Functional characterization of RNA-binding protein IMP2 in primary Glioma cell lines [array]
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Cancer stem cells (CSC) dictate tumor cell heterogeneity in diverse cancer types and arise, in part, from microRNA (miRNA)-dependent alteration of gene expression. The let-7 miRNA family induces differentiation by silencing genes that maintain stemness and is repressed by the RNA-binding proteins LIN28A/B, which preserve stemness in normal embryonic and malignant cells. Here, we observed that LIN28A/B is undetectable in glioma stem cells (GSC) whereas let-7 and, paradoxically, their target genes are highly expressed. Using photoactivatable-ribonucloside-enchanced crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (PAR-CLIP), we show that insulin-like growth factor-2 mRNA-binding protein 2 (IMP2) protects let-7 target genes from silencing and provides a mechanistically distinct alternative to LIN28A/B toward both GSC and neural stem cell specification. Our observations define the RNA-binding repertoire of IMP2 and identify a mechanism by which it supports GSC maintenance.
Project description:Cancer stem cells (CSC) dictate tumor cell heterogeneity in diverse cancer types and arise, in part, from microRNA (miRNA)-dependent alteration of gene expression. The let-7 miRNA family induces differentiation by silencing genes that maintain stemness and is repressed by the RNA-binding proteins LIN28A/B, which preserve stemness in normal embryonic and malignant cells. Here, we observed that LIN28A/B is undetectable in glioma stem cells (GSC) whereas let-7 and, paradoxically, their target genes are highly expressed. Using photoactivatable-ribonucloside-enchanced crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (PAR-CLIP), we show that insulin-like growth factor-2 mRNA-binding protein 2 (IMP2) protects let-7 target genes from silencing and provides a mechanistically distinct alternative to LIN28A/B toward both GSC and neural stem cell specification. Our observations define the RNA-binding repertoire of IMP2 and identify a mechanism by which it supports GSC maintenance.
Project description:The goal of this study is to understand how IMP2 contributes to T2D traits by regulating pancreatic beta cell growth and function. Islets from control and Rip2;IMP2 mice were generated by deep sequencing. In additon, we also perfomred IMP2 RIP-Seq to identify IMP2 targets.
Project description:RNA-based regulatory mechanisms play important roles in the development and plasticity of neural circuits and neurologic disease. Developing axons provide a well suited model to study RNA-based regulation, and contain specific subsets of mRNAs that are locally translated and have roles in axon pathfinding. However, the RNA-binding proteins involved in axon pathfinding, and their corresponding mRNA targets, are still largely unknown. Here we find that the RNA-binding protein IMP2 (Igf2bp2) is strikingly enriched in developing axon tracts, including in spinal commissural axons. We used the HITS-CLIP approach to perform a genome-wide identification of RNAs that interact directly with IMP2 in the native context of developing brain. This IMP2 interactome was highly enriched for mRNA targets related to axon guidance. Accordingly, IMP2 knockdown in the developing spinal cord led to strong defects in commissural axon trajectories at the midline intermediate target. These results reveal a highly distinctive axonal enrichment of IMP2, show that it interacts with a network of axon guidance-related mRNAs, and reveal its requirement for normal axon pathfinding during vertebrate development. CLIP-seq
Project description:Using IMP2-deficient mice to study the role of the RNA-binding protein (RBP) IMP2 in models of autoimmunity, namely autoimmune glomerulonephritis
Project description:RNA-based regulatory mechanisms play important roles in the development and plasticity of neural circuits and neurologic disease. Developing axons provide a well suited model to study RNA-based regulation, and contain specific subsets of mRNAs that are locally translated and have roles in axon pathfinding. However, the RNA-binding proteins involved in axon pathfinding, and their corresponding mRNA targets, are still largely unknown. Here we find that the RNA-binding protein IMP2 (Igf2bp2) is strikingly enriched in developing axon tracts, including in spinal commissural axons. We used the HITS-CLIP approach to perform a genome-wide identification of RNAs that interact directly with IMP2 in the native context of developing brain. This IMP2 interactome was highly enriched for mRNA targets related to axon guidance. Accordingly, IMP2 knockdown in the developing spinal cord led to strong defects in commissural axon trajectories at the midline intermediate target. These results reveal a highly distinctive axonal enrichment of IMP2, show that it interacts with a network of axon guidance-related mRNAs, and reveal its requirement for normal axon pathfinding during vertebrate development.
Project description:Data showing the late 2-cell-stage, control embryos (Imp2♀+/♂+) and Imp2-knockout embryos (Imp2♀−/♂+) for HPLC MS/MS analysis. 3 replicates were performed using 330 embryos per group.
Project description:LIN28A is a highly-conserved RNA-binding protein which is known to be involved in embryonic development, stem cell maintenance and proliferation. LIN28A is expressed in various types of cancer, and they are associated with advanced tumor malignancy. In embryonic stem cell, LIN28A specifically binds to let-7 precursors to suppress biogenesis of the let-7 microRNA family. In addition, LIN28A was reported to bind several mRNAs such as Oct4, cyclin A/B and histone H2A to activate their translation. For comprehensive understanding of the interaction between LIN28A and their target RNAs, we exploited UV-crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (CLIP) to capture their in vivo binding to target RNAs. LIN28A-binding RNAs were identified in a mouse embryonic stem cell line using multiple monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. The result shows that LIN28 preferentially binds to let-7 precursors through GGAG binding motif, which is consistent with our previous results. We also identified that LIN28A binding is enriched in a certain subset of mRNAs. To understand the function of the novel LIN28A-mRNA binding, we carried out ribosome profiling from LIN28A-depleted mouse embryonic stem cells. Examination of miRNA level in embryonic stem cell treated with siRNA for GFP or for Lin28a