with the same four core proteins, NAP57 (also known as dyskerin or Cbf5p), GAR1, NHP2, and NOP10. Additionally, the nucleolar and Cajal body protein Nopp140 (Srp40p) associates with the snoRNPs. To understand the role of these factors in pseudouridylation, we established an in vitro assay system. Short site-specifically 32P-labeled rRNA substrates were incubated with subcellular fractions, and the conversion of uridine to Ψ was monitored by thin-layer chromatography after digestion to single nucleotides. Immunopurified box H/ACA core particles were sufficient for the reaction. SnoRNPs associated quantitatively and reversibly with Nopp140. However, pseudouridylation activity was independent of Nopp140, consistent with a chaperoning role for this highly phosphorylated protein. Although up to 14 bp between the snoRNA and rRNA were required for the in vitro reaction, rRNA pseudouridylation and release occurred in the absence of ATP and magnesium. These data suggest that substrate release takes place without RNA helicase activity but may be aided by the snoRNP core proteins.


2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 2609-2629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vaibhav Chikne ◽  
K Shanmugha Rajan ◽  
Moran Shalev-Benami ◽  
Kathryn Decker ◽  
Smadar Cohen-Chalamish ◽  
...  

Biomolecules ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 128
Author(s):  
Kasper Andersen ◽  
Henrik Nielsen

In eukaryotes, 18S, 5.8S, and 28S rRNAs are transcribed as precursor molecules that undergo extensive modification and nucleolytic processing to form the mature rRNA species. Central in the process are the small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs). The majority of snoRNAs guide site specific chemical modifications but a few are involved in defining pre-rRNA cleavages. Here, we describe an unusual snoRNA (TtnuCD32) belonging to the box C/D subgroup from the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila. We show that TtnuCD32 is unlikely to function as a modification guide snoRNA and that it is critical for cell viability. Cell lines with genetic knock-down of TtnuCD32 were impaired in growth and displayed two novel and apparently unrelated phenotypes. The most prominent phenotype is the accumulation of processing intermediates of 5.8S rRNA. The second phenotype is the decrease in abundance of a ~100 nt 26S rRNA fragment of unknown function. Sequence analysis demonstrated that TtnuCD32 share features with the essential snoRNA U14 but an alternative candidate (TtnuCD25) was more closely related to other U14 sequences. This, together with the fact that the observed rRNA processing phenotypes were not similar to what has been observed in U14 depleted cells, suggests that TtnuCD32 is a U14 homolog that has gained novel functions.


1998 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 1181-1189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Petfalski ◽  
Thomas Dandekar ◽  
Yves Henry ◽  
David Tollervey

ABSTRACT The genes encoding the small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA) species snR190 and U14 are located close together in the genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here we report that these two snoRNAs are synthesized by processing of a larger common transcript. In strains mutant for two 5′→3′ exonucleases, Xrn1p and Rat1p, families of 5′-extended forms of snR190 and U14 accumulate; these have 5′ extensions of up to 42 and 55 nucleotides, respectively. We conclude that the 5′ ends of both snR190 and U14 are generated by exonuclease digestion from upstream processing sites. In contrast to snR190 and U14, the snoRNAs U18 and U24 are excised from the introns of pre-mRNAs which encode proteins in their exonic sequences. Analysis of RNA extracted from a dbr1-Δ strain, which lacks intron lariat-debranching activity, shows that U24 can be synthesized only from the debranched lariat. In contrast, a substantial level of U18 can be synthesized in the absence of debranching activity. The 5′ ends of these snoRNAs are also generated by Xrn1p and Rat1p. The same exonucleases are responsible for the degradation of several excised fragments of the pre-rRNA spacer regions, in addition to generating the 5′ end of the 5.8S rRNA. Processing of the pre-rRNA and both intronic and polycistronic snoRNAs therefore involves common components.


1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 845-858 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan A. Gerbi

A growing list of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) has been characterized in eukaryotes. They are transcribed by RNA polymerase II or III; some snoRNAs are encoded in the introns of other genes. The nonintronic polymerase II transcribed snoRNAs receive a trimethylguanosine cap, probably in the nucleus, and move to the nucleolus. snoRNAs are complexed with proteins, sometimes including fibrillarin. Localization and maintenance in the nucleolus of some snoRNAs requires the presence of initial precursor rRNA (pre-rRNA). Many snoRNAs have conserved sequence boxes C and D and a 3′ terminal stem; the roles of these features are discussed. Functional assays done for a few snoRNAs indicate their roles in rRNA processing for cleavage of the external and internal transcribed spacers (ETS and ITS). U3 is the most abundant snoRNA and is needed for cleavage of ETS1 and ITS1; experimental results on U3 binding sites in pre-rRNA are reviewed. 18S rRNA production also needs U14, U22, and snR30 snoRNAs, whereas U8 snoRNA is needed for 5.8S and 28S rRNA production. Other snoRNAs that are complementary to 18S or 28S rRNA might act as chaperones to mediate RNA folding. Whether snoRNAs join together in a large rRNA processing complex (the "processome") is not yet clear. It has been hypothesized that such complexes could anchor the ends of loops in pre-rRNA containing 18S or 28S rRNA, thereby replacing base-paired stems found in pre-rRNA of prokaryotes.Key words: RNA processing, small nucleolar RNAs, nucleolus, ribosome biogenesis, rRNA processing complex.


