Project description:The molecular mechanisms of aging are unsolved and fascinating fundamental biological questions. Caenorhabditis elegans is an ideal model organism for investigating aging. PUF-8, a PUF (Pumilio and FBF) protein in C. elegans, is crucial for germline development through binding to the 3’ untranslated regions (3’ UTR) in the mRNA of target genes. Recently, PUF-8 was reported to alter mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy by regulating MFF, a mitochondrial fission factor, and subsequently regulate longevity. Here, we determined the crystal structure of the PUF domain of PUF-8 with an RNA substrate. Mutagenesis experiments were performed to alter PUF-8 recognition of its target mRNAs. We generate these mutations in C. elegans, those mutations reduced the fertility and extended the lifespan. We deep sequenced total mRNAs from wild-type and puf-8 mutant worms and conducted in vitro RNA pull-down experiments. Six PUF-8 regulated genes were identified, in which their mRNA 3’ UTRs contain at least one PUF-binding element (PBE). One of the six genes, pqm-1, is crucial for lipid storage and aging process. Knockdown of pqm-1 could revert the lifespan extension of puf-8(-) animals. Therefore, PUF-8 may regulate the lifespan of C. elegans via modulating pqm-1-related pathways
Project description:PUF proteins have become a leading scaffold for designing RNA-binding proteins to contact and control RNAs at will. We analyze the effects of that reengineering across the transcriptome in vivo for the first time. We show, by HITS-CLIP and PAR-CLIP, that S. cerevisiae Puf2p, a non-canonical PUF protein, binds more than 1000 mRNA targets. Puf2p binds multiple UAAU elements, unlike canonical PUF proteins. We also perform CLIP-seq on truncations of the Puf2p, showing that its prion domain is dispensable for WT binding. We design a modified Puf2p to bind UAAG rather than UAAU, which allows us to align the protein with the binding site. In vivo, the redesigned protein binds UAAG sites. Its altered specificity redistributes the protein away from 3âUTRs, such that the protein tracks with its sites, binds throughout the mRNA. We use RNA-seq to determine that R1 SNE Puf2p represses a novel RNA network. CLIP-seq was performed in BY4742 S. cerevisiae grown in log phase, and using 2 replicates of TAP-tagged proteins.
Project description:PUF proteins have become a leading scaffold for designing RNA-binding proteins to contact and control RNAs at will. We analyze the effects of that reengineering across the transcriptome in vivo for the first time. We show, by HITS-CLIP and PAR-CLIP, that S. cerevisiae Puf2p, a non-canonical PUF protein, binds more than 1000 mRNA targets. Puf2p binds multiple UAAU elements, unlike canonical PUF proteins. We also perform CLIP-seq on truncations of the Puf2p, showing that its prion domain is dispensable for WT binding. We design a modified Puf2p to bind UAAG rather than UAAU, which allows us to align the protein with the binding site. In vivo, the redesigned protein binds UAAG sites. Its altered specificity redistributes the protein away from 3’UTRs, such that the protein tracks with its sites, binds throughout the mRNA. We use RNA-seq to determine that R1 SNE Puf2p represses a novel RNA network.
Project description:PUF proteins have become a leading scaffold for designing RNA-binding proteins to contact and control RNAs at will. We analyze the effects of that reengineering across the transcriptome in vivo for the first time. We show, by HITS-CLIP and PAR-CLIP, that S. cerevisiae Puf2p, a non-canonical PUF protein, binds more than 1000 mRNA targets. Puf2p binds multiple UAAU elements, unlike canonical PUF proteins. We also perform CLIP-seq on truncations of Puf2p, showing that its prion domain is dispensable for WT binding. We design a modified Puf2p to bind UAAG rather than UAAU, which allows us to align the protein with the binding site. In vivo, the redesigned protein binds UAAG sites. Its altered specificity redistributes the protein away from 3’UTRs, such that the protein tracks with its sites and binds throughout the mRNA. We use RNA-seq to determine that R1 SNE Puf2p represses a novel RNA network.
Project description:PUF proteins have become a leading scaffold for designing RNA-binding proteins to contact and control RNAs at will. We analyze the effects of that reengineering across the transcriptome in vivo for the first time. We show, by HITS-CLIP and PAR-CLIP, that S. cerevisiae Puf2p, a non-canonical PUF protein, binds more than 1000 mRNA targets. Puf2p binds multiple UAAU elements, unlike canonical PUF proteins. We also perform CLIP-seq on truncations of Puf2p, showing that its prion domain is dispensable for WT binding. We design a modified Puf2p to bind UAAG rather than UAAU, which allows us to align the protein with the binding site. In vivo, the redesigned protein binds UAAG sites. Its altered specificity redistributes the protein away from 3âUTRs, such that the protein tracks with its sites and binds throughout the mRNA. We use RNA-seq to determine that R1 SNE Puf2p represses a novel RNA network. CLIP-seq was performed in BY4742 S. cerevisiae grown in log phase, and using 2 replicates of TAP-tagged proteins. RNA-seq was performed to determine the regulatory effect of WT or mutant Puf2p, using 4 replicates of the control (no Puf2p), 3 of WT Puf2p and 4 of R1 SNE Puf2p.
