Project description:To identify transcripts altered upon LIN-41 knockdown, we transfected either a control siRNA or one of two different LIN-41 siRNAs into human embryonic stem cells and collected total RNA 72 hours after transfection.
Project description:To identify transcripts altered upon LIN-41 knockdown, we transfected either a control siRNA or one of two different LIN-41 siRNAs into human embryonic stem cells and collected total RNA 72 hours after transfection. We compared transcript levels between control siRNA or LIN-41 siRNA treated cells.
Project description:To identify genes altered upon LIN-41 expression during reprogramming to induced pluripotent stem cells, human dermal fibroblasts were infected with combinations of GFP alone, OSK, OSKM, OSK+LIN-41, or OSK+let-7 inhibitor (transfected on days 1 and 6). After 11 days, TRA-1-60+ reprogramming cells were isolated as described in Tanabe et al 2013 or in the case of GFP-infected fibroblasts, GFP+ cells were collected. Total RNA was used for gene expression analysis.
Project description:To identify genes altered upon LIN-41 expression during reprogramming to induced pluripotent stem cells, human dermal fibroblasts were infected with combinations of GFP alone, OSK, OSKM, OSK+LIN-41, or OSK+let-7 inhibitor (transfected on days 1 and 6). After 11 days, TRA-1-60+ reprogramming cells were isolated as described in Tanabe et al 2013 or in the case of GFP-infected fibroblasts, GFP+ cells were collected. Total RNA was used for gene expression analysis. After 11 days of reprogramming with OSK, OSK+let-7inh, OSKM, or OSK+LIN-41, TRA-1-60+ cells were isolated and total RNA was isolated.
Project description:An extended meiotic prophase is a hallmark of oogenesis. Hormonal signaling activates the CDK1/cyclin B kinase to promote oocyte meiotic maturation, which involves nuclear and cytoplasmic events. Nuclear maturation encompasses nuclear envelope breakdown, meiotic spindle assembly, and chromosome segregation. Cytoplasmic maturation involves major changes in oocyte protein translation and cytoplasmic organelles and is poorly understood. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, sperm release the major sperm protein (MSP) hormone to promote oocyte growth and meiotic maturation. Large translational regulatory ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes containing the RNA-binding proteins OMA-1, OMA-2, and LIN-41 regulate meiotic maturation downstream of MSP signaling. To understand the control of translation during meiotic maturation, we purified LIN-41-containing RNPs and characterized their protein and RNA components. Protein constituents of LIN-41 RNPs include essential RNA-binding proteins, the GLD-2 cytoplasmic poly(A) polymerase, the CCR4-NOT deadenylase complex, and translation initiation factors. RNA sequencing defined mRNAs associated with both LIN-41 and OMA-1, as well as sets of mRNAs associated with either LIN-41 or OMA-1. Genetic and genomic evidence suggests that GLD-2, which is a component of LIN-41 RNPs, stimulates the efficient translation of many LIN-41-associated transcripts. We analyzed the translational regulation of two transcripts specifically associated with LIN-41 that encode the RNA regulators SPN-4 and MEG-1. We found that LIN-41 represses translation of spn-4 and meg-1, whereas OMA-1 and OMA-2 promote their expression. Upon their synthesis, SPN-4 and MEG-1 assemble into LIN-41 RNPs prior to their functions in the embryo. This study defines a translational repression-to-activation switch as a key element of cytoplasmic maturation.
Project description:An extended meiotic prophase is a hallmark of oogenesis. Hormonal signaling activates the CDK1/cyclin B kinase to promote oocyte meiotic maturation, which involves nuclear and cytoplasmic events. Nuclear maturation encompasses nuclear envelope breakdown, meiotic spindle assembly, and chromosome segregation. Cytoplasmic maturation involves major changes in oocyte protein translation and cytoplasmic organelles and is poorly understood. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, sperm release the major sperm protein (MSP) hormone to promote oocyte growth and meiotic maturation. Large translational regulatory ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes containing the RNA-binding proteins OMA-1, OMA-2, and LIN-41 regulate meiotic maturation downstream of MSP signaling. To understand the control of translation during meiotic maturation, we purified LIN-41-containing RNPs and characterized their protein and RNA components. Protein constituents of LIN-41 RNPs include essential RNA-binding proteins, the GLD-2 cytoplasmic poly(A) polymerase, the CCR4-NOT deadenylase complex, and translation initiation factors. RNA sequencing defined mRNAs associated with both LIN-41 and OMA-1, as well as sets of mRNAs associated with either LIN-41 or OMA-1. Genetic and genomic evidence suggests that GLD-2, which is a component of LIN-41 RNPs, stimulates the efficient translation of many LIN-41-associated transcripts. We analyzed the translational regulation of two transcripts specifically associated with LIN-41 that encode the RNA regulators SPN-4 and MEG-1. We found that LIN-41 represses translation of spn-4 and meg-1, whereas OMA-1 and OMA-2 promote their expression. Upon their synthesis, SPN-4 and MEG-1 assemble into LIN-41 RNPs prior to their functions in the embryo. This study defines a translational repression-to-activation switch as a key element of cytoplasmic maturation.
