Project description:Key protein adapters couple translation to mRNA decay on specific classes of problematic mRNAs in eukaryotes. Slow decoding on nonoptimal codons leads to codon-optimality-mediated decay (COMD) and prolonged arrest at stall sites leads to no-go decay (NGD). The identities of the decay factors underlying these processes and the mechanisms by which they respond to translational distress remain open areas of investigation. We use carefully-designed reporter mRNAs to perform genetic screens and functional assays in S. cerevisiae. We characterize the roles of Hel2 and Syh1 in coordinating translational repression and mRNA decay on NGD reporter mRNAs, finding that Syh1 acts as the primary link to mRNA decay in NGD. Importantly we, observe that these NGD factors are not involved in the degradation of mRNAs enriched in nonoptimal codons. Further, we establish that key factors previously implicated in COMD, Not5 and Dhh1 , contribute modestly to the degradation of an NGD-targeted mRNA. Finally, we use ribosome profiling to reveal distinct ribosomal states associated with each reporter mRNA that readily rationalize the contributions of NGD and COMD factors to degradation of these reporters. Taken together, these results provide new mechanistic insight into the role of Syh1 in NGD and define the molecular triggers that determine how distinct pathways target mRNAs for degradation in yeast.
Project description:Key protein adapters couple translation to mRNA decay on specific classes of problematic mRNAs in eukaryotes. Slow decoding on nonoptimal codons leads to codon-optimality-mediated decay (COMD) and prolonged arrest at stall sites leads to no-go decay (NGD). The identities of the decay factors underlying these processes and the mechanisms by which they respond to translational distress remain open areas of investigation. We use carefully-designed reporter mRNAs to perform genetic screens and functional assays in S. cerevisiae. We characterize the roles of Hel2 and Syh1 in coordinating translational repression and mRNA decay on NGD reporter mRNAs, finding that Syh1 acts as the primary link to mRNA decay in NGD. Importantly we, observe that these NGD factors are not involved in the degradation of mRNAs enriched in nonoptimal codons. Further, we establish that key factors previously implicated in COMD, Not5 and Dhh1 , contribute modestly to the degradation of an NGD-targeted mRNA. Finally, we use ribosome profiling to reveal distinct ribosomal states associated with each reporter mRNA that readily rationalize the contributions of NGD and COMD factors to degradation of these reporters. Taken together, these results provide new mechanistic insight into the role of Syh1 in NGD and define the molecular triggers that determine how distinct pathways target mRNAs for degradation in yeast.
Project description:Translation elongation stalling has the potential to produce toxic truncated protein fragments. Translation of either non-stop mRNA or transcripts coding for poly-basic sequences induces ribosome stalling, and the arrest product is degraded by the ribosome-mediated quality control (RQC) system. During this process, the stalled ribosome is dissociated into subunits, and the polypeptide is ubiquitinated by the E3 ubiquitin ligase Listerin on the 60S large ribosomal subunit, leading to subsequent proteasomal degradation. However, it is largely unknown how the specific stalled ribosomes are recognized as aberrant to engage the RQC system. Here, we report that ubiquitination of the ribosomal protein uS10 of the 40S small ribosomal subunit, by the E3 ubiquitin ligase Hel2 (or RQC-trigger (Rqt) 1) initiates RQC. We identified a novel RQC-trigger (RQT) complex composed of the RNA helicase-family protein Slh1/Rqt2, the ubiquitin binding protein Cue3/Rqt3, and yKR023W/Rqt4 that is required for RQC. The defects in RQC of the RQT mutants correlated with sensitivity to anisomycin, which stalls ribosome at the rotated form, suggesting that RQT factors rescue ribosomes stalled by this drug. Our un-biased survey by ribosome profiling revealed that ribosomes stalled at the rotated state with specific pairs of codons at P-A sites serve as RQC substrates. Rqt1 specifically ubiquitinates these arrested ribosomes to target them to the RQT complex, allowing subsequent RQC reactions including dissociation of the stalled ribosome into subunits. Our results provide mechanistic insight into the surveillance system for aberrant proteins induced by ribosome stalling and mediated by ribosome ubiquitination.
Project description:The ribosome-associated protein quality control (RQC) system that resolves stalled translation events is activated when ribosomes collide and form disome, trisome or higher order complexes. However, it is unclear whether this system distinguishes collision complexes formed on defective mRNAs from those with functional roles on endogenous transcripts. Here, we performed disome and trisome footprint profiling in yeast and found collisions were enriched on diverse sequence motifs known to slow translation. When 60S recycling was inhibited, disomes accumulated at stop codons and could move into the 3’UTR to reinitiate translation. The ubiquitin ligase and RQC factor Hel2/ZNF598 generally recognized collisions but did not trigger degradation of endogenous transcripts. However, loss of Hel2 triggered the integrated stress response, via phosphorylation of eIF2alpha, thus linking these pathways. Our results suggest that Hel2 has a role in sensing ribosome collisions on endogenous mRNAs and such events may be important for cellular homeostasis.
