scholarly journals The Major RNA-Binding Protein ProQ Impacts Virulence Gene Expression inSalmonella entericaSerovar Typhimurium

mBio ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander J. Westermann ◽  
Elisa Venturini ◽  
Mikael E. Sellin ◽  
Konrad U. Förstner ◽  
Wolf-Dietrich Hardt ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTFinO domain proteins such as ProQ of the model pathogenSalmonella entericahave emerged as a new class of major RNA-binding proteins in bacteria. ProQ has been shown to target hundreds of transcripts, including mRNAs from many virulence regions, but its role, if any, in bacterial pathogenesis has not been studied. Here, using a Dual RNA-seq approach to profile ProQ-dependent gene expression changes asSalmonellainfects human cells, we reveal dysregulation of bacterial motility, chemotaxis, and virulence genes which is accompanied by altered MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) signaling in the host. Comparison with the other major RNA chaperone inSalmonella, Hfq, reinforces the notion that these two global RNA-binding proteins work in parallel to ensure full virulence. Of newly discovered infection-associated ProQ-bound small noncoding RNAs (sRNAs), we show that the 3′UTR-derived sRNA STnc540 is capable of repressing an infection-induced magnesium transporter mRNA in a ProQ-dependent manner. Together, this comprehensive study uncovers the relevance of ProQ forSalmonellapathogenesis and highlights the importance of RNA-binding proteins in regulating bacterial virulence programs.IMPORTANCEThe protein ProQ has recently been discovered as the centerpiece of a previously overlooked “third domain” of small RNA-mediated control of gene expression in bacteria. Asin vitrowork continues to reveal molecular mechanisms, it is also important to understand how ProQ affects the life cycle of bacterial pathogens as these pathogens infect eukaryotic cells. Here, we have determined how ProQ shapesSalmonellavirulence and how the activities of this RNA-binding protein compare with those of Hfq, another central protein in RNA-based gene regulation in this and other bacteria. To this end, we apply global transcriptomics of pathogen and host cells during infection. In doing so, we reveal ProQ-dependent transcript changes in key virulence and host immune pathways. Moreover, we differentiate the roles of ProQ from those of Hfq during infection, for both coding and noncoding transcripts, and provide an important resource for those interested in ProQ-dependent small RNAs in enteric bacteria.

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 552
Author(s):  
Jasmine Harley ◽  
Benjamin E. Clarke ◽  
Rickie Patani

RNA binding proteins fulfil a wide number of roles in gene expression. Multiple mechanisms of RNA binding protein dysregulation have been implicated in the pathomechanisms of several neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction also play important roles in these diseases. In this review, we highlight the mechanistic interplay between RNA binding protein dysregulation, oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in ALS. We also discuss different potential therapeutic strategies targeting these pathways.


2020 ◽  
Vol 295 (42) ◽  
pp. 14291-14304
Author(s):  
Kathrin Bajak ◽  
Kevin Leiss ◽  
Christine Clayton ◽  
Esteban Erben

In Trypanosoma brucei and related kinetoplastids, gene expression regulation occurs mostly posttranscriptionally. Consequently, RNA-binding proteins play a critical role in the regulation of mRNA and protein abundance. Yet, the roles of many RNA-binding proteins are not understood. Our previous research identified the RNA-binding protein ZC3H5 as possibly involved in gene repression, but its role in controlling gene expression was unknown. We here show that ZC3H5 is an essential cytoplasmic RNA-binding protein. RNAi targeting ZC3H5 causes accumulation of precytokinetic cells followed by rapid cell death. Affinity purification and pairwise yeast two-hybrid analysis suggest that ZC3H5 forms a complex with three other proteins, encoded by genes Tb927.11.4900, Tb927.8.1500, and Tb927.7.3040. RNA immunoprecipitation revealed that ZC3H5 is preferentially associated with poorly translated, low-stability mRNAs, the 5′-untranslated regions and coding regions of which are enriched in the motif (U/A)UAG(U/A). As previously found in high-throughput analyses, artificial tethering of ZC3H5 to a reporter mRNA or other complex components repressed reporter expression. However, depletion of ZC3H5 in vivo caused only very minor decreases in a few targets, marked increases in the abundances of very stable mRNAs, an increase in monosomes at the expense of large polysomes, and appearance of “halfmer” disomes containing two 80S subunits and one 40S subunit. We speculate that the ZC3H5 complex might be implicated in quality control during the translation of suboptimal open reading frames.


