Hyeshik Chang

ADAR (adenosine deaminase acting on RNA) is an RNA-editing enzyme present in most metazoans that converts adenosines in double-stranded RNA targets into inosines. Although the RNA targets of ADAR-mediated editing have been extensively cataloged, our understanding of the cellular function of such editing remains incomplete. We report that long, double-stranded RNA added to Xenopus laevis egg extract is incorporated into an ADAR-containing complex whose protein components resemble those of stress granules. This complex localizes to microtubules, as assayed by accumulation on meiotic spindles. We observe that the length of a double-stranded RNA influences its incorporation into the microtubule-localized complex. ADAR forms a similar complex with endogenous RNA, but the endogenous complex fails to localize to microtubules. In addition, we characterize the endogenous, ADAR-associated RNAs and discover that they are enriched for transcripts encoding transcriptional regulators, zinc-finger proteins, and components of the secretory pathway. Interestingly, association with ADAR correlates with previously reported translational repression in early embryonic development. This work demonstrates that ADAR is a component of two, distinct ribonucleoprotein complexes that contain different types of RNAs and exhibit diverse cellular localization patterns. Our findings offer new insight into the potential cellular functions of ADAR.

RNA molecules play different roles in coding, decoding and gene expression regulation. Such roles are often associated to the RNA secondary or tertiary structures. The folding dynamics lead to multiple secondary structures of long RNA molecules, since an RNA molecule might fold into multiple distinct native states. Despite an ensemble of different structures, it has been theoretically proposed that the separation between the 5' and 3' ends of long single-stranded RNA molecules (ssRNA) remains constant, independent of their base content and length. Here, we present the first experimental measurements of the end-to-end separation in long ssRNA molecules. To determine this separation, we use single molecule Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer of fluorescently end-labeled ssRNA molecules ranging from 500 to 5500 nucleotides in length, obtained from two viruses and a fungus. We found that the end-to-end separation is indeed short, within 5–9 nm. It is remarkable that the separation of the ends of all RNA molecules studied remains small and similar, despite the origin, length and differences in their secondary structure. This implies that the ssRNA molecules are ‘effectively circularized’ something that might be a general feature of RNAs, and could result in fine-tuning for translation and gene expression regulation.

Transcripts possessing a 5'-triphosphate are a hallmark of viral transcription and can trigger the host antiviral response. 5'-triphosphates are also found on common host transcripts transcribed by RNA polymerase III (RNAP III), yet how these transcripts remain non-immunostimulatory is incompletely understood. Most microRNAs (miRNAs) are 5'-monophosphorylated as a result of sequential endonucleolytic processing by Drosha and Dicer from longer RNA polymerase II (RNAP II)-transcribed primary transcripts. In contrast, bovine leukemia virus (BLV) expresses subgenomic RNAP III transcripts that give rise to miRNAs independent of Drosha processing. Here, we demonstrate that each BLV pre-miRNA is directly transcribed by RNAP III from individual, compact RNAP III type II genes. Thus, similar to manmade RNAP III-generated short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs), the BLV pre-miRNAs are initially 5'-triphosphorylated. Nonetheless, the derivative 5p miRNAs and shRNA-generated 5p small RNAs (sRNAs) possess a 5'-monophosphate. Our enzymatic characterization and small RNA sequencing data demonstrate that BLV 5p miRNAs are co-terminal with 5'-triphosphorylated miRNA precursors (pre-miRNAs). Thus, these results identify a 5'-tri-phosphatase activity that is involved in the biogenesis of BLV miRNAs and shRNA-generated sRNAs. This work advances our understanding of retroviral miRNA and shRNA biogenesis and may have implications regarding the immunostimulatory capacity of RNAP III transcripts.

Emerging evidence points to roles for tRNA modifications and tRNA abundance in cellular stress responses. While isolated instances of stress-induced tRNA degradation have been reported, we sought to assess the effects of stress on tRNA levels at a systems level. To this end, we developed a next-generation sequencing method that exploits the paucity of ribonucleoside modifications at the 3'-end of tRNAs to quantify changes in all cellular tRNA molecules. Application of this tRNA-seq method to Saccharomyces cerevisiae identified all 76 expressed unique tRNA species out of 295 coded in the yeast genome, including all isoacceptor variants, with highly precise relative (fold-change) quantification of tRNAs. In studies of stress-induced changes in tRNA levels, we found that oxidation (H₂O₂) and alkylation (methylmethane sulfonate, MMS) stresses induced nearly identical patterns of up- and down-regulation for 58 tRNAs. However, 18 tRNAs showed opposing changes for the stresses, which parallels our observation of signature reprogramming of tRNA modifications caused by H₂O₂ and MMS. Further, stress-induced degradation was limited to only a small proportion of a few tRNA species. With tRNA-seq applicable to any organism, these results suggest that translational control of stress response involves a contribution from tRNA abundance.

