Project description:Small proteins consisting of 50 or fewer amino acids have been identified as regulators of larger proteins in bacteria and eukaryotes. Despite the importance of these molecules, the true prevalence of these regulators remains unknown because conventional annotation pipelines usually exclude such small open reading frames (smORFs). We previously identified several dozen small proteins in the model organism Escherichia coli using theoretical bioinformatic approaches based on sequence conservation and matches to canonical ribosome binding sites. Here, we present an empirical approach for discovering new proteins, taking advantage of recent advances in ribosome profiling in which antibiotics are used to trap newly-initiated 70S ribosomes at start codons. This approach led to the identification of many novel initiation sites in intergenic regions in E. coli. We selected 41 smORFs for chromosomal tagging and detected small protein synthesis for all but 3. The corresponding genes are not only intergenic, but are also found antisense to other genes, in operons, and overlapping other open reading frames (ORFs), some impacting translation of larger downstream genes. These results demonstrate the utility of this method for identifying new genes, regardless of their genomic context.
Project description:Translation of damaged mRNA can lead to ribosome stalling, thereby producing incomplete proteins toxic to the cell. The mechanism of ribosome-associated quality control (RQC) disassembles stalled ribosomes through the actions of the ASC-1 complex (ASCC). Here, we show that some reagents that chemically damage RNA, such as ultraviolet light (UV), cause ribosome stalling, which leads to accumulation of the ASC-1 complex (ASCC) on stalled ribosomes and stable interaction of the ASCC3 helicase with RNA. In contrast, the ASCC was not similarly affected by emetine or anisomycin-induced ribosome stalling. Our work identified two different types of stalled ribosome. Ribosomes arrested by emetine or anisomycin are transient as they are resolved by the ASCC. Whereas the ASCC fails to split some stalled ribosomes, such as those induced by UV, resulting in long-lived stalled ribosome complexes. We show that ribosome stalling activates the G1/S and G2/M cell cycle checkpoints with long-lived stalled ribosomes causing prolonged checkpoint activation. Thus, the cell adjusts this adaptive survival response to match the nature of the stalled ribosome.
Project description:Translation of damaged mRNA can lead to ribosome stalling, thereby producing incomplete proteins toxic to the cell. The mechanism of ribosome-associated quality control (RQC) disassembles stalled ribosomes through the actions of the ASC-1 complex (ASCC). Here, we show that some reagents that chemically damage RNA, such as ultraviolet light (UV), cause ribosome stalling, which leads to accumulation of the ASC-1 complex (ASCC) on stalled ribosomes and stable interaction of the ASCC3 helicase with RNA. In contrast, the ASCC was not similarly affected by emetine or anisomycin-induced ribosome stalling. Our work identified two different types of stalled ribosome. Ribosomes arrested by emetine or anisomycin are transient as they are resolved by the ASCC. Whereas the ASCC fails to split some stalled ribosomes, such as those induced by UV, resulting in long-lived stalled ribosome complexes. We show that ribosome stalling activates the G1/S and G2/M cell cycle checkpoints with long-lived stalled ribosomes causing prolonged checkpoint activation. Thus, the cell adjusts this adaptive survival response to match the nature of the stalled ribosome.
Project description:Translation of damaged mRNA can lead to ribosome stalling, thereby producing incomplete proteins toxic to the cell. The mechanism of ribosome-associated quality control (RQC) disassembles stalled ribosomes through the actions of the ASC-1 complex (ASCC). Here, we show that some reagents that chemically damage RNA, such as ultraviolet light (UV), cause ribosome stalling, which leads to accumulation of the ASC-1 complex (ASCC) on stalled ribosomes and stable interaction of the ASCC3 helicase with RNA. In contrast, the ASCC was not similarly affected by emetine or anisomycin-induced ribosome stalling. Our work identified two different types of stalled ribosome. Ribosomes arrested by emetine or anisomycin are transient as they are resolved by the ASCC. Whereas the ASCC fails to split some stalled ribosomes, such as those induced by UV, resulting in long-lived stalled ribosome complexes. We show that ribosome stalling activates the G1/S and G2/M cell cycle checkpoints with long-lived stalled ribosomes causing prolonged checkpoint activation. Thus, the cell adjusts this adaptive survival response to match the nature of the stalled ribosome.
Project description:Translation of damaged mRNA can lead to ribosome stalling, thereby producing incomplete proteins toxic to the cell. The mechanism of ribosome-associated quality control (RQC) disassembles stalled ribosomes through the actions of the ASC-1 complex (ASCC). Here, we show that some reagents that chemically damage RNA, such as ultraviolet light (UV), cause ribosome stalling, which leads to accumulation of the ASC-1 complex (ASCC) on stalled ribosomes and stable interaction of the ASCC3 helicase with RNA. In contrast, the ASCC was not similarly affected by emetine or anisomycin-induced ribosome stalling. Our work identified two different types of stalled ribosome. Ribosomes arrested by emetine or anisomycin are transient as they are resolved by the ASCC. Whereas the ASCC fails to split some stalled ribosomes, such as those induced by UV, resulting in long-lived stalled ribosome complexes. We show that ribosome stalling activates the G1/S and G2/M cell cycle checkpoints with long-lived stalled ribosomes causing prolonged checkpoint activation. Thus, the cell adjusts this adaptive survival response to match the nature of the stalled ribosome.