1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 6102-6113
Author(s):  
J T Anderson ◽  
M R Paddy ◽  
M S Swanson

Proteins that directly associate with nuclear polyadenylated RNAs, or heterogeneous nuclear RNA-binding proteins (hnRNPs), and those that associate with cytoplasmic mRNAs, or mRNA-binding proteins (mRNPs), play important roles in regulating gene expression at the posttranscriptional level. Previous work with a variety of eukaryotic cells has demonstrated that hnRNPs are localized predominantly within the nucleus whereas mRNPs are cytoplasmic. While studying proteins associated with polyadenylated RNAs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we discovered an abundant polyuridylate-binding protein, PUB1, which appears to be both an hnRNP and an mRNP. PUB1 and PAB1, the polyadenylate tail-binding protein, are the two major proteins cross-linked by UV light to polyadenylated RNAs in vivo. The deduced primary structure of PUB1 indicates that it is a member of the ribonucleoprotein consensus sequence family of RNA-binding proteins and is structurally related to the human hnRNP M proteins. Even though the PUB1 protein is a major cellular polyadenylated RNA-binding protein, it is nonessential for cell growth. Indirect cellular immunofluorescence combined with digital image processing allowed a detailed comparison of the intracellular distributions of PUB1 and PAB1. While PAB1 is predominantly, and relatively uniformly, distributed within the cytoplasm, PUB1 is localized in a nonuniform pattern throughout both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. The cytoplasmic distribution of PUB1 is considerably more discontinuous than that of PAB1. Furthermore, sucrose gradient sedimentation analysis demonstrates that PAB1 cofractionates with polyribosomes whereas PUB1 does not. These results suggest that PUB1 is both an hnRNP and an mRNP and that it may be stably bound to a translationally inactive subpopulation of mRNAs within the cytoplasm.


2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 277
Author(s):  
L. A. Favetta ◽  
E. Van de Laar ◽  
W. A. King ◽  
J. LaMarre

The control of gene expression in the early embryo requires a highly regulated turnover of specific mRNA, particularly those of maternal origin, as the embryo becomes transcriptionally autonomous. In cattle, the period during which maternal transcripts persist can last 72 to 96 h or longer, suggesting a dynamic, regulated interplay between factors that protect transcripts before this point and those that subsequently facilitate decay. Some decay pathways for specific embryonic transcripts are now known, but many are not. In somatic cells, mRNA decay is often mediated by interactions between defined sequence elements (ARE) in the 3′ untranslated region of important target genes and specific RNA-binding proteins (AUBP) that promote or inhibit decay of the associated transcript. These have not been extensively characterized in embryos. We hypothesized that changes in the pattern of expression of one or several AUBP in the developing bovine embryo would support a role for these proteins in mRNA turnover and the control of gene expression. We, therefore, evaluated the expression of different AUBP (HuR, AUF1, TTP) in bovine oocytes and early embryos in vitro. Bovine oocytes obtained at slaughter were matured, fertilized, and cultured using standard protocols. Oocytes and embryos from different stages were either placed in Trizol for subsequent RNA isolation and RT-PCR analysis or fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde and subsequently processed for immunohistochemical detection of AUBP. Analysis by RT-PCR revealed that AUF1, an mRNA destabilizing protein, was expressed at all stages examined (immature oocyte, mature oocyte, 2 to 4 cells, 8 to 16 cells, morulae, and blastocyst) except in morulae. Another mRNA destabilizing protein, TTP, was expressed at the morula stage only. An mRNA stabilizing factor, HuR, was expressed at all stages except the morula. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the pattern of protein expression for AUF1 and TTP essentially mirrored that observed at the RNA level as detected by RT-PCR. Together, these results show that AUBP expression in the early bovine embryo is dynamic, with RNA-binding proteins present at all times during development and changes in expression evident at the morula stage. This suggests that modification of presynthesized (i.e. maternal) AUBP is likely to control mRNA decay during the maternal to embryonic transition (8-cell stage) and that the expression of TTP at the morula stage might mark the onset of embryonic control of mRNA stability. Research was supported by NSERC, OMAFRA, and the Canada Research Chairs Program.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 532-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pritha Ghosh ◽  
R. Sowdhamini