In comparative high-throughput sequencing assays, a fundamental task is the analysis of count data, such as read counts per gene in RNA-seq, for evidence of systematic changes across experimental conditions. Small replicate numbers, discreteness, large dynamic range and the presence of outliers require a suitable statistical approach. We present DESeq2, a method for differential analysis of count data, using shrinkage estimation for dispersions and fold changes to improve stability and interpretability of estimates. This enables a more quantitative analysis focused on the strength rather than the mere presence of differential expression. The DESeq2 package is available at http://www.bioconductor.org/packages/release/bioc/html/DESeq2.html.

Genetic variants in let-7/Lin28 modulate the risk of oral cavity cancer in a Chinese Han Population.

Sci Rep. 2014;4:7434

Authors: Zhang Y, Zhu L, Wang R, Miao L, Jiang H, Yuan H, Ma H, Chen N

Abstract
Let-7 and Lin28 establish a double-negative feedback loop to affect several biological processes, such as differentiation of stem cell, invasion and metastasis, and tumorigenesis. In this study, we systematically investigated the associations between 6 potentially functional SNPs of let7 and Lin28 genes and the risk of oral cavity cancer with a case-control study including 384 oral cavity cancer cases and 731 controls. We found that the variant allele (T) of rs221636 of Lin28B was significantly associated with a reduced risk of oral cavity cancer [odds ratio (OR) = 0.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.58-0.92, P = 7.55 × 10(-3) in additive model]. Bioinformatics prediction indicated that rs221636 was located at the binding site of hsa-miR-548p in the 3' UTR of Lin28B. Luciferase activity assay also showed a lower expression level for rs221636 T allele compared with A allele. These findings indicated that rs221236 located at Lin28B may contribute to the risk of oral cavity cancer through the interruption of miRNA binding.

PMID: 25503985 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Primate-specific endogenous retrovirus-driven transcription defines naive-like stem cells

Nature 516, 7531 (2014). doi:10.1038/nature13804

Authors: Jichang Wang, Gangcai Xie, Manvendra Singh, Avazeh T. Ghanbarian, Tamás Raskó, Attila Szvetnik, Huiqiang Cai, Daniel Besser, Alessandro Prigione, Nina V. Fuchs, Gerald G. Schumann, Wei Chen, Matthew C. Lorincz, Zoltán Ivics, Laurence D. Hurst & Zsuzsanna Izsvák

Naive embryonic stem cells hold great promise for research and therapeutics as they have broad and robust developmental potential. While such cells are readily derived from mouse blastocysts it has not been possible to isolate human equivalents easily, although human naive-like cells have been artificially generated (rather than extracted) by coercion of human primed embryonic stem cells by modifying culture conditions or through transgenic modification. Here we show that a sub-population within cultures of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) manifests key properties of naive state cells. These naive-like cells can be genetically tagged, and are associated with elevated transcription of HERVH, a primate-specific endogenous retrovirus. HERVH elements provide functional binding sites for a combination of naive pluripotency transcription factors, including LBP9, recently recognized as relevant to naivety in mice. LBP9–HERVH drives hESC-specific alternative and chimaeric transcripts, including pluripotency-modulating long non-coding RNAs. Disruption of LBP9, HERVH and HERVH-derived transcripts compromises self-renewal. These observations define HERVH expression as a hallmark of naive-like hESCs, and establish novel primate-specific transcriptional circuitry regulating pluripotency.

Study points to press releases as sources of hype

Nature 516, 7531 (2014). doi:10.1038/nature.2014.16551

Author: Chris Woolston

Scientists, press officers and journalists online are pointing fingers in light of a paper that traces the origins of exaggerated claims in health news.

