Project description:Poly(A) tails are important elements in mRNA translation and stability. However, recent genome-wide studies concluded that poly(A) tail length was generally not associated with translational efficiency in non-embryonic cells. To investigate if poly(A) tail size might be coupled to gene expression in an intact organism, we used an adapted TAIL-seq protocol to measure poly(A) tails in Caenorhabditis elegans. Surprisingly, we found that well-expressed transcripts contain relatively short, well-defined tails. This attribute appears dependent on translational efficiency, as transcripts enriched for optimal codons and ribosome association had the shortest tail sizes, while non-coding RNAs retained long tails.
Project description:Poly(A) tails are critical for mRNA stability and translation. However, recent studies have challenged this view, showing that poly(A) tail length and translation efficiency are decoupled in non-embryonic cells. Using TAIL-seq and ribosome profiling, we investigate poly(A) tail dynamics and translational control in the somatic cell cycle. We find dramatic changes in poly(A) tail lengths of cell cycle regulatory genes like CDK1, TOP2A, and FBXO5, explaining their translational repression in M phase. We also find that poly(A) tail length is coupled to translation when the poly(A) tail is <20 nucleotides. However, as most genes have >20 nucleotide poly(A) tails, their translation is regulated mainly via poly(A) tail length-independent mechanisms during the cell cycle. Specifically, we find that terminal oligopyrimidine (TOP) tract-containing transcripts escape global translational suppression in M phase and are actively translated. Our quantitative and comprehensive data provide a revised view of translational control in the somatic cell cycle.
Project description:Translation of TOP mRNAs encoding protein synthesis machinery is strictly regulated by an amino acid sensing mTOR pathway. However, its regulatory mechanism remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that TOP mRNA translation positively correlates with its poly(A) tail length under mTOR active/amino acid-rich condition, suggesting that TOP mRNAs are post-transcriptionally controlled by poly(A) tail length regulation. Consistent with this, tail length of TOP mRNAs dynamically fluctuates in response to amino acid availability. Poly(A) tail shortens under mTOR active/ amino acid-rich condition, whereas the long-tailed TOP mRNAs accumulate under mTOR inactive/amino acid-starved (AAS) condition. An RNA-binding protein LARP1 that specifically binds to TOP mRNAs is indispensable for the process. We also show that LARP1 interacts with non-canonical poly(A) polymerases, PAPD4, PAPD5 and PAPD7 and induces post-transcriptional polyadenylation of the target when tethered to the mRNA. Our findings illustrate that LARP1 contributes to the selective accumulation of TOP mRNAs with long poly(A) tail under AAS, resulting in accelerated ribosomal loading onto TOP mRNAs for the resumption of translation after AAS.
Project description:Poly(A) tails are critical for mRNA stability and translation. However, recent studies have challenged this view, showing that poly(A) tail length and translation efficiency are decoupled in non-embryonic cells. Using TAIL-seq and ribosome profiling, we investigate poly(A) tail dynamics and translational control in the somatic cell cycle. We find dramatic changes in poly(A) tail lengths of cell cycle regulatory genes like CDK1, TOP2A, and FBXO5, explaining their translational repression in M phase. We also find that poly(A) tail length is coupled to translation when the poly(A) tail is <20 nucleotides. However, as most genes have >20 nucleotide poly(A) tails, their translation is regulated mainly via poly(A) tail length-independent mechanisms during the cell cycle. Specifically, we find that terminal oligopyrimidine (TOP) tract-containing transcripts escape global translational suppression in M phase and are actively translated. Our quantitative and comprehensive data provide a revised view of translational control in the somatic cell cycle. HeLa cells were synchronized at S or M phase, and subject to RNA-seq, ribosome profiling and TAIL-seq analysis.
Project description:Translation of TOP mRNAs encoding protein synthesis machinery is strictly regulated by an amino acid sensing mTOR pathway. However, its regulatory mechanism remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that TOP mRNA translation positively correlates with its poly(A) tail length under mTOR active/amino acid-rich condition, suggesting that TOP mRNAs are post-transcriptionally controlled by poly(A) tail length regulation. Consistent with this, tail length of TOP mRNAs dynamically fluctuates in response to amino acid availability. Poly(A) tail shortens under mTOR active/ amino acid-rich condition, whereas the long-tailed TOP mRNAs accumulate under mTOR inactive/amino acid-starved (AAS) condition. An RNA-binding protein LARP1 that specifically binds to TOP mRNAs is indispensable for the process. We also show that LARP1 interacts with non-canonical poly(A) polymerases, PAPD4, PAPD5 and PAPD7 and induces post-transcriptional polyadenylation of the target when tethered to the mRNA. Our findings illustrate that LARP1 contributes to the selective accumulation of TOP mRNAs with long poly(A) tail under AAS, resulting in accelerated ribosomal loading onto TOP mRNAs for the resumption of translation after AAS.
Project description:Poly(A) tails enhance the stability and translation of most eukaryotic messenger RNAs, but difficulties in globally measuring poly(A)-tail lengths have impeded greater understanding of poly(A)-tail function. Here we describe poly(A)-tail length profiling by sequencing (PAL-seq) and apply it to measure tail lengths of millions of individual RNAs isolated from yeasts, cell lines, Arabidopsis thaliana leaves, mouse liver, and zebrafish and frog embryos. Poly(A)-tail lengths were conserved between orthologous mRNAs, with mRNAs encoding ribosomal proteins and other 'housekeeping' proteins tending to have shorter tails. As expected, tail lengths were coupled to translational efficiencies in early zebrafish and frog embryos. However, this strong coupling diminished at gastrulation and was absent in non-embryonic samples, indicating a rapid developmental switch in the nature of translational control. This switch complements an earlier switch to zygotic transcriptional control and explains why the predominant effect of microRNA mediated deadenylation concurrently shifts from translational repression to mRNA destabilization.
Project description:To obtain global data on polyadenylation of mRNAs, we fractionated the mRNAs according to their poly(A) tail length using a poly-U sepharose column followed by differential elution at five temperatures. Five mRNA fractions with distinct ranges of poly(A) tail length were then hybridized to microarrays using total eluate as a reference.
Project description:Poly(A) tails enhance the stability and translation of most eukaryotic messenger RNAs, but difficulties in globally measuring poly(A)-tail lengths have impeded greater understanding of poly(A)-tail function. Here we describe poly(A)-tail length profiling by sequencing (PAL-seq) and apply it to measure tail lengths of millions of individual RNAs isolated from yeasts, cell lines, Arabidopsis thaliana leaves, mouse liver, and zebrafish and frog embryos. Poly(A)-tail lengths were conserved between orthologous mRNAs, with mRNAs encoding ribosomal proteins and other 'housekeeping' proteins tending to have shorter tails. As expected, tail lengths were coupled to translational efficiencies in early zebrafish and frog embryos. However, this strong coupling diminished at gastrulation and was absent in non-embryonic samples, indicating a rapid developmental switch in the nature of translational control. This switch complements an earlier switch to zygotic transcriptional control and explains why the predominant effect of microRNA mediated deadenylation concurrently shifts from translational repression to mRNA destabilization. 64 samples from a variety of species