Project description:Protein synthesis is an essential cellular process highly deregulated in multiple tumour types, where control of several translation factors is hijacked to benefit oncogenic growth. Here we show that colorectal cancer (CRC) is characterized specifically by elevated levels of phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor 2alpha (p-eIF2alpha). In contrast to its canonical association with reduced translation rates, we reveal that CRC with high p-eIF2alpha has increased protein synthesis rates. Thus, we hypothesize that eIF2B, the sensor of p-eIF2alpha, plays a central role in cells’ inability to relay this inhibitory signal. Using a combination of in cellulo biochemistry, phenotypic assays, and analysis of translation upon modulation of eIF2B subunits alpha and delta, the two eIF2B subunits responsible for sensing p-eIF2alpha, we demonstrate that CRC cells require an intact eIF2B complex to sense p-eIFalpha. Crucially, we show that eIF2Balpha is necessary to translate the oncogenic programs driven by APC loss, highlighting its central role in oncogenic transformation. To conclude, we demonstrate that whilst normal cells do not depend on eIF2Balpha, CRC cells require this eIF2B subunit for correct sensing of p-eIF2alpha and regulation of their proteostasis, thus validating eIF2Balpha as a target for therapeutic intervention in CRC.
Project description:We apply ribosome profiling here to assess the role of eIF2A in translation initiation. For this we test the change in translation efficiency between HeLa control and eIF2A-KO cells, however we do not find any transcript to depend on eIF2A. Since eIF2A is thought to take over the function of eIF2 when eIF2 is inhibited, we also test conditions where the integrated stress response is activated, thereby leading to eIF2 inactivation. In none of our assays, however, could we detect a role of eIF2A in translation initiation.
Project description:Earlier investigations have associated mammalian eIF2A with Met-tRNAi binding to the 40S subunit and its recruitment to specialized mRNAs in a GTP-independent manner. Additionally, eIF2A has been implicated in non-AUG start codon initiation, particularly under conditions where eIF2 function is attenuated by phosphorylation of its α-subunit during stress or starvation. However, the precise role of eIF2A in vivo translation remains unclear. Moreover, it's uncertain if the conserved ortholog in budding yeast can functionally substitute for eIF2 during stress. To address these questions, we conducted ribosome profiling on a yeast deletion mutant lacking eIF2A, alongside isogenic wild-type (WT) cells, both in the presence or absence of eIF2α phosphorylation induced by amino acid starvation.
Project description:Translation initiation is a complex and highly regulated process that represents an important mechanism, controlling gene expression. eIF2A was proposed as an alternative initiation factor, however, its role and biological targets remain to be discovered. To further gain insight into the function of eIF2A in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we identified mRNAs associated with the eIF2A complex and showed that 24% of the most enriched mRNAs encode proteins related to cell wall biogenesis and maintenance. In agreement with this result, we showed that an eIF2A deletion sensitized cells to cell wall damage induced by calcofluor white. eIF2A overexpression led to a growth defect, correlated with decreased synthesis of several cell wall proteins. In contrast, no changes were observed in the transcriptome, suggesting that eIF2A controls the expression of cell wall-related proteins at a translational level. The biochemical characterization of the eIF2A complex revealed that it strongly interacts with the RNA binding protein, Ssd1, which is a negative translational regulator, controlling the expression of cell wall-related genes. Interestingly, eIF2A and Ssd1 bind several common mRNA targets and we found that the binding of eIF2A to some targets was mediated by Ssd1. Surprisingly, we further showed that eIF2A is physically and functionally associated with the exonuclease Xrn1 and other mRNA degradation factors, suggesting an additional level of regulation. Altogether, our results highlight new aspects of this complex and redundant fine-tuned regulation of proteins expression related to the cell wall, a structure required to maintain cell shape and rigidity, providing protection against harmful environmental stress.
Project description:Farnesol is a quorum-sensing sesquiterpene alcohol that, via regulation of specific signalling and transcription components, inhibits filamentous growth in Candida. We have found that farnesol also inhibits translation at the initiation step. In contrast to fusel alcohols, that target the eukaryotic initiation factor 2B (eIF2B), farnesol affects the interaction of the mRNA with the small ribosomal subunit leading to reduced levels of the 48S pre-ribosomal complex. To establish the impact of farnesol and how effects on transcription and translation might be co-ordinated, we identified farnesol-dependent changes at both the transcript level and at the level of polysome association using next generation sequencing approaches.
Project description:The major heat shock protein Hsp70 has been shown to form a complex with a scaffold protein Bag3, linking it to multiple signaling pathways. Via these interactions, the Hsp70-Bag3 module functions as a proteotoxicity sensor that controls cell signaling. Here, as a tool to identify signaling pathways regulated by this complex, we utilized JG-98, an allosteric inhibitor of Hsp70 that blocks its interaction with Bag3. Gene expression profiling followed by the pathway analysis indicated that a set of signaling pathways including the unfolded protein response (UPR) was activated by JG-98. Surprisingly, only the translation initiation factor eIF2a-associated branch of the UPR was activated under these conditions, while other UPR branches mediating induction of ER chaperones were not induced, suggesting that the response was not related to ER proteotoxicity and thus to ER-associated kinase PERK1. Indeed, induction of the UPR genes under these conditions was dependent on activation of a distinct cytoplasmic eIF2a kinase, HRI. We demonstrated that the Hsp70-Bag3 complex directly interacted with HRI and regulated phosphorylation of eIF2a upon induction of cytoplasmic proteotoxicity. Therefore, we uncovered a novel signaling response, which regulates cell death upon the buildup of abnormal protein species in cytoplasm via an Hsp70-Bag3-HRI-eIF2a axis.
Project description:Many positive-strand RNA viruses, including all known coronaviruses, employ programmed –1 ribosomal frameshifting (–1 PRF) to regulate the translation of polycistronic viral RNAs. However, only a few host factors have been shown to regulate –1 PRF. Through a reporter-based genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 knockout screen, we identified several host factors that either suppressed or enhanced –1 PRF of SARS-CoV-2. One of these factors is eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2A (eIF2A), which specifically and directly enhanced –1 PRF in vitro and in cells. Consistent with the crucial role of efficient –1 PRF in transcriptase/replicase expression, loss of eIF2A reduced SARS-CoV-2 replication in cells. Transcriptome-wide analysis of eIF2A-interacting RNAs showed that eIF2A primarily interacted with 18S ribosomal RNA near the contacts between the SARS-CoV-2 frameshift-stimulatory element (FSE) and the ribosome. Thus, our results revealed an unexpected role for eIF2A in modulating the translation of specific RNAs independent of its previously described role during initiation.
Project description:To identify the target genes of integrated stress reponse (ISR), we have employed whole genome microarray expression in MEF cells. ISR gene setimation under ER stress condition using Perk -/-, Atf4 -/-, eIF2a S51A mutant, Fv2E-PERK MEF cells
Project description:The Calcium-Sensing receptor (CaSR) is a G proteins-coupled receptor involved in calcium homeostasis. The CaSR regulates cell proliferation and apoptosis and has been suggested to play an antitumor role in colorectal cancer. However it is down-regulated during carcinogenesis and in more malignant tumors its expression is lost.