Publication date: 18 December 2014
Source:Cell, Volume 159, Issue 7
Author(s): Michal Rabani , Raktima Raychowdhury , Marko Jovanovic , Michael Rooney , Deborah J. Stumpo , Andrea Pauli , Nir Hacohen , Alexander F. Schier , Perry J. Blackshear , Nir Friedman , Ido Amit , Aviv Regev
Cells control dynamic transitions in transcript levels by regulating transcription, processing, and/or degradation through an integrated regulatory strategy. Here, we combine RNA metabolic labeling, rRNA-depleted RNA-seq, and DRiLL, a novel computational framework, to quantify the level; editing sites; and transcription, processing, and degradation rates of each transcript at a splice junction resolution during the LPS response of mouse dendritic cells. Four key regulatory strategies, dominated by RNA transcription changes, generate most temporal gene expression patterns. Noncanonical strategies that also employ dynamic posttranscriptional regulation control only a minority of genes, but provide unique signal processing features. We validate Tristetraprolin (TTP) as a major regulator of RNA degradation in one noncanonical strategy. Applying DRiLL to the regulation of noncoding RNAs and to zebrafish embryogenesis demonstrates its broad utility. Our study provides a new quantitative approach to discover transcriptional and posttranscriptional events that control dynamic changes in transcript levels using RNA sequencing data.

Graphical abstract

Teaser

A new computational platform called DRiLL can be applied to determine the life cycle of an RNA molecule and discover transcriptional and posttranscriptional events that control dynamic changes in transcript levels in any cell type using RNA-seq data.

The identity of tRNA^His is strongly associated with the presence of an additional 5'-guanosine residue (G_–1) in all three domains of life. The critical nature of the G_–1 residue is underscored by the fact that two entirely distinct mechanisms for its acquisition are observed, with cotranscriptional incorporation observed in Bacteria, while post-transcriptional addition of G_–1 occurs in Eukarya. Here, through our investigation of eukaryotes that lack obvious homologs of the post-transcriptional G_–1-addition enzyme Thg1, we identify alternative pathways to tRNA^His identity that controvert these well-established rules. We demonstrate that Trypanosoma brucei, like Acanthamoeba castellanii, lacks the G_–1 identity element on tRNA^His and utilizes a noncanonical G_–1-independent histidyl-tRNA synthetase (HisRS). Purified HisRS enzymes from A. castellanii and T. brucei exhibit a mechanism of tRNA^His recognition that is distinct from canonical G_–1-dependent synthetases. Moreover, noncanonical HisRS enzymes genetically complement the loss of THG1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, demonstrating the biological relevance of the G_–1-independent aminoacylation activity. In contrast, in Caenorhabditis elegans, which is another Thg1-independent eukaryote, the G_–1 residue is maintained, but here its acquisition is noncanonical. In this case, the G_–1 is encoded and apparently retained after 5' end processing, which has so far only been observed in Bacteria and organelles. Collectively, these observations unearth a widespread and previously unappreciated diversity in eukaryotic tRNA^His identity mechanisms.

Publication date: 11 December 2014
Source:Cell Reports, Volume 9, Issue 5
Author(s): Phillip J. Kenny , Hongjun Zhou , Miri Kim , Geena Skariah , Radhika S. Khetani , Jenny Drnevich , Mary Luz Arcila , Kenneth S. Kosik , Stephanie Ceman
The fragile X mental retardation protein FMRP regulates translation of its bound mRNAs through incompletely defined mechanisms. FMRP has been linked to the microRNA pathway, and we show here that it associates with the RNA helicase MOV10, also associated with the microRNA pathway. FMRP associates with MOV10 directly and in an RNA-dependent manner and facilitates MOV10’s association with RNAs in brain and cells, suggesting a cooperative interaction. We identified the RNAs recognized by MOV10 using RNA immunoprecipitation and iCLIP. Examination of the fate of MOV10 on RNAs revealed a dual function for MOV10 in regulating translation: it facilitates microRNA-mediated translation of some RNAs, but it also increases expression of other RNAs by preventing AGO2 function. The latter subset was also bound by FMRP in close proximity to the MOV10 binding site, suggesting that FMRP prevents MOV10-mediated microRNA suppression. We have identified a mechanism for FMRP-mediated translational regulation through its association with MOV10.

Graphical abstract

Teaser

Kenny et al. show that FMRP recruits the helicase MOV10 to mRNAs for translation regulation. MOV10 and FMRP modulate AGO association with RNAs, and all three proteins bind near microRNA recognition elements. MOV10 usually facilitates microRNA-mediated regulation; however, proximal binding of FMRP blocks AGO association to allow translation.

