Project description:In eukaryotes, nascent RNA transcripts undergo an intricate series of RNA processing steps to achieve mRNA maturation. RNA editing and alternative splicing are two major RNA processing steps that can introduce significant modifications to the final gene products. By tackling these processes in isolation, recent studies have enabled substantial progress in understanding their global RNA targets and regulatory pathways. However, the interplay between individual steps of RNA processing, an essential aspect of gene regulation, remains poorly understood. By sequencing the RNA of different subcellular fractions, we examined the timing of adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing and its impact on alternative splicing. We observed that > 90% A-to-I RNA editing events occurred in the chromatin-associated RNA prior to polyadenylation. We report about 500 editing sites in the 3’ acceptor sequences that can alter splicing of the associated exons. Interestingly, these exons are highly conserved during evolution and reside in genes with important cellular function. Furthermore, we identified a second class of exons whose splicing is likely modulated by RNA secondary structures that are recognized by the RNA editing machinery. The genome-wide analyses, supported by experimental validations, revealed remarkable interplay between RNA editing and splicing and expanded the repertoire of functional RNA editing sites.
Project description:The RNA editing enzyme ADAR chemically modifies adenosine (A) to inosine (I), which is interpreted by the ribosome as a guanosine. Here we assess cotranscriptional A-to-I editing in Drosophila, by isolating nascent RNA from adult fly heads and subjecting samples to high-throughput sequencing. There are a large number of edited sites within nascent exons. Nascent RNA from an ADAR null mutant strain was also sequenced, indicating that almost all A-to-I events require ADAR. Moreover, mRNA editing levels correlate with editing levels within the cognate nascent RNA sequence, indicating that the extent of editing is set cotranscriptionally. Surprisingly, the nascent data also identify an excess of intronic over exonic editing sites. These intronic sites occur preferentially within introns that are poorly spliced cotranscriptionally, suggesting a link between editing and splicing. We conclude that ADAR-mediated editing is more widespread than previously indicated and largely occurs cotranscriptionally. GSM914095: Fly genomic DNA sequencing. Sequenced on the Illumina GA II. GSM914102-GSM914113: Fly head nascent RNA profiles over 6 time points of a 12hr light:dark cycle in duplicate; sequenced on the Illumina GA II. GSM914114-GSM914119: Fly head nascent RNA profiles of yw, FM7, ADAR0 males in duplicate; sequenced on the HiSeq2000. GSM915213-GSM915214: Fly head mRNA profiles over 2 time points of a 12hr light:dark cycle; sequenced on the Illumina GA II. GSM915215-GSM915220: Fly head mRNA profiles over 6 time points of a 12hr light:dark cycle; paired-end sequenced on the Illumina GA II. GSM915221-GSM91526: Fly head mRNA profiles over 6 time points of a 12hr light:dark cycle; sequenced on the Illumina GA II.
Project description:The RNA editing enzyme ADAR chemically modifies adenosine (A) to inosine (I), which is interpreted by the ribosome as a guanosine. Here we assess cotranscriptional A-to-I editing in Drosophila, by isolating nascent RNA from adult fly heads and subjecting samples to high-throughput sequencing. There are a large number of edited sites within nascent exons. Nascent RNA from an ADAR null mutant strain was also sequenced, indicating that almost all A-to-I events require ADAR. Moreover, mRNA editing levels correlate with editing levels within the cognate nascent RNA sequence, indicating that the extent of editing is set cotranscriptionally. Surprisingly, the nascent data also identify an excess of intronic over exonic editing sites. These intronic sites occur preferentially within introns that are poorly spliced cotranscriptionally, suggesting a link between editing and splicing. We conclude that ADAR-mediated editing is more widespread than previously indicated and largely occurs cotranscriptionally.
Project description:To determine the prevalence of cotranscriptional splicing in Drosophila, we sequenced nascent RNA transcripts from Drosophila S2 cells as well as from Drosophila heads. 87% of introns assayed manifest more than 50% cotranscriptional splicing. The remaining 13% are cotranscriptionally spliced poorly, or slowly, with ~3% being almost completely retained in nascent pre-mRNA. Although individual introns showed slight but statistically significant differences in splicing efficiency, similar global levels of splicing were seen from both sources. Importantly, introns with low cotranscriptional splicing efficiencies are present in the same primary transcript with efficiently spliced introns, indicating that splicing is intron-specific. The analysis also indicates that cotranscriptional splicing is less efficient for first introns, longer introns and introns annotated as alternative. FinallyFinally, S2 cells expressing the slow RpII215C4 mutant manifest substantially less intron retention than wild-type S2 cells. Examination of Total pA and Nascent RNA from 2 different cell populations and isolated fly heads.
