Enhanced myogenesis through LncFAM-mediated recruitment of HNRNPL to the MYBPC2 promoter II
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: We identified a novel muscle-specific lncRNA, lncFAM71E1-2:2 (lncFAM), which increased robustly during early human myogenesis. Overexpression of lncFAM promoted differentiation of human myoblasts into myotubes, while silencing lncFAM suppressed this process. A nucleus-resident lncRNA, lncFAMwas studied using chromatin isolation by RNA purification followed by mass spectrometry (ChIRP-ms) analysis to identify the molecular mechanisms whereby it might promote myogenesis. Analysis of lncFAM-interacting proteins revealed that lncFAM recruited the RNA-binding protein HNRNPL to the promoter of MYPBPC2, in turn increasing MYBPC2 mRNA transcription and enhancing production of the myogenic protein MYPBPC2. These results highlight a mechanism whereby a novel ribonucleoprotein complex, lncFAM-HNRNPL promotes MYBPC2 expression transcriptionally to increase myogenesis
Project description:We identified a novel muscle-specific lncRNA, lncFAM71E1-2:2 (lncFAM), which increased robustly during early human myogenesis. Overexpression of lncFAM promoted differentiation of human myoblasts into myotubes, while silencing lncFAM suppressed this process. A nucleus-resident lncRNA, lncFAM was studied using chromatin isolation by RNA purification followed by mass spectrometry (ChIRP-ms) analysis to identify the molecular mechanisms whereby it might promote myogenesis. Analysis of lncFAM-interacting proteins revealed that lncFAM recruited the RNA-binding protein HNRNPL to the promoter of MYPBPC2, in turn increasing MYBPC2 mRNA transcription and enhancing production of the myogenic protein MYPBPC2. These results highlight a mechanism whereby a novel ribonucleoprotein complex, lncFAM-HNRNPL promotes MYBPC2 expression transcriptionally to increase myogenesis.
Project description:In the current project with aim to unequivocally characterize a novel splicing-regulatory network that proves to be a central mediator of endothelial barrier function and vascular integrity. At the core of this network is the endothelial enriched lncRNA NTRAS (annotated as RP11-354k1.1) is shown to control alternative splicing decisions in HUVECs through interplaying with splicing factor hnRNPL. Specifically, in the project we show that NTRAS sequesters the splicing factor hnRNPL through a CA dinucleotide motif, to enhance TJP1 exon 20 usage, thereby TJP1α+ isoform. In turn disrupting TJP1α+ isoform expression impaired endothelial barrier function. Collectively, this splicing-regulatory network might prove fundamental in unlocking new interventions strategic to prevent or reverse vascular leakage.
Project description:Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate among gynecologic tumors worldwide, with unclear underlying mechanisms of pathogenesis. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) primarily direct post-transcriptional regulation through modulating RNA metabolism. Recent evidence demonstrates that RBPs are also implicated in transcriptional control. However, the role and mechanism of RBP-mediated transcriptional regulation in tumorigenesis remain largely unexplored. Here, we show that the RBP heterogeneous ribonucleoprotein L (hnRNPL) interacts with chromatin and regulates gene transcription by forming phase-separated condensates in ovarian cancer. hnRNPL phase separation activates PIK3CB transcription and glycolysis, thus promoting ovarian cancer progression. Notably, we observe that the PIK3CB promoter is transcribed to produce a non-coding RNA which interacts with hnRNPL and promotes hnRNPL condensation. Furthermore, hnRNPL is significantly amplified in ovarian cancer, and its high expression predicts poor prognosis for ovarian cancer patients. By using cell-derived xenograft and patient-derived organoid models, we show that hnRNPL knockdown suppresses ovarian tumorigenesis. Together, our study reveals that phase separation of the chromatin-associated RBP hnRNPL promotes PIK3CB transcription and glycolysis to facilitate tumorigenesis in ovarian cancer. The formed hnRNPL-PIK3CB-AKT axis depending on phase separation can serve as a potential therapeutic target for ovarian cancer.
Project description:Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate among gynecologic tumors worldwide, with unclear underlying mechanisms of pathogenesis. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) primarily direct post-transcriptional regulation through modulating RNA metabolism. Recent evidence demonstrates that RBPs are also implicated in transcriptional control. However, the role and mechanism of RBP-mediated transcriptional regulation in tumorigenesis remain largely unexplored. Here, we show that the RBP heterogeneous ribonucleoprotein L (hnRNPL) interacts with chromatin and regulates gene transcription by forming phase-separated condensates in ovarian cancer. hnRNPL phase separation activates PIK3CB transcription and glycolysis, thus promoting ovarian cancer progression. Notably, we observe that the PIK3CB promoter is transcribed to produce a non-coding RNA which interacts with hnRNPL and promotes hnRNPL condensation. Furthermore, hnRNPL is significantly amplified in ovarian cancer, and its high expression predicts poor prognosis for ovarian cancer patients. By using cell-derived xenograft and patient-derived organoid models, we show that hnRNPL knockdown suppresses ovarian tumorigenesis. Together, our study reveals that phase separation of the chromatin-associated RBP hnRNPL promotes PIK3CB transcription and glycolysis to facilitate tumorigenesis in ovarian cancer. The formed hnRNPL-PIK3CB-AKT axis depending on phase separation can serve as a potential therapeutic target for ovarian cancer.
