Project description:Most animal mRNAs contain upstream Open Reading Frames (uORFs). These uORFs represent an impediment to translation of the main ORF since ribosomes usually bind the mRNA cap at the 5’ end and then scan for ORFs in a 5’-to-3’ fashion. One way for ribosomes to bypass uORFs is via leaky scanning, whereby the ribosome disregards the uORF start codon. Hence leaky scanning is an important post-transcriptional mechanism affecting gene expression. Few molecular factors regulating or facilitating this process are known. Here we identify the PRRC2 proteins PRRC2A, PRRC2B and PRRC2C as translation initiation factors. We find that they bind other eukaryotic translation initiation factors and preinitiation complexes and are enriched on ribosomes translating mRNAs with uORFs. We find that PRRC2 proteins promote translation of mRNAs containing uORFs by facilitating leaky scanning past uORFs. Since PRRC2 proteins have been associated with cancer, this provides a mechanistic starting point for understanding their physiological and pathophysiological roles.
Project description:Translation is initiated by binding of the eIF4F complex to the 5' cap of the mRNA, which is followed by scanning of the initiation codon by scanning ribosomes. Here we demonstrate that the ASC-1 complex (ASCC), which was previously shown to promote the dissociation of colliding 80S ribosomes, associates with the scanning ribosomes to regulate translation initiation. Sel-TCP-seq analysis revealed that ASCC3, a subunit of ASCC with a helicase domain, localizes predominantly to the 5' untranslated region of mRNAs. Knockdown of ASCC3 resulted in reduced translation efficiency associated with reduced 43S preinitiation complex (PIC) loading and a reduced speed of scanning ribosomes. In addition, depletion of the ubiquitin ligase ZNF598, a sensor of collided 80S ribosomes, also reduces the PIC loading and speed of scanning ribosomes. Our results have thus revealed that ASCC is required not only for dissociation of colliding 80S ribosomes, but also for efficient translation initiation by scanning ribosomes.
Project description:Cellular responses to environmental stress are frequently mediated by RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). Here, we examined global RBP dynamics in Saccharomyces cerevisiae in response to glucose starvation and heat shock. Each stress induced rapid remodeling of the RNA-protein interactome, without corresponding changes in RBP abundance. Consistent with general translation shutdown, ribosomal proteins contacting the mRNA showed decreased RNA-association. Among translation components, RNA-association was most reduced for initiation factors involved in 40S scanning (eIF4A, eIF4B, and Ded1), indicating a common mechanism of translational repression. In unstressed cells, eIF4A, eIF4B, and Ded1 primarily targeted the 5′-ends of mRNAs. Following glucose withdrawal, 5’-binding was abolished within 30sec, explaining the rapid translation shutdown, but mRNAs remained stable. Heat shock induced progressive loss of 5’ RNA-binding by initiation factors over ~16min. Translation shutoff provoked selective 5′-degradation of mRNAs encoding translation-related factors, mediated by Xrn1. These results reveal mechanisms underlying translational control of gene expression during stress.
Project description:Cellular responses to environmental stress are frequently mediated by RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). Here, we examined global RBP dynamics in Saccharomyces cerevisiae in response to glucose starvation and heat shock. Each stress induced rapid remodeling of the protein:RNA interactome, without corresponding changes in RBP abundance. Consistent with general translation shutdown, ribosomal proteins contacting the mRNA showed decreased RNA-association. Among translation components, RNA-association was most reduced for initiation factors involved in 40S scanning (eIF4A, eIF4B, and Ded1), indicating a common mechanism of translational repression. In unstressed cells, eIF4A, eIF4B, and Ded1 primarily targeted the 5′-ends of mRNAs. Following glucose withdrawal, mRNAs remained stable, but 5’-binding was abolished within 30sec, explaining the rapid translation shutdown. Heat shock induced progressive loss of 5’ RNA-binding by initiation factors over ~16min, and translation shutoff provoked 5′-degradation by Xrn1, selectively for mRNAs encoding translation-related factors. These results reveal mechanisms underlying translational control of gene expression during stress.
Project description:Start codon recognition by the 48S complex is a critical step in translation. However, understanding the in vivo initiation and its regulation at a global scale is limited. Here, we analyzed translation complex profiling (TCP-seq) data to determine the impact of eIF4G1-eIF1 inhibition and the 48S organization. Our analysis provides the first global view of leaky scanning and reveal the central roles of mRNA features and eIF4G1-eIF1 in its regulation. Specifically, non-leaky genes are enriched with a Kozak bearing a C at -1 position while those with short 5’ UTR with TISU. Additionally, the stability of the 48S complex and its integrity during scanning are impaired upon eIF4G1-eIF1 inhibition. Detailed analysis of initiation site footprints revealed three main classes conserved from yeast to human. Our analysis provides a general overview of AUG selection and evidence for conformational rearrangements in vivo.
Project description:The integrated stress response (ISR) facilitates cellular adaptation to a variety of stress conditions via phosphorylation of the common target eIF2α. During ISR, the translation of certain stress-related mRNAs is upregulated in spite of global suppression of protein synthesis.The selective translation often relieson alternative mechanisms, such as leaky scanning or reinitiation, but the underlying mechanism remains incompletely understood. Here we report that,in response to amino acid starvation, the reinitiation of ATF4 is not only governed by eIF2α-controlled ternary complex availability, but is also subjected to regulation by mRNA methylation in the form of N6-methyladenosine (m6A). We demonstrate that m6A in the 5' untranslated region (5’ UTR) controls ribosome scanning and subsequent start codonselection. Global profiling of initiating ribosomes reveals widespread alternative translation events influenced by mRNA methylation. Consistently, Fto-transgenic mice manifest enhanced ATF4 expression, highlighting the critical role of 5’ UTR methylation in translational regulation of ISR at cellular and organismal levels.
Project description:mass spec raw files for the manuscript from Oltion, K. et. al "An E3 ligase network engages GCN1 to promote degradation of translation factors on stalled ribosomes"
Project description:Alternative translation initiation mechanisms such as leaky scanning and reinitiation potentiate the polycistronic nature of transcripts. By allowing for reprogrammed translation, these mechanisms can mediate biological responses to stress stimuli. We combined proteomics with ribosome profiling and mRNA sequencing to identify the biological targets of translation control triggered by eukaryotic translation initiation factor 1 (eIF1), a protein implicated in the stringency of start codon selection. We quantified expression changes of over 4,000 proteins and 10,000 actively translated transcripts, leading to the identification of 245 transcripts undergoing translational control mediated by upstream open reading frames (uORFs) upon eIF1 deprivation. The stringency of start codon selection and preference for optimal nucleotide context were largely diminished leading to translational regulation of uORFs with sub-optimal start sites. Affected genes were implicated in energy production and sensing of metabolic stress. Interestingly, knockdown of eIF1 elicited a synergic response from eIF5 and eIF1B.