Project description:The evolutionarily conserved Origin Recognition Complex (ORC), plays a key role in origin selection in eukaryotes. However, ORC is strikingly divergent in its DNA binding specificity, ranging from base-specific interactions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to base-agnostic interactions in humans. The mechanisms underlying this distinct selectivity is unknown. Atomic model of the yeast ORC showed that base-specific interaction with the invariant thymines of the ARS consensus sequence (ACS) is encoded by a 19-amino acid insertion helix (IH) embedded in the winged helix domain (WHD) of Orc4. This IH is absent in the Orc4 of metazoans including humans, suggesting that removal of the IH might give the yeast ORC “human-like” properties. Indeed, yeast strain engineered with IH deficient Orc4 has completely altered ORC-binding sites enriched in poly-dT tracts located in larger nucleosome-depleted and intergenic open chromatin. In vivo and in vitro assays show that the mutant ORC loads MCM efficiently, in spite of its altered specificity in favor of binding patterns more characteristic of those observed in humans/metazoans. This work provides insights for understanding how ORC evolves to adopt a life cycle that requires plasticity in origin selection during development.
Project description:PUF family proteins are among the best characterized regulatory RNA-binding proteins in non-mammalian species, but relatively little is known about mRNA targets or functions of mammalian PUF proteins. In this study, we used ribonomic analysis to identify and analyze mRNAs associated with ribonucleoproteins containing an endogenous human PUF protein, Pum1. Pum1 associated mRNAs were highly enriched for genes encoding proteins that function in transcriptional regulation and cell cycle/proliferation, results consistent with the post-transcriptional RNA regulon model and the proposed ancestral functions of PUF proteins in stem cell biology. Analysis of 3’UTR sequences of Pum1 associated mRNAs revealed a core Pum1 consensus sequence, UGUAHAUA. Pum1 knockdown demonstrated that Pum1 enhances decay of associated mRNAs, and re-localization of Pum1 to stress granules suggested that Pum1 functions in repression of translation. This study is the first in vivo genome-wide mRNA target identification of a mammalian PUF protein and provides direct evidence that human PUF proteins regulate stability of associated mRNAs. Comparison of Pum1 associated mRNAs to mRNA targets of PUF proteins from S. cerevisiae and Drosophila demonstrates how a well conserved RNA-binding domain and cognate binding sequence have been evolutionarily rewired to regulate the collective expression of different sets of functionally related genes. Keywords: RIP-chip
Project description:PUF family proteins are among the best characterized regulatory RNA-binding proteins in non-mammalian species, but relatively little is known about mRNA targets or functions of mammalian PUF proteins. In this study, we used ribonomic analysis to identify and analyze mRNAs associated with ribonucleoproteins containing an endogenous human PUF protein, Pum1. Pum1 associated mRNAs were highly enriched for genes encoding proteins that function in transcriptional regulation and cell cycle/proliferation, results consistent with the post-transcriptional RNA regulon model and the proposed ancestral functions of PUF proteins in stem cell biology. Analysis of 3’UTR sequences of Pum1 associated mRNAs revealed a core Pum1 consensus sequence, UGUAHAUA. Pum1 knockdown demonstrated that Pum1 enhances decay of associated mRNAs, and re-localization of Pum1 to stress granules suggested that Pum1 functions in repression of translation. This study is the first in vivo genome-wide mRNA target identification of a mammalian PUF protein and provides direct evidence that human PUF proteins regulate stability of associated mRNAs. Comparison of Pum1 associated mRNAs to mRNA targets of PUF proteins from S. cerevisiae and Drosophila demonstrates how a well conserved RNA-binding domain and cognate binding sequence have been evolutionarily rewired to regulate the collective expression of different sets of functionally related genes. Pum1 IP, negative IP, and total IP samples were analyzed for each of 3 biological replicates. Each IP or total RNA sample was run on a separate array versus a common reference sample
Project description:Unanchored polyubiquitin chains are emerging as important regulators of cellular physiology with diverse roles paralleling those of substrate-conjugated polyubiquitin. However tools able to discriminate unanchored polyubiquitin chains of different isopeptide linkages have not been described. We describe the design of a linker-optimised ubiquitin-binding domain hybrid (t-UBD) containing two UBDs, a ZnF-UBP domain in tandem with a linkage-selective UBA domain, which exploits avidity effects to afford selective recognition of unanchored Lys48-linked polyubiquitin chains. Utilising native MS to quantitatively probe binding affinities we confirm cooperative binding of the UBDs within the synthetic protein, and desired binding specificity for Lys48-linked ubiquitin dimers. Furthermore MS/MS analyses indicate that the t-UBD, when applied as an affinity enrichment reagent, can be used to favour the purification of endogenous unanchored Lys48-linked polyubiquitin chains from mammalian cell extracts. Our study indicates that strategies for the rational design and engineering of polyubiquitin chain-selective binding in non-biological polymers are possible, paving the way for the generation of reagents to probe unanchored polyubiquitin chains of different linkages and more broadly the â??ubiquitomeâ??.