Project description:Small proteins consisting of 50 or fewer amino acids have been identified as regulators of larger proteins in bacteria and eukaryotes. Despite the importance of these molecules, the total number of small proteins remains unknown because conventional annotation pipelines usually exclude small open reading frames (smORFs). We previously identified several dozen small proteins in the model organism Escherichia coli using theoretical bioinformatic approaches based on sequence conservation and matches to canonical ribosome binding sites. Here, we present an empirical approach for discovering new proteins, taking advantage of recent advances in ribosome profiling in which antibiotics are used to trap newly initiated 70S ribosomes at start codons. This approach led to the identification of many novel initiation sites in intergenic regions in E. coli We tagged 41 smORFs on the chromosome and detected protein synthesis for all but three. Not only are the corresponding genes intergenic but they are also found antisense to other genes, in operons, and overlapping other open reading frames (ORFs), some impacting the translation of larger downstream genes. These results demonstrate the utility of this method for identifying new genes, regardless of their genomic context.IMPORTANCE Proteins comprised of 50 or fewer amino acids have been shown to interact with and modulate the functions of larger proteins in a range of organisms. Despite the possible importance of small proteins, the true prevalence and capabilities of these regulators remain unknown as the small size of the proteins places serious limitations on their identification, purification, and characterization. Here, we present a ribosome profiling approach with stalled initiation complexes that led to the identification of 38 new small proteins.
Project description:Translation elongation stalling has the potential to produce toxic truncated protein fragments. Translation of either non-stop mRNA or transcripts coding for poly-basic sequences induces ribosome stalling, and the arrest product is degraded by the ribosome-mediated quality control (RQC) system. During this process, the stalled ribosome is dissociated into subunits, and the polypeptide is ubiquitinated by the E3 ubiquitin ligase Listerin on the 60S large ribosomal subunit, leading to subsequent proteasomal degradation. However, it is largely unknown how the specific stalled ribosomes are recognized as aberrant to engage the RQC system. Here, we report that ubiquitination of the ribosomal protein uS10 of the 40S small ribosomal subunit, by the E3 ubiquitin ligase Hel2 (or RQC-trigger (Rqt) 1) initiates RQC. We identified a novel RQC-trigger (RQT) complex composed of the RNA helicase-family protein Slh1/Rqt2, the ubiquitin binding protein Cue3/Rqt3, and yKR023W/Rqt4 that is required for RQC. The defects in RQC of the RQT mutants correlated with sensitivity to anisomycin, which stalls ribosome at the rotated form, suggesting that RQT factors rescue ribosomes stalled by this drug. Our un-biased survey by ribosome profiling revealed that ribosomes stalled at the rotated state with specific pairs of codons at P-A sites serve as RQC substrates. Rqt1 specifically ubiquitinates these arrested ribosomes to target them to the RQT complex, allowing subsequent RQC reactions including dissociation of the stalled ribosome into subunits. Our results provide mechanistic insight into the surveillance system for aberrant proteins induced by ribosome stalling and mediated by ribosome ubiquitination.
Project description:Translation elongation rates are regulated to ensure proper conformation and biological function of proteins. Translation of either non-stop mRNA or transcripts coding for poly-basic sequences induces ribosome stalling, and the arrest product is degraded by the ribosome-mediated quality control system (RQC). During this process, the stalled ribosome is dissociated into subunits, and the polypeptide is ubiquitinated by the E3 ubiquitin ligase Listerin on the 60S large ribosomal subunit (LSU) leading to subsequent proteasomal degradation. However, it is largely unknown how stalled ribosomes are recognized and dissociated into subunits. Here we report that ubiquitination of the ribosomal protein uS10 by the E3 ubiquitin ligase Hel2 is required for the production of the RQC substrate. RQC-trigger (RQT) factors, a RNA helicase-family protein Slh1/Rqt2, ubiquitin binding protein Cue3/Rqt3 and yKR023W/Rqt4, were also required for the primary steps of RQC, and associated with Hel2-ribosome complexes. Rqt2-4 factors were dispensable for the ubiquitination of uS10 by Hel2/Rqt1 and associated with ribosomes independent of the ubiquitination of uS10. However, the ubiquitin-binding activity of Rqt3 were crucial to trigger RQC. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) analysis revealed that Hel2 bound ribosomes are in an rotated state containing hybrid state AP- and PE-tRNAs. Furthermore, ribosome profiling revealed that short footprints, hallmarks of hybrid state ribosomes18, were accumulated at tandem CGA rare codons at the beginning of the poly arginine stalling sequence and long footprints at subsequent codons, respectively. Short footprints at CGA codons were decreased in rqt1 mutant but drastically increased in uS10 mutants defective in the ubiquitination or rqt2 mutant. Collectively, our results demonstrate that Hel2 stabilizes ratcheted ribosomes leading to ubiquitination of uS10. Subsequently, Rqt2-4 factors target these hybrid state ribosomes specifically, allowing subsequent RQC reactions.
Project description:Cells can respond to stalled ribosomes by sensing ribosome collisions and employing quality control pathways. How ribosome stalling is resolved without collisions, however, has remained elusive. Here, focusing on non-colliding stalling exhibited by decoding-defective ribosomes, we identified Fap1 as a stalling sensor triggering 18S non-functional rRNA decay via poly-ubiquitination of uS3. Ribosome profiling revealed an enrichment of Fap1 at the translation initiation site but also association with elongating individual ribosomes. Cryo-EM structures of Fap1-bound ribosomes elucidated Fap1 probing the mRNA simultaneously at both the entry and exit channels suggesting a mRNA stasis sensing activity, and Fap1 sterically hinders formation of canonical collided di-ribosomes. Our findings indicate that individual stalled ribosomes are the potential signal for ribosome dysfunction, leading to accelerated turnover of the ribosome itself.