2000 ◽  
Vol 20 (8) ◽  
pp. 2650-2659 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denis L. J. Lafontaine ◽  
David Tollervey

ABSTRACT Two core small nucleolar RNP (snoRNP) proteins, Nop1p (fibrillarin in vertebrates) and Nop58p (also known as Nop5p) have previously been reported to be specifically associated with the box C+D class of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs). Here we report that Nop56p, a protein related in sequence to Nop58p, is a bona fide box C+D snoRNP component; all tested box C+D snoRNAs were coprecipitated with protein A-tagged Nop56p. Analysis of in vivo snoRNP assembly indicated that Nop56p was stably associated with the snoRNAs only in the presence of Nop1p. In contrast, Nop58p and Nop1p associate independently with the snoRNAs. Genetic depletion of Nop56p resulted in inhibition of early pre-rRNA processing events at sites A0, A1, and A2 and mild depletion of 18S rRNA. However, Nop56p depletion did not lead to codepletion of the box C+D snoRNAs. This is in contrast to Nop58p, which was required for the accumulation of all tested box C+D snoRNAs. Unexpectedly, we found that Nop1p was specifically required for the synthesis and accumulation of box C+D snoRNAs processed from pre-mRNA introns and polycistronic transcripts.


2002 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 669-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renata C. Gallagher ◽  
Birgit Pils ◽  
Mohammed Albalwi ◽  
Uta Francke

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flaria El-Khoury ◽  
Jérôme Bignon ◽  
Jean-René Martin

AbstractSmall nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are non-coding RNAs conserved from archeobacteria to mammals. In humans, various snoRNAs have been associated with pathologies as well as with cancer. Recently in Drosophila, a new snoRNA named jouvence has been involved in lifespan. Since snoRNAs are well conserved through evolution, both structurally and functionally, jouvence orthologue has been identified in human, allowing hypothesizing that jouvence could display a similar function (increasing healthy lifespan) in human. Here, we report the characterization of the human snoRNA-jouvence, which was not yet annotated in the genome. We show, both in stably cancerous cell lines and in primary cells, that its overexpression stimulates the cell proliferation. In contrast, its knockdown, by siRNA leads to an opposite phenotype, a decrease in cell proliferation. Transcriptomic analysis reveals that overexpression of jouvence leads to a dedifferentiation signature of the cells, a cellular effect comparable to rejuvenation. Inversely, the knockdown of jouvence leads to a decrease of genes involved in ribosomes biogenesis and spliceosome in agreement with the canonical role of a H/ACA box snoRNA. In this context, jouvence could represent a now tool to fight against the deleterious effect of aging, as well as a new target in cancer therapy.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rudo Kieft ◽  
Yang Zhang ◽  
Alexandre P. Marand ◽  
Jose Dagoberto Moran ◽  
Robert Bridger ◽  
...  

AbstractBase J, β-D-glucosyl-hydroxymethyluracil, is a modification of thymine DNA base involved in RNA Polymerase (Pol) II transcription termination in kinetoplastid protozoa. Little is understood regarding how specific thymine residues are targeted for J-modification or the mechanism of J regulated transcription termination. To identify proteins involved in J-synthesis, we expressed a tagged version of the J-glucosyltransferase (JGT) in Leishmania tarentolae, and identified four co-purified proteins by mass spectrometry: protein phosphatase (PP1), a homolog of Wdr82, a potential PP1 regulatory protein (PNUTS) and a protein containing a J-DNA binding domain (named JBP3). Gel shift studies indicate JBP3 is a J-DNA binding protein. Reciprocal tagging, co-IP and sucrose gradient analyses indicate PP1, JGT, JBP3, Wdr82 and PNUTS form a multimeric complex in kinetoplastids, similar to the mammalian PTW/PP1 complex involved in transcription termination via PP1 mediated dephosphorylation of Pol II. Using RNAi and analysis of Pol II termination by RNA-seq and RT-PCR, we demonstrate that ablation of PNUTS, JBP3 and Wdr82 lead to defects in Pol II termination at the 3’-end of polycistronic gene arrays in Trypanosoma brucei. Mutants also contain increased antisense RNA levels upstream of promoters, suggesting an additional role of the complex in regulating termination of bi-directional transcription. In addition, PNUTS loss causes derepression of silent Variant Surface Glycoprotein genes important for host immune evasion. Our results provide the first direct mechanistic link between base J and regulation of Pol II termination and suggest a novel molecular model for the role of the CTD of Pol II in terminating polycistronic transcription in trypanosomatids.Author SummaryTrypanosoma brucei is an early-diverged parasitic protozoan that causes African sleeping sickness in humans. The genome of T. brucei is organized into polycistronic gene clusters that contain multiple genes that are co-transcribed from a single promoter. We have recently described the presence of a modified DNA base J and variant of histone H3 (H3.V) at transcription termination sites within gene clusters where the loss of base J and H3.V leads to read-through transcription and the expression of downstream genes. We now identify a novel stable multimeric complex containing a J binding protein (JBP3), base J glucosyltransferase (JGT), PP1 phosphatase, PP1 interactive-regulatory protein (PNUTS) and Wdr82, which we refer to as PJW/PP1. A similar complex (PTW/PP1) has been shown to be involved in Pol II termination in humans and yeast. We demonstrate that PNUTS, JBP3 and Wdr82 mutants lead to read-through transcription in T. brucei. Our data suggest the PJW/PP1 complex regulates termination by recruitment to termination sites via JBP3-base J interactions and dephosphorylation of specific proteins (including Pol II and termination factors) by PP1. These findings significantly expand our understanding of mechanisms underlying transcription termination in eukaryotes, including divergent organisms that utilize polycistronic transcription and novel epigenetic marks such as base J and H3.V. The studies also provide the first direct mechanistic link between J modification of DNA at termination sites and regulated Pol II termination and gene expression in kinetoplastids.


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