Related Articles

Defective DROSHA processing contributes to downregulation of MiR-15/-16 in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Leukemia. 2014 Dec;28(12):2427

Authors: Allegra D, Bilan V, Garding A, Zucknick M, Döhner H, Stilgenbauer S, Kuchenbauer F, Mertens D

PMID: 25492371 [PubMed - in process]

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microTSS: accurate microRNA transcription start site identification reveals a significant number of divergent pri-miRNAs.

Nat Commun. 2014;5:5700

Authors: Georgakilas G, Vlachos IS, Paraskevopoulou MD, Yang P, Zhang Y, Economides AN, Hatzigeorgiou AG

Abstract
A large fraction of microRNAs (miRNAs) are derived from intergenic non-coding loci and the identification of their promoters remains 'elusive'. Here, we present microTSS, a machine-learning algorithm that provides highly accurate, single-nucleotide resolution predictions for intergenic miRNA transcription start sites (TSSs). MicroTSS integrates high-resolution RNA-sequencing data with active transcription marks derived from chromatin immunoprecipitation and DNase-sequencing to enable the characterization of tissue-specific promoters. MicroTSS is validated with a specifically designed Drosha-null/conditional-null mouse model, generated using the conditional by inversion (COIN) methodology. Analyses of global run-on sequencing data revealed numerous pri-miRNAs in human and mouse either originating from divergent transcription at promoters of active genes or partially overlapping with annotated long non-coding RNAs. MicroTSS is readily applicable to any cell or tissue samples and constitutes the missing part towards integrating the regulation of miRNA transcription into the modelling of tissue-specific regulatory networks.

PMID: 25492647 [PubMed - in process]

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High-Resolution N(6) -Methyladenosine (m(6) A) Map Using Photo-Crosslinking-Assisted m(6) A Sequencing.

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2014 Dec 9;

Authors: Chen K, Lu Z, Wang X, Fu Y, Luo GZ, Liu N, Han D, Dominissini D, Dai Q, Pan T, He C

Abstract
N(6) -methyladenosine (m(6) A) is an abundant internal modification in eukaryotic mRNA and plays regulatory roles in mRNA metabolism. However, methods to precisely locate the m(6) A modification remain limited. We present here a photo-crosslinking-assisted m(6) A sequencing strategy (PA-m(6) A-seq) to more accurately define sites with m(6) A modification. Using this strategy, we obtained a high-resolution map of m(6) A in a human transcriptome. The map resembles the general distribution pattern observed previously, and reveals new m(6) A sites at base resolution. Our results provide insight into the relationship between the methylation regions and the binding sites of RNA-binding proteins.

PMID: 25491922 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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A Signaling-Induced Switch in Dicer Localization and Function.

Dev Cell. 2014 Dec 8;31(5):523-524

Authors: Hu F, Lai EC, Okamura K

Abstract
In this issue of Developmental Cell, Drake and colleagues (2014) report that Ras signaling results in Dicer phosphorylation, which induces its nuclear localization and modulates its function. This regulatory strategy, conserved in mammals, allows dynamic control of microRNA function required for Caenorhabditis elegans germline development and oogenesis.

PMID: 25490263 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Regulation of RNA polymerase II activation by histone acetylation in single living cells

Nature 516, 7530 (2014). doi:10.1038/nature13714

Authors: Timothy J. Stasevich, Yoko Hayashi-Takanaka, Yuko Sato, Kazumitsu Maehara, Yasuyuki Ohkawa, Kumiko Sakata-Sogawa, Makio Tokunaga, Takahiro Nagase, Naohito Nozaki, James G. McNally & Hiroshi Kimura

In eukaryotic cells, post-translational histone modifications have an important role in gene regulation. Starting with early work on histone acetylation, a variety of residue-specific modifications have now been linked to RNA polymerase II (RNAP2) activity, but it remains unclear if these markers are active regulators of transcription or just passive byproducts. This is because studies have traditionally relied on fixed cell populations, meaning temporal resolution is limited to minutes at best, and correlated factors may not actually be present in the same cell at the same time. Complementary approaches are therefore needed to probe the dynamic interplay of histone modifications and RNAP2 with higher temporal resolution in single living cells. Here we address this problem by developing a system to track residue-specific histone modifications and RNAP2 phosphorylation in living cells by fluorescence microscopy. This increases temporal resolution to the tens-of-seconds range. Our single-cell analysis reveals histone H3 lysine-27 acetylation at a gene locus can alter downstream transcription kinetics by as much as 50%, affecting two temporally separate events. First acetylation enhances the search kinetics of transcriptional activators, and later the acetylation accelerates the transition of RNAP2 from initiation to elongation. Signatures of the latter can be found genome-wide using chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing. We argue that this regulation leads to a robust and potentially tunable transcriptional response.

