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G-quadruplex structures trigger RNA phase separation.

ABSTRACT: Liquid-liquid phase separation plays an important role in a variety of cellular processes, including the formation of membrane-less organelles, the cytoskeleton, signalling complexes, and many other biological supramolecular assemblies. Studies on the molecular basis of phase separation in cells have focused on protein-driven phase separation. In contrast, there is limited understanding on how RNA specifically contributes to phase separation. Here, we described a phase-separation-like phenomenon that SHORT ROOT (SHR) RNA undergoes in cells. We found that an RNA G-quadruplex (GQ) forms in SHR mRNA and is capable of triggering RNA phase separation under physiological conditions, suggesting that GQs might be responsible for the formation of the SHR phase-separation-like phenomenon in vivo. We also found the extent of GQ-triggered-phase-separation increases on exposure to conditions which promote GQ. Furthermore, GQs with more G-quartets and longer loops are more likely to form phase separation. Our studies provide the first evidence that RNA can adopt structural motifs to trigger and/or maintain the specificity of RNA-driven phase separation.

SUBMITTER: Zhang Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7145655 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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G-quadruplex structures trigger RNA phase separation.

Zhang Yueying Y Yang Minglei M Duncan Susan S Yang Xiaofei X Abdelhamid Mahmoud A S MAS Huang Lin L Zhang Huakun H Benfey Philip N PN Waller Zoë A E ZAE Ding Yiliang Y

Nucleic acids research 20191201 22

Liquid-liquid phase separation plays an important role in a variety of cellular processes, including the formation of membrane-less organelles, the cytoskeleton, signalling complexes, and many other biological supramolecular assemblies. Studies on the molecular basis of phase separation in cells have focused on protein-driven phase separation. In contrast, there is limited understanding on how RNA specifically contributes to phase separation. Here, we described a phase-separation-like phenomenon ...[more]

PMID: 31722410

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Project description:Guanine (G)-rich sequences in RNA can fold into diverse RNA G-quadruplex (rG4) structures to mediate various biological functions and cellular processes in eukaryotic organisms. However, the presence, locations, and functions of rG4s in prokaryotes are still elusive. We used QUMA-1, an rG4-specific fluorescent probe, to detect rG4 structures in a wide range of bacterial species both in vitro and in live cells and found rG4 to be an abundant RNA secondary structure across those species. Subsequently, to identify bacterial rG4 sites in the transcriptome, the model Escherichia coli strain and a major human pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, were subjected to recently developed high-throughput rG4 structure sequencing (rG4-seq). In total, 168 and 161 in vitro rG4 sites were found in E. coli and P. aeruginosa, respectively. Genes carrying these rG4 sites were found to be involved in virulence, gene regulation, cell envelope synthesis, and metabolism. More importantly, biophysical assays revealed the formation of a group of rG4 sites in mRNAs (such as hemL and bswR), and they were functionally validated in cells by genetic (point mutation and lux reporter assays) and phenotypic experiments, providing substantial evidence for the formation and function of rG4s in bacteria. Overall, our study uncovers important regulatory functions of rG4s in bacterial pathogenicity and metabolic pathways and strongly suggests that rG4s exist and can be detected in a wide range of bacterial species.IMPORTANCE G-quadruplex in RNA (rG4) mediates various biological functions and cellular processes in eukaryotic organisms. However, the presence, locations, and functions of rG4 are still elusive in prokaryotes. Here, we found that rG4 is an abundant RNA secondary structure across a wide range of bacterial species. Subsequently, the transcriptome-wide rG4 structure sequencing (rG4-seq) revealed that the model E. coli strain and a major human pathogen, P. aeruginosa, have 168 and 161 in vitro rG4 sites, respectively, involved in virulence, gene regulation, cell envelope, and metabolism. We further verified the regulatory functions of two rG4 sites in bacteria (hemL and bswR). Overall, this finding strongly suggests that rG4s play key regulatory roles in a wide range of bacterial species.

Project description:DNA secondary structures are important for fundamental genome functions such as transcription and replication1. The G-quadruplex (G4) structural motif has been linked to gene regulation2,3 and genome instability4,5 and may be important to cancer development and other diseases6-8. Recently, ~700,000 discrete G4s have been observed in naked human single-stranded genomic DNA using G4-seq, a high-throughput sequencing technique that detects structural features in vitro.9 It is of vital importance to investigate G4 structures within an endogenous chromatin context, which until now remained elusive10,11. Herein, we address this via the development of G4 ChIP-seq, an antibody-based G4 chromatin immunoprecipitation and high-throughput sequencing approach. We identified ~10,000 endogenous G4 structures and show that G4s are predominantly seen in regulatory, nucleosome-depleted, chromatin regions. G4s were enriched in the promoters and 5âUTR regions of highly transcribed genes, particularly in genes related to cancer and in somatic copy number amplifications, such as MYC. Reorganization of the chromatin landscape using a histone deacetylase inhibitor, resulted in de novo G4 formation in new and more prominent regulatory, nucleosome-depleted regions associated with increased transcriptional output. Our findings suggest a striking relationship between promoter nucleosome-depleted regions, G4 formation and elevated transcriptional activity. Comparison between normal human epidermal keratinocytes and their immortalized counterparts revealed a ï¾7-fold greater G4 abundance in immortalized cells, of which 80 % were found in regulatory, nucleosome-depleted regions common to both cell types. Consequently, cells exhibiting more G4s displayed significantly increased transcriptional output and were more sensitive to growth inhibition by a small molecule G4 ligand. Overall, our results provide new mechanistic insights into where and when DNA adopts G4 structure in vivo. Our findings show for the first time that regulatory, nucleosome-depleted chromatin and transcriptional states predominantly shape the endogenous G4 DNA landscape. Two cell lines, treated with entinostat or untreated, analyzed to detect gene expression differences, presence of G-Qudruplexes and chromatin state. Each combination of conditions replicated in duplicates or triplicates.

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G-quadruplex structures trigger RNA phase separation.

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G-quadruplex structures trigger RNA phase separation.

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