Project description:Purpose: To identify all of the APA targets of CFIm25 on a global scale and develop an algorithm that can idenitify APA events from standard RNA-seq data Methods: RNA from HeLa cells treated with control siRNA and CFIm25 siRNA were subject to RNA-Seq. Using a custom-designed algorithm to mine RNA-seq data for novel APA events regulated by CFIm25. Results: We identified over 1,400 genes with shortened 3’UTRs after CFIm25 knockdown. Importantly, we show that as a consequence of APA, many of these mRNAs have greatly enhanced protein expression due to the loss of destabilizing features within the 3’UTR. Conclusions: Our study underscored the critical function of the CFIm complex members in governing APA and establish a previously unknown link between APA and metabolic pathways important for tumor progression. Hela cell line mRNA profiles of control treated and CFIm25 Knockdown were generated by RNA-Seq using Illumina GAIIx.
Project description:Purpose: When CFIm25 knockdown induces global APA events, we aim to investigate ceRNA landscape change based on microRNA expression change. Methods: microRNA from HeLa cells treated with control siRNA and CFIm25 siRNA were subject to RNA-Seq. Results: Consistent with our observations in TCGA breast cancer, we found a surprisingly high enrichment of 3ʹUTR shortening genes' ceRNA partners to tumor suppressors and their down-regulation. Conclusion: Our work indicated that the shortened 3ʹ-UTRs might direct the released miRNAs to repress their ceRNA partners in trans, which are enriched in ceRNET hubs and tumor suppressors, thereby effectively disrupting normal ceRNET and contributing to tumorigenesis.
Project description:Dicer and Argonaute2 (Ago2) gene is involving in microRNA (miRNA) maturation. Knockdown of these genes has great impact on miRNA expression profiles. We used microarrays to detail the miRNA expression profiles in Dicer- and Ago2-knockdown HeLa cells and demonstarted that the significant difference between Ago2-knockdown and Dicer- and Ago2-co-knockdown HeLa cells were not found.
Project description:Kynureninase is a member of a large family of catalytically diverse but structurally homologous pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) dependent enzymes known as the aspartate aminotransferase superfamily or alpha-family. The Homo sapiens and other eukaryotic constitutive kynureninases preferentially catalyze the hydrolytic cleavage of 3-hydroxy-l-kynurenine to produce 3-hydroxyanthranilate and l-alanine, while l-kynurenine is the substrate of many prokaryotic inducible kynureninases. The human enzyme was cloned with an N-terminal hexahistidine tag, expressed, and purified from a bacterial expression system using Ni metal ion affinity chromatography. Kinetic characterization of the recombinant enzyme reveals classic Michaelis-Menten behavior, with a Km of 28.3 +/- 1.9 microM and a specific activity of 1.75 micromol min-1 mg-1 for 3-hydroxy-dl-kynurenine. Crystals of recombinant kynureninase that diffracted to 2.0 A were obtained, and the atomic structure of the PLP-bound holoenzyme was determined by molecular replacement using the Pseudomonas fluorescens kynureninase structure (PDB entry 1qz9) as the phasing model. A structural superposition with the P. fluorescens kynureninase revealed that these two structures resemble the "open" and "closed" conformations of aspartate aminotransferase. The comparison illustrates the dynamic nature of these proteins' small domains and reveals a role for Arg-434 similar to its role in other AAT alpha-family members. Docking of 3-hydroxy-l-kynurenine into the human kynureninase active site suggests that Asn-333 and His-102 are involved in substrate binding and molecular discrimination between inducible and constitutive kynureninase substrates.