Project description:RNA sequences are expected to be identical to their corresponding DNA sequences. Advances in technologies have enabled deep sequencing of nucleic acids that uncovered exceptions to the one-to-one relationship between DNA and RNA sequences. Previously in human cells, post-transcriptional RNA editing was the only known mechanism that changes RNA sequences from the underlying DNA sequences. Here, we sequenced nascent RNA and found all 12 types of RNA-DNA differences. Using various experimental analyses, we validated this finding. Our results showed that sequences of nascent RNAs within 40 nucleotides of the exit channel of RNA polymerase II already differ from the corresponding DNA sequences. These RNA-DNA differences are mediated by RNA processing steps closely coupled with transcription and not by known deaminase-mediated RNA editing mechanisms nor during NTP incorporation by Pol II. This finding identifies sequence substitution as part of co-transcriptional RNA processing. We sequenced nascent RNA using global run-on sequencing, GRO-seq from human B-cells from two individuals and a variant of the GRO-seq procedure, known as precision run-on sequencing, PRO-seq. The RNAs are prepared after a short run-on assay performed with isolated nuclei in the presence of Br-UTP. The isolated RNAs are base hydrolyzed to ~100 nucleotides and affinity purified with anti-BrU beads three times at each successive step of preparing the RNAs for orientation-specific sequencing using Illumina technology. The 5M-bM-^@M-^Y ~half of each sequence represents nascent RNA made in the cell and the 3M-bM-^@M-^Y ~half represents sequences made in vitro during the run-on reaction. The precision variation, PRO-seq, incorporates one or at most a few biotin-labeled nucleoside triphosphates during the run-on, and sequencing from the 3M-bM-^@M-^Y end of this affinity purified, nascent RNA maps the cellular location of engaged polymerases with near single nucleotide precision. We obtained ~ 100 million 100-nucleotide uniquely mapped GRO-seq reads from B-cells of two individuals. For one subject, we also carried out pGRO-seq and obtained 60 million uniquely mapped reads. In addition, we sequenced ~135 million uniquely mapped RNA-seq reads, and the corresponding DNA of the two individuals to 30X and 60X coverage. Additionally, we isolated and sequenced nascent RNA with an alternate method described by Wuarin and Schibler (1994) in order to compare chromatin-bound RNA to the very nascent RNA from PRO-seq. We obtained ~190 million uniquely mapped reads from chormatin-bound RNA-seq.
Project description:RNA sequences are expected to be identical to their corresponding DNA sequences. Advances in technologies have enabled deep sequencing of nucleic acids that uncovered exceptions to the one-to-one relationship between DNA and RNA sequences. Previously in human cells, post-transcriptional RNA editing was the only known mechanism that changes RNA sequences from the underlying DNA sequences. Here, we sequenced nascent RNA and found all 12 types of RNA-DNA differences. Using various experimental analyses, we validated this finding. Our results showed that sequences of nascent RNAs within 40 nucleotides of the exit channel of RNA polymerase II already differ from the corresponding DNA sequences. These RNA-DNA differences are mediated by RNA processing steps closely coupled with transcription and not by known deaminase-mediated RNA editing mechanisms nor during NTP incorporation by Pol II. This finding identifies sequence substitution as part of co-transcriptional RNA processing.
Project description:We report that slow transcription by mutant RNA pol II caused accumulation of polyadenylated histone mRNAs that extend past the stem loop processing site. UV irradiation, which decelerates pol II elongation, also induced long poly(A)+ histone transcripts. Inhibition of 3’ processing by slow pol II correlates with failure to recruit SLBP to histone genes. Chemical probing of nascent RNA structure showed that the stem loop fails to fold in transcripts made by slow pol II, thereby explaining the absence of SLBP and failure to process 3’ ends. These results show that regulation of transcription speed can modulate pre-mRNA processing by changing nascent RNA structure, and suggest a mechanism by which alternative processing could be controlled