Publication date: 1 May 2015
Source:Developmental Biology, Volume 401, Issue 1
Author(s): Susan Cox
Over the last twenty years super-resolution fluorescence microscopy has gone from proof-of-concept experiments to commercial systems being available in many labs, improving the resolution achievable by up to a factor of 10 or more. There are three major approaches to super-resolution, stimulated emission depletion microscopy, structured illumination microscopy, and localisation microscopy, which have all produced stunning images of cellular structures. A major current challenge is optimising performance of each technique so that the same sort of data can be routinely taken in live cells. There are several major challenges, particularly phototoxicity and the speed with which images of whole cells, or groups of cells, can be acquired. In this review we discuss the various approaches which can be successfully used in live cells, the tradeoffs in resolution, speed, and ease of implementation which one must make for each approach, and the quality of results that one might expect from each technique.

Related Articles

A Rapid, Simple, and Inexpensive Method for the Preparation of Strand-Specific RNA-Seq Libraries.

Methods Mol Biol. 2015;1255:195-207

Authors: Hunt AG

Abstract
High-throughput sequencing of short cDNA tags, or RNA-Seq, has become a staple of genome-wide gene expression studies in plants. RNA-Seq libraries necessarily contain tags that correspond to the mRNA-poly(A) junction, or polyadenylation site, and thus may be mined for data that can help study alternative polyadenylation. This report presents a simple, rapid, and inexpensive method for preparing strand-specific RNA-Seq libraries from varying quantities of total RNA.

PMID: 25487215 [PubMed - in process]

Highly Efficient Ligation of Small RNA Molecules for MicroRNA Quantitation by High-Throughput Sequencing.

J Vis Exp. 2014;(93)

Authors: Lee JE, Yi R

Abstract
MiRNA cloning and high-throughput sequencing, termed miR-Seq, stands alone as a transcriptome-wide approach to quantify miRNAs with single nucleotide resolution. This technique captures miRNAs by attaching 3' and 5' oligonucleotide adapters to miRNA molecules and allows de novo miRNA discovery. Coupling with powerful next-generation sequencing platforms, miR-Seq has been instrumental in the study of miRNA biology. However, significant biases introduced by oligonucleotide ligation steps have prevented miR-Seq from being employed as an accurate quantitation tool. Previous studies demonstrate that biases in current miR-Seq methods often lead to inaccurate miRNA quantification with errors up to 1,000-fold for some miRNAs(1,2). To resolve these biases imparted by RNA ligation, we have developed a small RNA ligation method that results in ligation efficiencies of over 95% for both 3' and 5' ligation steps. Benchmarking this improved library construction method using equimolar or differentially mixed synthetic miRNAs, consistently yields reads numbers with less than two-fold deviation from the expected value. Furthermore, this high-efficiency miR-Seq method permits accurate genome-wide miRNA profiling from in vivo total RNA samples(2).

PMID: 25490151 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Related Articles

Chromosome segregation and organization are targets of 5'-Fluorouracil in eukaryotic cells.

Cell Cycle. 2014 Oct 17;:0

Authors: Mojardín L, Botet J, Moreno S, Salas M

Abstract
Abstract The antimetabolite 5´-Fluorouracil (5FU) is an analogue of uracil commonly employed as a chemotherapeutic agent in the treatment of a range of cancers including colorectal tumors. To assess the cellular effects of 5FU, we performed a genome-wide screening of the haploid deletion library of the eukaryotic model Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Our analysis validated previously characterized drug targets including RNA metabolism, but it also revealed unexpected mechanisms of action associated with chromosome segregation and organization (post-translational histone modification, histone exchange, heterochromatin). Further analysis showed that 5FU affects the heterochromatin structure (decreased levels of histone H3 lysine 9 methylation) and silencing (down-regulation of heterochromatic dg/dh transcripts). To our knowledge, this is the first time that defects in heterochromatin have been correlated with increased cytotoxicity to an anticancer drug. Moreover, the segregation of chromosomes, a process that requires an intact heterochromatin at centromeres, was impaired after drug exposure. These defects could be related to the induction of genes involved in chromatid cohesion and kinetochore assembly. Interestingly, we also observed that thiabendazole, a microtubule-destabilizing agent, synergistically enhanced the cytotoxic effects of 5FU. These findings point to new targets and drug combinations that could potentiate the effectiveness of 5FU-based treatments.