Project description:Skeletal muscle contains long multinucleated and contractile structures known as muscle fibers, which arise from the fusion of myoblasts into nucleated myotubes during myogenesis. The myogenic regulatory factor (MRF) MYF5 is the earliest to be expressed during myogenesis and functions as a transcription factor in muscle progenitor cells (satellite cells) and myocytes. In mouse C2C12 myocytes, MYF5 is implicated in the initial steps of myoblast differentiation into myotubes. Ribonucleoprotein immunoprecipitation (RIP) analysis showed that MYF5 bound a subset of myoblast mRNAs; prominent among them was Ccnd1 mRNA, which encodes the key cell cycle regulator CCND1 (Cyclin D1). Biotin-RNA pulldown, UV-crosslinking, and gel shift experiments indicated that MYF5 was capable of binding the 3' untranslated region (UTR) and the coding region (CR) of Ccnd1 mRNA. MYF5 silencing in proliferating growing myoblasts revealed that and MYF5 promoted CCND1 translation, and it also modestly increased transcription of Ccnd1 mRNA. Importantly, silencing MYF5 reduced myoblast growth as well as differentiation of myoblasts into myotubes, while overexpressing MYF5 in C2C12 cells upregulated CCND1 expression. We propose that MYF5 enhances early myogenesis in part by coordinately elevating Ccnd1 transcription and Ccnd1 mRNA translation. Four replicates were utilized from either Control (IgG) or MYF5-immunoprecipitated RNA samples from C2C12 cells growing in either growth medium (GM) or differentiation medium (DM) for a total of sixteen samples.
Project description:The mammalian RNA-binding protein AUF1 (AU-binding factor 1, also known as heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein D, hnRNP D) binds to numerous mRNAs and influences their post-transcriptional fate. Given that many AUF1 target mRNAs encode muscle-specific factors, we investigated the function of AUF1 in skeletal muscle differentiation. In mouse C2C12 myocytes, where AUF1 levels rise at the onset of myogenesis and remain elevated throughout myocyte differentiation into myotubes, RIP (RNP immunoprecipitation) analysis indicated that AUF1 binds prominently to Mef2c (myocyte enhancer factor 2c) mRNA, which encodes the key myogenic transcription factor Mef2c. By performing mRNA half-life measurements and polysome distribution analysis, we found that AUF1 associated with the 3’UTR of Mef2c mRNA and promoted Mef2c translation without affecting Mef2c mRNA stability. In addition, AUF1 promoted Mef2c gene transcription via a lesser-known role of AUF1 in transcriptional regulation. Importantly, lowering AUF1 delayed myogenesis, while ectopically restoring Mef2c expression levels partially rescued the impairment of myogenesis seen after reducing AUF1 levels. We propose that Mef2c is a key effector of the myogenesis program promoted by AUF1. Keywords: ribonucleoprotein complex; post-transcriptional gene regulation; muscle cell differentiation; myocytes; mRNA translation; mRNA stability; post-transcriptional gene regulation; transcriptome
Project description:Skeletal muscle contains long multinucleated and contractile structures known as muscle fibers, which arise from the fusion of myoblasts into nucleated myotubes during myogenesis. The myogenic regulatory factor (MRF) MYF5 is the earliest to be expressed during myogenesis and functions as a transcription factor in muscle progenitor cells (satellite cells) and myocytes. In mouse C2C12 myocytes, MYF5 is implicated in the initial steps of myoblast differentiation into myotubes. Ribonucleoprotein immunoprecipitation (RIP) analysis showed that MYF5 bound a subset of myoblast mRNAs; prominent among them was Ccnd1 mRNA, which encodes the key cell cycle regulator CCND1 (Cyclin D1). Biotin-RNA pulldown, UV-crosslinking, and gel shift experiments indicated that MYF5 was capable of binding the 3' untranslated region (UTR) and the coding region (CR) of Ccnd1 mRNA. MYF5 silencing in proliferating growing myoblasts revealed that and MYF5 promoted CCND1 translation, and it also modestly increased transcription of Ccnd1 mRNA. Importantly, silencing MYF5 reduced myoblast growth as well as differentiation of myoblasts into myotubes, while overexpressing MYF5 in C2C12 cells upregulated CCND1 expression. We propose that MYF5 enhances early myogenesis in part by coordinately elevating Ccnd1 transcription and Ccnd1 mRNA translation.