We have classified the existing RNA-binding protein (RBP) structures into different structural families. Here, we report ∼2600 proteins with RBP signatures in humans.


eLife ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Celona ◽  
John von Dollen ◽  
Sarat C Vatsavayai ◽  
Risa Kashima ◽  
Jeffrey R Johnson ◽  
...  

Expanded GGGGCC repeats in the first intron of the C9orf72 gene represent the most common cause of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but the mechanisms underlying repeat-induced disease remain incompletely resolved. One proposed gain-of-function mechanism is that repeat-containing RNA forms aggregates that sequester RNA binding proteins, leading to altered RNA metabolism in motor neurons. Here, we identify the zinc finger protein Zfp106 as a specific GGGGCC RNA repeat-binding protein, and using affinity purification-mass spectrometry, we show that Zfp106 interacts with multiple other RNA binding proteins, including the ALS-associated factors TDP-43 and FUS. We also show that Zfp106 knockout mice develop severe motor neuron degeneration, which can be suppressed by transgenic restoration of Zfp106 specifically in motor neurons. Finally, we show that Zfp106 potently suppresses neurotoxicity in a Drosophila model of C9orf72 ALS. Thus, these studies identify Zfp106 as an RNA binding protein with important implications for ALS.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah E Cabral ◽  
Kimberly Mowry

RNA localization and biomolecular condensate formation are key biological strategies for organizing the cytoplasm and generating cellular and developmental polarity. While enrichment of RNAs and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) is a hallmark of both processes, the functional and structural roles of RNA-RNA and RNA-protein interactions within condensates remain unclear. Recent work from our laboratory has shown that RNAs required for germ layer patterning in Xenopus oocytes localize in novel biomolecular condensates, termed Localization bodies (L-bodies). L-bodies are composed of a non-dynamic RNA phase enmeshed in a more dynamic protein-containing phase. However, the interactions that drive the biophysical characteristics of L-bodies are not known. Here, we test the role of RNA-protein interactions using an L-body RNA-binding protein, PTBP3, which contains four RNA-binding domains (RBDs). We find that binding of RNA to PTB is required for both RNA and PTBP3 to be enriched in L-bodies in vivo. Importantly, while RNA binding to a single RBD is sufficient to drive PTBP3 localization to L-bodies, interactions between multiple RRMs and RNA tunes the dynamics of PTBP3 within L-bodies. In vitro, recombinant PTBP3 phase separates into non-dynamic structures in an RNA-dependent manner, supporting a role for RNA-protein interactions as a driver of both recruitment of components to L-bodies and the dynamics of the components after enrichment. Our results point to a model where RNA serves as a concentration-dependent, non-dynamic substructure and multivalent interactions with RNA are a key driver of protein dynamics.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Schneider ◽  
Lee-Hsueh Hung ◽  
Masood Aziz ◽  
Anna Wilmen ◽  
Stephanie Thaum ◽  
...  

AbstractHow multidomain RNA-binding proteins recognize their specific target sequences, based on a combinatorial code, represents a fundamental unsolved question and has not been studied systematically so far. Here we focus on a prototypical multidomain RNA-binding protein, IMP3 (also called IGF2BP3), which contains six RNA-binding domains (RBDs): four KH and two RRM domains. We have established an integrative systematic strategy, combining single-domain-resolved SELEX-seq, motif-spacing analyses, in vivo iCLIP, functional validation assays, and structural biology. This approach identifies the RNA-binding specificity and RNP topology of IMP3, involving all six RBDs and a cluster of up to five distinct and appropriately spaced CA-rich and GGC-core RNA elements, covering a >100 nucleotide-long target RNA region. Our generally applicable approach explains both specificity and flexibility of IMP3-RNA recognition, providing a paradigm for the function of multivalent interactions with multidomain RNA-binding proteins in gene regulation.


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