Active fluctuations of the nuclear envelope shape the transcriptional dynamics in oocytes
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ABSTRACT: Nucleus position in cells can act as a developmental cue. Mammalian oocytes position their nucleus centrally using an F-actin mediated pressure gradient. The biological significance of nucleus centring in mammalian oocytes being unknown, we sought to assess the F-actin pressure gradient effect on the nucleus. We addressed this using a dedicated computational 3D imaging approach, biophysical analyses, and a nucleus repositioning assay in mouse oocytes mutant for cytoplasmic F-actin. We found that the cytoplasmic activity, in charge of nucleus-centring, shaped the nucleus while promoting nuclear envelope fluctuations and chromatin motion. Off-centred nuclei in F-actin mutant oocytes were misshaped with immobile chromatin and modulated gene expression. Restoration of F-actin in mutant oocytes rescued nucleus architecture fully and gene expression partially. Thus, the F-actin mediated pressure gradient also modulates nucleus dynamics in oocytes. Moreover, this study supports a mechano-transduction model whereby cytoplasmic microfilaments could modulate oocyte transcriptome, essential for subsequent embryo development.
Project description:To compare nuclear and cytoplasmic RNA from a single cell type, free of cross-contamination, we studied the oocyte of the frog Xenopus tropicalis, a giant cell with an equally giant nucleus. We isolated RNA from manually dissected nuclei and cytoplasm of mature oocytes and subjected it to deep sequencing. Cytoplasmic mRNA 10 consisted primarily of spliced exons derived from ~6700 annotated genes. Nearly all of these genes were represented in the nucleus by intronic sequences. However, unspliced nascent transcripts were not detected. Inhibition of transcription or splicing for 1M-bM-^@M-^S2 d had little or no effect on the abundance of nuclear intronic sequences, demonstrating that they are unusually stable. RTM-bM-^@M-^SPCR analysis showed that these stable intronic sequences are transcribed from the coding strand and that a given intron can be processed into more than one 15 molecule. Stable intronic sequence RNA (sisRNA) from the oocyte nucleus constitutes a new class of noncoding RNA. sisRNA is detectable by RTM-bM-^@M-^SPCR in samples of total RNA from embryos up to the mid-blastula stage, when zygotic transcription begins. Storage of sisRNA in the oocyte nucleus and its transmission to the developing embryo suggest that it may play important regulatory roles during oogenesis and/or early embryogenesis. The individual germinal vesicle (GV) samples' log2 signals were compared pairwise with those from enucleated oocytes.
Project description:Transcription profiling of mouse oocytes treated with 20 MPa hydrostatic pressure for 60 minutes at 37 °C comparing control oocytes kept under identical conditions as pressure treated ones, except HHP treatment. One-condition experiment, HP treated oocytes vs. Control oocytes. Biological replicates: 4 HP treated replicates, 4 control replicates.
Project description:We use mRNA-seq in combination with polysome profiling to determine translational status for all mRNAs in Drosophila mature oocytes and activated eggs. Puromycin-treated lysates are used as a negative control in polysome profiling experiments. Additionally, we use ribosome footprinting to globally measure translational efficiency of mRNAs in wild type mature oocytes as well as wild type and png mutant activated eggs. Lysates of hand-dissected Drosophila mature oocytes (containing ~540 M-NM-<g of total RNA) were subjected to separation by velocity sedimentation through sucrose gradients. In this way, free mRNAs (present in RNPs fraction) or those comigrating with ribosomal subunits (40S or 60S+80S fractions) or with varying numbers of bound ribosomes (low polysomes (2-4 ribosomes), medium polysomes (5-9 ribosomes), and heavy polysomes (more than 10 ribosomes) can be separated based on their size and collected as sucrose gradient fractions. To compare quantitatively the levels of every mRNA across the polysome gradient fractions, we added 5ng of S. cerevisiae mRNA as an exogenous spike-in to each of the six fractions of interest: RNPs, 40S, 60S+80S, low polysomes, medium polysomes and heavy polysomes. RNA was extraced from these fractions, follwing proteinase K treatment, by hot acid phenol method. In case of unfractionated lysates, RNA was extracted using TRIzol (Invitrogen) according to manufacturerM-bM-^@M-^Ys instructions. mRNA-seq samples were prepared from 1 M-NM-<g of total RNA (in case of sucrose gradient fractions and unfractionated lysates) and subject to Illumina based sequencing. Puromycin-treated lysates of mature oocytes or 0-2h Drosophila activated eggs (containing ~540 M-NM-<g of total RNA) were also subjected to separation by velocity sedimentation through sucrose gradients. Puromycin causes premature termination of elongating ribosomes and thus it can be used to determine whether the mRNAs co-sedimenting with the polysomal peaks (defined here as M-bM-^IM-%5 ribosomes) were actively engaged in translation. As an independent approach to assess translation and obtain information on the position of ribosomes on mRNAs, we employed ribosome footprinting. In addition to analyzing the same samples, as by polysome profiling, we also analyzed png mutant activated eggs by ribosome footprinting. Ribosome footprint profiling measures the number of ribosome-protected fragments (RPFs) derived from the mRNAs of each gene, resulting in a singular value of translational efficiency (TE) for each gene (TE=RPF/RNA).