Project description:Translation elongation rates are regulated to ensure proper conformation and biological function of proteins. Translation of either non-stop mRNA or transcripts coding for poly-basic sequences induces ribosome stalling, and the arrest product is degraded by the ribosome-mediated quality control system (RQC). During this process, the stalled ribosome is dissociated into subunits, and the polypeptide is ubiquitinated by the E3 ubiquitin ligase Listerin on the 60S large ribosomal subunit (LSU) leading to subsequent proteasomal degradation. However, it is largely unknown how stalled ribosomes are recognized and dissociated into subunits. Here we report that ubiquitination of the ribosomal protein uS10 by the E3 ubiquitin ligase Hel2 is required for the production of the RQC substrate. RQC-trigger (RQT) factors, a RNA helicase-family protein Slh1/Rqt2, ubiquitin binding protein Cue3/Rqt3 and yKR023W/Rqt4, were also required for the primary steps of RQC, and associated with Hel2-ribosome complexes. Rqt2-4 factors were dispensable for the ubiquitination of uS10 by Hel2/Rqt1 and associated with ribosomes independent of the ubiquitination of uS10. However, the ubiquitin-binding activity of Rqt3 were crucial to trigger RQC. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) analysis revealed that Hel2 bound ribosomes are in an rotated state containing hybrid state AP- and PE-tRNAs. Furthermore, ribosome profiling revealed that short footprints, hallmarks of hybrid state ribosomes18, were accumulated at tandem CGA rare codons at the beginning of the poly arginine stalling sequence and long footprints at subsequent codons, respectively. Short footprints at CGA codons were decreased in rqt1 mutant but drastically increased in uS10 mutants defective in the ubiquitination or rqt2 mutant. Collectively, our results demonstrate that Hel2 stabilizes ratcheted ribosomes leading to ubiquitination of uS10. Subsequently, Rqt2-4 factors target these hybrid state ribosomes specifically, allowing subsequent RQC reactions.
Project description:Although many clinically important antibiotics inhibit bacterial ribosomes, the mechanisms by which bacterial cells rescue ribosomes stalled by antibiotics remain poorly understood. Ribosome stalling leads to collisions that recruit ribosome quality control (RQC) factors that recycle the ribosome subunits and target nascent proteins for degradation. Surprisingly, loss of known RQC factors in E. coli does not lead to significant antibiotic sensitivity, even though antibiotics stall ribosomes and induce collisions, suggesting the existence of additional, uncharacterized RQC mechanisms. Here we report a novel mechanism for ribosome quality control (RQC) in bacteria in which the DExH-box ATPase HrpA splits stalled ribosomes into subunits. HrpA selectively acts on collided ribosomes and its activity is dependent on ATP hydrolysis. The cryo-EM structure of HrpA bound to collided ribosomes reveals insight into its selectivity and mechanism: the C-terminal domain of HrpA senses the collision and its helicase domain bind mRNA downstream of the ribosomes, where it likely exerts a pulling force that destabilizes the stalled ribosome. These studies highlight the importance of ribosome splitting as a highly conserved RQC mechanism across all three domains of life and identify an important pathway in proteobacteria that allows proteobacteria to tolerate ribosome-targeting antibiotics.
Project description:Ribosome stalling occurring on aberrant mRNA activates quality control pathways to maintain proteostasis. Recently, ribosome stalling has also been linked to the activation of Gcn2 and the subsequent integrated-stress response (ISR). How the two processes are coordinated is not completely clear. Here we show that activation of ribosome-quality control by Hel2 suppresses that of Gcn2 in yeast. In the absence of Hel2, we observe a gene-expression signature indicative of ISR activation, suggesting that factor is used to suppress premature activation of Gcn2 in the absence of stress conditions. We further show that Hel2 and Gcn2 are activated by similar set of agents that cause ribosome stalling, with Hel2’s maximal activation occurring at lower frequency of stalling. Interestingly, inactivation of one pathway was found to result in the overactivation of the other, suggesting that both are activated by the same signal. Indeed, we provide evidence that suggests that, similar to Hel2, Gcn2 is activated by ribosome collisions. Collectively, our findings provide interesting details about how the multiple pathways that recognize stalled ribosomes coordinate to mount the appropriate response.
Project description:In the ribosome complex, tRNA is a critical element of mRNA translation. We reported a new technology for profiling ribosome-embedded tRNAs and their modifications. With the method, we generated a comprehensive survey of the quanity and quality of intra-ribosomal tRNAs (Ribo-tRNA-seq). Ribo-tRNA-seq can provide new insights on translation control mechanism in diverse biological contexts.