PMID: 25483073 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Related Articles

Small RNAs meet their targets: when methylation defends miRNAs from uridylation.

RNA Biol. 2014 Oct 31;:0

Authors: Ren G, Chen X, Yu B

Abstract
Abstract Small RNAs are incorporated into Argonaute protein-containing complexes to guide the silencing of target RNAs in both animals and plants. The abundance of endogenous small RNAs is precisely controlled at multiple levels including transcription, processing and Argonaute loading. In addition to these processes, 3' end modification of small RNAs, the topic of a research area that has rapidly evolved over the last several years, adds another layer of regulation of their abundance, diversity and function. Here, we review our recent understanding of small RNA 3' end methylation and tailing.

PMID: 25483033 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

A comprehensive transcriptional portrait of human cancer cell lines.

Nat Biotechnol. 2014 Dec 8;

Authors: Klijn C, Durinck S, Stawiski EW, Haverty PM, Jiang Z, Liu H, Degenhardt J, Mayba O, Gnad F, Liu J, Pau G, Reeder J, Cao Y, Mukhyala K, Selvaraj SK, Yu M, Zynda GJ, Brauer MJ, Wu TD, Gentleman RC, Manning G, Yauch RL, Bourgon R, Stokoe D, Modrusan Z, Neve RM, de Sauvage FJ, Settleman J, Seshagiri S, Zhang Z

Abstract
Tumor-derived cell lines have served as vital models to advance our understanding of oncogene function and therapeutic responses. Although substantial effort has been made to define the genomic constitution of cancer cell line panels, the transcriptome remains understudied. Here we describe RNA sequencing and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array analysis of 675 human cancer cell lines. We report comprehensive analyses of transcriptome features including gene expression, mutations, gene fusions and expression of non-human sequences. Of the 2,200 gene fusions catalogued, 1,435 consist of genes not previously found in fusions, providing many leads for further investigation. We combine multiple genome and transcriptome features in a pathway-based approach to enhance prediction of response to targeted therapeutics. Our results provide a valuable resource for studies that use cancer cell lines.

PMID: 25485619 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Publication date: February 2015
Source:Trends in Genetics, Volume 31, Issue 2
Author(s): Fowzan S. Alkuraya
Although numerous approaches have been pursued to understand the function of human genes, Mendelian genetics has by far provided the most compelling and medically actionable dataset. Biallelic loss-of-function (LOF) mutations are observed in the majority of autosomal recessive Mendelian disorders, representing natural human knockouts and offering a unique opportunity to study the physiological and developmental context of these genes. The restriction of such context to ‘disease’ states is artificial, however, and the recent ability to survey entire human genomes for biallelic LOF mutations has revealed a surprising landscape of knockout events in ‘healthy’ individuals, sparking interest in their role in phenotypic diversity beyond disease causation. As I discuss in this review, the potentially wide implications of human knockout research warrant increased investment and multidisciplinary collaborations to overcome existing challenges and reap its benefits.

Related Articles

Exploring the function of long non-coding RNA in the development of bovine early embryos.

Reprod Fertil Dev. 2014 Dec;27(1):40-52

Authors: Caballero J, Gilbert I, Fournier E, Gagné D, Scantland S, Macaulay A, Robert C

Abstract
Now recognised as part of the cellular transcriptome, the function of long non-coding (lnc) RNA remains unclear. Previously, we found that some lncRNA molecules in bovine embryos are highly responsive to culture conditions. In view of a recent demonstration that lncRNA may play a role in regulating important functions, such as maintenance of pluripotency, modification of epigenetic marks and activation of transcription, we sought evidence of its involvement in embryogenesis. Among the numerous catalogued lncRNA molecules found in oocytes and early embryos of cattle, three candidates chosen for further characterisation were found unexpectedly in the cytoplasmic compartment rather than in the nucleus. Transcriptomic survey of subcellular fractions found these candidates also associated with polyribosomes and one of them spanning transzonal projections between cumulus cells and the oocyte. Knocking down this transcript in matured oocytes increased developmental rates, leading to larger blastocysts. Transcriptome and methylome analyses of these blastocysts showed concordant data for a subset of four genes, including at least one known to be important for blastocyst survival. Functional characterisation of the roles played by lncRNA in supporting early development remains elusive. Our results suggest that some lncRNAs play a role in translation control of target mRNA. This would be important for managing the maternal reserves within which is embedded the embryonic program, especially before embryonic genome activation.