Project description:Transcription profiling of mouse oocytes treated with 20 MPa hydrostatic pressure for 60 minutes at 37 °C comparing control oocytes kept under identical conditions as pressure treated ones, except HHP treatment.
Project description:Actin-related proteins are ubiquitous components of chromatin remodelers, and are conserved from yeast to man. We have examined the role of the budding yeast actin-related protein Arp6 in gene expression, both as a component of the SWR1 complex (SWR-C) and in its absence. We mapped Arp6-binding sites genome-wide using chromatin immunoprecipitation in mutant and wild-type cells. We find that the majority of Arp6-binding sites in euchromatin coincide with binding sites of Swr1, the catalytic subunit of SWR-C, and with the histone H2A variant Htz1. However, the remaining Arp6 binding in telomeres, centromeres, and the promoters of ribosomal protein (RP) genes are independent of Swr1 and Htz1 deposition. We show that Arp6 can position chromatin at nuclear pores, and is required for the pore association of the RP genes to which it binds. This anchoring is also independent of Swr1. Loss of Arp6, but not Htz1, leads to an up-regulation of RP genes and loss of relocalization. This is in contrast to the Htz1-mediated pore-association of GAL1, for which loss of Arp6 impairs activation. Given that Arp6 is required for SWR-C dependent deposition of Htz1, we conclude that Arp6 contributes to both H2AZ-dependent and H2AZ-independent association with nuclear pores and subsequent effects on gene expression. These data illustrate how nuclear actin-related proteins contribute to the long-range organization of chromatin domains in the interphase nucleus. Four replicates for the arp6 deletion mutant and three replicates for the swr1 deletion mutant compared to wild-type.
Project description:The actin cytoskeleton is of fundamental importance for cellular structure and plasticity. However, abundance and function of filamentous (F-) actin in the nucleus are still controversial. Here we show that the actin-based molecular motor myosin VI contributes to the stabilization of stalled or reversed replication forks. In response to DNA replication stress, myosin VI associates with stalled replication intermediates and cooperates with the AAA ATPase WRNIP1 in protecting these structures from DNA2-mediated nucleolytic attack. Using functionalized DARPins to manipulate myosin VI levels in a compartment-specific manner, we provide evidence for the direct involvement of myosin VI in the nucleus and against a contribution of the abundant cytoplasmic pool during the replication stress response.
Project description:To dissect the impact of nuclear and extranuclear mutant htt on the initiation and progression of disease, we generated a series of transgenic mouse lines in which nuclear localization (NLS) or nuclear export sequences (NES) have been placed N-terminal to the htt exon 1 protein carrying 144 glutamines. Our data indicate that the exon 1 mutant protein is present in the nucleus as part of an oligomeric or aggregation complex. Increasing the concentration of the mutant transprotein in the nucleus is sufficient for, and dramatically accelerates the onset and progression of behavioral phenotypes. Furthermore, nuclear exon 1 mutant protein is sufficient to induce cytoplasmic neurodegeneration and transcriptional dysregulation. However, our data suggests that cytoplasmic mutant exon 1 htt, if present, contributes to disease progression. Keywords: Trangenic mouse brain gene expression
Project description:Nuclear actin has been elusive due to the lack of molecular mechanisms. From actin-containing chromatin remodeling complexes, we discovered an arginine mono-methylation mark on evolutionarily conserved R256 residue of actin (R256me1). Actin R256 mutations in yeast affect nuclear functions, and cause diseases in human. Interestingly, we show that an antibody specific for actin R256me1 preferentially stain nuclear actin over cytoplasmic actin in yeast, mouse and human cells. We also show that actin R256me1 is regulated by protein arginine methyl transferase-5 (PRMT5) in HEK293 cells. Genome-wide survey of actin R256me1 mark provides a landscape for nuclear actin correlated with transcription. Further gene expression and protein interaction studies uncover extensive correlations between actin R256me1 and active transcription. The discovery of actin R256me1 mark suggests a fundamental mechanism to distinguish nuclear actin from cytoplasmic actin through post-translational modification (PTM), and potentially implicates an actin PTM mark in transcription and human diseases.
Project description:Actin dynamically shuttles between the nucleus and cytosplasm and regulates a wide range of transcriptional processes within the nucleus We used gene expression profiling of keratinocytes overexpressing wild type actin or actin tagged with a nuclear localisation sequence to identify genes specifically regulated by nuclear actin