Project description:It has been a long debate whether the 98% “non-coding” fraction of human genome can encode functional proteins besides a “random noise” of translation. We used our established translatome sequencing (RNC-seq) to analyze human cells and found that up to 3330 long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were bound to ribosomes and thus might be translated into proteins (with more than 50 amino acids). These new protein-coding genes distributed universally in all human chromosomes. We then used various experimental methods including mass spectrometry, immunoblotting, subcellular localization and phenotype assessments to verify the existence of such a hidden human proteome encoded by purported lncRNAs that can express functional proteins. These new proteins deviate from the canonical proteins in various physical and chemical properties, and emerged mostly in primates during evolution. In sum, we experimentally evidenced a hidden human functional proteome encoded by purported lncRNAs, suggesting that the human genome has to be systematically re-annotated.
Project description:It has been a long debate whether the 98% “non-coding” fraction of human genome can encode functional proteins besides a “random noise” of translation. We used our established translatome sequencing (RNC-seq) to analyze human cells and found that up to 3330 long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were bound to ribosomes and thus might be translated into proteins (with more than 50 amino acids). These new protein-coding genes distributed universally in all human chromosomes. We then used various experimental methods including mass spectrometry, immunoblotting, subcellular localization and phenotype assessments to verify the existence of such a hidden human proteome encoded by purported lncRNAs that can express functional proteins. These new proteins deviate from the canonical proteins in various physical and chemical properties, and emerged mostly in primates during evolution. In sum, we experimentally evidenced a hidden human functional proteome encoded by purported lncRNAs, suggesting that the human genome has to be systematically re-annotated.
Project description:<p>We use next generation sequencing to investigate the different transcriptomes of closely related CD4+ T-cells from healthy human donors to elucidate the genetic programs that underlie their specialized immune functions. Six cell types were included: Regulatory T-cells (CD25hiCD127low/neg with >95% FOXP3+ purity), regulatory T-cells activated using PMA/ionomycin, CD25-CD45RA+ ('naive' helper T-cells), CD25-CD45RO+ ('memory' helper T-cells), activated Th17 cells (>98% IL17A+ purity) and activated IL17-CD4+ T-cells (called 'ThPI'). Poly-T capture beads were used to isolate mRNA from total RNA, and fragment sizes of ~200 were sequenced from both ends on Illumina's genome analyzer. We confirm many of the canonical signature genes of T-cell populations, but also discover new genes whose expression is limited to specific CD4 T-cell lineages, including long non-coding RNAs. Additionally, we find that genes encoded at loci linked to multiple human autoimmune diseases are enriched for preferential expression upon T-cell activation, suggesting that an aberrant response to T-cell activation is fundamental to pathogenesis.</p>
Project description:Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) are transcribed but not translated ribonucleic acids with various functions. We analyzed a so far unreported lncRNA n342419, which we named MANTIS. A search for micropeptides after overexpression of MANTIS in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVEC) with subsequent LC-MS/MS without trypsination showed that none of the micropeptides found had any similarity to potential MANTIS ORFs, whereas the positive control yielded micropeptides encoded from GFP plasmid.
Project description:Non-coding transcripts make up around 98 % of RNAs in the transcriptome of cells, while only around 2 % are coding for proteins. Long non-coding RNAs (> 200bp) are known to have high regulatory functions in various cellular processes. Here, we aimed to characterize the distinct macrophage phenotypes regarding their expression of long non-coding RNAs, which might be involved in the activation process.