Project description:Many tissue-specific stem cells maintain the ability to produce multiple cell types during long periods of non-division, or quiescence. FOXO transcription factors promote quiescence and stem cell maintenance, but the mechanisms by which FOXO proteins promote multipotency during quiescence are still emerging. The single FOXO ortholog in C. elegans, daf-16, promotes entry into a quiescent and stress-resistant larval stage called dauer in response to adverse environmental cues. During dauer, stem and progenitor cells maintain or re-establish multipotency to allow normal development to resume after dauer. We find that during dauer, daf-16/FOXO prevents epidermal stem cells (seam cells) from prematurely adopting differentiated, adult characteristics. In particular, dauer larvae that lack daf-16 misexpress collagens that are normally adult-enriched. Using col-19p::gfp as an adult cell fate marker, we find that all major daf-16 isoforms contribute to opposing col-19p::gfp expression during dauer. By contrast, daf-16(0) larvae that undergo non-dauer development do not misexpress col-19p::gfp. Adult cell fate and the timing of col-19p::gfp expression are regulated by the heterochronic gene network, including lin-41 and lin-29. lin-41 encodes an RNA-binding protein orthologous to LIN41/TRIM71 in mammals, and lin-29 encodes a conserved zinc finger transcription factor. In non-dauer development lin-41 opposes adult cell fate by inhibiting the translation of lin-29, which directly activates col-19 transcription and promotes adult cell fate. We find that during dauer, lin-41 blocks col-19p::gfp expression, but surprisingly, lin-29 is not required in this context. Additionally, daf-16 promotes the expression of lin-41 in dauer larvae. The col-19p::gfp misexpression phenotype observed in dauer larvae with reduced daf-16 requires the downregulation of lin-41, but does not require lin-29. Taken together, this work demonstrates a novel role for daf-16/FOXO as a heterochronic gene that promotes expression of lin-41/TRIM71 to contribute to multipotent cell fate in a quiescent stem cell model.
Project description:We perform RIP-seq experiments with two C. elegans worm lines: i) lin-41(n2914); him-5(e1490) with transgenic expression of a rescuing flag::gfp::lin-41 transgene (Aeschimann et al., Mol Cell, 2017) and ii) him-5(e1490) with transgenic expression of flag::gfp::sart-3 (Rüegger et al., NAR, 2015) as a control. The him-5(e1490) genetic background results in an increased frequency of males in the population. We used an anti-FLAG antibody for the IP and semi-synchronous populations of animals in the L3 and L4 larval stages as samples. The purpose of the experiment was to identify LIN41 mRNA targets in the soma. From the three independent replicates, we determined a set of LIN41-bound mRNAs using edgeR and FDR < 0.05 as a cutoff. This set contained only seven mRNAs, the previously known targets lin-29, mab-10, mab-3 and dmd-3 (Aeschimann et al., Mol Cell, 2017), as well as lin-41 and the unannotated genes F18C5.10 and C31H5.5. We conclude that LIN41 likely only binds to a few somatic mRNA targets. Intersecting this experiment with differential gene expression experiments upon dys-regulation of LIN41 (Aeschimann et al., Mol Cell, 2017) and phenotypic analysis of mutant strains, we further conclude that during larval development, LIN41 likely regulates only a four direct targets, namely lin-29, mab-10, mab-3 and dmd-3. Additionally, the lin-41 mRNA could be directly targeted by LIN41 as well, but the detection of lin-41 mRNA in the IPs may result from the immunoprecipitation of nascent FLAG::GFP::LIN41 protein, still bound to the translating ribosome on its own mRNA.