PMID: 25472043 [PubMed - in process]

Related Articles

83 stage-specific proteome signatures in early bovine embryo development.

Reprod Fertil Dev. 2014 Dec;27(1):134-5

Authors: Deutsch DR, Fröhlich T, Otte KA, Beck A, Habermann FA, Wolf E, Arnold GJ

Abstract
Development of early embryonic stages before activation of the embryonic genome depends on sufficiently stored products of the maternal genome and adequate activation, deactivation, and relocation of proteins. To establish protein function, several posttranslational events (e.g. proteolytic activation, phosphorylation, or secretion) are frequently essential and thereby prevent prediction of protein abundance from transcript abundance. Consequently, proteomic studies are indispensable to characterise the molecular processes governing early embryonic development and to establish corresponding regulatory networks. Here, we present a quantitative proteome analysis of bovine zygotes and embryos at the 2-cell and 4-cell stage. Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COC) were prepared from bovine ovaries obtained from a local abattoir and selected for a compact layer of cumulus cells. In vitro maturation, fertilization, and embryo production were performed according to standard procedures. For quantitative isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis, protein from batches of 50 MII oocytes (serving as a reference), zygotes, 2-cell and 4-cell stage embryos, respectively, was extracted. Quantitative proteome analysis of iTRAQ-labelled tryptic peptides was performed on an Orbitrap XL instrument (Thermo Fisher, Waltham, MA, USA) coupled to an Eksigent nano-liquid chromatography system (AB Sciex, Framingham, MA, USA). The tandem MS data were analysed by MASCOT and filtered for a false discovery rate (FDR) of <1%. Quantification of iTRAQ signals was accomplished with the Q+ module of the Scaffold software (Proteome Software Inc., Portland, OR, USA). t-Tests, ANOVA and principal component analysis (PCA) analysis were performed using R (R Core Development Team, Vienna, Austria). From 4 biological replicates, 1072 proteins were identified and quantified. Eighty-seven differed significantly in abundance between the 4 stages (log2 fold change≥|0.6|, P≤0.05). The proteomes of 2-cell and 4-cell embryos differed most from the reference MII oocyte, and a considerable fraction of proteins continuously increases in abundance during the stages analysed. Bioinformatic analysis of abundance altered proteins provided evidence that the proteins RPS14 and HNRNPK involved in the p53 pathway play a major role during early development, as well as proteins of the lipid metabolism, in particular APOA1. Furthermore, a group of proteins (e.g. SPTBN1, PPP1CC, RABGAP1, STMN1, and WEE2) is engaged in mitosis. In addition, we detected relevant differences between transcript and protein abundance levels; for example, for WEE2. In conclusion, this study identified and quantified numerous proteins important for early embryogenesis so far not described in the mammalian system, and contributed protein profiles for key players previously described. Our results highlight the importance of innovative proteomic tools and workflows to complement transcriptome data of early embryogenesis.

PMID: 25472132 [PubMed - in process]

Publication date: 11 December 2014
Source:Cell Reports, Volume 9, Issue 5
Author(s): Romain Christiano , Nagarjuna Nagaraj , Florian Fröhlich , Tobias C. Walther
How cells maintain specific levels of each protein and whether that control is evolutionarily conserved are key questions. Here, we report proteome-wide steady-state protein turnover rate measurements for the evolutionarily distant but ecologically similar yeasts, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe. We find that the half-life of most proteins is much longer than currently thought and determined to a large degree by protein synthesis and dilution due to cell division. However, we detect a significant subset of proteins (∼15%) in both yeasts that are turned over rapidly. In addition, the relative abundances of orthologous proteins between the two yeasts are highly conserved across the 400 million years of evolution. In contrast, their respective turnover rates differ considerably. Our data provide a high-confidence resource for studying protein degradation in common yeast model systems.

Graphical abstract

Teaser

Christiano et al. report protein turnover rates for S. cerevisiae and S. pombe. Overall, protein half-life is far less conserved than protein abundance. Protein turnover profiling of hrd1Δ, an endoplasmic-reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD)-defective mutant, identifies candidate substrates for this pathway in budding yeast.

