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Pokeweed antiviral protein binds to the cap structure of eukaryotic mRNA and depurinates the mRNA downstream of the cap.

ABSTRACT: Several cap-binding proteins from both the nucleus and cytosol have been identified that mediate processes such as pre-mRNA splicing, translation initiation, and mRNA turnover. Here we describe a novel cap-binding protein, pokeweed antiviral protein (PAP), a 29-kDa type I ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) isolated from Phytolacca americana. In addition to depurinating the sarcin/ricin loop of the large rRNA, an activity common to all RIPs, we have reported recently that PAP depurinates capped, but not uncapped RNAs in vitro. Here we characterize this activity further and, using affinity chromatography, show that PAP binds to the m7Gppp cap structure. PAP UV-crosslinks to m7GpppG-capped luciferase mRNA more efficiently than GpppG-capped luciferase mRNA, indicating specificity for the methylated guanosine. We present evidence that PAP does not remove the cap structure or depurinate the m7Gppp as shown by primer extension of capped and uncapped luciferase transcripts incubated with PAP. Modeling studies of cap interaction with PAP predict that the cap structure would bind to the active site of PAP in a similar manner to guanine. We map the depurination sites on the capped luciferase RNA and illustrate that depurination occurs at specific adenine and guanine residues throughout the RNA sequence. Incubation of isolated ribosomes with PAP and increasing molar concentrations of m7GpppG relative to PAP resulted in a decrease in the level of rRNA depurination. Therefore, at elevated concentrations, the methylated cap structure competes with the adenine or guanine for binding to PAP, even though the affinity of PAP for capped message is almost fourfold lower than for rRNA. These results demonstrate that the activity of PAP is not limited to rRNA depurination, but that PAP binds to the cap structure and depurinates mRNAs downstream of the cap in vitro. These findings may have implications for understanding PAP activity in vivo.

SUBMITTER: Hudak KA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1370329 | biostudies-other | 2002 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Pokeweed antiviral protein binds to the cap structure of eukaryotic mRNA and depurinates the mRNA downstream of the cap.

Hudak Katalin A KA Bauman Joseph D JD Tumer Nilgun E NE

RNA (New York, N.Y.) 20020901 9

Several cap-binding proteins from both the nucleus and cytosol have been identified that mediate processes such as pre-mRNA splicing, translation initiation, and mRNA turnover. Here we describe a novel cap-binding protein, pokeweed antiviral protein (PAP), a 29-kDa type I ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) isolated from Phytolacca americana. In addition to depurinating the sarcin/ricin loop of the large rRNA, an activity common to all RIPs, we have reported recently that PAP depurinates capped, ...[more]

PMID: 12358434

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Project description:Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) are RNA glycosidases thought to function in defense against pathogens. These enzymes remove purine bases from RNAs, including rRNA; the latter activity decreases protein synthesis in vitro, which is hypothesized to limit pathogen proliferation by causing host cell death. Pokeweed antiviral protein (PAP) is a RIP synthesized by the American pokeweed plant (Phytolacca americana). PAP inhibits virus infection when expressed in crop plants, yet little is known about the function of PAP in pokeweed due to a lack of genomic tools for this non-model species. In this work, we de novo assembled the pokeweed genome and annotated protein-coding genes. Sequencing comprised paired-end reads from a short-insert library of 83X coverage, and our draft assembly (N50 = 42.5 Kb) accounted for 74% of the measured pokeweed genome size of 1.3 Gb. We obtained 29,773 genes, 73% of which contained known protein domains, and identified several PAP isoforms. Within the gene models of each PAP isoform, a long 5' UTR intron was discovered, which was validated by RT-PCR and sequencing. Presence of the intron stimulated reporter gene expression in tobacco. To gain further understanding of PAP regulation, we complemented this genomic resource with expression profiles of pokeweed plants subjected to stress treatments [jasmonic acid (JA), salicylic acid, polyethylene glycol, and wounding]. Cluster analysis of the top differentially expressed genes indicated that some PAP isoforms shared expression patterns with genes involved in terpenoid biosynthesis, JA-mediated signaling, and metabolism of amino acids and carbohydrates. The newly sequenced promoters of all PAP isoforms contained cis-regulatory elements associated with diverse biotic and abiotic stresses. These elements mediated response to JA in tobacco, based on reporter constructs containing promoter truncations of PAP-I, the most abundant isoform. Taken together, this first genomic resource for the Phytolaccaceae plant family provides new insight into the regulation and function of PAP in pokeweed.

Dataset Information

Pokeweed antiviral protein binds to the cap structure of eukaryotic mRNA and depurinates the mRNA downstream of the cap.

Publications

Pokeweed antiviral protein binds to the cap structure of eukaryotic mRNA and depurinates the mRNA downstream of the cap.

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