Project description:Deleting the introns from either the chromatin remodeling MMS2 gene or the splicing regulator gene YSF3 modified the expression of a common set of genes in the stationary phase of growth.
Project description:Ribosomal proteins are essential to life. While the functions of ribosomal protein-encoding genes (RPGs) are highly conserved, the evolution of their regulatory mechanisms is remarkably dynamic. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, RPGs are unusual in that they are commonly present as two highly similar gene copies and that they are over-represented among intron-containing genes. To investigate the role of introns in the regulation of RPG expression, we constructed 16 S. cerevisiae strains with precise deletions of RPG introns. We found that several yeast introns function to repress rather than to increase steady-state mRNA levels. Among these, the RPS9A and RPS9B introns were required for cross-regulation of the two paralogous gene copies, which is consistent with the duplication of an autoregulatory circuit. Splicing specific microarrays were used to assess the genome-wide defects in gene expression and pre-mRNA splicing that result from a deletion of a single ribosomal protein gene intron.
Project description:Introns are universally present in the nuclear genomes of eukaryotes. The budding yeast, an otherwise intron-poor species, preserves two sets of ribosomal protein (RP) genes differing primarily in their introns. Despite recent findings on the role of RP introns under stress and starvation, understanding the contribution of introns to ribosome regulation remains challenging. Here, combining isogrowth profiling with single-cell protein measurements, we found that introns can mediate inducible phenotypic heterogeneity conferring a clear fitness advantage. Osmotic stress leads to bimodal expression of the small ribosomal subunit protein Rps22B, mediated by an intron in the 5′ untranslated region of its transcript. The two resulting yeast subpopulations differ in their ability to cope with starvation. Low Rps22B protein levels resulted in prolonged survival under sustained starvation, while high Rps22B levels enabled cells to grow faster after transient starvation. Further, yeast growing at high sugar concentrations – similar to those in ripe grapes – exhibit bimodal Rps22B expression when approaching stationary phase. Differential intron-mediated regulation of RP genes thus provides a way to diversify the population when starvation looms in natural environments. Our findings reveal a new role for introns in inducing phenotypic heterogeneity in changing environments and suggest that duplicated RP genes in yeast contribute to resolving the evolutionary conflict between precise expression control and environmental responsiveness.
Project description:Topoisomerases are required to release topological stress generated by RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) during transcription. Here we show that in response to starvation, the complex of topoisomerase 3b (TOP3B) and TDRD3 can promote transcriptional activation or repression. Human HCT116 cells individually inactivated for TOP3B, TDRD3, or TOP3B topoisomerase activity, exhibit similarly disrupted transcription for both starvation-activated genes (SAGs) and starvation-repressed genes (SRGs). Responding to starvation, both TOP3B-TDRD3 and the elongating form of RNAPII exhibit concomitantly increased binding to TOP3B-dependent SAGs, at binding sites that overlap. Strikingly, TOP3B inactivation decreases the binding of elongating RNAPII to TOP3B-dependent SAGs while increased it to SRGs. Furthermore, TOP3B-ablated cells display reduced transcription of several autophagy-associated genes and autophagy per se. Our data suggest that TOP3B-TDRD3 can promote both transcriptional activation and repression by regulating RNAPII distribution. In addition, the findings that it can facilitate autophagy may account for the shortened lifespan of Top3b-KO mice.
Project description:In this approach, total transcript of a Mycobacterium smegmatis amtR deletion strain was compared under nitrogen surplus and starvation. This is a control experiment to the comparison of wild type and amtR deletion strain, resulting nitrogen-related genes which are not AmtR-controlled. Two biological replicates were analyzed.
Project description:In this approach, changes in total transcript of a glnR deletion strain of Mycobacterium smegmatis due to nitrogen starvation were monitored. This is a control experiment for the comparison of wild type and glnR deletion strain resulting in putative nitrogen-related genes which are not controlled by GlnR.
Project description:In this approach, total transcript of a Mycobacterium smegmatis amtR deletion strain was compared under nitrogen surplus and starvation. This is a control experiment to the comparison of wild type and amtR deletion strain, resulting nitrogen-related genes which are not AmtR-controlled. Two biological replicates were analyzed. Nadja,Jessberger
Project description:In this approach, changes in total transcript of a glnR deletion strain of Mycobacterium smegmatis due to nitrogen starvation were monitored. This is a control experiment for the comparison of wild type and glnR deletion strain resulting in putative nitrogen-related genes which are not controlled by GlnR. Two biological replicates were analyzed.
Project description:In this approach, total transcript of the Mycobacterium smegmatis wild type was compared to a amtR deletion strain under nitrogen starvation. With this experiment, putative target genes of AmtR, a regulator protein of nitrogen metabolism, were identified. Two biological replicates were analyzed.
Project description:Recent pre-clinical data provide strong evidence that short-term starvation before the administration of cytostatic drugs for the chemotherapy of solid tumors leads to significantly higher efficacy and lower toxicity levels. However, these findings have so far not been validated in patients. The aim of this trial is to provide first clinical evidence regarding the impact of pre-chemotherapeutic short-term starvation on response to therapy (primary endpoint). Additionally, progression-free survival, adverse events, and overall survival will be monitored (secondary endpoints). In perspective, short-term starvation before chemotherapy could represent a simple and secure way to improve both efficacy and tolerance of chemotherapies at low cost.