Publication date: 20 November 2014
Source:Cell Reports, Volume 9, Issue 4
Author(s): Carrie L. Simms , Benjamin H. Hudson , John W. Mosior , Ali S. Rangwala , Hani S. Zaher
Chemical damage to RNA affects its functional properties and thus may pose a significant hurdle to the translational apparatus; however, the effects of damaged mRNA on the speed and accuracy of the decoding process and their interplay with quality-control processes are not known. Here, we systematically explore the effects of oxidative damage on the decoding process using a well-defined bacterial in vitro translation system. We find that the oxidative lesion 8-oxoguanosine (8-oxoG) reduces the rate of peptide-bond formation by more than three orders of magnitude independent of its position within the codon. Interestingly, 8-oxoG had little effect on the fidelity of the selection process, suggesting that the modification stalls the translational machinery. Consistent with these findings, 8-oxoG mRNAs were observed to accumulate and associate with polyribosomes in yeast strains in which no-go decay is compromised. Our data provide compelling evidence that mRNA-surveillance mechanisms have evolved to cope with damaged mRNA.

Graphical abstract

Teaser

Oxidative damage to RNA has received relatively little attention despite evidence that it can accumulate in cells and is associated with numerous disease states. Simms et al. demonstrate that a single modified residue in an mRNA can lead to ribosomal stalling. Cells in which no-go decay is compromised show increased levels of 8-oxoG mRNA, suggesting that mRNA surveillance mechanisms may have evolved to cope with damaged mRNA.

Related Articles

Comprehensive overview and assessment of computational prediction of microRNA targets in animals.

Brief Bioinform. 2014 Dec 2;

Authors: Fan X, Kurgan L

Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short endogenous noncoding RNAs that bind to target mRNAs, usually resulting in degradation and translational repression. Identification of miRNA targets is crucial for deciphering functional roles of the numerous miRNAs that are rapidly generated by sequencing efforts. Computational prediction methods are widely used for high-throughput generation of putative miRNA targets. We review a comprehensive collection of 38 miRNA sequence-based computational target predictors in animals that were developed over the past decade. Our in-depth analysis considers all significant perspectives including the underlying predictive methodologies with focus on how they draw from the mechanistic basis of the miRNA-mRNA interaction. We also discuss ease of use, availability, impact of the considered predictors and the evaluation protocols that were used to assess them. We are the first to comparatively and comprehensively evaluate seven representative methods when predicting miRNA targets at the duplex and gene levels. The gene-level evaluation is based on three benchmark data sets that rely on different ways to annotate targets including biochemical assays, microarrays and pSILAC. We offer practical advice on selection of appropriate predictors according to certain properties of miRNA sequences, characteristics of a specific application and desired levels of predictive quality. We also discuss future work related to the design of new models, data quality, improved usability, need for standardized evaluation and ability to predict mRNA expression changes.

PMID: 25471818 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Ernesto Picardi, Anna Maria D'Erchia, Angela Gallo, Antonio Montalvo and Graziano Pesole

Retrotransposons and pseudogenes regulate mRNAs and lncRNAs via the piRNA pathway in the germline.

Genome Res. 2014 Dec 5;

Authors: Watanabe T, Cheng EC, Zhong M, Lin H

Abstract
The eukaryotic genome has vast intergenic regions containing transposons, pseudogenes, and other repetitive sequences. They produce numerous long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), yet the functions of the vast intergenic regions remain largely unknown. Mammalian piRNAs are abundantly expressed in late spermatocytes and round spermatids, coinciding with the widespread expression of lncRNAs in these cells. Here, we show that piRNAs derived from transposons and pseudogenes mediate the degradation of a large number of mRNAs and lncRNAs in mouse late spermatocytes. In particular, they have a large impact on the lncRNA transcriptome, as a quarter of lncRNAs expressed in late spermatocytes are up-regulated in mice deficient in the piRNA pathway. Furthermore, our genomic and in vivo functional analyses reveal that retrotransposon sequences in the 3' UTR of mRNAs are targeted by piRNAs for degradation. Similarly, the degradation of spermatogenic cell-specific lncRNAs by piRNAs is mediated by retrotransposon sequences. Moreover, we show that pseudogenes regulate mRNA stability via the piRNA pathway. The degradation of mRNAs and lncRNAs by piRNAs requires PIWIL1 (also known as MIWI) and, at least in part, depends on its slicer activity. Together, these findings reveal the presence of a highly complex and global RNA regulatory network mediated by piRNAs with retrotransposons and pseudogenes as regulatory sequences.

PMID: 25480952 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]